Updated 4pm, adds PN statement
The Nationalist Party wants to stop energy subsidies but the government believes it should continue to cushion prices for "all families and businesses", Prime Minister Robert Abela told supporters on Sunday.
Speaking at a party event at the PL's Rabat club, Abela criticised the PN's plans to organise a protest on May 1 and urged people to join the PL's events to send a message to the PN that this is the best way forward for the country,
"The PN wants us to stop energy subsidies. Is this why the PN wants to protest? Because we are helping people," he asked.
"We believe we should continue to help all our families and businesses with energy prices, and if you believe we should, join us on May 1 to send a clear message in favour of help for the people."
Both the PN and the PL are anointing themselves as the workers' party and are attempting to rally the masses for separate workers' day events next week.
Labour has lined up events for all the family, from a car show in Triton Square to children's games in Ordnance Street, to a band march and a concert integrated within a mass meeting.
Meanwhile, the PN has borrowed a line from the national anthem - strength to the workers - and announced a protest in the afternoon in Guardamangia.
Happy workers
In his address, the Prime Minister said he has lately been meeting workers and professionals who have found quality jobs and climbed the corporate ladder impressively, and investors and company owners who have lauded the government's efforts to keep businesses afloat.
"I met workers who started at the bottom and climbed all the way to the top through hard work and today they are managers at their workplace," he said.
"Businesses tell me their challenge is not that they don't have enough work, but that they don't have enough workers to keep up with demands. And they say how essential the energy subsidies are. Just like with the COVID wage supplements, these subsidies have secured jobs and allowed investors to grow their businesses instead of forcing them to suspend or slow down their operations."
Abela said that just this week he inaugurated a €12m factory extension by Seifert Systems at Ħal Far. The German-owned company, which produces temperature control systems, also announced it would be expanding further and investing more than €9 million in product diversification.
"These investors have confidence in our country, and through this investment, they will employ more engineers, skilled workers and people in technical professions," Abela said.
"I urge Maltese and Gozitan youth to be the first to take these opportunities."
Abela said this is not the time to stop and rest because the PN wants to dismantle the success the government has achieved for the people.
"We are forging ahead and nothing will stop us from continuing to make progress, because this is what this party does best."
'PN hinders reforms'
Abela also said that while the government is keen on moving ahead with progressive reforms, the PN continues to hinder them.
A few weeks ago, the PN opposed a reform to help the police fight criminality, he said, and PN MPs arrogantly walked out of a parliamentary debate last week that was discussing a reform to fight domestic violence.
"We are now proposing another ambitious reform that is aimed at making court processes more efficient by decreasing unnecessary delays," he said.
"But rest assured the reform will probably find resistance from those who would prefer to capitalise from long judicial processes. They will find ways to oppose the reform but we will remain a reformist government."
He also said the government will start licensing contractors for the first time in construction history and will continue to roll out schemes and initiatives to foster a greener and cleaner economy.
"Our heart is with you. You know where you are with us. We are the government of the people," Abela told his supporters.
PN denies claim
In a statement, the Nationalist Party categorically denied it wanted to stop water and energy subsidies.
It said it had been the Labour government that robbed families through their water and electricity bills, as confirmed by the auditor general and the courts. It also refused to return the stolen money.
It was also the Labour government that drew up corrupt contracts in energy which were not giving the people the best deals. And it was still refusing to explain where the millions the people were forking out in subsidies were going.
It was also the Labour government that, rather than invest in renewable energy, invested in a corrupt wind farm in Montenegro.
The PN said it remained committed to its plan based on investment in clean energy and to obtain energy from the cheapest source as benefitted the people, without increasing prices. It would also give back to the people the money they had been robbed of.