The prime minister should "stop mocking people" and say when a general election will be called, because the uncertainty is causing business owners great distress, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.
In an impassioned speech during a Nationalist Party event in Naxxar on Sunday, the Opposition leader called on prime minister Robert Abela to not "make fun of people" when he is asked about the impending election.
Speculation over when an election will be called has been rife for months, with dates as early as the end of November being touted by some. The prime minister has repeatedly skirted questions on the matter, refusing to commit to a timeline.
"Stop mocking people - tell them whether an election is coming or not because our businesses want to plan ahead for the coming months. They have already suffered enough," Grech said, addressing Abela.
He went on to accuse the prime minister of being "full of hot air", saying that in his two-hour post-budget speech, Abela spent more time on personal attacks than talking about the Labour government's plans for the future.
"The Labour Party is nothing but hot air. In two hours, during his budget speech, all he did was look back. The prime minister spent two hours simply saying those against him are worse.
"The time for this type of politics is over, prime minister. The people want honest politicians that deliver the truth and not lies," he said.
Referring to a study published recently showing that most young people want to leave the island, Grech said this was "the tragedy of our time" and that Abela should be ashamed of himself.
Young people, he said, who were eager to study and do well in life were often feeling disgruntled when they saw peers getting good jobs with the government just because they are close to the Labour Party.
Grech said a new PN government would ensure young people were motivated and did not feel this way, pledging to bring about "much-needed change".
"The country needs change with a vision that will give the country a better future. We need to also improve the way we're seen from abroad," he said.
Giving a rundown of proposals the PN has made in recent months, the PN leader said the party would also be tackling "dirty contracts" the Labour government entered into in recent years.
He ended his speech by urging PN supporters to work together with the party to bring about change for a better future.