The country must find a new economic model based on quality and not on cheap labour provided by foreign workers, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.
Speaking in a Net TV interview, the Nationalist Party leader said it was time to convince people that Malta needs a new economic model based on quality and providing more economic sectors.
“We are now at a point of no return,” Grech said.
“We cannot continue to increase the number of foreign workers we have on our island. The country can no longer take more people … yet Robert Abela wants to continue growing the population. This is what he wants.”
Back in June, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana warned that for Malta to continue its economic growth with its current model, the island’s population will have to rocket to 800,000 over the next 17 years.
Caruana called for the revamping of the model but his calls appeared to be rebuffed by Abela and economy minister Schembri.
“We see three ministers not agreeing on this, we cannot keep going on like this,” Grech said.
He said there needs to be an economic model that provides people with a better quality of life, better wages, and affordable prices to rent and purchase property so that people can afford to build a life in Malta.
Abela 'scaremongers' people to think PN wants to raise prices
Speaking about the PN's proposal to liberalise energy distribution, Grech pointed out how the prime minister immediately shot down the party's proposals, saying it would lead to higher costs.
The proposals came after the country was hit by multi-day power cuts over the past two weeks.
"Our plans have solutions to this issue, we are giving solutions to the government all the time," Grech said.
"And what happened after we provided our proposals? Abela panicked. And then he attacked us, he claimed that the PN wants to raise prices. He does this to scaremonger people into thinking prices will be raised."
Grech said the people should have a right to choose their own provider to deliver energy to their home.
He accused Abela of wanting to leave the public with no choice, and to retain a monopoly when it comes to electricity operators.
He also pointed out that a similar proposal was made by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, and therefore Abela was attacking both the PN and the Chamber.
"The Labour party has become a negative one, a scaremongering party," he said.
He said that in ten years in government, Labour failed to invest in strengthening the energy grid, even while it increased the population significantly.
It was only after Friday's meeting with business stakeholders that the prime minister promised to double spending on the grid.
Abela’s growing list of u-turns
Speaking about the publication of the magisterial inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia, which was published earlier this week, Grech listed a number of ‘u-turns’ Abela has done recently.
He recalled Abela’s decision to drop the Marsascala marina plans, his U-turn decision on the abortion bill, and his last-minute decision to open the public inquiry into the death of Sofia.
“After he voted in parliament against the call for a public inquiry, after ignoring the pleas of Sofia’s parents, he then goes abroad,” he said, calling out that Abela is in ‘holiday mode’.
“Everyone has a right to relax, but have some sensitivity. How can you ignore the pleas of a family and then go abroad? This only caused a huge fight in his cabinet, and he had no other choice but to carry out yet another u-turn.”