From Deidun’s quip on ‘illuminated billboards’ to Casa’s scaremongering among immigrants ‘dictating’ policy at the Birzebbuga council, JULIA FARRUGIA showcases the most memorable moments from five PN candidates’ speeches at Fgura yesterday
David Casa
The incumbent MEP focused on illegal immigration, accusing the Labour Party’s MEPs of never pulling the same rope on this issue. Casa insisted that the PL wants to give legal immigrants the right to vote and thus creatie a scenario wherein immigrants ‘dictate’.
“The Labour Party wants to give legal immigrants the right to vote. Do you know what this means for the residents of Birzebbugia in their local councils elections? That the immigrants get a quota. Do you know what this means? If the PL elects three councilors and the PN elects another three, the seventh candidate will be a legal immigrant. He will dictate what happens in Birzebbugia.
“This is the politics of PL: here in Malta they scare the Maltese and in the European Union they work against the interest of the country.
“We believe that we can solve the immigration problem. I call on the Labour Party to declare on the eve of an election that they will be close to us. At least on immigration we pull the same rope. I am proud to be part of the PN as we are stretching out our hand to the PL. Now it is their turn to give us their hand to work in the interest of our country.”
Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas
Sitting pretty just three seats up from Lawrence Gonzi, Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas managed to impart a message to the party grassroots by harking back to the first speech of former PN leader Eddie Fenech Adami on workers’ rights – 30 years ago. She also attacked the General Workers Union that was against EU accession.
“Work is what gives mankind dignity. With work we can give great input in democracy. It is with work that we can strengthen our families…”
“I would like to mention something that until today was not mentioned in this electoral campaign. A few years ago, before the referendum, a large union that represents thousands of workers approved a motion just with a simple show of hands, stating that it was not in the workers’ interest to join the EU.
“This motion was never withdrawn by the GWU – it is still in place. Does the GWU still believe we were wrong to join the EU? Does the GWU still believe that workers did not benefit from Malta’s accession in the EU? You can never be a union battling in the interest of the worker when at the same time you are against joining the EU.
My appeal to the GWU is: once and for all, come forward and admit that you were wrong…”
“We will act like this: 30 years ago, when Eddie Fenech Adami was elected PN lead, what did he say in his first speech? ‘Our heart will be with the workers. And our heart will remain with the workers. The worker will stay in the centre of our activity in Malta and also abroad...”
Simon Busuttil
Incumbent MEP Simon Busuttil wrapped up the three dominant issues in this electoral campaign: illegal immigration, a free healthcare system and whether the electorate should choose the PN or the PL.
“If there was a Government that introduced a fee on the healthcare system, it was a Labour Government between 1996 and 1998. If there was a candidate who said that the healthcare system cannot remain free, it was a PL candidate. Sometimes I suspect that the PL wants this to be not a lie, but a truth... so that we introduce tariffs on the health services, so that his lie becomes the truth. But I will tell the PL ‘we will not do it.’
“From October till now, the PL MEPs not only pushed the wrong buttons in May, but between October and May they never gave us a helping hand on the burden-sharing issue. There was not a single amendment proposed on their part so that the burden sharing become obligatory. We did it.”
“On 6 June we have to remember this – EU membership is a tool, that we have to use it for the benefit of all. Whom would you trust with the membership tool?
I have no doubt that if we all think hard on this question the answer is clear – entrust this tool only to those who know how to use it: the PN candidates.
Rudolph Cini
The former Malta Union of Midwifes and Nurses president harped on the Maltese Bishops appeal to the electoral earlier last week and hammered on the word ‘values’. According to Cini only the PN’s manifesto is making reference to this term.
“I leafed throughout the manifestos. In the electoral programme of the PL I did not find any single word that talks about values. But when I read the PN’s manifesto I found that the values are one of the pillars. We believe in values, we believe in the Maltese, we believe in families. So it is a must that we add values as a foundation for this society.”
“Malta took €1.5 billion in the budget covering till 2013. I emphasize on the word billion as it seems that the Labour Camp has a problem not just with buttons. The have a problem also with the alphabet. One and a half billion. Not one and a half million…”
“Next Saturday the Maltese people will pass its judgment… At the beginning I did not know each candidate but I can assure you that we have become one family, one team… My mind is at rest. Whoever gets elected will lead us in a successful direction.”
Alan Deidun
By far the most colourful of all the candidates, a frenzied Alan Deidun compared the PN candidates to the parties billboards that according to him “light up even at night”. Deidun also confirmed Labour Party attacks, by claiming that Simon Busuttil and his team are helping in the PN in the electoral campaign by briefing the candidates on all issues. Repeating the same stunt as last Friday on Xarabank, Alan Deidun closed his speech by feverishly waving the EU flag.
“I would like to ask a question to each and every one of you. Do you know what the difference between the PN and the PL’s billboards is? Come on, tell me. I spent a lot of time thinking about this. Let me point out the first difference. On the PL billboards there is no reference to the word ‘Europe’. But there is a much more important difference: PN’s billboards light at night. Do you know what this means? That the PN candidates throw light and they will bring light wherever there is darkness...
“On Xarabank we had the ‘cream of the cream’ (kellna l-perla): Joseph Cuschieri insulted Simon Busuttil for being politically immature….Cuschieri, who has only just cut his teeth in politics… And I would like to applaud all my fellow candidates, but what you might not know is that Simon placed all his time at our disposal. He briefed all us candidates with information on all issues. I would like to thank Simon and his team.”
“It is true that there is a steep road ahead of us, but we are succeeding in climbing it. I just came from Siggiewi where we have our people working there to make sure that all votes that were not picked up will be picked up. I was told that in the beginning there were 2,000 undelivered votes. Today the number went down to only 150.”
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