After two years as PN General Secretary, did you leave because you had a clash with PN leader Simon Busuttil?
No, this is not the case and anyone who is saying that it is, is lying. Of course we had our differences but that is normal. However, once we decided on something we pulled on the same rope and worked for the common good of the party.
The reason I did not submit my name again after two years in the post of Secretary-General was because at that time we had two MPs (Giovanna Debono and Fredrick Azzopardi) who were saying they were not going to contest the next general election. So, after a number of discussions with the PN leader, we decided that I should focus on Gozo.
During my term as Secretary-General I made sure that the finances and the reorganisation of the administration in the party were fully controlled by me but I was consulting all the time with the leader. It is important to point out that, towards the end of my two-year term, there were the local council elections and the hunting referendum, and in the local council elections we managed to halve the gap compared to the previous elections.
Did you have a good relationship with the PN's employees?
Yes. They understood what the party was going through and I made sure that I explained to them what we were doing to reorganise it. At that point in time the situation was bad and we were in dire straits. Obviously, certain decisions such as redundancies, stopping overtime and part-time work, were not easy ones to take and they made a number of people unhappy. However, what I can say is that we never let go of anyone whose main income was from the party.
One important aspect to highlight is that during my two years as Secretary-General I worked on a voluntary basis and never took a penny. This was not the case in the past or in the present, when the role has come with a salary. At that time I felt that it was important to do this because I wanted to lead by example, knowing the state of the party's financial situation.
You said you left the post of Secretary-General in order to concentrate on Gozo. However, in the last general election the PN did not do well in Gozo. How can you say that you want to become the PN leader, given that result?
First of all, we need to put the election result into context. A few months before, the government was giving out a lot of freebees and this was helping the Labour Party garner votes. One thing I can tell you is that, in just a few months, the government gave out around 1,000 jobs in the public sector to people who were already employed in the private sector, and just told them that a job with the government was more secure.
Also, in this last election I increased my number of votes once again – even though there were 11 candidates running for the Gozo district.
So you are telling me that these things never happened under Nationalist administrations?
The opposite, in fact, used to happen. When elections were announced Nationalist governments used to freeze public sector hiring and promotions.
Why did you decided to run for the PN leadership?
Since my teenage years I have been involved in the various party structures and held many positions in the party itself. I also served as Mayor of Nadur for a number of years, a Parliamentary Secretary and a Minister. All these roles helped me to meet people and understand what is important to them: if I am elected as Party leader, all this experience will come in handy.
I want to give all my energy to see this party win again and I have never been afraid to face new challenges. The last few days were very intense for me. I gave it a lot of thought because it was not an easy decision, but I decided to go for it because I was in the thick of it when I was Secretary-General and I know what the job entails.
Did you consult Simon Busuttil before you made your bid public?
Yes, I did and I also asked him if he is considering contesting as well. The reason I asked him is because if he was interested in doing so, I would not have contested and would have given him my total support. He assured me that he is not going to run for the leadership again so I decided to run for the position myself.
What did Simon Busuttil tell you?
He said: "Go ahead. I know you will do a good job."
What is your vision for the party and the country?
What I will do first is continue to develop the work that has been done in the party by a number of officials and volunteers such as giving more resources to the party media so it can increase its audience, but also creating new roles.
I will make sure that the individual will remain at the centre of our policies. If I am elected leader I will not lock myself in my office but, on the contrary, I will be with people and meeting people all the time.
I want to be the first to lead by example and be close to the people and listen to what they are saying. We need to understand each and every family. I will make sure that MPs and candidates are meeting the people and understanding what their needs are. Also, I want to be a party leader who is positive and supports the government when a beneficial decision is taken for our country, but who will also present a strong opposition when the wrong decision is taken.
If you are elected will you keep the role of Secretary-General?
Yes. This role is very important and I believe in it. I will also add new roles such as a group of people who will help the leader in specialised areas and assist the Shadow Ministers in the areas to which they are appointed.
Who will be your two deputy leaders and Secretary-General?
I do not have a team. I trust the paid-up party members and the party executive to vote for the best team.
If you are elected leader, will we end up finding out things about you or your family that will put the party in an awkward position?
I can tell you about myself. The Labour Party in the past tried to come up with stories about me but didn't find anything. Of course I have made mistakes but I can assure you that my integrity is intact and I showed this when I resigned as Parliamentary Secretary during the court proceedings against me, in which I was later cleared, even though Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told me not to do so. This is the opposite of what happened in the last legislature, and the present one, where people are rewarded and not punished for what they have done.
As far as my family is concerned, I am the eldest of 13 children and I am proud of my family. I've always been clear with them: Anyone who makes a mistake will not get any pity from me but will need to answer for his or her actions; this already happened and I was the first one to go to the police. This was a very hard decision and it is not easy to report your own flesh and blood but I did it and, if need be, I would do it again.
Did you agree with the coalition between the PN and the PD?
The decision was already taken when I was informed, but I gave my total backing to the party. The decision was taken in a particular political scenario that made a lot of sense at the time.
So this was not discussed in the parliamentary group?
No. Discussions were held between the two party leaders (Simon Busuttil and Marlene Farrugia) and then the decision was presented to the parliamentary group.
So you will keep the coalition if you are elected?
Yes, and I will continue to collaborate with the PD.
How are you going to rebuild bridges with the people who felt ignored by the party?
I will do my utmost to build bridges and meet people halfway. The door will be wide open to those who want to be part of the PN. There are a number of people who became detached from the party and I want to show them that the door is still open for them: I will not be a gate-keeper.
So this means you will welcome back people such as Franco Debono and others?
I will not give you names but I can assure you that if there are individuals of goodwill who want to help the party, they will find the door open. The party will not only welcome back the people that it has hurt but will also bring back those who hurt the party.
If the Egrant inquiry is published during the leadership race and it finds enough evidence to open a case against the Prime Minister and, at the same time, Simon Busuttil decides to contest, what will you do?
The Egrant allegations were not made by Simon Busuttil but by Daphne Caruana Galizia and we spoke about the way things were being handled by the respective institutions. If the Egrant inquiry finds that there is sufficient evidence for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to be investigated and Simon changes his mind and contests for the PN's leadership, I will withdraw my nomination.
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