The 'flavour of the day' is currently to speak against businesses, but despite this 'we must never fall for that temptation', Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said in a meeting on Sunday morning.
Speaking at the ONE Complex in Marsa, Muscat said that the government had to be one with businessmen, especially small-scale ones, who everyday go out to work in their businesses, who everyday open their shops and who everyday risk their money.
He said that over the past years Malta has always moved forward, but warned that this had been done not by instilling jealousy between each other, or by creating a 'have and have-nots' division. Muscat said that the country had moved forward by working together, and said that it must keep doing so to bring more wealth, as it is this wealth that creates more jobs and brings the government more income which can be used to raise pensions, improve infrastructure and create more of its own jobs.
'We stand shoulder to shoulder with our police force'
Muscat gave heavy emphasis to the police force in his address, saying that the government stands 'shoulder to shoulder' with the police, praising it for its work.
He did so whilst making note of what he called a 'recent decision by the courts', no doubt referring to decision to release Liam Debono, who allegedly ran over and almost killed police constable Simon Schembri last May, on bail last week.
The Prime Minister said that whilst he was tempted to comment on the matter, he could not and didn't want to, because his role as Prime Minister is to support and defend the country's institutions at every moment in time.
He said that it couldn't be when they make a decision which he likes, he praises them, and when they make a decision which he may have reservations on, he criticises them. This is what rule of law is, Muscat said.
However, he still hinted at some displeasure towards the decision, saying that the government had to accept, even when they may disagree, bow their heads and keep moving forward.
Muscat also praised the police for their work in localities such as Marsa, Hamrun, Santa Venera and parts of Birkirkara, where news laws prohibiting loitering have recently come into being.
He said that this is not a 'black or white issue', saying that he was sure that the old lady who has a person sleeping in the pavement near her door at night doesn't care whether that person is black or white; all she cares about is that when she goes out for mass the next day, she feels safe. For the feeling of safety, Muscat said, the people have the police force to thank.
'Malta must be part of the immigration solution'
Another matter on the agenda of Muscat's speech on Sunday was that of immigration, saying that Malta had to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Speaking about the arrival of the MV Aquarius, which is expected on Sunday, with 58 migrants 'and a dog' onboard in Maltese waters, Muscat said that Malta could have closed its doors like other countries are 'boasting' about doing, but that would have made the country 'part of the problem' - no doubt referring to countries such as Italy who under the stewardship of Matteo Salvini have resisted in allowing migrants into the country.
He said that the migrants arriving in Malta on Sunday would be distributed amongst four EU countries, and that not a single one of them would remain in Malta - new which was greeted by widespread applause from those present.
Muscat said that all that the government did was to save lives without burdening the country with more weight. He said that what the country did this summer went beyond the humanitarian aid that it should be providing.
He said that he understand people of good will who are worried about the migration situation, saying that there is worry that is justified; but he cautioned against worry that is used by people to spread hate. 'It's easy to organise marches and to wave flags - but let us understand what flags we are waving', Muscat said, calling upon people to understand 'what our values are'. The reference here was to a demonstration recently held in Hamrun by the Maltese Patriots Movement.
He then reminded his audience that shortly after being elected to government in 1971, then prime minister Dom Mintoff had responded positively to UN demands for countries to accept people expelled by an African country, referring to the 1972 crisis when Uganda expelled Asians from the country, with Malta being one of several countries to accept some 300 people.
Mintoff's slogan 'Malta l-Ewwel Qabel Kollox' is often quoted by those clamouring against migration.
"To those who use Dom Mintoff's name; to those who wave flags; let us understand what flag we are waving... next month we will recall the day when Malta had lifted its hand in the UN to accept migrants expelled from an African country," Muscat said.
'We are showing our children that collective transport is the way to go'
Muscat spoke briefly about the recently implemented reform for free school transport, saying that an unprecedented number of children had taken advantage of the service.
He said that not only was the system saving hundreds of euros for thousands of families, but it was showing children that the best way to move around is through collective transport.
Speaking about the government's long term aims in the transport sector, Muscat said that he wanted to improve the infrastructure to the point that the government could provide free transport to all, before also saying that the promise to arrange the country's roads was coming to fruition.
'The question is no longer if we are going to be arranging a specific road; it's a question of when we are going to be arranging it', Muscat said.
from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2IquUNX
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