In a sharp parliamentary intervention, the Deputy Prime Minister accused the previous administration of failing the nation by underspending more than $1 billion on capital programs between 2019 and 2023. Interrupting the debate on the OPEC Fund Disaster Risk Management Loan, the Deputy Prime Minister characterized the opposition’s claims of fiscal success as “terribly misleading” and urged them to “humble themselves before the evidence”.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s remarks centered on what he described as a chronic inability of the former government to execute its own development plans. He stated that while the previous administration frequently put ambitious capital programs on paper, they were “consistently unable to realize” them.
Specifically, he noted that in his own current ministry, the previous administration had managed to spend only 24% of its allocated capital budget. Citing the 2023 audit report, he highlighted a staggering shortfall where, out of a proposed $264 million in capital spending, over $212 million went unspent.
The Deputy Prime Minister used these figures to rebut the opposition’s frequent use of the “hook in the gills” metaphor regarding the nation’s debt. He argued that the notion of the current government being trapped by inherited financial constraints should be “rubbished” given the massive underspending on critical infrastructure and services.
He asserted that the public’s decision in the last general election was a mandate for “good clean governance,” contrasting the current administration’s approach with what he portrayed as the previous government’s fiscal inefficiency.
Later in the session, the Deputy Prime Minister successfully piloted the Carol Bakus Richards Pension Declaration Bill 2026. He explained that the bill was essential to provide retirement benefits for Mrs. Richards, a Teacher V who had served at St. Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua.
He noted that although she was employed privately by the convent, she was paid by the government, and this legislation was necessary to declare her service as pensionable under the Pensions Act. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that such bills are vital to ensuring employees receive their hard-earned benefits upon retirement.
Throughout his contributions, the Deputy Prime Minister remained defiant against opposition crosstalk, stating he had “perfected ignoring” those trying to distract from the factual evidence of past mismanagement. He concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to transparency and the effective rollout of capital projects that the previous administration had failed to complete.
