Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday said that schools and employment opportunities are open for everyone, including children of Nationalists and Labourites without any distinction; thus the electorate’s choice is a simple one.

Dr Gonzi vowed that the PN will continue to be the author of change for the country to get what it deserves including healthcare services, education and employment. “This is the party that creates measures for every single person to move forward,” the prime minister remarked.

Speaking during Independence Day activities being held on the Granaries in Floriana, Dr Gonzi said that the PN has brought about choice for parents, students and elderly people alike. ‘Mychoice.PN’ is the term coined after all these years of work, he said.

He also announced that a Dutch aviation company will soon be opening and there are plans to start registering aircraft in Malta, as is done in the maritime sector. The new oncology hospital is taking shape and very expensive medicines, including Herceptin, are being given for free.

The PN has a track record of identifying challenges. In the eight years since EU accession, there have been great difficulties and Dr Gonzi has been entrusted to lead during such times.

Entering the eurozone was one of the first challenges because although our currency was strong, it was that of a small island and would not have been resilient in tough times. This is what happened to Iceland, which stayed out of the EU thanks to the advice of some, including Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat, then an MEP, Dr Gonzi said.

Following the hard work to address the deficit and debt, the party won the 2008 election and the Maltese economy has since remained resilient.

The real test came when the Libya crisis cropped up and people were fleeing the country. The government decided to be on the right side of history, took a difficult position and succeeded. There are many challenges ahead and the party is ready to renew itself, identify the signs of times and progress, he pointed out.

“I am speaking with results in my hand because we have created employment and overcame all the challenges we faced,” Dr Gonzi said.

People who work are saving money when filling up income tax forms and elderly people have received a cheque from the government as from this year.

“This is the party that gives solutions when currents are against us,” he said. This happened while other countries were introducing austerity measures, so Dr Gonzi is proud of the government´s achievements.

Ingrid Brownrig, who works in Brussels, said Dr Muscat believes politics is a “fairytale”. He does not have the recipe for change while the prime minister has shown great leadership skills.

Discussing about the manufacturing industry, Dr Gonzi said the industry has become very diversified thanks to the change brought about since 1987. The PL had then decided to open a capers factory and to employ 8,000 people on the eve of the election. Ridiculing buzz phrases of the time, he said everyone remembers these times but today we have pharmaceutical factories producing medicines sold in France and Germany.

The policy of better jobs with better wages has bore fruit, he added.

“We want the manufacturing industry to grow and employ more people,” Dr Gonzi said.

For this to happen, there needs to be employees who are ready to train and learn, a constant energy supply at competitive rates lower than in our competitor EU countries, and solutions for factories to dispose of their waste in safe and cheaper ways.

In the times of the PL, Maltese doctors were exiled and students needed to go abroad to study.

Addressing floating voters, he said he is proud to be the leader of a party which has respected the decision of voters every time. The party has changed to be of service.

Among the main decisions taken, were those to close the dockyard because this was losing millions and the transport reform for a cleaner bus fleet, despite the fact that some individuals were badly affected. Yet these decisions were in the country’s interest.

He went on to note that a decision not to vote will be a vote for the Labour Party, which promises everything but is unable to fulfil such promises.