Speaking at a General Convention on Gozo, PN leader Simon Busuttil proposed a Regional Council for Gozo which, as he explained, would be keeping the Minister for Gozo to implement the promises made by the party in a specific electoral programme for Gozo.

One of the previous speakers at the Convention had suggested doing away with the Minister of Gozo in a future PN administration.

Others, including Dr Busuttil, disagreed. 

A non-party member, Dr Michael Caruana, reminded the Convention of the innovative ideas that had revolutionised life in Gozo in the 1960s with a new hospital, a new industrial area, etc.

Dr Busuttil saluted two former Ministers for Gozo, Anton Tabone and Giovanna Debono for what they did as ministers. This was welcomed by an ovation by those present.

But while Gozo must have its own minister, that person must be a person one can trust in, Dr Busuttil said. 

A recent (MaltaToday) survey said most Gozitans feel they have to be clients to a politician to get anything.

Dr Busuttil said it is shameful for Gozitans to have to humiliate themselves to begging for anything.

Thirty years ago, people needed to get the minister's permission to get a TV set, a telephone, as witnessed by the famous phrase 'Dear Philip". But when the PN came to power it liberalised everything and one did not need the minister's permission to get a TV, a telephone, etc.

Then it all depends on the quality of the minister.

The Minister for Gozo cannot be an autocrat nor cut off from the people as has happened in the past.

That is why he was proposing a Regional Council to be an intermediate between the minister and the electorate and keep the minister to the electoral manifesto on which he had been elected.

What Gozo needs is a long-term strategy, not a short term one, as this government has been putting up. A strategy that leads up to 2025 or even 2050. A strategy that is not like this government's masterplan for Paceville where they started from the desired conclusioin and worked their way backwards. 

He outlined the promises and commitments made by Labour prior to the last elections which have not been implemented in these four years: the tunnel project was shelved for four years and only now it is being costed; the bridge that has not materialised, the fast ferry service, the cargo carrying by Gozo Channel which has been stopped, 

Dr Busuttil referred to the latest Corruption Index which put Malta after Ruanda, and Namibia and ahead of Burkina Faso. Malta is the best in Africa, not in Europe, he quipped.

Like many at the conference, he spoke about Gozo's problem with accessibility. When he and his partner went to London recently, they were grumbling because they had to wake up early to get the 7am flight, but a Gozitan couple behind them reminded them tyhey had to wake up at 2am to get the flight.

Other speakers mentioned how they lose three hours of family time each day due to travelling.

When he was an MEP for nine years, he travelled to Brussels every week, a three hour flight. But Gozitans travel for three hours every day.