Referring to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s description of the PN’s first year in office this legislature as “exceptional”, Dr Mangion said this did not apply to the factories that had to fold because of the lack of orders and to the hotels that had to be sold because there was no work.

He said the year could not have been exceptional because the country’s deficit continued to grow and reached Lm175 million when the prediction was Lm78 million.

“The past year was exceptional for Dr Gonzi himself who became prime minister thanks to manoeuvres, for those who benefited from Air Malta’s Lm65 million loss because of the RJ aeroplanes, for those who were paid Lm60,000 for a tender costing Lm6,000 and for those who were granted the contract to supply the Mater Dei Hospital with medical equipment even though the contracts committee did not approve of the decision,” Dr Mangion said.

Dr Mangion asked why the Nationalist government did not bother to help the 44,000 people who are living in households where one or more members do not have a job and those who cannot give their children the education they need because they could not afford it.

Hamrun mayor Luciano Busuttil took time to speak about his council’s achievements during the past three years. He said that while a previous Nationalist council spent Lm50,000 on pavements and Lm28,000 on resurfacing, his council spent Lm170,000 and Lm180,000 respectively.

Moreover, he said, the council spent Lm18,000 on water culverts, Lm10,000 on a public library and Lm35,000 on patching work. He said that even though the government reduced the council’s funds by Lm25,000, the council still made great achievements. He also announced that the market project costing around Lm400,000 was at an advanced stage. The project will include an underground car park for 160 cars, a public garden and new council offices.