Although there are efforts to hide the real situation, it is clear that the marriage between the General Workers Union and the Labour Party is still very much alive and was clearly evident at last week’s GWU Congress, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.
Speaking in Rabat during a tour of the town alongside other PN MPs and officials, Dr Gonzi said that this area has been identified as a crucial one for the upgrading of our tourism product with the government investing heavily in Rabat and its environs.
He said the ongoing Mdina Rehabilitation Project would cost around Lm 1.2 million while a refurbishment programme at Howard Gardens was expected to cost Lm 250,000.
Dr Gonzi criticised the Labour-led Rabat local council which, he said, is marred by infighting and petty political squabbles and not really working in the interest of the locality. He said that this phenomenon at Labour councils was being replicated on a national level with the party in complete disarray and only out to make cheap political gain instead of working for the true interests of the country.
Commenting on the Opposition leader’s statement at the General Worker’s Union Congress, the PN leader said this made it clear and apparent that the union and the party were still firmly locked in their “marriage” which had created such discord and trouble in the days of past Labour governments excluding Dr Sant’s brief stint at the helm.
Dr Gonzi said the MLP was clearly detached from reality and had nothing to offer to improve the country’s socio-economic life. He called on Labour to state what had happened to their document, Towards a Social and Economic Regeneration, adding that this had now mysteriously disappeared from view.
The PN leader said Dr Sant was only interested in scoring political points as in his recent statement on the price of fuel, when it was a known fact that the international price of oil had skyrocketed in the past months.
Referring to his recent visit to the United States and his meeting with President Bush, Dr Gonzi said it was a shame for the Labour leader to attempt to ridicule such a high level encounter that could only have brought good news for the country.
Dr Gonzi said it is clear that Dr Sant was only concerned in bolstering his party’s fortunes even at the expense of the national interest. He said the government will continue working hard to implement the reforms that are required to make the country more competitive so that everyone would be able to live a better life.
Responding to questions on the closure of the Brindisi Freeport operation, Dr Gonzi said the decision to invest in that port had been taken by a Labour administration and the government was only trying to pick up the pieces.
Asked about the speech by GWU President, Salv Sammut, at the union’s congress, Dr Gonzi said that he was “shocked” by such an “abominable” speech and added this shows the spirit of the GWU and its Labour counterparts. He condemned the speech and called on all others to do so.