Although the Labour Party is claiming that “no one should be pushed aside (hadd m’hu ghar-rimi)”, they have just done that to a very competent person, Gordon Cordina, the Prime Minister said yesterday morning.

Speaking at the PN’s club in Mosta, both Dr Gonzi and parliamentary secretary Tonio Fenech criticised the Opposition for launching personal attacks against those who had the courage to speak in favour of Europe or Malta’s application to convert to the euro.

The prime minister said every minister wanted to know what was happening in the country and statistics were fundamental to the government because “we know that the decisions we take affect people”. He said the European statistics office, Eurostat, made it clear this week that the NSO’s revisions were correct but that had not stopped the Labour Party from continuing its campaign to tarnish the institution, even after Dr Cordina’s departure.

Parliamentary secretary Tonio Fenech said the Opposition began its attack on Dr Cordina three months before; when he was appointed.

“They wanted to destroy him because he spoke out in favour of the EU… it just goes to show that the Party has not changed much since the 1970s, and this is something people must bear in mind,” Mr Fenech said.

Even Lino Spiteri had commented on the fact that the revisions did little to change Malta’s economic history and he could not understand what all the fuss was about, Mr Fenech added.

Mr Fenech said the Opposition’s strategy was clear. Dr Sant and the party were continuously changing tack to make the most of the situation. Labour changed their minds on the euro in the budget because they believed the government would call a spring election.

He said that if the government was given the ‘thumbs down’ to Malta’s application to join the eurozone, he would say that Dr Gonzi had not done his job properly.

“He was told that the government would fail. But now that the Commission has said we are moving in the right direction, what is he going to do? The only option was to attack the NSO and Dr Cordina,” Mr Fenech said.

He added: “Why did Labour send their reports to Eurostat, if not to cast doubts when the decision on Malta’s membership had to be taken.”

The Labour Party is doing its utmost to hinder the government’s euro plans, he said.

“The bubble has burst in his (Dr Sant’s) face? What is he going to do now? He should apologise to a very competent person who was forced to leave the NSO.”

Commenting on the report released last week on Malta’s economic status, Dr Gonzi said the report confirmed that the government was achieving the targets it established three years ago.

He said the European Commission will be analysing Malta’s position in the coming months to confirm whether the country will be joining the euro: “This will be a certificate that says we can join the top economies of the world.”

The Prime Minister said it was important to compare the government’s track record with that of the Labour Party. Two years ago, he said, Labour had suggested devaluing the liri by 10 per cent to boost the economy.

“This is how they planned to solve the country’s economic problems. Two years later that suggestion is not included in their electoral plans. Why? What happened? We have to ask these questions?” Dr Gonzi said.

Turning to next month’s local council elections, the prime minister spoke about their importance and he encouraged people to go out and vote. He told the PN’s candidates in Mosta to work for the service of the locality.

“Do your best for the locality. You need to vote; it is your right to make a choice for your town..”

Dr Gonzi said education is key to the country’s future and that is why the government has, and will continue, to invest millions in the sector. Before 1987, the Labour Party considered a university degree to be a piece of paper, “but after 1987 we encouraged people to study. Today, we not only encourage people to get a degree but we help them to get doctorates from abroad”, the prime said.

Dr Gonzi said the government believed in people and their ability to achieve what they want in life. “We are investing in the education of our children so that they will have a better future than today,” he added.

The secretary general of the Nationalist Party Joe Saliba said the setting up of local councils in Malta had made an enormous difference to the country, to families, to the environment and to each and every town and village.

He said the first priority was to go out and vote. He criticised the Labour Party for trying to “kill the message” but having failed, it was now out “kill the messenger”.

“The amount of work done by the Council is huge. Labour cannot attack that so they attack the council… the messenger,” Mr Saliba said.