Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday said that he would not abandon his principles simply to win the upcoming General Election, saying that he would continue to work with honesty and integrity to make sure that Malta continues to progress.

The Prime Minister was being interviewed by Xarabank journalist Norman Vella during a live televised activity in Gharghur yesterday.

Dr Gonzi said that the PN based its philosophy on creating more and better jobs. He said that the emphasis was on creating jobs with better conditions. He also said that a minority of employers, in the past, used to engage people on short-term part-time contracts. This he said, meant that their rights to sick leave, leave and others were impinged on. The law was changed, he said, however, these same employers found a loophole whereby people were being engaged as self employed. This, he said, meant that they were in the same situation with the added burden of having to pay their own stamp duty.

The PN, he said was the real workers’ party, and therefore in the next legislature, new laws would be put in place to counter this situation. He also pledged that the government was going to scrutinise every company that tendered for projects to ensure that workers were treated fairly. If these companies are found to be wanting, then they would lose the contract.

Dr Gonzi said that the Malta Labour Party’s proposals on overtime would mean that although it will not be taxable, the rate would be a flat one, not time and a half as is current practice.

The PN he said, was taking the correct road by again offering a tax cut for the third consecutive budgetary year, which will cost some Lm20 million. However, he said, this would mean more money in people’s pockets so they will spend more. He also said that children’s allowance was non-taxable, with some people benefiting from as much as Lm1,200.

Dr Gonzi said that changes were afoot for car registration tax. He said that people who bought environmentally-friendly cars were going to benefit from much cheaper registration tax and that the system would work on a polluter pays principle.

Speaking about Mepa reform, Dr Gonzi said that once reformed, the authority would be more efficient, more transparent and with equal treatment for all.

The Prime Minister said that another priority for the next legislature was to cut the waiting lists for treatment, consultation and surgery. He also said the government would be working hard to improve the support network for family GPs, adding that not many, if any, countries had the excellent home visit system that Malta and Gozo enjoy.

The Prime Minister also reiterated that healthcare in Malta would remain free of charge, adding that he had got hold of a report from 1998 commissioned by the MLP which recommended that patients at Zammit Clapp hospital should pay for the services provided within the facility.

Dr Gonzi said that the Nationalist Party in government would turn Malta into a centre of excellence for e-learning. He said that among other things, the government would ensure that there would be a desktop computer for every four children in school while each teacher would get a laptop.

He also said that by 2015, Malta would be in a situation whereby 85 per cent of school leavers would continue with their studies at various post-secondary learning institutions such as MCAST, Junior College, the Higher Secondary and University.