Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday reiterated that people should judge the electoral campaigns of the two major political parties, citing the PN’s track record and concrete proposals against the Malta Labour Party’s smear campaign.
Dr Gonzi said the PN’s policies have resulted in jobs for the people. “We have concrete proposals to continue to generate new jobs, but look at the MLP. Have they done anything at all apart from trying to sling mud at the government?”
“You may ask what gives me the right to say this and I will tell you. It is results that speak for themselves. We have over 179,000 people in full time employment, we have the lowest unemployment rate ever and we have created 5,000 jobs per year and huge amounts of foreign investment,” said Dr Gonzi.
He said the MLP had claimed that the country was lagging behind, yet, people within the European Commission said that Malta was on the right track and that joining the eurozone was testament to that.
The Prime Minister said that Malta had good, sound, credible and sustainable policies. “So much so, in 2007, we registered real terms GDP growth of over four per cent, which is above the EU average,” said Dr Gonzi.
He said that even those with the harshest political bias could not dispute that these facts are real and were an achievement. Dr Gonzi said Alfred Sant was trying to make people forget about his 22-month stint in government. “He is trying to make people forget that he was Prime Minister for a term, surrounded by the same people he is surrounded by today,” said Dr Gonzi. He said the difference was glaring.
“Dr Sant is still a Euro sceptic and wants to re-open the package we negotiated with the European Union,” said Dr Gonzi.
The Prime Minister said that during Dr Sant’s stint as PM, he had gone against the advice of then Finance Minister Lino Spiteri by removing VAT and replacing it with the CET. “Some products saw tax go up by 29 per cent while VAT is only 18 per cent. The deficit went up to 10 per cent and 33 new taxes were put into effect, including taxes and fees on medicines, home, sick leave certificates and of course, stipends were transformed into loans,” said Dr Gonzi.
He said that even in opposition, Dr Sant had caused damage to the country. “He opposed each and every change we tried to implement and even put obstacles in our way when our agenda was improving things in Malta. He was even against the introduction of the euro,” said Dr Gonzi.
He said: “The Opposition Leader had said that we should first hit GDP growth of two per cent, but once we hit that target, he said four per cent and then six… farcical.”
Dr Gonzi said that European Economic Affairs Comm-issioner Joaqin Almunia told Dr Sant that he was barking up the wrong tree and that Malta was on the right track.
“He was against low cost airlines. We introduced them and experienced a record year, so much so, that the World Tourism Organisation told us we performed ‘brilliantly’. Conveniently, he does not mention this. Tourism seems to have disappeared off his radar,” said Dr Gonzi.
The Prime Minister said that he always listens to proposals and suggestions, such as the ones on health care and stipends. “That does not mean that we act on all of them, just as I did not act on Dr Sant’s proposal to devalue the lira by 10 per cent. Dr Sant has a national inferiority complex. He does not believe in the capability of the Maltese people as the PN does,” he said.
Dr Gonzi continued: “I have never met anyone like him before. After all this, he then turns around and says he has no regrets. Look at SmartCity, he said it was simple land speculation. There are 5,600 jobs to come out of that.”
The Prime Minister said the government rested its case and now was leaving the decision to the people. “But I must refer to some of the initiatives that the PN has to offer for the next five years in government. We want to see and are actively pushing the financial services sector to grow to employ some 10,000 people and make up 25 per cent of the gross domestic product,” said Dr Gonzi.
He said that the government would continue to work to attract low cost airlines while at the same time strengthening Air Malta’s position. “I must also ask what the MLP plans to do with the e855 million we have been allocated by the EU. We have heard no mention. And what is he (Dr Sant) on about when he says he wants to reopen the EU negotiation package. Does he want us to lose all we have gained? We already spent nine years on the backburner because of him,” said Dr Gonzi.
He said that the government was waiting to rebuild the Ta’ Qali crafts village with EU funds, was going to upgrade five beaches, the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett. He also said that the government believed that the shipyards could eventually become self sustaining, pointing out that the super yacht terminal was doing very well for itself.
Dr Gonzi said that EU funding will be channelled into integrating disabled people into the world of employment and ending exploitation of workers. “As I have said before, yes, we want competitiveness, but not at the expense of exploiting workers. The government will vet all tender offers to ensure that workers are treated correctly,” said Dr Gonzi.
In addition, he said, the PN would continue to cut red tape and improve income tax bands and do away with television licences, credit card fees, the airport departure tax, succession tax as well as changing the car registration system.
Dr Gonzi said that things do not look rosy on the horizon with the stuttering US economy, the price of fuel oil and cereals. “But with a strong and capable government, we can continue to make headway,” he said, adding that the MLP’s proposals for children to repeat class, to halve the electricity surcharge and set up nail and salt factories would not help in any form or manner.
Dr Gonzi took questions from the floor and said that the PN was going to increase stipends in certain areas. “We kept the stipends and increased them. Dr Sant removed them and he is proposing to do so again. He is also trying to do the same with health. He had introduced charges and he is trying to pin them onto this government,” he said.
Dr Gonzi also took a question from Super One on the issue of fees on healthcare and said: “I have told you many times. I can show you a dozen reports that were presented to me and the fact of the matter is Dr Sant put fees on health, I did not. I understand that people prepare your questions for you and that you are doing your job and I respect you as a journalist. But the person that is preparing your questions is incompetent and making you look like fools,” said the Prime Minister.
Asked about redundancies, Dr Gonzi said it was true that hundreds of people lost their jobs. “And it was hard for me personally. It hurt to see so many people laid off, but thankfully, they have found new and better jobs,” said Dr Gonzi.
During the briefing, the air link to Gozo took off from in front of the podium where Dr Gonzi was speaking. TMID asked what the PN had in store for Gozo. “Gozo has the problem of economies of scale. But although there were closures there, things are looking up. We improved access tremendously. In fact, last year tourism in Gozo was up by 17 per cent when compared to the 11 per cent national average,” said the Prime Minister.
He also said that there were 20 proposals for Gozo in the last budget and another 30 in the PN’s electoral programme, along with the vision of turning Gozo into an ecological island – Eko Ghawdex.
Asked to comment about the Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando issue, Dr Gonzi said, “As I have always done, I passed the case on to the Mepa auditor to investigate as he is the person who is capable and authorised to do so.” Dr Gonzi also spoke about the need for more cruise liner berthing ports in Senglea and eventually Marsamxett.