“Dark days”, Carmelo Abela, Labour main spokesperson for industry and foreign investment, told us (TMID, Monday, 9 February).
Nothing new, really. Dr Lawrence Gonzi has been warning us all of dangerous tidal waves and an uncertain future for over two years now.
He has been telling us that Malta needs courageous measures, sacrifices, patience and perseverance to overcome these difficult days.
Instead of lamenting about his sort, Dr Gonzi is pulling his socks up and while continuing to attract impressive foreign investment he has not shunned asking the Maltese nation to do its part too.
In simple words, Dr Gonzi is not out to catch votes! He is determined to do his best to help his country.
Mr Abela writes also about the European Union. This is certainly one of the main achievements of the Nationalist Party.
The same people who, just less than five years ago, bombarded Malta with propaganda against the European Union and told us it would ruin us all, are today waving the blue, starred flag of the European Union and advising us to follow its moves and its ideas. Mr Abela should tell us what would the situation in Malta be if we had followed Labour’s suggestions and remained out of the European Union and out of eurozone.
Mr Abela speaks well of our banks. I am sure that he knows that our banks are strong because the Nationalist governments have been building up a strong economy and a healthy financial position since 1987.
The local banks were not so healthy under Socialist governments. Then, we witnessed the rape of the BICAL, a stampede on the National Bank, an unhealthy situation at Barclays Bank (Malta). This had only led to the Socialist government reaching its aim: the major banks either closed down or were controlled by the government.
Mr Abela also writes about democracy. What a cheek! Anti-democratic measures or decisions have long been characteristic of Labour governments or the Labour Party. Just a very short, quick reminder: in the 1981 general elections, the Nationalist Party gained over 50 per cent of the votes, the Malta Labour Party earned less than 50 per cent of the votes but Labour hung on to power for five more years; the Nationalist Party was refused permission to hold a mass meeting at Zejtun; a wedding celebration at Zejtun was violently disrupted by Labour supporters just because one of the witnesses was the Nationalist Prime Minister of the day. Of course this is just a little drop in the huge cauldron of Socialist insults to democracy.
In Parliament, Mr Abela expects goodwill from the relative majority. What does he expect from the absolute minority? Do the Socialists want to rule from the opposition? The PN was elected on a mandate and on an electoral programme. The duty of the PN government is to follow this programme.
“Dark days” indeed. But thank God we have Dr Gonzi to switch on the lights and show us the way!
Joseph Fenech
Mosta