Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Saturday that Gozo will not be left behind in the green initiatives put forward for the next legislature stating that “we have just scratched the surface in this regard.”

Speaking in Rabat, Gozo, Abela mainly focused on how the wellbeing of Gozitans will be greatly improved under a Labour government.

Abela started off by addressing the recent issues of the Ukraine - Russia conflict. On Thursday, Abela had to pause his campaigning in order to attend the European Council.

“The challenges faced by Europe require the country to have a focused leadership. We have to work together as a Union and do whatever is needed to protect Malta until this issue is resolved.”

Still on the topic of the EU, Abela reiterated the importance of Malta’s economic recovery plan being branded as the most ambitious and also the one which will prove to have the biggest economic growth, that of 5.9%.

Abela then shifted focus to the news that Malta has registered its lowest ever unemployment rate. We have reached record employment, he said.

Focusing on the green initiatives proposed by the PL, Abela stated that this government already has a good track record in Gozo and that the best is yet to come. “We have recently unveiled the new park at Tal-Qortin, which was used as a landfill site for 36 years, but this government was ambitious enough to enact the change needed.”

Referencing to previous green projects in Gozo, such as the Pjazza San Frangisk, Abela stated that this is what the PL has to offer in the upcoming elections. “Everyone has to have the opportunity to have accessible green spaces nearby without having the need to make use of their vehicle.”

Abela then announced that from the €320 million funds gained from the EU, €162m have already been allocated to Gozo, and these will be used to strengthen the environmental infrastructure in place and create new ones.

Abela then took aim at the PN’s manifesto, which did not tackle key issues faced by farmers and also the Gozo-to-Malta fast ferry. “Their exemption of the fast ferry is a clear sign that a PN government will abandon the project and force commuters to spend an extra two hours in traffic.”

“Our direction is clear. We want to improve the quality of life. We have done this firstly through improving the wages and the disposable income of families. The next step is to improve the environmental wellbeing.”