Muscat should apologise for cancer blunder – Gonzi

Describing Labour leader Joseph Muscat's claims of a link between the incidence of cancer and the Delimara power plant as "the bitterest moment of the campaign so far," PN leader Lawrence Gonzi called on Muscat to make a public apology.

Last week, Muscat said a Labour government would shut down the Delimara power station, which he described as a "cancer and asthma factory." Since then, a number of medical experts have shot down Muscat's controversial claims and speaking on the PN radio station this morning, Lawrence Gonzi rubbished these claims as incorrect and alarmist.

"This is not on. Muscat is toying with sensitive matters by claiming that cancer incidence is higher in areas around Delimara. This is not true, so much so that his comments were immediately rubbished by medical experts, and not the PN," Gonzi said.

Adding that Muscat's comments were deceitful, Gonzi explained that Malta has the second lowest cancer incidence in Europe and pointed out that the major cause of cancer in Malta was pollution created by traffic.

"If he [Muscat] wants to be taken seriously he should make a public apology and retract his false claims that there is a link between the Delimara power plant and cancer incidence."

Gonzi said that cancer does not distinguish between persons of different political creeds and stressed that the government had done its utmost in prevention, screenings and cancer treatment, highlighting the ongoing construction of a new oncology centre.

Turning his sights on the electoral campaign so far, Gonzi reiterated the PN's key messages so far; the PN's success in managing the economy in the midst of an international crisis and shedding doubt on Labour's call for a change in direction.

"In the past legislature we have created jobs and in the next five years around 25,000 students will graduate and the next government has the responsibility to create enough quality jobs for all and provide the best possible education. This can only happen if the country's finances are safe and secure," Gonzi said.

He also asked "what will Labour's change mean?" pointing out that Joseph Muscat "does not know in what direction he wants to take the country and what he wants to change."

Reminding listeners that during the past legislature Muscat branded him incompetent and urged him to emulate Cyprus, which is now asking for a bailout, Gonzi said: "I have a right to know what he wants to copy from the Cypriot model. I want to know now before the election, I want to know what changes Muscat will carry out if he is in government."

The PN leader said that going into the third week of the electoral campaign, he was very worried because of the risks the country will take if Muscat is elected.

"If the country's finances are put at risk, the first to suffer are the very same sectors which Muscat said would remain untouched, such as financial services," Gonzi warned.

In a clear attempt to link Muscat's energy plan to former Labour Prime Minister Alfred Sant's VAT plan and short-lived experience in government in 1996, Gonzi said: "Muscat's proposals will upset the country's solid economic foundations. This is reminiscent of Alfred Sant's promise to remove VAT in 1996 and his inability to stay in government for a whole legislature. When the country took a risk and trusted Labour, they caused havoc. Labour's plan is a huge risk and if anything goes wrong the country would face dire consequences."

Maintaining that Labour's plans could not be implemented in the claimed two years and would indeed increase energy bills, Gonzi said that he will do his best to persuade Labour to drop its plans, "otherwise the whole country will face the music."

Speaking on the 2013 Budget, Gonzi said that if the PN is in Opposition it would vote for the Budget presented by a Labour finance minister, "for the sake of the national interest, as long as the Budget is not changed and does not include plans that would jeopardize economic stability."

"Labour cannot honour the budget they voted against and implement its energy plan at same time, they are contradictory and would drive the country into a brick wall."

He insisted that Labour did not have the national interest at heart and was wrong in voting against the budget in December and stressed that the Opposition had the opportunity to vote for the budget and guarantee stability and table a separate vote of no-confidence in government.

Giving listeners a tiny glimpse of the PN's electoral programme, Gonzi said the party would completely remove succession duty and introduce measures to help first-time and second-time property buyers. However these detailed proposals would be announced shortly, Gonzi said.

He also accused Labour of announcing its child care centres proposals "in a state of panic" after learning that the PN backed the Union Haddiema Maghqudin's proposals. Gonzi said that the PN had already included a number of proposals on the matter in the 2013 Budget and others proposals will be announced in its electoral programme.