PN electoral programme is ticket to safe and secure future – Gonzi

The reason why the electorate should re-elect the Nationalist Party lies in the party's electoral programme, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said.

"Do not vote PN not because we have been in government for a long time, because we weathered the international economic crisis or because we managed the Libyan crisis so well but you must vote PN because of the future and what is yet to come," Gonzi said.

Speaking after the unanimous approval of the PN's 125-point electoral programme, Gonzi said: "This is the most important moment. We will speak a lot and visit many places during the campaign, but at the end it all boils down to this electoral programme."

He added that this is the first time ever in recent political history, a political party will cost each proposal, explain how it would be implemented and how it will be funded.

Pointing out that the programme is the result of 13 months of continuous meetings with civil society and an online consultation process, Gonzi noted that the final phase in the drafting process was the costing of each and every proposal.

Addressing all voters, including Labourites, Gonzi warned that "if the whole country sinks, everybody sinks but if the country wins, everybody will win."

On education, Gonzi listed the new schools which will opened every year for six years, to the delight of the PN councillors who granted their leader a standing ovation. Turning his attention to the tablet for all students scheme, Gonzi stressed that the proposed scheme "goes beyond the device itself but is only a tool to broaden schoolchildren's learning experience," which he said was already of the highest standard.

Gonzi also announced that three Maltese publishers had already been approached and showed great interest in turning books by Maltese authors such as Trevor Zahra to ebooks which would be available to all school children on their tablets, serving as an electronic library. The companies mentioned were Merlin Books, Klabb Kotba Maltin and BDL.

Gonzi added that the foundation of the country is the economy and went on to explain that the PN's vision for the country is based on creating 25,000 new jobs, increase the country's competitiveness, strengthen all economic sectors including manufacturing, turn Malta into the best financial and digital hubs, create jobs in the bio-technology sector and a better environment.

"In the next five years we want to maintain a strong country which never shied away from helping those in need, values solidarity, the weakest are never abandoned and the poor are helped to make their way out of poverty," the PN leader said.

Citing the energy night tariffs, the tax holidays for women and childcare centre vouchers for full-timers, part-timers, persons on reduced hours and persons on a study break as a few of the many proposals that make him proud, Gonzi said that another proposal which he was fond of was that of allowing persons to use the current 20-days per year of sick leave to tend to their children.

Admitting that this proposal could face some opposition, Gonzi said: "We will discuss this with employers and I am sure that everybody stands to gain from this proposal."