Prime Minister reiterates Muscat should answer his 10 questions

"With prudence and perseverance we can win this storm," the Prime Minister said. "This is the message my government wants to deliver. It is a message built on the values that helped the country overcome its problems. Prudence and perseverance always stood out, especially in moments of crisis."

Gonzi said these values always stood out when the Maltese realised that democracy was threatened and when the public realised that the private sector was to be the main economic motor and not when government dictated what the Maltese should do, what to watch and what to buy.

Gonzi reminded that choosing the European Union and adopting the euro were the best decisions this country could take.

The Prime Minister said he was sorry to note that the Opposition leader spoke in a way which did not recognise the ongoing international crisis: "How can he say he represents the workers when he undermines their work which helped us face the crisis?"

He said government's discipline and seriousness helped Malta keep going strong when other financial institutions were brought down on their knees.

"Prudence and perseverance helped us safeguard jobs when companies were about to give up. But the packages we presented mitigated these problems. Something which also the European Union recognised."

"I accept criticism. I welcome it and work on it. But there is a difference between criticism and the Opposition's speech. What wisdom is there in covering the reality out there and trying to hide the successes of this country? We are not playing some political game."

Gonzi added that the difficult part is not how to gain power in government but how to administer that power.

Libya and recent developments

Speaking on the Libyan uprising, the Prime Minister said he was proud of how the Maltese acted and criticised "Labour-leaning media" which tried to undermine this work and at times "embarrassed" the country.

"Important foreign people praised our work and yet, for the Opposition leader, it's like nothing ever happened. But then again, those who have only one ambition are ready to do and say anything."

Gonzi went on to mention the record numbers in tourism experienced this year, the number of graduates this year: "We created wealth and distributed it. The budget consolidates the economy, job creation, investing in industries and SMEs, in tourism, the education, family, the elderly and all that strengthens the Maltese culture and identity."

Not popular decisions

Gonzi said that if government had to listen to the Opposition's suggestions, the country would arrive nowhere.

"We chose the difficult decisions over the populist ones. They were difficult to make but it was the right choice. Everyone is tempted to choose the easier road, but it was crucial to address the problems."

He questioned how government could reduce utility bills when oil reached record prices: "He [Joseph Muscat] forgot that the Labour government has increased utility bills when oil was at $12 per barrel."

He added that as Muscat tries to depict a Labour which now supports the European Union, "he still doesn't distance himself from what Alfred Sant writes, still critical of the EU membership".

The Prime Minister said he could not understand how the PL says it's the workers' party when Joseph Muscat criticised the compensation given to the former ATP bus drivers.

"If he feels so strong on civil rights, why doesn't he give back the three premises which Labour stole to turn in to its own band clubs? Is it so possible that he feels comfortable living with something which represents the darkest extreme socialism Malta faced?"

Joseph Muscat's 51 proposals

Reacting to the 51 proposals put forward by Joseph Muscat, Gonzi said these did not answer the Budget: "They sound nice but in reality they hold no substance. Everyone can talk about them but what is he proposing exactly? How much do they cost, who is going to pay for them and how will they work?"

Gonzi described 25 of the proposals as "beautiful" but added there was nothing concrete in how to implement them. He said 14 of the proposals are already being implemented and three others form part of government's programme.

"From where do the positive statistics come if - as Muscat says - this government is not creating jobs? Record tourism numbers, decrease in unemployment rate and increase in women's participation in the workforce. Aren't these results proof that we are delivering where others are failing?"

The Prime Minister added these results make government proud and encourage them to face the future: "These are results obtained with a good leadership. He tries to hide them from the public. And no, I do not accept him saying 'we need to have courage and faith' when we created wealth amidst the storm."

He also tabled a document to contradict the 51 government's broken promises as mentioned by Muscat: "This document reveals the false and superficial analysis which Muscat carried out."

Capital projects

Gonzi said he couldn't understand why the Opposition criticised capital projects and described them as waste of money: "We believe these projects are important as they bring a big change in quality and provide jobs to hundreds of workers."

He went on to list the number of capital projects, such as the building of schools, MCAST, Valletta projects, the public garden in Bahar ic-Caghaq and more.

"We are generating more jobs in a sector which needs a push and at the same time providing a change from mediocrity to the highest creative level; from the second hand to the brand new - from what pollutes to what is environmental friendly."

Gonzi's 10 questions

The Prime Minister said Muscat failed to address the 10 questions he posed: "Instead he chose to insult the public with the relaxed way he chose to ignore the important points which I raised which could affect the future generations."

Gonzi said Muscat didn't say what type of economic strategy he has for the island or whether he will keep up with government's fiscal and financial goals to reduce the deficit. He added that Muscat said nothing about how he would reduce the national debt without increasing taxes.

"Remember that €1 billion of the debt is tied with the Malta Shipyards. In 22 months, the Labour government had created a debt amounting to €300 million. With the rest of the debt, we modernised this country: a new power station, a new airport, a new hospital, the building of the reverse osmosis, better infrastructure and modern communication means."

He said that while it is true that government is paying €500,000 interest every day, the daily recurrent revenue amounts to €8.1 million.

Air Malta

Gonzi said Muscat didn't agree with government's work on Air Malta: "He wants to pretend the nature of tourism hasn't changed or that low-cost carriers are not a reality; that weekend breaks impact tourism."

He reiterated the decisions taken were to save the national airline facing a precarious financial situation and added he was pleased the Air Malta workers have agreed to the proposed package.

"They will cost us money but we see this as an investment. Workers will finish from Air Malta but will find new opportunities. These changes are an integral part of the restructuring process."

Replying to criticism made over expecting Air Malta to pay back the €52 million during 2012, Gonzi said this was obligatory according to EU regulations.

Utility bills and Sargas

The Prime Minister said Muscat failed to quantify by how much he would reduce the utility bills. "It is obvious he can't answer because no one can predict how much oil prices will go up. Muscat is extremely irresponsible, trying to illude the public in this way."

Addressing Muscat directly, he said: "You know you can't control the prices of oil, gas and other energy sources. If you really believed in prudence you would realise you can never guarantee a decrease in utility bills. It is an irresponsible statement which you continuously repeat for pure populist goals."

Gonzi invited Muscat to reveal any information he might have about individuals who are ready to invest in the country and whether Muscat has already met with such individuals. Gonzi added that if Muscat was referring to Sargas - the Norwegian company that turns fossil fuels in clean energy - he has already met with them.

"After meeting personally with them, it turned out the project had to undergo changes because of the Libyan events which inevitably changed the parameters of the project due to an option tied with Libya. I want to make it clear I haven't ruled out the possibility, but I haven't yet received a favourable technical opinion."

He reiterated that government's strategy was aimed at one goal: eliminatring vulnerability: "This means that we prefer permanent connections with the European grid which allow flexibility, less pollution, minimal vulnerability and the best prices."

On Muscat's three proposals to reduce the utility bills, Gonzi said turning the power station from heavy fuel oil to gas would increase the electricity bills by more than the €12 million Muscat projects to reduce; on the return on capital employed formula, Gonzi said this proposal is nothing more than "a game of numbers"; on the night tariff, the Prime Minister said this could only work with the smart meters - "a project which the Opposition opposed".

The Muscat-Agius email saga

Gonzi said Muscat chose not to answer his question on whether it is true that he had communicated with heads of departments and encouraged them to spy on their employers. "In two hours he chose to ignore my question which is built on facts and not gossip. His attitude shows lack of ethics and his political standards."

Worlds apart

"We [government and opposition] are worlds apart. We believe in our citizens and we designed a budget which incentivise the economy and support the family," Gonzi said, and went on to highlight the popular measures proposed in the Budget 2012, the funds allocated in all sectors and government's commitment towards society.

He added that once again Malta is at crossroads but it is prepared to face the problems and at the same time protect everyone.

"This budget is a clear roadmap of where we are headed to. This direction is built on one essential value: our full trust in the Maltese and Gozitans. We are proud of them and we believe in them."

He added that a responsible government couldn't choose a plan according to whom it speaks to or based on political opportunism: "We cannot lose the prudence and stability which led us through the storm."