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PM hopes no-confidence vote is taken in view of ‘government’s successes’
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi says he’s very proud of the results achieved in 2011 despite the challenges.
19 January 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi with Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this evening described 2012 as economically and political challenging while reiterating that the Nationalist Party is a political party "always ready for the next challenge".
Next week, government will face a motion of no confidence. The debate will be held between Monday and Wednesday and the vote will be taken on Thursday at noon.
The no-confidence motion was presented in Parliament by the Opposition after backbencher Franco Debono said he no longer supported a government under Gonzi's leadership.
Addressing a New Year's reception at the PN headquarters, Gonzi said he hoped that the vote is based on what government achieved during "such turbulent times".
"I am hoping that the results achieved by this government speak for themselves and should be the basis for next week's vote. The confidence I hope to achieve next week is a confidence born out of these results and not a confidence - or lack of confidence - born out of words," Gonzi said.
Recalling the economic crisis which "is not a fairytale but a reality in the eurozone", Gonzi said he hoped that the vote will be based on this reality and not on other issues "which are not relevant at all to how we manage a country".
"But at the end of the day, politics is politics and this is what makes it exciting, colourful and helps us to avoid monotony," he joked, adding that the past four years have been more like a rollercoaster.
Gonzi said he was very proud of the results achieved in 2011, despite the challenging issues the PN faced. On the divorce issue, the Prime Minister said the party overcame the challenge while respecting the public's will.
"A highlight in 2011 was also the fact that we managed to sit down and revisit our fundamental values. We published a document that re-established the basic values of this party, not for the past but for the future.," Gonzi said.
"We're a political party that is always ready for the next challenge. We do not wriggle ourselves out of the problem but, on the contrary, we face that problem and try to come out with the best solution."
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
Mark Fenech •
What about the €1.5billion increase in national debt during the past 4 years. What about the financial losses of AirMalta, Enemalta and the end of Malta Drydocks? What about the Arriva saga? What about the high Water and Electricity bills? What about the long waiting lists at Mater Dei? What about the long list of medicine out of stock? What about the huge problems at the Emergency Department of Mater Dei? What about the low rates paid to employees in the service sectors (security/health attendants/and other related services? What about the number of corruption cases which arose during these years? What about the weekly increase of €500 to cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries? What about the divorce issue, voting against the people's will in the divorce bill? And one keep going on and on.
There were successes in the past 4 years, (what do you pretend to do nothing good in a 4 year period) but do not forget the various negative results aswell if you want to be seen as a balanced person.
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Success fejn? Id budget deficit, id dejn, i impiegi jonqsu, kontijiet esagirati ta dawl, ilma, gas, petrol u diesel, instabbilita fil pajjiz, biegh ta assi = issa l Air Malta bieghet l ufficini, inkwiet ta Dr Debono, back benchers jitkelmu kontra l gvern. Taf min ha success????????? Dawk li hadu euro 500 fil gimgha zieda. Irrid insemmi ukoll U TURNS li ghamel Gonzi dawn l ahhar 4 snin. U jekk Gonzi huwa konvint bis success ghax ma isejjahx elezzjoni. Jekk jirbah mhux sena ikollu biex jiggverna imma hames snin
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The question one has to ask is whether, for the general public, the Government's "successes" outweigh its "failures".
Another pertinent question would be, when Government views some project/s as being a success, for example the Delimara Power station extension, the reforms in MEPA and in the public transport, is it considered also a success by the public?
Also when one considers the list of promises against the list of what has been delivered and to which standard, to which side does the balance swing?
I leave the judgment in the people's hands...isn't that what Jesmond Mugliett said when asked about the success or failure of GonziPN?
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Dr Lawrence Gonzi la qied tara dan IS SUCCESS kollu mela ghalfejn dan il BIZA kollu biex tmur quddiem il parlament u TITLOB VOT TA FIDUCJA
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Dr Lawrence Gonzi la qied TARA dawn is SUCCESSI KOLLHA mela ghal fejn dan il BIZA kollu biex tmur quddiem il parlament u TITLOB VOT TA FIDUCJA
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meta gonzi irrispetta ir rizultat tad divorzju?, meta ivvota kontra. iva mela kollox kontra?
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sure Mr Prim Minister, thats what i am going to do In fact I am compiling a list of your sucsess such as,
Arriva, hospita emergancy department, lack of beds, operation waiting time, minister flying high and free, €500 weekly increase, top less theatre, loss of EU educational funds, closing of dockyard, problems with airMalta, roads, prison, long waiting list of law courts, St Johnm's underground museuim, Power station, Utility prices, these will give you at least minus mark.keep it up.
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The 'network of evil' have been very successful at becoming millionaires. For some - Ponzi has been a great success. Pity that hijacking a country and using its as an international base for money laundering and other activities illegal elsewhere does not bode well for a democracy.
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Dak li jigfrilek meta tkun tghix fis-shab!
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Successes - for them and their children perhaps !! The rest of us are seeing a power crazy small group of people ( klikka bil Malti) who are behaving as if they have the divine right to govern and who have governed our country incompetently and greedily. If for Dr Gonzi his term in office has been a success, than he badly needs a dictionary and someone to tell him the story ,and meaning of the Emperor's new clothes. Dr Gonzi and Co: you can fool us sometimes ( and by Jove , you have!) but you cannot fool all of us all the time . Capisc! Game over! Time up ! The curtain of the charade is slowly but constantly coming down. If the good lawyer and his klikka know what dignity is, they should leave when they still have some left.
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success??? da bis serjata ?
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@ALGAN I think Dr. Franco Debono (not FD because I think that you want to rediculate him) knows where his future will be, maybe after the coming election he will be called back to the party under the helmm of a new young leader as it had already been done by the the Labour Party under Joseph Muscat. I then that Dr. Gonzi is past his Prime Miniserial days months ago but he choose to stay there and see what happened now. I think that he is saying Mia Culpa, Mia Culpa behind closed doors. Now we stay calm and frech and see what will happen next Thursday at noon.
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Lets hope that during the 9hrs will hear the lie of the income tax, the famous thousands of jobs at the smart city, closing down of the dockyard, kaccaturi,nassaba, airmalta,enemalta,kontijiet ta dawl w ilma,€600 fer week+€6000 per year, sajjieda, HSBC, Il power station, haddiema ta selmun palace, Il penzjonnijiet ta ex seviceman overtime tal pulizzija, in nuqqasijiet tal pilloli u dewmien tal operazjonijiet,bdiewa, etc etc etc just few thaughts i am sure this will help to obsorb the 9hrs!
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Ghaziz Prim Ministru, Grazzi ta kemm ghamilt u qeghed tghamel ghal pajjizna. pero xorta ser jibqa il fatt li il membri parlamentari b`mod specjali il laburisti, ser izommu f`rashom li min wara daharhom hadtu dik l-imfami zieda ta 500 ewro fil gimgha ( li ser tiswieklek l-elezzjoni ,tigi meta tigi ).Tinshiex li mhux talli ma hsibtx fihom `fl-oppozizjoni ` imma l-anqas fil "backbenchers "shabek.
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Aktar ma jiftah halqu, Dr Gonzi u shabu aktar jghidu hmerijiet. Possibli ma jindunawx li l-poplu m'ghadux bahnan bhal ma jahsbuh huma? Fil-flus li nefqu f'dawn l-ahhar 25 sena fil-Gvern (taqta' ftit) inkluz id-dejn ta' 5 biljuni li rnexxilhom jaghmlu, imissna ghandna gzira genna tal-art u mhux spiccajna f'hafna oqsma aghar mill-pajjizi tat-tielet dinja! K'allajrid il-gimgha d-diehla se nisimghu xi 9 sighat ta' ftahir u records miksurin, u kif ahna ahjar minn kulhad....u mbghad.....imbghad..... jaqa' l-gvern.
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Briffy: How can one describe the economic climate under GonziPN as having been "congenial" as you stated, when GonziPN was riddled with harsh criticism coming from his own backbenchers ? Wasn't it all too obvious that at some time or another an eruption was going to take place ? Slicer, who commented below, mentioned the " successes" (Sic !) achieved by Lawrence GonziPN, so I will not repeat them. If only he had learnt from Dr. Alfred Sant, he would have offered his position as prime minister to another member of the cabinet,since that is the main demand of Franco Debono, and the PN would have been able to remain in office till the end of the legislature. But Dr. Gonzi IS TOO PROUD to relinquish his position. His own interests come before the interests of his party and the country !
Igor P. Shuvalov •
"PM hopes no-confidence vote is taken in view of ‘government’s successes’" which translates into nine hour of speeches by Government MPs boasting about the "government’s successes’" repeating what we have been hearing all along this last year...
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My prediction is that after a lot of rhetoric in the coming days dedicated to the noconfidence debate the whole affair will fizzle out as a damp squib in the decisive thursday vote for it is not in the political interest of FD to see the whole issue resolved. Once it is resolved one way or the other like the fate of political stalking horses there is no political role for FD in the short term. it is therefore in his interest to play the game of abstaining or better still not turn up for the vote. This way he can maintain a highly visible political profile in the coming months and continue be courted by the media and thus hope to build up a wider political following for the future. This will be a game similar to the game Mintoff played in 1998 and the PN will have to tolerate and bear the antics of FD until they are better prepared to face an election, sometime I would think next autumn.
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OK, let's list all the GonziPN successes. Ummmm----. Shh I'm tryin' to think!
Fabian Psaila •
Successes? Gonzipn just Sucks!
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The prime minister said: 'The past four years have been more like a Rollercoaster.'...So this saga has not started 8 days ago like all GonziPN are saying! Right?!?!
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History will remember you Mr Gonzi for giving yourself 600 euros extra per week behind our back and giving the rest of us 1.60 euros, for that alone you don't deserve to be a leader let alone a PM.
Priscilla Darmenia •
The PM said "always ready for the next challenge", however he is not ready for the next election judging by all the delay tactics being played by the PN.
If we were to judge people only by the good they did, then our prisons would be empty. Dr Gonzi, you and your lot need some long time in opposition to reflect on your wrong doings and omissions.
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Success Smart City, Arriva, Dockyard, AirMalta, EneMalta, BWSC with Heavy fuel oil,Sea Malta, Telecom, Debts €5000million, Gold reserves none, Cirkewwa terminal still going for so many years, medicine supplies shortage, cost of living awall, precarious work, part timers withouth a future to buy their own residence, 35% tax to 25% never materialised , water and electricity bills highest in Europe, liberilised Gas and tripled prices since than, Auditer general reports of missuse of funds in most Govt Depts, €500 a week raise behind our back for his clique, in all jobs for the blue eyed boys. If I keep going I would never stop the hodge potch GonziPn has brought upon the Maltese population. If he thinks he has accomplished success so he can go to the President and call a general election.
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A coin has two sides. You cannot just count the successes (recalling the Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi political jargon), you have to consider also the negatives. This is the job the 69 MP's will be called to do next week. Then we will see the outcome, and who knows whether it would be the turn of the electorate to have his/her say. Or maybe let the MPs be wise enough, especially the Labour Opposition, and let Gonzi PN Government face the music. I better explain myself better in Maltese, bhalma mexmex il-lahma, issa erhilu jgerrem il-ghadma. Halluh ha jsalvah li Speaker, jaghmel hafna ligijiet ta' igri u geri ta' lejliet l-elezzjoni u l-appuntament ta' l-elettorat mieghu jkun fl-2013. Mela issa, biex imur fl-Oppozizzjoni u joqghod gallarija. Call his bluff, let him face the challenges ahead for 2012, forsi jispicca ma jkollux biex jaghmel budget ghall-2013. Nahseb jaghtina xi 10 euro zjieda fil-gimgha dak iz-zmien! U wara twaqqfu l-Unjoni Ewropea bhalma kellu jnaqqas 40 miljun euro diga' dis-sena mill-budget eccessiv li pprova jaghmina bih.
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Why no reference anywhere to the rushed up decision into the Eurozone? It seems for me that somewhere some decisions were rushed up... just to join a club... a ghost club! Someone up in the block knew about the underlying time bomb that we are assisting to now! No one knew about Greece???? How is it possible??? IF no one did... then the block's administration is really messed up for good and exists for just one thing.... huge payslips and nothing else!
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Malta's achievements over the years are no sheer coincidence; they don't just happen, particulary when they are repeated year in year out. The administration must claim some credit. Work opportunities have to be created, investment is attracted as a result of a congenial economic climate which is the hallmark of PN administrations. Labour knows this and no wonder that they are doing their utmost to try to persuade people that a Labour government would be safe for businessmen. They jolly well know that unless they can create a congenial economic climate there is no chance for economic growth, particularly in the current global situation.
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Why no reference anywhere to the rushed up decision into the Eurozone? It seems for me that somewhere some decisions were rushed up... just to join a club... a ghost club! Someone up in the block knew about the underlying time bomb that we are assisting to now! No one knew about Greece???? How is it possible??? IF no one did... then the block's administration is really messed up for good and exists for just one thing.... huge payslips and nothing else!
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GonziPN have no merit in Malta's lack of financial problems experienced by the Eurozone - it was the wisdom of the Maltese common people how to handle their domestic financial affairs. GonziPN have only one track record in increasing our sovereign debt to €5 billion and precarious jobs. It is time for PN to retire for the Opposition and stay there until they are refreshed.
