Lawrence Gonzi – ‘If motion passes, I’ll call elections’

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi took the Opposition to task over its no-confidence motion in a speech in which he accused Labour leader Joseph Muscat of being blinded by power in his bid to become prime minister.

Gonzi - who two weeks ago called for the resignation of backbencher Franco Debono after the MP called on the prime minister to resign - also proclaimed his agreement with some of the issues raised by Debono in his speech yesterday evening.

Gonzi paid lip service to Debono's call for reforms on party financing and electoral reform, by way of slamming the Opposition for abandoning the select committee for democracy back in 2010 that was set up to discuss these same issues.

"We remain open for dialogue... but I disagree with the method employed," he said referring to the MP's withdrawal of support from the government after Gonzi announced a cabinet reshuffle on 6 January that left the ambitious MP out.

"If the motion of no-confidence does not pass, I will call for early elections. It's my duty," Gonzi declared in a reminder that the MP's support of this motion would determine the fate of his government.

"But this is not where we should be at this point... this motion invites the House to express its no-confidence in the government. Why? What is this motion's motivation? The clear and simple answer is that the Opposition leader thinks this will bring on early elections and Labour will be in government. This has got nothing to do with our policies," Gonzi said.

Throughout his speech, the prime minister drew comparisons between European democracies which, like Italy, had to overhaul their governments for technocrat Cabinets that could reform their ailing economies.

He also used the Arab spring as a beacon of liberty that embarrassed the Opposition's 'guillotine' motion to restrict the debate of no-confidence t to a mere ninety minutes for the government and Opposition. "It is shameful that while the Arab world is discovering its liberty, the Opposition leader tries to gag us by keeping us from speaking out on this motion," Gonzi said.

The prime minister also made a mounting defence of his government's economic performance and its success in keeping unemployment levels down, tourism exports up, and foreign investment buoyant. "Our female labour participation rate today is at record levels," Gonzi said of the oft-quoted statistic that puts Malta bottom of the European ranks for female employment.

"I would have been so much more worried had this motion been about out policies, or had we lost the confidence of the EU, or the International Monetary Fund, or had bonds been downgraded to junk as has happened in Greece," Gonzi said.

Instead he accused Opposition leader Joseph Muscat of grabbing an opportunity to bring down his government, become prime minister, and use Franco Debono's wavering support to bring about early elections.

"All is fair in love and war, but let's not forget the Opposition leader's words that the 'end justifies the means' - even if this is the wrong way of bringing about a change - I would have treated this situation differently had I been in his place. I wouldn't place my personal interest above that of the country."

In a brief moment of contrition, the prime minister said he had in the past admitted to his mistakes.

"I refuse to ignore what is in the best interest of the country... I am no oracle. This House knows I have admitted my mistakes both here and in public, and where possible, I have tried to mend my ways.

"But for its own convenience, Labour still does not tell us what its policies area, even when it is moving a motion of no-confidence against the government."

In his scathing criticism of Labour's position, Gonzi exploited the holes in the Opposition's stands on various issues: he said their criticism of the government's economic policies were contradicted by the EU and the IMF; that they had nothing to propose on education; that Muscat's previous opposition to EU accession was another act of political opportunism.

"I believe in the politics of principles, principles that serve the people. A politics that eschews the thirst for power and looks for the people's confidence. One that is not tied to the seat of power but to the trust people have in us and our policies. We don't mind telling the people what is sweet and bitter in our programme. We are worried that the Opposition does not tell us what it's true policies are."