Prime Minister tells Gozitans, ‘Labour overrun by extremists – no guarantee of university stipends’

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi set much store today in claiming the Labour party had been overrun by "socialist extremists" who were at the heart of the government that won the 1981 election without a majority of votes.

In denouncing Joseph Muscat's attempt at limiting January's no-confidence vote to three hours, Gonzi said the Opposition leader had been egged on by the "extremists" in the PL to move a 'guillotine' motion to limit discussion on the no-confidence motion they presented against the government.

"At least Muscat has recognised the immorality of the 1981 government," Gonzi told his audience in Gozo today, referring to the Labour government elected on a majority of seats but not with a majority of votes. "Muscat still defends those who were at the centre of that government, people like Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca who was Labour secretary-general at the time, Leo Brincat, George Vella, Karmenu Vella, and Alex Sceberras Trigona."

Gonzi laid into the Opposition leader's no-confidence motion, which the government won with the Speaker's casting vote after the abstention of Franco Debono, and blaimed Muscat of creating uncertainty in the country.

"There is no worse moment than now to hold early elections," Gonzi said, who accused Muscat of foisting uncertainty on the country with his call for elections.

"What uncertainty? Every student I speak to knows they will surely get their stipend at university under a Nationalist government. Are they certain they will get their stipends if Joseph Muscat is in government?

"I say this because Labour MEP Edward Scicluna, who is already being touted for finance minister, said in 2006 that university stipends were like the shipyards' subsidies, and that they should not be paid because they are unsustainable."

Gonzi also accused Labour of never having proposed their alternatives or any policies, saying their silence on policy was creating uncertainty. "I ask Muscat how can he guarantee that he will decrease the energy tariffs. Does he think he can control the international price of oil? Uncertainty comes from a political party that cannot gives us an answer to these questions."

The Prime Minister also insisted his government was not tied to the seat of power. "We're not like Labour back in the 1980s, who ran roughshod over the people's will... I want to tell everyone we are only tied to the trust the people put in us, which is why I have put my leadership to the vote of the party."

Lawrence Gonzi last Sunday opened his leadership to a contest in a bid to reconfirm his authority among the PN General Council's 850-odd members. He is expected to be uncontested. "I have given party councillors the liberty to pass judgement on me as party leader through a secret ballot."

Gozitan MPs who addressed Sunday's public dialogue like Frederick Azzopardi pledged their loyalty to Gonzi, saying they had supported the prime minister when he was elected party leader in 2004.

Echoing the prime minister, the newly-appointed justice minister Chris Said praised Gonzi for his record in job creation. Recent Eurostat data found Malta had the fifth-lowest unemployment rate among the EU's 27 member states.

Said also reiterated Gonzi's suspicions over the university stipend system, which had been reduced in 1997 by the Labour government, saying the number of Gozitan university students had increased and did not need to secure a bank loan to subsidise their university education. "They don't need to get a bank loan like Evarist Bartolo made them do back in 1997," Said said.

Said lambasted Joseph Muscat's comparison with the current Nationalist government with Labour's in 1981, saying it was only constitutional reforms in 1986 that had guaranteed a government is elected with the majority votes, rather than seats. "It had to be the sacrifices of people at Tal-Barrani and Raymond Caruana to lead to these constitutional reforms."

Gozo minister also pledged her loyalty to Gonzi: "How can we not reconfim you as our leader, Prime Minister... God willing, this country will have more prime ministers like you."