Gonzi hails 'very good week' for Malta

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi describes the past week as "very good" and appeals for mature political debate.

13 May 2012, 12:00am
by Jurgen Balzan

2 min read

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi

During a dialogue session held outside the newly inaugurated Aviation Park in Safi, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi hailed this week as "very good."

Gozni was participating in a question and answer session organised by the Nationalist Party. Gonzi was asked a number of questions from students, academics, workers and pensioners. Earlier this week, Gonzi held a online-chat session and answered questions by almost 650 subscribers in the first ever web conference.

This morning, the Prime Minister said that during the past week Malta welcomed a number of positive reports from the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission on the economy.

In reference to the parliamentary approval of the Budget Implantation bill and the City Gate Special Purpose Vehicle this week, Gonzi said "The government can now continue to work on the national priorities, especially on job creation. We still face a number of challenges we need to overcome together. Hopefully we will face these challenges with respect and maturity."

He went on to stress the importance of ethics in politics and appealed against any kind of personal attacks and the involvement of family members in political debate.

"The best gift we could give to mothers is job creation," Gonzi said during the dialogue held on Mother's Day.

He explained that in the past four years up to 20,000 young persons have graduated from University and Mcast. Gonzi also stressed the importance government gives to creating quality jobs in the private sector such as the jobs created in the aviation and pharmaceutical industries.

"The government is committed to attract competitive investment and not create jobs in unsustainable industries like the former shipyard," Gonzi said.

Gonzi noted that in the past four years the average wage rose by almost €2,000 while the minimum wage had gone by €1,000.

He also underlined the importance of education and investment in new industries, especially science based ones.

Gonzi mentioned the Malta Council for Science and Technology centre in Bighi as an example of the government's plans in this sector and added that the government was in the process of obtaining funds to expand it and make it accessible to children of all ages.

Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.

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Dawk huma socjalisti tipo, Thorny u l-kumplament tal kummenti ...... tafu li fetah 'aviation park' u li giet kumpanija gdida Malta ta avjazzjoni? Pero ahna biex imaqqdru nigu l-ewwel. Is socjalisti dejjem hemm mohhom biex jaraw se jakkwistaw gil but. Bhal Thorny irid biex tkun gimgha tajba ghal Malta bilfors irid irahaslek xi haga. Possibli ghadek tghix fi zmien wistin abela meta kien irahhaslek il bulubif jew it tinn taz zejt. Possibli wara dawn is snin kollha ghadkom ma qomtux mir raqda li qedin fiha u ma tkomplux taraw sal ponta ta imniherkhom. Possibli ma indunajtux jekk igawdi pajjizna ingawdu ahna wkoll flimkien.

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If this was a very good week for Malta God forbid that we ever see the worst.

Luke Camilleri •

Rahas xi haga biex tkun "good week" ghal Cikku Poplu? Min irrid jitmejjel b'min, ahna ma ghandhiex kollox ON THE HOUSE bhalu, anki parking irridu ihallsu ghalih!

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.....Gonzi noted that in the past four years the average wage rose by almost €2,000 while the minimum wage had gone by €1,000. What Gonzi forgot to mention was his €500 weekly that is €26,000 for three years, which ratio amounts to 1 : 52. The cost of a gass cyliner from €6.29 to €25. The cost of utility bills that at least he put them up by three times as much. The cost of petrol up to €6.75 per gallon. The increase in National Insurance. The cost of food, probably because the Maltese are obese and he wants to keep us fit. I hope you’re not camparing those blue eyed boys who salary runs into the 70 and 80 of thousands or more of € and those who earn abotu €3 per hour. Those who aren’t paid for a Public Holiday or overtime, or those thousands who queue for the EU charity. How do we compare after all this, Hon Dr Gonzi? Are we better off?. If we are better off, then why those falling below the poverty line are increasing by the hour?

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Very Good Week? Sure was for the nearly 200 illegal immigrants who are part of the invasion as you had called it and for their traffickers.

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Heard this bull before example Smart City and White Rocks and last February another project with all hixs clique behind him and we forgot already the name of the project cause it is all hodge potch. Amazing how this Prime Minister can be believed, Peppe and Francis on Xarabank said that Gassafi was embraced by Mintoff, forgot that he was the last Prime Minister in the whole world to hug Gaddafi. Please Gonzi do not take for a ride anymore we had enough of your bull.

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This is the usual propaganda by the Gonz and his team. Of course companies and industry are attracted to Malta because here they afford to pay sub standard salaries to maltese employees. It is very easy to talk about job creation but watch out, Malta is in for a nice recession which is slowly rearing its head. Of course increasing figures in education is nice but this happens at the expense of quality! It is very easy to play with words. Facts are facts, the quality of life, working conditions and social conditions are deteriorating by the hour.

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....He went on to stress the importance of ethics in politics and appealed against any kind of personal attacks ....... Why only in political debates? Why only for politicians? What about the others? What about the discrimination you allowed with your employees? What about the rest of the population? Why did you vote against the Will of the Majority? WHY? WHY? WHY? What about the rest fo us? Do you care only for the Politicians?

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"He went on to stress the importance of ethics in politics and appealed against any kind of personal attacks and the involvement of family members in political debate." Does anyone really need to tell the Prime Minister who is the one who wallows most in the gutter of "personal attacks and the involvement of family members in political debate" on the internet? I'm sure that someone from his staff can provide him with the contact details of the most notorious of them all if he really wants to put a stop to all this.