‘Only PN can guarantee a solid future’ – Lawrence Gonzi

A deafening cheer this evening welcomed Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi under the tent on the Granaries in Floriana. The applause and cheer deepened as the PN leader saluted his party faithful - most significant when he embraced approved PN candidate David Casa and backbencher Jean Pierre Farrugia, whom the Prime Minister made it a point to embrace.

As he recalled Malta's transition over the years from the Independence, Gonzi saluted Dr George Borg Olivier and insisted that through all these years, "the PN brought the peace of mind".

"The Independence gave us the right to protest, to send our children to the schools we wanted, the right to utter the word 'Malta'. And with further prudence under a PN leadership, Malta joined the European Union - another decision which highlights the PN's ability to bring peace of mind to our people," he said.

Gonzi also saluted PN stalwart and former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, sparking a round of applause from the supporters.

"We are where we are today, among the countries with high rates of employment. When the time will come for you to make your choice, keep in mind that while big countries where brought down to their knees we kept on going strong," he said.

 "Our vision of this country is to remain strong in the three most important pillars: work, education and health. We want this country to be able to give and receive the best. Just like we created 20,000 jobs we want to create the same amount of jobs in the coming four years."

In an impassioned speech reminiscent of election period, Gonzi reiterated that a Nationalist government always worked hard to provide the Maltese with jobs. He said that his government always sought to create a diversified economy, providing different work opportunities at different levels for a different workforce.

"We saw our economy growing in all sectors. Look at the Opposition, they can never accept that 20,000 jobs have been created. A simple way to prove it is the number of students who joined the workforce. If these 20,000 jobs were not created, where would these students be? And what about those 8,000 pensioners who have chosen to continue to work?"

During his intervention, University lecturer Profs Olivier Friggieri said government should also look into providing youths with activities to do outside the school hours.

"Children and students are lost outside school hours. They may not be practicing a hobby and would be engulfed by boredom. Unfortunately, they might address this issue by looking into things which might not be beneficial. I really wish for you to take into consideration my proposal," Friggieri urged the PM.

Friggieri also called for a national congress for such young people.

Welcoming his idea, Gonzi said government had already launched three to 16 project, which targeted students aged between three and 16 years. He said several schools were now providing extracurricular activities after hours.

"The important message we want to send is that we want a better quality of life for you and your children," he said.

Asked by Dr Alex Perici Calascione to comment on the 'Labour won't work' billboard, Gonzi insisted that "one can ever work with the PL".

"It's been tried already. Unfortunately, this has been a repetition every time they were in government. They have always been against change: they were against Malta's accession to the EU.

"OK it's fair to say that they have now changed their mind. But then two years ago Joseph Muscat lauded Cyprus. Today Cyprus is in crisis. Then last year, during the Libya crisis Muscat remained silent while this government chose to condemn the regime."

Gonzi went on to ask: "Is it possible that parents will choose to entrust their children's future in their hands? How is it possible that you risk voting for Labour during such turbulent economic times?"

Criticising Labour MEP Edward Scicluna on his economic credentials, Gonzi said Scicluna shouldn't be trusted after having lauded the 'Mintoffian economics'.

"Joseph Muscat, I will not entrust this country in your hands. I will not allow for this country to resort back to a failed way of making economy. I will not allow people to lose their opportunity to study. I will not permit to turn back the hands of a time. We are the only party who can guarantee a solid future."

Gonzi reiterated that the PN was the catalyst of change: "The best change for us is to improve the quality of life our family. Our electoral programme, whenever the general election comes, will be to focus on improving working opportunities, strengthening education and health. We changed this country from its roots because we believe in change."

Eliciting further applause, Gonzi reminded how government had invested in the country's infrastructure to improve the roads and how the works on Valletta where transforming the capital city.

In further criticism against the Labour Party, Gonzi said their 'solution' to work was to ask people who wanted to work "to raise their hands".

 "Your choice is mychoice.pn. Your choice is voting for the PN for stability in the future you want to build. The PN is your choice for health, work and education," Gonzi concluded.