Lawrence Gonzi hints at early 2013 elections

In the strongest hint yet on when the general election will be held, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that whatever happens in the next couple of weeks, the country will enter an electoral campaign in January or February.

With the first budget vote earmarked for 10 December, Parliament could be dissolved in the next couple of weeks if Nationalist MP Franco Debono follows through with his consistent threats to vote against the budget. Once Parliament is dissolved, the Prime Minister is granted a minimum 5-week window and a maximum of three months to hold an election.

Signalling his intention to call the election even if the budget is approved, Gonzi said: "Whatever happens in the next few weeks, let us enjoy and celebrate Christmas in peace and then we can commence the electoral campaign in January or February, as had happened in 2007," Gonzi said.

The PN remains the party of change while Labour will take the country backwards, Nationalist leader Lawrence Gonzi said.

He said the last time Labour governed the country in 1996 it introduced 33 new taxes in less then two years and "suffocated the business community drying up their income. That is why you cannot trust them."

Speaking on the PN's Radio 101, the Prime Minister said the Nationalist Party wrote a new page in its history in the past week following the deputy leadership contest and the presentation of the 2013 Budget.

Gonzi stressed the PN's ability to renew itself and introduce important changes in the country as opposed to the "socialist, conservative and anti-reformist Labour Party."

In an interview recorded on Saturday afternoon, Gonzi said that the 12-point advantage Labour enjoys in the polls is not written in stone and expressed his belief in the possibility of winning the next election, saying "I have confidence in the people's ability to make the right choice."

Pointing out that nobody knows what Labour proposals, Gonzi said: "the Opposition has abandoned the working classes. They should be ashamed of themselves, they have attacked the tourism sector, Air Malt and the services sector and re-married the General Workers Union."

He added "The election is on the horizon and we have shown the people what our programme is. On the other hand Labour has abandoned the workers

Calling for caution, Gonzi said the decision the electorate will take in the next election will last for five years. "How can we trust Labour leader Joseph Muscat who advised us to follow the Cypriot economic model, only to discover that Cyprus is in deep economic turmoil."

Shedding doubt on Muscat's ability to govern, Gonzi said: "Where will he find the money if he drives the country to economic disaster. What guarantees do we have that Labour will maintain the same levels of investment in health and education?"

While noting that his administration is not perfect, Gonzi said the Nationalist government weathered the international economic crisis and kept investing in education, health and created more jobs.

"How can we set our minds at rest that Labour will guarantee the same levels of investment after dishing out such unsound advise?" Gonzi said.

Gonzi said the people can only have peace of mind if the Nationalist Party is in government, which has shown that it can govern during difficult circumstances.

He added that the Labour Party is not fit to be in government because it chose to play hide and seek with the people and had poor judgement.

Gonzi stressed that the PN was the party for everyone and said its "doors are open to everyone and nobody should feel excluded."

Dispelling the PN's conservative tag, Gonzi said: "We are not a government for one class or another. We do not interfere in people's life, including people of different sexual orientation. All the colours of the rainbow come together in the Nationalist Party."

"We respect the gay community in the same way we respect everybody else who makes his or her decisions. We respect whatever the people decide in a democratic way," he stressed.

Pointing out that the party had embraced both those who agreed with divorce and IVF, and those who disagreed. "We greet everyone with open arms and everybody is welcome to participate and work together with us to shape our policies."

Turning his attention to the 2013 Budget, Gonzi said: "We presented the budget because unlike the Labour Party we do not play hide and seek. We have put our cards on the table for all to see. The 2013 Budget is not the party's electoral manifesto but it is the Nationalist Party's programme for the next year."

He said that the people were aware now how a Nationalist government would work in 2013, which sectors it would assist and what it would do in sectors such as education and health. On the other hand, he said that the people were in the dark about what was in store from Labour, saying that the Opposition "is only blowing air bubbles."

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the minimum wage, Gonzi explained that the "basic minimum wage in not taxed, including the COLA increase."

He said that it is only the bonuses, income supplements and commissions which are taxed. "The law states that earnings below €8,500 are non-taxable and the minimum wage will now rise to €8,434, meaning that it does not go beyond the threshold. Only the earnings above the €8,500 benchmark are taxed."

Gonzi expressed hope that the Budget would be approved, however explained that if the Budget is not approved by Parliament, not all budgetary measures would come into force on 1 January, adding that a new government would have to take its decisions.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat has urged the Nationalist governmnet to ensure that all increases and benefits are implemented by 1 January.