No respect for the country

Lawrence Gonzi has no respect. No respect for the people, for Parliamentary democracy and no respect for the country. With his attitude, the Prime Minister is seriously endangering stability, now and in the immediate future. To GonziPN, Parliament has become merely a game, a game wherein he does not give a second thought to the stakes – the welfare of Malta and Gozo.

Since Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando resigned from the Nationalist Party, Gonzi’s slim majority in parliamentary seats vanished. Officially or unofficially JPO has entered into a coalition with the Gonzi government. Officially because he has stated it but unofficially because it has never been tested. JPO had also set a pre-condition that GonziPN has to obtain his approval for continued governance. However, the recent actions of GonziPN are the complete opposite of the conditions set by JPO.

In the case of Cachia Caruana, Lawrence Gonzi has defied the Parliamentary motion and has retained RCC as a consultant on EU affairs and as Ambassador. On the St. Philip’s Hospital rental agreement, GonziPN has decided to sign the agreement despite opposition from a majority of the house and pending Parliamentary motions.

In the light of these clear messages, Gonzi’s political majority is clearly non-existent. The Labour Party is no hurry for a general election. But the country is and the Executive Branch should ensure that the democratic process is not interrupted to accommodate the obsession of one person.

Officially, the country is not in an election mode since Gonzi has refused to name a date for the elections. However, the instability and uncertainty is deeply felt. The Gonzi administration wants to read the budget during this legislature, knowing full well that it will not be approved. This will take the country into the next calendar year without any budgetary approval. Furthermore, this will put the Xmas season bang in the middle of an election campaign and cripple the economy even further.

This is not conducive to good business practice and considering that December is the more important month for retail trade, Gonzi should put aside his personal obsession and act in the interests of the people. Lawrence Gonzi has every right to present the budget and even to say that it will be a vote of confidence. But he should not wait; he has a duty to the country to provide as much stability as possible. He is still in time to avoid ruining the Xmas shopping season, but he should act now.

Families and businesses in Malta and Gozo are fed up of the empty promises that Lawrence Gonzi has made and will make. Labour Leader Joseph Muscat said that the people want facts not words and they would rather have some action by the government than promises by the PN. The cost of living increase has dented the quality of life and many families are finding it almost impossible to cope with everyday expenses.

Words are cheap. The people can no longer believe the GonziPN promises, be they about income tax which never materialized or about jobs such as those of the Drydocks, GO, AirMalta, SeaMalta, public transport employees, taxi drivers and minibus drivers who were all promised security in their jobs only to lose them when GonziPN came back to power. Nice words and promises about the jobs at Smart City have remained just that, words and empty promises. 

Joseph Muscat stressed that the movement that the Labour Party represents will bring the required change, through deeds for the benefit of one and all. Dr. Muscat has also said that by improving conditions for the middle class and by widening the circle for this middle class, a new Labour government will generate economic activity and this is the action that the Maltese people need.

However, Joseph Muscat has said that there is light at the edge of the tunnel. A new Labour government will assume responsibility with courage and planning. The Labour Leader also said that it would not be easy to unseat a government that is trying every trick in the book to cling to power for as long as possible.

Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party have said enough to assure the people of Malta and Gozo that a new Labour government will act in the interests of the people and towards a future that will unite the citizens of Malta and Gozo. A new Labour government will give the country the stability that it requires and the peace of mind that will drive the country forward.