Prime Minister Gonzi: 'The Nationalist government can keep on governing'

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi takes questions from public and assures supporters the Nationalist Party can keep on governing as it has the ‘right and duty’ to do

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi answering questions through the MyView initiative (File photo)
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi answering questions through the MyView initiative (File photo)

Keeping strong to past statements that he intends to complete the full-term of this legislature, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told party faithful that the Nationalist government had the "right and duty" to keep on governing.

Reading and answering questions through the PN's social media initiative 'MyView', Gonzi was asked whether the PN could keep on governing.

"Yes it can because as long as government retains the support of the majority in parliament, we not only have a right but also the duty to keep on working. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando himself has declared that he is ready to collaborate with us to see that the PN's electoral programme is finalised. This is a vote of support," Gonzi said.

He said, that he had faced risky situations many times, not necessarily within the party but in situations whereby factories threatened to close down making hundreds of workers redundant.

"If it were for Joseph Muscat I should have called an election by the first problem that arose. But we, unlike them, don't panic in front of a problem. During 1998, their problem hadn't been Dom Mintoff, but their governing system.

"They removed VAT, deficit exploded, utility bills were increased when the price of oil had been a third of what is today. Their problem wasn't Mintoff, but their inability to face and address and find a solution to the problems," Gonzi said.

Asked how government will manage to implement further laws, Gonzi said these would be approved in parliament.

"We have several important laws to implement, including the IVF law, the Cohabitation Bill, the Whistleblowers' Act and amendments to laws to increase the rights of Parliament," he said.

Gonzi also added that in November government plans to present the pre-Budget document 2013 for approval in parliament.

Referring to Pullicino Oralndo's resignation from the PN and the Richard Cachia Caruana hearing, Gonzi said it had been an eventful week but that the PN should move forward from.

"Lots have happened in the past days. But what is more important? What the PN has gone through or what the people are really concerned about? As a leader I must address the internal problems of our party, but even more important is that we never lose focus from far more important things, such as seeing our country move forward."

Gonzi added he didn't want to see Malta "humiliated" like others have due to the economic crisis.

On the Richard Cachia Caruana hearing, which has seen the former permanent representative to the EU cleared of 'collusion' allegations with the PL during the 1998 elections, Gonzi said it was "shameful" of two Labour MPs not to turn up to the hearing.

"I am tempted to answer in a different manner," Gonzi told his audience, when asked why MPs Joe Mizzi and Karmenu Vella didn't attend the meeting.

"But it's typical Labour to tarnish your reputation and have nothing concrete to substantiate their claims. Vella and Mizzi made their accusations, but didn't have the courage to face him."

Gonzi went on to accuse Muscat of doing anything he could to put government in bad light, "even by taking advantage of MPs discontent with the PN for his own ambitions".

Gonzi said the Nationalist Party will not promise heaven on earth: "Our roadmap is based on the fact that we have absolute trust in the Maltese and that we let no one put spokes in our wheels. We can and will continue to work hard. We have strong values of solidarity with the elderly, with the families of persons with disability, we know compassion with the weak.

"But to this, to continue helping them, we must sustain this country to keep on growing economically. And this we do by taking the necessary decisions."

Answering a question on illegal immigration claiming that government's immigration policy was weak, Gonzi said that Malta's policy respected the human dignity.

"Our policy is to respect a person's dignity. Just like us, immigrants are persons with feelings, with dignity, whom we need to respect. They have a right to life just like everyone else. We cannot abandon them in the middle of the sea.

"It is because of this that I insist with European Union to help us help them. I see EU funds to us on immigration as a right. We are too small to manage on our own. And our continue insistence with the other countries had left positive results."

Gonzi also announced that with the limited resources, he intends to improve both the detention centres and open centres.

 

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Of course he can; he has the Constitution to go by; but as in everything else,the PN have a Constitution for all seasons!
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Sur Gonzi ta' par idejn sodi.... You said you have "the right and duty to keep on governing". Yes you do have the right but surely you do not have the duty. Your duty is to call an election asap if you truly believe in your country and in what is right. You are stubborn and will remain stubborn till the end
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Nationalist Party can keep on governing, sakem JPO jigbidlek lispaga.
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Rita Pizzuto
kompli ghaffew u ghawweg Wenz! Kopmpli igdeb biex forsi lil dawk bcieven forsi Jemmnuk. ANke lil ta' hdejk qed tghaggeb bil-manipulazzjoni tieghek. Imma qal li l-partit tal-Pn (cioe dak li sar Gonzi PN), ma jwieghedx il-genna fl-art. Imma tinsewx, dik, diga' weghda kemm=il darba. Minflok tana infern fuq din il-gzira li twarrad,bil-gideb u t-tixhim. Il-PL m'ghandux ghalfejn johrog jikkritika lil Gonzi. Kull m'ghandu jaghmel hu, li jfaddal il-kummenti ta' shabu u meta jigi l-waqt johroghomlu rrekordjati. Qed nghid ghal dawk ta' madwary u li kienu ta' gewwa. KOLLHA kemm huma tawh certifikat li ghandu tassew ghax jiftahar bih. Min ma ikkritikahx bl-ahrax? Jean Pierre Farruiga, Franco Debono, Jesmond Mugliett, JPO, John Dalli....u tant u tant. U bilhaqq fuq it-TVM, Francis Zammit Dimech li tant qed jidher bhalissa - min jaf xi jrid hux? - qal li l-eks ministri Karmenu Vella u Joe Mizzi ma dherux quddiem il-kunsill tal-PN ghax "chickened out". Bhalhom ma dehrux, l-eks kummisarju George Grech u lanqas il-kummissarju John Rizzo. Ara lil dwk ma qalx li "chickened out". Zammit Dimech lanqas ma weigeb meta mistoqsi jekk lilu, Gonzi qallux li nehhieh minn ministru b'SMS. Ta' min jghidilna ghaliex mhux jghid affarijiet u jinsibwa bla provi ohrajn. QED
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IZJED MA DDUM TIGVERNA IZJED AGHAR GHALIK GONZIPN. !!!
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The Prime Minister seems to be living in another planet. When is he coming to his senses? Our country is led by a surreal Government. If that is not a comedy then we can weep with deep sadness.
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MP Gonzi. No majority, no credibility, loads of conditions, no power, lots of shame.
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"Just like us, immigrants are persons with feelings, with dignity, whom we need to respect"...BULL Mr PM. When you took the 600 Euros from behind our back..did you respect us? when you promised the workers at AM, Dockyard, GO etc and then went back on your promises...did you respect us? When you voted with all your might on the W&E tariffs, did you respect us? When you promised Smart City and the 6000 employees and then found out that you lied? Did you respect us? When you said that you generated 20,000 jobs and then found out that you were not saying the truth through EuroStat, did you respect us? When you voted against the people's choice on divorce, did you respect us? Stop talking BULL MR Prim....you don't even respect the intelligence of the people of this country let alone the people coming from other countries? Really....you have become so boring, pathetic and kind of uninteresting....
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Dan ir- ragel ma jisthi b' xejn u qed joqrob aktar lejn persuna dittatorjali. Possibli m' ghandu l- hadd jghinu jahseb u jtih parir biex almenu jsalvah min din- il misthija. Ser jibqa msemmi bhal zijuh. Wiehed li kisser il- knisja u ghezzez l- istrutturi kristjani taghha u dan ghax kisser u farrak partit
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Dan ir- ragel ma jisthi b' xejn u qed joqrob aktar lejn
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Tghidulix tafux .... ghax jien ma nara ebda differenza bejn gonzipn u charlie chaplin .... issa qed jerga' johlom bil-whistleblowers'act miskin wara li ilu li nsiha fil-freezer dawn l-ahhar sentejn .... imma possibbli li dan il-bicca prim ministru (!!!) li qed imexxi (!!!!) koalizzjoni (!!!) ma' l-akbar ghadu tieghu (sintendi wara franco debono!!!) jahseb li kullhadd mazzun? TALKING IS CHEAP MR DEAR GONZIPN - u daqt narawk titkellem wahdek !!!!
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....the Nationalist government had the "right and duty" to keep on governing. One word Dr Gonzi Forgot to say "the divine power/right to Govern". Didn't the Labour Government had the same right and duty to keep on Governing Dr GonziPN? Even Assad of Sirya is still in Power. Probably he is on the same wavelenght like you. You both think that you have what it takes to rule over your country's people (Dictatorship Power) and probably Assad uses the word "Solidariety" with himself and those in the inner circle.
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Zack Depasquale
Ara vera dan Dr Gonzi qieghed jghix f'dinja ghalih u tilef kull rispett. Kif jista jwieghed li sejjer jaghmel il-legislatura kollha meta mhux minnu jiddependi imma minn Dr Pulicino Orlando w ohrajn. Mela mhux iqies il-fattur Franco Debono, fejn l-ahhar li smajna Dr Debono qal li mhux sejjer jappogja il-Gvern ta’Gonzi sakemm Austin Gatt jibqa Ministru. Kif jippretendi umbghad Dr Gonzi li Membri Parlamentari Laburisti jidhru quddiem l-Ezekkutiv ta’GonziPN. Mela GonziPN sar l-istat? Dawn affarijiet li kien jippretendihom u jsiru mil-Partit Nazista ta’Hitler. Fuq nota ohra immagina kieku kien il-Partit Laburista f’din il-pozzizjoni. Kieku diga bdejna nixghelu ix-xemgha fuq il-fosos u min jaf min bhalissa b’halqu maghluq kif inhu mahnuq.
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cafe pn , open monday to sunday ....
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Biex jaqta l-kilba li ghandu ghal-poter wasal biex ghamel koalizzjoni ma min skond hu ghamel frame up fuq il-kbir RCC. Tista tinzel iktar fil-baxx. Min jista jkollu fiducja fik.
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Biex jaqta l-kilba li ghandu ghal-poter wasal biex ghamel koalizzjoni ma min skond hu ghamel frame up fuq il-kbir RCC. Tista tinzel iktar fil-baxx. Min jista jkollu fiducja fik.
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"Right and Duty". The preferred slogan of all past and present autocrats. Keep on defying the wishes of the great majority of maltese people. The day of reckoning will arrive eventually.