Malta will not prostitute its values just to please others - Gonzi

In an interview on radio 101, Gonzi talked at length about the insurmountable differences between himself and Labour leader Joseph Muscat, especially evident by Muscat’s reactions in recent weeks to the immigration situation the country is facing.

“This wide gap between us is made worse every time Joseph Muscat opens his mouth. I would hate to hear anybody, let alone a politician, speak so lowly about human suffering.”

Gonzi said that Muscat’s primary interests are purely national, to which human life is secondary:

"Muscat wanted me to choose between national interest and saving human lives- so if a migrant boat is close to Lampedusa but Italy refuses to save it, Muscat expects me to not send an order out to the AFM to rescue it.

An immigrant from Eritrea or Somalia is still a national interest because it’s a human life. Since when does Maltese politics have such politicians?

Just 24 hours after rescuing a boat with a dead pregnant woman aboard, because after nine days at sea all she was able to drink was sea water, and which we were obliged to save because the boat was within our waters, Muscat said we should package them off to Sicily.

Can someone tell me what heart this man has? How can we put them on a plane to Italy, like they are some kind of merchandise? These things are acceptable from nobody, let alone leader!

Malta will not prostitute its values just to please others. He is going against the values that we believe in as a country. We choose life when there is a choice between life and fear; life and egoism. We have to continue to expose the needs of our country; that we do need help with this burden, but we cannot ignore the value of life,” Gonzi said.

He continued “Muscat’s values embarrass our country all the time before other people. Now it is enough, he cannot continue to do so.

"In our country’s history, the PL was known for doing nothing but strange things, and aligned itself with dictatorial countries that were condemned for their ways. I take this very seriously, because all he is doing is planting negativity in a very small part of the population, but it is a part of the Maltese nonetheless.”

Gonzi said that government is working and communicating with different countries for support on the issue of immigration, encouraging others to help share the load.

“Malta has exercised the value of solidarity in many areas, and will do so in the area of immigration. A success of government here can be seen with Malta’s communication with the US to take immigrants, and for them to be given legal residence in America. That is how we have to work.

"We cannot witness the massacre that women, men and children are suffering and take a back seat in this difficult time. So we continue to be there for the humanitarian part we have vowed to play.”