'Labour always comes out with impossible fantasies' - Gonzi

Prime minister Lawrence Gonzi reminded people of Labour's vociferous opposition to entering the EU and their claim that Malta would only receive 1.5 million Maltese pounds in funds. He was speaking at a PN event in Qormi.

"Labour always comes out with these impossible fantasies. First it was Switzerland in the Mediterranean. Now they want to place two bombs by the power station," Gonzi quipped, in reference to the PL's energy plan.

He likened Muscat's mistaken advice on the EU to a doctor prescribing a patient with the wrong medicine, questioning whether it would be wise to trust that same doctor again.

Gonzi differentiated himself from the PL by saying that the Nationalist party always put its faith in the private sector to create jobs in the economy.

"The party in government should be the one capable of delivering what the country needs most, employment. If Malta continues to be an attractive destination for investment then the jobs will come. Joseph Muscat talks about a lot of things, but never the most important matter of job creation," Gonzi said.

The prime minister promised to invest €215 million into the tourism sector. A further €100 million will be invested in industry in order to further increases competitiveness.

Sound financial management is another crucial piece in the puzzle according to Gonzi. He emphasised his promise to eliminate Malta's deficit by 2016, saying that the deficit had already been reduced over the past five years, despite the economic troubles and the PN's continued efforts in providing free healthcare.

"One of the reasons why we managed to weather the economic storm is due to prudent financial management. Just as we have weathered this storm over the past five years, we can manage to weather it for the next five years if we make the right choices," Gonzi said.

Appealing to undecided voters, the prime minister said that the government's track record speaks for itself. He also echoed his warning that the PL is already perverting the course of justice from opposition, questioning what it would do were it in power.

"Joseph knew about the drug trafficking case two years ago, which is a most serious matter. On 9 of March we are going to have to take an important decision. If you want to trust our country with a party with a proven track record, then you must vote for all of our candidates," Gonzi said.

Manfred Weber, a guest at the event and the vice-chair of the European peoples' party, said that what Malta should be proud of what it has achieved, as this was not the norm in the Mediterranean region.