Government doing what needs to be done - Gonzi

THE government was determined to govern by consensus where possible, and with drive where there was no agreement, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference flanked by the Nationalist Party candidates for the European Parliament election of June 12, Dr Gonzi said he was insisting that the necessary decisions were taken.

"Let us compete on who can bring about the best changes, not make a partisan issue out of change," Dr Gonzi said.

"We have embarked on the restructuring of various entities such as Air Malta and started taking measures to bring government finances into line. Internally, I face questions about why we are doing it now, but my reply is that we are doing what needs to be done," he said.

Whenever he was asked to give guarantees about whether the price of an item would rise or not, Dr Gonzi said he would say that his government would work to improve people's quality of life.

Dr Gonzi said the PN was happy to be with the EPP not only because they formed the largest group but also because the party shared common ideals, such as solidarity, environmental protection, creating an economy that generated employment and helping people develop their talents.

Dr Gonzi said the MLP candidates for the European Parliament elections could not be trusted because a mere 13 months ago they had predicted gloom and doom and were inconsistent.

People had the privilege to be voting for the European Parliament thanks to the vote people themselves gave in favour of the PN's policy of EU membership. And people should not waste their votes by giving it to candidates represented by parties who had far less say than the EPP, he said.