Comparing records

Comparing the achievements recorded by Lawrence Gonzi in his first 678 days as Prime Minister with the time spent at Castille by Alfred Sant one notices the real difference between the two political leaders.

Picking one simple example, that of employment, so frequently mentioned by the Labour leader in many of his speeches, one finds that during the Gonzi administration 1,000 new jobs have been created. On the other hand under Dr Sant 1,200 more persons were added, but to the list of unemployed.

Under Dr Sant the deficit skyrocketed, first to Lm127 million in 1997 and then to Lm150 million in 1998. Dr Gonzi brought it down to Lm94 million in 2004 and slashed it to Lm76 million last year.

Another pet accusation of Dr Sant is that foreign investments have practically dried up. In 1997 Lm18 million in foreign investments trickled Malta's way. In 2004 Lm145 million flowed into Malta and up to September last year that figure had already reached Lm145 million.

More like with like comparisons show why Dr Gonzi can smile when talking about politics and achievements. "Don't judge me by what I say but only by what we achieve" were Dr Gonzi's first words when he became Leader of the PN and eventually Prime Minister of these islands. He could not have picked a better sentence to describe his mission. After 678 days his achievements in most sectors prove that he is really the man Malta needs.