Gonzi says MLP has not changed

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday the Malta Labour Party had not changed its negative mentality about the country and its people and, instead of believing in them and urging them to succeed, it proposes measures to undermine their success.

Dr Gonzi was speaking in Birkirkara where he was given a huge welcome as he walked through the Stazzjon, which has been upgraded by the PN-led local council.

He told party supporters the MLP did not believe in the capabilities of people in Malta and Gozo.

The negative mentality continues to reign within the MLP. The MLP was even saying that PN supporters have something wrong in their DNA.

The PN, Dr Gonzi said, has a vision for this country and always looked ahead, constantly aiming to improve the country and the standard of living of its people.

He urged the residents of Birkirkara not to forget the past when former PN leader Eddie Fenech Adami and his family, who lived there, were terrorised by Labour supporters. The MLP had never had the courage or the decency to make an apology.

Turning to the party's electoral manifesto published on Saturday, Dr Gonzi said this contained more than 350 proposals which form part of the PN's vision for Malta and Gozo.

"I have always told you all to judge us by what we achieve and not by what we say. And, now that the electoral programme is out, judge us by what we are planning to do because what we have achieved is there for everyone to see. Your vote is very important because you are going to be choosing who will be leading the country for the next five years. Under the MLP, all children will have to repeat a class but the PN believes that children must be given more opportunities to succeed," he said.

Dr Gonzi also spoke about the PN's proposal to revise tax bands by raising the thresholds of the 15 per cent and 25 per cent income tax rates and reducing the maximum tax rate from 35 per cent to 25 per cent for those who earn up to €60,000 (Lm25,758).

Dr Gonzi yesterday also toured the Marsaxlokk open air market where he met a number of businessmen and consumers.

He said the PN's policies have continuously encouraged businessmen and the self-employed to invest in their business in order to remain competitive and succeed.

Accompanied by a number of PN candidates, Dr Gonzi spent over an hour visiting the stalls before being presented with a selection of fresh fish.