Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning that it was not his role to defend anyone in the current Mistra controversy and if, after due process, anybody was found to have acted wrongly, he would have to account for his actions.

Replying to a question at a press conference this morning, Dr Gonzi said Dr Sant on Monday missed a golden opportunity, before all of Malta, to face Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando following the accusations he had made. Had he been in Dr Sant's place, he would have taken Dr Pullicino Orlando's questions and faced him, Dr Gonzi said,

But Dr Sant only knew how to make accusations and allegations but he refused to be challenged and to face the person he would have accused.

Dr Gonzi said his own role was not to defend anyone. Yesterday, as he had always done, he had written to the Mepa auditor asking him to investigate the case and if something irregular was found, the persons responsible would be held to account. Everyone had to account for his actions but there had to be a proper process first.

At his press conference, at Ta’Qali Park, Dr Gonzi said that this electoral campaign had brought out stark differences between the PN and the MLP. The PN was making proposals to improve the people’s living standards, while the MLP expected the people to vote for it on the basis of mudslinging.

Dr Gonzi said a new PN government would change the focus of its health policies to primary health care, particularly the service given by family doctors. The pharmacy of your choice scheme would be extended to all of Malta and, he stressed, healthcare provided by the government would remain free of charge for as long as he remained prime minister.

Dr Gonzi said he would have preferred it had this electoral campaign seen more debate on issues which would determine the future, rather than mudslinging. Among the issues were record oil prices and international economic uncertainty which Malta had to prepare for.

Indeed, the PN already had a track record, having managed to grow the economy despite oil prices being nine times higher than they were under Labour. When the oil prices were low, Labour still raised power tariffs higher than they were today. It had also created a record deficit.

Had the oil prices not spiked, Malta would have achieved a budget surplus a year ago, but nonetheless, Malta now had a robust economy. The PN was proposing further income tax cuts to boost the economy ahead of the economic storms being seen abroad.

Dr Gonzi said that while the PN was proposing to have more computers in schools, Labour was proposing a repeater class in kindergarten, wasting a year for Malta’s children which could never be recovered,

The Prime Minister said the MLP promise to halve the surcharge would not benefit 30,000 families who already were not being charged the surcharge. The PN was promising to hand out energy saving lamps to everyone to reduce their power bill by up to €200 per year.

Questioned on possible conflict of interest involving Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett and the architects’ firm Sant and Mugliett, Dr Gonzi said he had a written declaration from the minister that he had severed links with that company.

Dr Gonzi said that should any suspicions of conflict of interest involving ministers, crop up, they would be investigated by the competent authorities and if shown to be true, the people concerned should be dismissed. But. Dr Gonzi stressed, the investigations had to be conducted by the competent authorities. What Dr Sant was doing however, was accusing everyone of being a screen, including the Commissioner of Police.