The government in a statement this evening appealed for consensus on the privatisation of Malta Shipyards and urged the Labour Party not to continue to try to turn this into a partisan issue.

The government said Labour leader Joseph Muscat was misinterpreting what the Prime Minister declared when he announced the privatisation of Malta Shipyards.

On the same day that the privatisation process was announced, Dr Gonzi had said that the Finance Minister had been directed to start talks with the GWU, and the union was therefore invited for a meeting, due next Friday, the government pointed out.

Dr Muscat was saying that the MLP had questions on the privatisation. Yet the Prime Minister had already declared that a detailed statement would be given in Parliament, when the government would be able to reply to any questions since it wanted to achieve national consensus.

Dr Gonzi had also appealed to all social forces to make a success of the privatisation exercise in the interest of the country and the workers.

The government said it was was therefore appealing to the opposition not to continue turning the privatisation exercise into a partisan game.