Country should remain focused on priorities - PM
The country will be successful this year if it remains focused on its priorities, namely employment, investment and economic activity, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.
Speaking during a dialogue meeting at Naxxar, the Prime Minister said that the challenges were there but you - the people, will help us win them.”
The people, Dr Gonzi said, were this country’s only resource and they had to be invested in.
Global matters had also affected Malta and the destiny of the country’s factories depended on what was happening in the rest of the world.
But the government was proactive and had set up a task force, presided by Finance Minister, to address challenges and seek solutions. This was what was being done.
On the same subject, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said that the government was taking the initial step by offering its assistance to factories in trouble.
Rather than just safeguarding jobs, it was also seeking opportunities and encouraging these factories to get their planned investment to Malta.
Trelleborg, he said, had been thinking about investing in Poland but the government managed to convince it that Malta was the best place to invest in.
Dr Gonzi said that the government was there to take wise and not necessarily popular decisions. It was not perfect and it made mistakes but it also had to realise where it was strong.
The country’s strengths included that it was an EU country and that it was in the euro zone, two issues which the opposition had been opposed to, he said.
One of the speakers at this morning's meeting was environmentalist Alan Deidun, who is contesting the MEP elections on the PN ticket.
He promised he would continue working for the environment and would not be changing his green hat for a blue one.
On the contrary, he would work for the party’s blue hat to take on it a greater shade of green.
He said he admired the PN for not being afraid of taking tough decisions even if this meant that it would lose votes.
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Chris Azzopardi
Mar 9th 2009, 01:35
Look who's talking about priorities!
L..Galea
Mar 8th 2009, 22:14
Edwin formosa, Joe Vella (Mellieha.) Jien qed nirreferi għal nies li xi wħud isejħulhom "komuni" li ġew imqarrqa. U iktar speċifikament mhux biss Laburisti, imma anki nies li dejjem żammew mal-PN.
Karmenu vella
Mar 8th 2009, 21:07
Gonzi you must focus on the bills we recive every day we can't cope . I think we are not living in the same Malta .
Edwin formosa
Mar 8th 2009, 21:06
Prosit Dr Gonzi tal-lista twila ta riformi li qed taghmel fl-ewwel sena tal-legislatura. Mhux kulhadd jista japprezza. Hawn min kien gie mwebbel johrog jicclebra sena ilu u kellu jistahba ftit wara. Dawk ghadhom ma gewx f'taghhom u baqghu jokorbu.
Joe Vella (Mellieha.)
Mar 8th 2009, 20:45
@ L. Galea
Perhaps you should ask Mr. Galdes, the PL representative on the Planning Board.
Edwin formosa
Mar 8th 2009, 20:43
lil L.Galea..Mela ma tarahx lil mexxej tieghek jiddandan bil-bandiera ta l-UE ma genbu!! Kien qalilna li ha nitghabbew bis-SALIB tal-MILLENJU jekk nivvutaw IVA. Imma fftit wara mar jigri Brussels u ghadu jiftahar kemm sabu tajjeb hemm. Dik konsistenza u onesta laburista !
dusty williams
Mar 8th 2009, 20:10
Ezatt Dr Gonzi
Ghal darba naqbel mieghek, u x'inhuma l'prijoritajiet principali bhalissa? Il Kontijiet essagerati tad dawl li fnew lil poplu f dawn iz zminijiet difficli U l immigarazzjoni Illegali. Jekk ghalik m'humiex dawn il prijoritajiet jew ghalmenu parti mil prijoritajiet principali tieghek, allura jiddispjacini nghidlek sur Gonzi li qed tghix go Malta ohra ta.
L..Galea
Mar 8th 2009, 18:54
J. Giusti
Dak qed jagħmluh u jisħtu s-siegħa u l-mument dawk li vvutaw ghall-unjoni ewropea u għall-Gonzipn.
Issa qed jindunaw kemm ġew imqarrqa Giusti.
J.F. Vassallo Ebejer
Mar 8th 2009, 17:45
The problem with Dr. Gonzi is that he, and his team, are not focused on the priorities.
They are too busy carrying out witch hunts, glossing over their pathetic performance and attacking PL.
They have not realized that in this day and age, they no longer have the luxury of treating PL as their number one enemy – their enemy, and ours, is the economic recession brought around by international circumstances, and by GonziPN’s own incompetence.
As for PN apologists like Mr. Joe Vella of Mellieha, trying to blame Mintoff is a rather childish argument.
Maria Borg
Mar 8th 2009, 17:38
What about the precious land allocated for hotels which cropped like mushrooms engulfing most of our beaches and green areas to be later on demolished and rebuilt into the most expensive apartments. Who is going to reap the most benefits? surely not the tax-payer.
J. Giusti
Mar 8th 2009, 17:08
Dejjem l-istess kummenti li ma jghmlux sens. Hawn certu nies li kull ma jafu jaghmlu hu li jgergru. Hbieb EJJEW NIRRINGRAZJAW L'ALLA LI L-PRIM MINISTRU TA' MALTA HUWA LAWRENCE GONZI fil-present u mhux alfred sant, ghax li kieku bhalissa ghandna gvern laburista mhux ingregru qeghdin izda nikbu ghal li ghamilna b'idejna!!! Dawn huma zmenijiet difficli mhux biss ghal Malta imma gha-dinja kollha.
M Pace
Mar 8th 2009, 16:47
... and let us not forget: prosecuting young men who dress up as priests and nuns, is one activity that we should remain focused on. Ma' l-ewwel ghaxar prijoritatiet.
L..Galea
Mar 8th 2009, 16:34
Joe Vella (Mellieha.
How much more land were given under pn administrations, including the land to Caqnu in Marfa Joe?
L..Galea
Mar 8th 2009, 15:16
Don't talk about what you have done or what you are going to do.
Thomas Jefferson
Joe Vella (Mellieha.)
Mar 8th 2009, 15:02
@ Charles J. Buttigieg
The land in Armier was not stolen. It was given by your friend Dom Mintoff and electricity to go along as well. The same thing goes for the Green Shacks at Ghadira, Little Armier and Ahrax just to mention a few places.
M.Buhagiar
Mar 8th 2009, 15:00
This time the Billboards showing your face nearly BEGGING us to vote for you won`t work GONZ!!!!!!!
J.Spiteri
Mar 8th 2009, 14:57
Is illegal immigration not on Dr. Gonzi's list of priorities? It definitely should be!
Albert gauci Cunningham
Mar 8th 2009, 14:55
Lets hope that improving Bugibba's infrastracture as Malta's main summer/tourist resort is one of Gonzi's priorities!!!! The initiative to help factories is one good step ahead and should be praised even by people who dont see eye to eye with Gonzi's govt. anymore!! lets hope that tourism and our product gets the "facelift" is so deperately needs!!!
Johnny Tanti
Mar 8th 2009, 14:47
moan, moan, moan...
it's the only thing some people know how to do...
simply pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
David Zarb
Mar 8th 2009, 14:32
I'm very focused Dr. Gonzi.. I want my money which has been stolen when I bought my car BACK.. don't worry, I'll keep on very focussed on this issue no matter how factories will go along.. everyone takes care of his own business, I take care of mine, I want my money back and I'm going to do my utmost to get them back.
v.pulis
Mar 8th 2009, 13:43
I agree with the PM that we should focus on the priorities that is why I ask is the rebuilding of the breakwater bridge a priority?wouldn't it be wiser to build the barrakka lift instead? The lift is part of the Grand harbour regeneration project so the money will be spent on the same programme. besides, the lift will generate income from the thousands of tourists who visit on cruise liners and Cottonera residents who would prefer to cross over to Valletta and take the ride up to the Barrakka than to spend half an hour travelling by bus through traffic.
V Fenech
Mar 8th 2009, 13:38
At least these Gonzi "dialogues" are refreshing us about who really is our Prime Minister. It would have been better if first and foremost Gonzi had issued a personal apology to Sandro Demarco who was irresponsibly attacked in Parliament!
Following the recent flops in the calculations of RCC and the procedure by which Nationalists's MEP are being hatched one by one rather than presented as a single team, PN is surely trying to pair Labour's strong line-up for next June's elections!
Lawrence Gonzi is totally lost in a world of confusion where he can't come out with any constructive criticism regarding the Opposition rather than the usual tune of the EU and the Eurozone. Such a blatant speech is repeated each time Gonzi comes out of PN's closet which by now has become full of promises and deceits!
This man is finally understanding that he could not lead his party alone. Employment or Unemployment workers can't forgive this Government for making them forget what over-time used to be!
Finally I wish to express my congratulations to Dr Gonzi in his efforts to turn green and therefore increase the number of dissidents id-Dur Centroli have!
L..Galea
Mar 8th 2009, 13:33
Not afraid to take tough decisions eh?
Let's see you introduce a €2 tax on all plastic bottles.
Let's see you get rid of ALL illegal immigrats from Malta.
Hey Gonezipn, Are you still there?
Charles J Buttigieg
Mar 8th 2009, 13:16
Land was stolen from the people in Armier and other seaside areas by selfish individuals to build a summer residence by the sea. If the government takes the appropriate steps to return the land to the people, the PN in government would loose votes. Lets now see Dr. Gonzi putting his money where his mouth is.
Kaydee Zammit
Mar 8th 2009, 12:53
"He said he admired the PN for not being afraid of taking tough decisions even if this meant that it would lose votes."
Is it not blatantly obvious that by losing votes it means that these "tough decisions" didn't reflect the sentiment of the people it were elected to govern?