Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday promised to mount a more robust fight against corruption by going for harsher laws, enacting a Whistleblower Act and strengthening the powers of the Commission Against Corruption.
“We need to attack all forms of corruption to ensure that justice prevails,” he said, after a difficult year of corruption allegations, particularly regarding the award of the power station tender to BWSC.
Dr Gonzi was yesterday speaking to Nationalist Party supporters on the Floriana Granaries on the eve of Independence Day – which he referred to as the country’s greatest feast.
“Let us appreciate all we have achieved in 46 years since independence,” he urged, adding that the country had overcome some of the most difficult times in its history thanks to the “blind faith” his party had in the Maltese people.
He referred to the difficulties in gaining independence, the struggle to overcome threats to the country’s freedom, and most recently the resolve to remain strong in the face of economic turmoil.
“Which other country is able to offer the health services we do for free? Which country offers free education and gives stipends to encourage students to study at University?”
He warned against focusing simply on what was negative but conceded that there was more to be done.
He said he was pleased that the nurses’ union had yesterday agreed to end its industrial actions and start discussions to seek solutions with the Health Ministry.
Dr Gonzi also slammed the opposition Labour Party for painting the picture black, when the country had succeeded in creating a sustainable economy and a strong social solidarity system out of nothing.
Describing artificial fertilisation and cohabitation as emerging social realities, he said these needed to be regulated, so as not to create a free-for-all situation. He added that important entities like Air Malta and Enemalta had to become stronger to contribute to the country rather than becoming a burden.
Although he appealed for unity and urged his supporters to forget partisan division, he warned people to be careful of threats “from within” where people, particularly the opposition, sought to create confusion in people’s minds.
He reminded supporters of the challenges of the past, when people were not allowed to celebrate Independence Day or read newspapers and lived in fear of being taken to the police headquarters.
In his own speech, PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier said that, in four years’ time, the party would be celebrating 50 years of independence and 10 years of EU membership.
“And we will also come back as a party in government, a year after another election,” he said, adding that the party had succeeded thanks to its positive messages.
He criticised Labour for mudslinging and “backstabbing” people, and accused them of claiming corruption without concrete proof, while at the same time defending people accused of wrongdoing.
“We may be unpopular today but we are placing the country’s interest before the interests of our party,” he said.
In its reaction to the Prime Minister’s speech, the Labour Party said that that in spite of the Auditor’s Report and the warning given by the European Union over the BWSC contract, Dr Gonzi had not felt any regrets.
Such a statement indicated that he was out of touch with the plight of workers, the middle class, the self-employed, pensioners and students.
Instead of defending families, he preferred to defend Żaren Vassallo, Joe Mizzi, Alex Tranter, David Spiteri Gingell and their cronies.