The year 2012 started with a bang for GonziPN as one of the most eloquent dissenting voices from the backbench erupted and declared that he will not support a government led by Lawrence Gonzi. This somber declaration has literally resulted in a politico-quake registering the highest point on the local political scale and sending seismic waves and tremors that have shaken the whole edifice of GonziPN!

The present political crisis has ... proved that the present government ... ignored the message sent by the electorate ...- Roderick Galdes

The present political crisis has, if anything, proved that the present government, which was elected by a whisker four years ago, ignored the message sent by the electorate to introduce new ways of doing politics and tolerated political dinosaurs to continue with their arrogant approach.

Ironically, the dissenting voices that were insisting on respecting the peoples’ clear expression through their vote were given the cold shoulder!

This is a political crisis brought about by a restricted powerful clique who literally believed that they could continue to march on with the rest simply kneeling down and following unconditionally.

In an illusionary way, they thought that their days will never end and soon would be joining Mary Hopkin to sing: “Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end.”

In the past days, we could hear prominent ministers claiming that, in 2008, the electorate democratically elected GonziPN for a full five-year term legislature and they should continue to govern uninterruptedly, consciously and in a superfluous way ignoring the internal strife within their own party.

As if the opposition has the power to abruptly bring to a halt the legislature! That is how much they respect the intelligence of our electorate!

They went a step further and are blaming the present political crisis on the alleged eagerness of Joseph Muscat to become our next Premier.

Instead of showing their real motivation to hang on to power at all costs, they have the cheek to unjustly displace it on the Labour Party. Who are the ones who have most to lose if the legislature abruptly comes to an end?

In the coming days we shall expect GonziPN strategists to administer a stronger dose of scaremongering in their campaign to discredit the Labour leader and the Labour Party’s proposals. Instead of criticising the arguments and proposals brought forward, they prefer to attack the messenger because, in terms of votes, that it is more productive. So much for their respect to the intelligence of the electorate!

While addressing party faithful at Żebbuġ, the Prime Minister was quoted as asking “what would Labour do about the ongoing projects in the country should it win the next election?” “Will they stop them all?” “And what about the workers?” “Tell us what you will do, we are dying to know and, according to you, an election should be called next week,” Lawrence Gonzi said.

Are these remarks to be taken seriously? The main aim was to implant doubts in the minds of potential floating voters’ if Labour had to win the coming election.

It would have been more appropriate to ask these questions to workers employed with particular entities (and the list is endless) who were promised heaven on earth by GonziPN before the election but then they were offered either early retirement schemes or had to seek employment elsewhere!

It is positive and also beyond any doubt that a Labour government will implement measures and strive to secure jobs and endeavour to increase the number of gainfully occupied.

Above all, we are committed to raise the standard of living and the purchasing power.

Dr Muscat has been declaring for ages now that the problem is not Franco Debono but GonziPN. During a recent visit to Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary, the Prime Minister himself was quoted as saying; “Dr Debono was not the problem.”

More evident than before, the major problem lies with the main navigators on board GonziPN who, by using their own compasses and direction-finders, have now run aground and are left high and dry!

The author is Labour’s spokesman for planning, housing, urban development and construction.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.