The opposition was focused on moving motions in Parliament while the government preferred to concentrate on new jobs that came about through investment, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.
Job generation put Malta among the top countries in a global report by the International Labour Organisation.
Only Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland and Israel fared better, he told a political meeting in Rabat.
Asked what Wednesday’s crucial vote on a Budget Bill – which is expected to go through after Nationalist MP Franco Debono declared he would vote with the government – meant to him, Dr Gonzi said there were, and would be, many things happening. “Let us not lose focus on what is important,” he said.
Dr Gonzi admitted that the government was not perfect: “We have our challenges and I know there are people who are looking for jobs, but we are among the best in the EU in terms of job generation.”
He referred to comments by HSBC global economist Karen Ward last week, who said Malta was in the “premier league” of countries that generated jobs.
He criticised Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat’s speech on May 1, saying he failed to mention jobs and employment on the day dedicated to workers.
“Only we spoke about work and employment. What has happened to Labour? Did it lose the plot?”
The Labour Party also failed to refer to the eighth anniversary of Malta’s EU membership, “the most important event after the country gained independence”.
A podiatry University student, Ian Vassallo, asked Dr Gonzi about a recent electoral proposal by Dr Muscat guaranteeing a job or training to 16-year-olds who did not want to continue studying.
“We urge everyone to invest in their education. Don’t wait for Muscat to train you but choose your subjects while studying and there will be jobs when you finish,” Dr Gonzi said.
The country’s rate of early school-leavers had improved greatly but the government was working to reach its EU commitment of more than 80 per cent.
“The main difference between us and the opposition is that we ask students what they need and we will provide it – from A to Z,” he said.