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We do not need change in direction - Gonzi

Video: Paul Spiteri Lucas

Malta does not need a change in direction, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this evening after the Nationalist Party approved its manifesto.

"We are not in the position of Cyprus, Spain or Portugal. Why should we change direction? Just so Joseph Muscat can become Prime Minister?"

Dr Gonzi said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had praised Malta's economy and "torpedoed" the advice given by the Labour leader in the past who suggested Malta should follow the footsteps of Cyprus, which is now asking for a bailout.

Labour had tried to change direction in the past and drove the country into a wall, he said. Dr Gonzi promised that the PN would present its own proposals on energy soon.

"Ours will make sense and everyone will understand them," he said.

Before Dr Gonzi spoke, the PN councillors unanimously approved its manifesto, a declaration of principles on which it would build its electoral programme.

The extraordinary general council was held at the party headquarters. It was characterised by the prominent involvement of a diverse array of election candidates - including a blind lawyer and a woman who battled cancer.

Gozitan candidate Kevin Cutajar thanked the PN for choosing his "historic" candidature while Evelyn Vella Brincat praised the Government for introducing the expensive cancer treatment herceptine freely.

Other PN heavyweights also addressed the council, most notably Finance Minister Tonio Fenech who was welcomed with loud cheers and MP Beppe Fenech Adami, who rallied the crowd into a standing ovation with a passionate speech where he stressed that the party deserved to win the next election.

General secretary Paul Borg Olivier said the party's electoral programme would be published and approved on January 21 at another general council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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John Borg

Jan 11th, 13:36

Gonzi did not say that change was not necessary, but that a total change of DIRECTION was not necessary. In other words, it we area heading north we should not suddenly head south.

R Axisa

Jan 11th, 15:10

@John Borg - Gonzi said - no need for change of direction - there was no TOTAL in the statement, which makes a big difference.

John Borg

Jan 11th, 16:34

@ Axisa

When JM says we need a change in direction, he means TOTAL change of direction. Otherwise you would simply be ADJUSTING your heading and not your direction.

Let's face it, changing from Blue direction to Red Direction in itself is already a TOTAL change in direction

Joseph Aquilina

Jan 11th, 13:52

We do not need one and neither the other; Who are you to thank for the strong economy we have here in Malta? Joseph Muscat who wanted us to be like Caa Cyprus? Or Gonzi who made sure we would not be like Greece, Protugal, and Cyprus!?

Emanuel. Vella.

Jan 11th, 12:15

f'hames legistlaturi f'25 sena hajja ta bniedem il-partit nazzjonalista fil-gvern,ma irnexxielux jaghlaq ' il-power station tal-marsa u jibni mil-gdid ' power station gdida u moderna ' ghal malta ' TAL-MISTHIJA ' .

Mary Ann Borg

Jan 11th, 12:19

L-ewwel wahda saret malli tela l-PN fil gvern u KMB wieghed li jwaqqaha gebla gebla. It-tieni wahda ghadha kif bdiet tahdem u intom ghamiltu xalata ghax kellha hsarat zghar fil-bidu. Isthi jekk ma tafx dan kollu, Il-PN bena zewg power stations u qed iqabbad l-interconnector. Joseph kull m'ghamel billboards 'Joseph Delivers'.

Alfred Vassallo

Jan 11th, 13:18

@Mary Ann Borg

''L-ewwel wahda saret malli tela l-PN fil gvern''.U kellom jalqu tal Marsa! VERU? Din qatt ma sarret! Ghalura ghadew lil nies b'zmien! mhux talli hekk..talli qieghdin jithalsu il penalties talli ghada ghaddejja.U tieni wahda mhux tbazwijra ohra...mill biddu kienet tinten l-affari ghax il l-Awditur innifsu qall li hemm rih qawwija ta affarijiet li ma sarux sew. Din hija ta Misthija!

f. zammit

Jan 11th, 13:09

Jaqaw int ma xebax jaddi zmien bik gonzi ax
Milli jider stabene u gonzi gvern ta sinjur

Joseph Aquilina

Jan 11th, 11:41

and 5 more afterwards if the Maltese are wise enough and know what is best for them!

Joseph Aquilina

Jan 11th, 11:21

If it was for SOCIALIST Joseph we would already be in that position. Ask yourself Franco, and be honest with yourself Franco; if Malta was in such a bad shape (like Cyprus) then would the EU have agreed to a budget that REDUCES TAXES while all other EU countries are INCREASING TAXES?

Charles Cremona

Jan 11th, 11:32

Franco: There is a big difference, our debt is not from foreign lenders but from Maltese investors, besides compared with others in terms of GDP its still relatively low.However, what will Cyprus Joe do if he gets in, pay it off or borrow more, another 600 million to build a new fantacy power station.

Mary Ann Borg

Jan 11th, 11:44

And will Joseph, by spending on an unnecessary power station bring the debt down? Will he bring the debt down by lowering the W&E bills by 25%? How, Franco Abela, do you think Joseph is going to lower the debt? Do you have an answer?

Joseph Aquilina

Jan 11th, 11:23

We do not need to change direction because while this administration was RESPONSIBLE, Joseph Muscat was IRRESPONSABLE, proposing one thing after the other which afterwards ALL OF US INCLUDING YOU found out TO BE WRONG! So can you please repeat again why you are voting PL?

Jean Karl De Bono

Jan 11th, 14:09

I fully agree with you. I`ve been fed up with this rhetoric `us` and `them` by gonzipn. They are taking us back to the KMB era of the 80`s. The dogmatic speeches we heard yesterday during the pn council are echoeing memories of those rialto days of old labour.

Edward Borg

Jan 11th, 10:07

It Tigrija sal barkun!

Edward Borg

Jan 11th, 10:27

Heqq illum tista tghid kontra il gvern grazzi ghal PN ara fi zmien il PL allahares taqbizlek kelma kontra il gvern ghax taqla xeba!

Mario Ellul

Jan 11th, 10:51

Dear Jason, the people are hurt and it is showing big time.

jason cassar

Jan 11th, 10:59

well said Mario

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 11:39

PT 1 Well Jason that’s why we have a democratic process called election for people to elect a government every five years, people’s opinion can change in a day, politics is like that and that’s why the MLP is refraining from publishing the truth about the their energy proposal because the moment those documents are on the table the polls would change direction again.

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 11:40

PT3. therefore these investors would dictated our future tariff cost not through the unit price but through a new tax which will be introduce to sustain the fuel price fluctuation on the international market. Do you honestly believe that the private investors will invest their money without any capital return, just like that?

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 11:40

PT4. there is plenty more of flaws in this proposal alone which most of you who are not experience with this type of operations are not aware of but if the MLP mange to sway the voters and win the election than you’d learn all about them as you’ll be paying the price

C Muscat

Jan 11th, 11:48

Mario Ellul I agree with your remark to the full. Franco has been right all the way. Gonzi is good only for the chosen few excluding EFA good people.

Karl Abela

Jan 11th, 10:16

@j brincat (aka Alice in wonderland)

Despite the world economic turndown, many of the promises have been kept.

tax reduction = hundreds of tax reduction schemes, not just income tax bands, have been put in place, such as solar energy schemes.

7000 jobs in Smart city = Smart city means jobs created in the IT Industry. Significantly more than 7000 have been created.

Karl Abela

Jan 11th, 10:20

Balancing of Deficit = This is important, but deficit is sometimes required as long as the money is creating wealth.

GO, Air Malta, Drydocks, bus ownsers = what are you implying? To subsidize loss making companies? Not from my taxes.

Utility bills: This was never promised. It is a blatant lie.

A track record is achieved by results, and this government has achieved big time.

Mr Tony Demanuele

Jan 11th, 12:16

@karl Abela. You are subsidizing arriva and all those who became very rich with contracts and so on with your taxes.

Mary Ann Borg

Jan 11th, 12:22

Lanqas jekk tghoddhom kollha ma jaghmlu daqs l-ahhar bawxata Lejburista tal-VAT fin 96. Issa vvintajtu ohra u diga' qed turu li ghadkom ma tghallimtu xejn, avolja ilkom tistudjaw 25sena.

Edward Borg

Jan 11th, 10:19

Int Biss serjeta jew? ' the lives of thousant of ordinary maltese was turned upside down ' Taf kemm tiffranka familja ta 4 min nies jekk il PL jwettaq li qed iwieghed u inaqqas id dawl b 25%?
jekk familja ta 4 tonfox 2000 Euro fis sena dawl ( jien familja ta 4 u nonfqu 1200Euro) nuqqas ta 25% tiffranka 500euros fis sena jew 41 per month li jigu 10 euros kull ras b 10euros se ssir sinjur. u halluna

Peter Simpson

Jan 11th, 11:31

@Edward Borg.
The governmnet takes a whole year-meetings, discussions Pr, to give employees 4 euros per week cost of living increase: 16 euros a month; and you are dismising the saving of 41 euros a month for the hard pressed pensiones and families? This kind of logic seems to be a little bit adrift!

T Mifsud

Jan 11th, 10:02

You should be ashamed

Alfred Vassallo

Jan 11th, 10:39

''SER NIDHLU DRITT FIL-HAJT.''

Intom il pajjiz mhux talli dahaltuh gol hajt imma imbarakajtuh ukoll! Tant hu hekk li membri taghkom stess ma felhux u WAQAWKHOM min hemm! U tridu tiqbqu sejrin hekk??? Kont sa nejdlek 'Isthu' IMMA intkom dik il kelma lanqas tafu fejn toqod ghalura kull ma nejdilkom huwa WARBU min hemm u hallu lil min hu vera ihobb il pajjiz jahdem.

Antoine Psaila

Jan 11th, 10:48

@Angelo Vassallo

Dawk il-korpi li semmejt inti il-Labour kien ghamilhom minhabba il qaghda tal-biza fil qasam tax-xoghol li kien wieret minghand Borg Olivier. Tiftakar kemm emigraw Maltin fis-sittinijiet. Wara bdew ARIMALTA, SEAMALTA, ST MICROELECTRONICS, TOLY PRODUCTS, PLAYMOBIL, FREEPORT u hafna ohrajn li illum tiftahru bihom intom.

Franco Abela

Jan 11th, 11:03

@Angelo Vassallo

U is Sea Malta, u l-Air Malta, Edukazzjoni b xejn, sptarijiet b xejn, children allowances, pensjonijiet ... u ruxmata affarijiet ohra li saru meta Malta kienet ghad tibda!

Joseph Aquilina

Jan 11th, 09:50

What wall tell me? Strong Economy, Plenty of Jobs, Good standard of living ... is that the wall you are talking about? PN made Malta the modern country it is today while lejber was doing its best to keep us in the same state as North Korea!

Karl Abela

Jan 11th, 09:50

I am sorry Michael, but have you ever considered that being in a long long alley facing a thick wall could be mostly your fault? What are you doing to change that? Why blame it on the government?

Il-Malti jghid ''ghin ruhek halli Alla jghinek''.

Din irrridu naqtawa li l-gvern jrid jibnilek hajtek. Dak socialismu kommunizmu. No Thanks!!!!!

Roberta Sciberras

Jan 11th, 11:27

@ Karl Abela: Your comment sounds like a leaf taken straight out of the GOP propaganda in the United States. It didn't work there where the ground was fertile for it and you expect it to work here? I assure you that people who think on the same lines as yourself are a negligible minority on this island... and thank God for that.

Carmel Borg

Jan 11th, 09:45

Change for fun? You sound like a masochist!

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:22

Ray your not an EX PN stop insulting the PN voters if you are a disgrunted ex pn voter you will not be on this blog...all you are is just another gimmick like you party MLP. so unless you have something usefull to say please stop waisting electricity and switch off you computer

Chris Mifsud

Jan 11th, 09:26

I am a citizen, so i hope you are not speaking for me too.

PN have made some mistakes true, but I still trust Gonzi much more than I trust the Malta LABOUR Party (M.L.P)

albert galea

Jan 11th, 08:27

Gonzi did not lead our country. The KLIKKA ruled/ This is why we need to get rid of GonziPN

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:38

Albert the famouse klikka which you copied from onenews is the same Klikka that back stabbed Anglu Farrugia in his back, its the same Klikka that was biased in favour of JM during the leadership contest , the same Klikka that back stabbed Lino spiteri during the leadership race in favour of AS, the same Klikka that had Jason Micallef head of super one.......

albert galea

Jan 11th, 11:14

What about the same klikka that stabbed George Borg Olovier in the back to put Eddie Fenech Adami as Capo. I do not want our country to be led by people like Austin and RCC any more. JM will give Malta back to the Maltese.

Eddy Privitera

Jan 11th, 08:25

John Bonello: How then Gonzi had said that lowering W&E bills was "not possible" during a debate with Dr. Muscat ? How come GonziPN have been repeating this same claim - that W&E bills cannot be lowered throughout this last year ? Remember when Gonzi had VOTED " BIL-QALB" against the PL's motion for the lowering of W&E bills ? And now says he is committed to lowering bills ??????

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:03

pt 2.The PN government took the entire necessary step to reduce and control the utilities tariffs. It took the initiatives into conducting these studies after the PN was elected in 2008. It took the initiatives to install the interconnector to connect Malta with the EU grid line, it applied for the EU funds to finance the pipe line which is more reliable the shipping LNG.

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:03

pt3.The PN introduced the subsidies for household to install the PV panels and solar water heaters. What the PM said is that as it is now it’s impossible to reduce the prices for the tariffs but work is under way so we can control these prices the best we can.

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:11

Beside Eddie what qualifications you have on this subject alone. I’m an electrical engineer with 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas. I commissioned more power plants in the field that you can imagine. In my opinion the scope of fuel operation is the same for both parties it’s the timeframe, the operation and the building of a new PS which the PN disagree

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:19

In this situation the government will always give in to the investors. While it is true that the price for the unit will remain fixed at 9c6 for the next 10 years, the tax payers will have to make up for the increase in gas prices on the international market at that means the 25% reduction on my utility bills I have to pay twice as much in tax to sustain the investors losses and in that way I will

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:19

be paying for others consumption. No thanks Eddie but MLP proposal don’t work my profession in this subject helps me understand that the only way forward is the PN proposals.

John Bonello

Jan 11th, 09:44

Gonzi had VOTED " BIL-QALB" against the PL's motion for the lowering of W&E bills because at the time their proposals were unrealistic and if the goverment gave in it would have drove our tiny economy into a wall. MLP never understood the ressecion because it was to busy manipulating the maltese people to vote them in power ...JM is another gimmick goverment in the making

Chris Mifsud

Jan 11th, 09:28

100% Agree.

David Bezzina

Jan 11th, 09:28

Sure,we are.All is good and perfect and who cares about the 5 million Euro in debt that has accumulated under Gonzi's safe hands.
Who is really living in Wonderland ?

Chris Mifsud

Jan 11th, 09:29

I don't need either. The country is doing well under Gonzi unlike whenever the Malta LABOUR Party (M.L.P) where ever in government.

David Bezzina

Jan 11th, 09:33

Well you must be unaware of the transfers that are taking or took place in the civil service.Who is desperate to remain in power ?

B Attard

Jan 11th, 09:44

Qed jghix Malta imma ma jaffettwhom xejn ghax money no problem for the clique.

Roberta Sciberras

Jan 11th, 09:07

You echo my perceptions. That's exactly what I thought when I read the reports. If only to break away from the "them" and "us" mentality, yes, we need a change of direction.

Chris Mifsud

Jan 11th, 09:22

Joseph Brincat: "IMAGINE how much more it will be WORTH IT when they will be in government
"which they will BE "."

Can i borrow your future predicting crystal ball so i can win the Super 5 ?

Don't be too confident that the MLP will win. I really hope they don't as we will be heading for a brick wall if they do.

JOHN WHITE

Jan 11th, 18:01

Mr.Brincat i think you copied and pasted the wrong link. I`ll do it for you : http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130110/local/Merkel-lauds-Malta-s-excellent-economy.452608

:)

Chris Mifsud

Jan 11th, 09:22

He HAS not "HE HAVE".

Chris Mifsud

Jan 11th, 09:24

You might be right but i still trust him more than i trust the Malta LABOUR Party (M.L.P).

Jj Zammit

Jan 11th, 10:45

@ Chris Mifsud
So Simone said we need a change,and the prime minister said we dont need a change,and you Mr Chris,you still will trust him,yes you are right,its your life and you can say what you want and believe in what you want.
good day.

JOHN WHITE

Jan 11th, 17:54

Better the Devil you know !!

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