Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday urged the electorate to choose the most competent party to keep Malta’s finances sound and strong.

We wrote the best pages of our country’s history books. Others are ashamed even of their own flag

He said this was the only way to ensure jobs, free healthcare and quality education.

“There are seven weeks left and if we work together we could be celebrating again in seven weeks’ time,” he told supporters in Żabbar at the PN’s first mass meeting of the campaign.

Dr Gonzi warned that Labour’s Joseph Muscat wanted a change in direction without saying where he wanted to go. But the PN gave Malta peace of mind in the past, present and would continue to do so in the future.

“We wrote the best pages of our country’s history books. Others are ashamed even of their own flag,” he said, as he warned people not to trust Labour again.

“Wherever we go, we are proud to be Maltese. We were the first to say no to Gaddafi... What a difference from Labour. With Labour you are embarrassed, with the Nationalists you are proud,” he added.

Dr Gonzi recalled that Dr Muscat had advised Malta to follow the example of Cyprus and on Xarabank he also let slip that in Cyprus a power station had exploded.

“So that’s how you want us to copy Cyprus,” Dr Gonzi said to a standing ovation by those sitting on stage around him.

Dr Gonzi slammed Labour’s energy plan and warned that building two massive gas tanks near the power station was a serious health and safety risk which could result in an explosion similar to that in Cyprus.

Malta ‘an exception in the Med’

He said Labour’s own advisers had made it clear that the PN’s idea of a gas pipeline was the better one.

“The choice is yours, but the best choice is PN,” he said.

Earlier, Simon Busuttil addressed the mass meeting for the first time as deputy leader. He said he was proud that Malta was an “exception in the Mediterranean” because it maintained an impressive reputation while other countries lost face.

He said the country had to choose a captain for the next five years and should not choose someone who wanted to change the direction of the country without saying where this change of direction would take it.

The Labour leader, he said, spoke like a Nationalist and wore blue ties because he was embarrassed of showing the “true face” of Labour.

“But we are the real Nationalist Party. They are a fake copy,” he said, before urging Dr Muscat to withdraw his energy plans.

“Don’t do as you did with VAT, EU membership and the euro. Change your position now before it is too late,” he said.

He said the PN did not have the money to fill the roads – built by the Nationalists – with billboards and streamers, as Labour was doing. However, the PN had substance, truth, energy and enthusiasm on its side.

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