Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi reiterated this evening that in the coming legislature a new PN government would establish a new independent watchdog for public finances to make sure that spending and revenue would remain within the established parameters and EU rules.

Speaking during a dialogue meeting in Mtarfa, Dr Gonzi insisted that the PN's target was to achieve a balanced budget by 2016.

Mentioned the costings exercise published by the PN on its electoral programme, he said the PN was the first ever political party in Malta's history to give a precise breakdown of how much each and every one of its electoral measures would cost.

"We are a responsible party and want to continue to strengthen our public finances," Dr Gonzi said. "Labour have been promising everything to everyone and will wipe out all the progress Malta has managed to make in the past years," he warned.

Dr Gonzi said that a PN government would also insert into the constitution a clause so that every future government would have to move towards a balanced budget - something already required under a recent EU  agreement - and it would also commit to conducting a spending review to tweak any extra spending in the current administration of public finances.

Dr Gonzi said that a new PN government would continue to concentrate on the creation of more jobs.

"Our aim is to create 25,000 new jobs in the next legislature as this will be the only way forward to continue to sustain a healthy standard of living," he said. One of the main focuses of the next government would be the further facilitation for women to enter the job market. This was  why the government would provide free childcare services for those parents working or furthering their studies.