Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this evening referred to the possible dismissal of 64 Actavis workers because of the closure of the company's R&D Department and said that in the same way as the PN government had stood by 5,000 workers who risked dismissal over the past five years, it would also stand by these workers.
Speaking at a PN mass meeting on the Granaries, Dr Gonzi said the PN was the party of jobs and it would stand shoulder to shoulder with these workers and defend them.
What had happened to these workers, he said, was the result of a decision taken in a boardroom overseas following the amalgamation of two companies.
But it should serve as a warning that the economic crisis was not over. Nothing could be taken for granted.
And in such a situation, it was the PN which was the best to defend and create jobs. Those who were seeking a change of direction should be told "thanks, but no thanks," he said.
He also told the crowd that in the polling booth they should put the interests of their country and the future of their families before their own personal interests.
He admitted that some may have been personally hurt by the actions of this government. The PN government, he said, would try to remedy what it had done wrong, but on Saturday, it was the country's future which was at stake.
In an obvious reference to Francois Hollande's endorsement of Joseph Muscat, Dr Gonzi said Malta did not want the problems which other countries had.
The endorsement was also mentioned earlier by PN Deputy Leader Simon Busuttil who urged his listeners to see what was happening in France under Mr Hollande and to be careful not to have the same happening in Malta.
In his address Dr Gonzi reiterated the PN's promises to lead the country to a secure future with a higher quality of life for its people. Top of the PN's priority list was the creation of 25,000 new jobs, he said, while Labour would mean unemployment.
Malta's he said, had managed to move forward in very difficult times. The economy grew and the people enjoyed the results, such as new schools, a new Mcast campus and new opportunities.
His appeal, he said, was for PN supporters in the next 48 hours not to let up but to continue to seek to convince more people to vote PN.
"Tell the people that we provided peace of mind amid the turmoil of the world, he said. Tell them how there is calm here while people elsewhere are protesting in the streets," he said.
The PN, he said, would continue to do what was best for the country, even at the expense of popularity, as long as people could find jobs.
He urged parents to consider who they would entrust their children's future to. This was not a vote over a permit, a transfer or some favour, the future of the children, of the families, should come first. They should not risk having Malta brought to the state of France, Cyprus, Greece or Spain. They should choose the party which had a proven track record.
He said the PN was also promising lower taxes, better pensions and improved healthcare but that would only come with sound finances which the PN had shown it could achieve, not least with the €1.2 billion in assistance from the EU.
Dr Gonzi also thanked Eddie Fenech Adami for having accepted to address the mass meeting and for having taken Malta into the EU, saying Malta was now at the heart of the union and one of its best performers.
Concluding, Dr Gonzi thanked all those who had responded strongly to his appeal to encourage two other people to vote PN. He renewed his appeal. "Find me another two people by Saturday, and I give you my word that on Saturday we will vote, and on Sunday we will celebrate," Gonzi said to applause.