The Opposition would vote in favour of Budget 2013 so long as it was not amended, other than to ensure minimum wage earners would not pay income tax, Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Speaking to journalists at The Palace soon after he was sworn in as Opposition Leader, Dr Gonzi spoke about the Nationalist Party’s commitment to placing the national interest first.

The most immediate priority, he said, was Budget 2013.

The Budget had not been approved in December when one of Dr Gonzi’s MPs voted against it, forcing a general election which the PN lost to the Labour Party by 36,000 votes.

Dr Gonzi said Parliament should be convened at the earliest and stressed the importance of approving the Budget immediately, saying the country needed it more than it did four or six months ago, especially in view of the international situation.

He underlined the importance of continuity especially in the light of problems facing neighbouring countries including Greece and Cyprus, with the situation in the latter described as “very worrying”.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has already said the new government wanted to approve the Budget in its present form, apart from making the minimum wage tax amendment.

Dr Gonzi said his message as Leader of the Opposition was that his party “will be an Opposition which puts the national interest first and foremost”.

Dr Gonzi described his appointment as temporary, noting that the PN executive would meet today to start the process for the election of the new party leadership.

He confirmed he would not seek re-election as PN leader and would resign as Leader of the Opposition once a new leader is appointed.

New job and into the record books

Lawrence Gonzi yesterday made it to the history books for having occupied practically all possible parliamentary posts.

Dr Gonzi was first appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1988 for the sixth legislature, until 1992 when he was unanimously re-appointed Speaker for the seventh legislature (1992-1996).

He contested the 1996 general election and was elected as an MP. A month after the election, in November 1996, he was appointed Opposition Party Whip, Secretary to the Parliamentary Group and Shadow Minister for Social Policy.

A year later, he was elected General Secretary of the Nationalist Party.

Following the September 1998 general election, Dr Gonzi was appointed Minister for Social Policy and Leader of the House of Representatives. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister between May 1994 and March 2004.

After the election of April 12, 2003, Dr Gonzi was re-elected and appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Social Policy Minister.

On March 23, 2004, Dr Gonzi was sworn in as Prime Minister, including in his portfolio the Ministry of Finance between 2004 and 2008.

On March 8, 2008, Dr Gonzi was re-elected Prime Minister and yesterday was sworn in as Opposition Leader.

Dr Gonzi told The Times that he had occupied all possible posts and was proud of it. “I am sure the Leader of the Opposition post will be personally satisfying as all the other roles I have had,” he said.

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