Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday put on a brave face as the polls continued to batter his government, saying he was convinced the electorate would choose the PN again.
“With us, you know where you stand. You will not choose those who are hiding from you,” he told supporters in Tarxien, encouraging them to have faith while acknowledging they had a lot of work to do.
Dr Gonzi took questions from three individuals who asked about various issues spanning education, disability and culture.
He said education was the primary difference between Labour and the PN. In fact, he joked, the headquarters of the two parties were separated by a school.
While the PN always prioritised education, the Labour Party’s education policies of 30 years ago had “ruined the lives” of many people aged between 40 and 50 today.
To the contrary, the Government built a new school every year and equipped all schools with the latest technologies.
He said the PN was committed to continue providing a choice for parents by also investing in private and independent schools.
Dr Gonzi recalled his recent suggestion to build a second Junior College but added that even Naxxar’s Higher Secondary School needed more space thanks to the increased numbers of children attending school, according to what he was told in an e-mail.
Dr Gonzi also spoke about the PN’s commitment to improved accessibility for those with disabilities.
Society used to expect people with disabilities to adapt to fit in, but the PN had helped change this mentality so that society would adapt to those with disabilities.
As people were clapping, Dr Gonzi pointed out that this sometimes meant having to make sacrifices, such as when the planning authority insisted on a ramp or lift being built.
Dr Gonzi also celebrated the official selection of Valletta as Europe’s capital of culture for 2018.
He said Labour kept its mouth shut about this achievement, which was mostly thanks to the Government’s investment in Valletta in the past years.
“I hope that Labour now realises that this investment has already reaped results.”
Peppering his speech with harshly worded criticism towards Joseph Muscat, Dr Gonzi accused the Labour leader of only being interested in being the youngest Prime Minister in history.
He claimed Dr Muscat had said this, in the same way he had said he wanted to freeze the minimum wage.