Nationalist Party candidates were yesterday told to highlight the Government’s good economic results achieved in spite of the challenging global situation.

They received this message from Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday at a seminar organised by AŻAD, the PN’s think tank.

The PN’s selling point at the next election had to be the Government’s successful management of the economy, Dr Gonzi said. “We arrived so far in these circumstances just imagine what we can do when the situation improves.”

But his upbeat message also came with a warning that a lot of work still had to be done. Dr Gonzi said his administration took difficult decisions during this legislature to guarantee sustainability.

“Other countries swept these decisions under the carpet and ended up with a crisis. Countries we used to call tigers have turned into cats as a result of the humiliation they have had to endure because of financial problems,” he added.

He urged candidates to go into people’s homes and explain the Government’s achievements to preserve jobs, lower taxes, encourage more women to work and allow pensioners to continue working without losing their pension.

Describing this legislature as “a challenging one”, Dr Gonzi said the Government was entering an important phase.

“This does not mean I will call an election next week,” he insisted, fully aware of the speculation that an election may be called as early as November.