Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said today that he was optimistic for the future despite the difficulties which were buffeting the administration.
Speaking at a PN political conference, he said that while the Opposition was intent on moving motions in parliament, the government was intent on creating jobs and the best educational and health services.
In his address, Dr Gonzi contrasted the economic situation here and in other countries, which were burdened by austerity measures.
In countries such as Cyprus and Greece, workers and pensioners had seen their incomes shrink by a third. They were also suffering huge unemployment.
Malta had its own difficulties and people were also unemployment, but the situation here was still among the best in Europe, he said.
There would be important developments in Malta too, within and outside parliament, in the coming days, but the focus needed to remain on what was most important, which was jobs and the economy, Dr Gonzi stressed.
The Opposition was focused on proposing motions in Parliament, while the government was focused on creating jobs and seeking better living standards for the people.
It was amazing how it was only the PN which was speaking about jobs and the workers. What had become of the Labour Party? Had it lost the plot here as well? Why did it not speak about jobs on May 1? Why did it ignore the eighth anniversary of EU membership?
The PN in government was shouldering the important responsibility of safeguarding jobs, even if tough choices had to be made. The PN had to remain the party of jobs, education and health because that was what the country deserved, Dr Gonzi said.
The prime minister said he looked to the future with optimism. The government admitted its mistakes and corrected them, in the national interest.
The people needed to rest assured that they had a government which would continue to give top importance to education. Workers knew of the focus on jobs and pensioners too knew how this government was giving them more opportunities to earn more.
This was not a government which promised the impossible, but gave what was possible to everyone.