‘Don’t be tempted to try something the new’

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday urged undecided voters to overcome the temptation to “try something new” because a wrong decision would have lasting consequences.

“Let us not lose what we have gained over the past five years,” he said, warning that other countries that took such risks were paying hefty prices.

Speaking to supporters in Żurrieq, he thanked all the candidates from the area who worked in the interests of the fifth district and the country, rather than their own personal interests.

Local people had benefited from a Nationalist government and would soon have a family park.

Referring to unemployment rates in Greece and Cyprus, he said Malta must create more than 25,000 jobs over the next five years but Labour had already given up on reaching this target.

Labour had warned at the last election that the PN wanted to end free healthcare, Dr Gonzi said. But high quality healthcare remained free and the PN was now aiming to finish building a cancer hospital and turn its focus to diabetes. This week, the PN would focus on its healthcare proposals.

Dr Gonzi also criticised Labour for not publishing its proposals yet, saying the party’s candidates still did not know what their party was proposing.

Even former deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia was kept out of the loop, he said, referring to Dr Farrugia’s interview with The Sunday Times.

“Their own deputy leader did not know what was in the manifesto,” said Dr Gonzi.

“Our deputy leader wrote the electoral programme himself.”

Deputy leader Simon Busuttil also referred to the interview with Dr Farrugia, saying if Labour committed “political assassination” on its own deputy leader, it would do worse with others.

He also warned that Labour got its money from contractors while shamelessly promising a more efficient planning authority.

Earlier, general secretary Paul Borg Olivier launched a new PN initiative called My Song, where he urged people to record themselves singing the campaign song Futur fis-Sod to join a virtual choir.