PM savages MLP over Cordina resignation

The Prime Minister yesterday lamented Gordon Cordina's resignation as head of the National Statistics Office and launched a scathing attack on the Labour Party which he held responsible for the "country's loss".

Addressing supporters in Swieqi, Lawrence Gonzi described the resignation as an unfortunate event for the country and one that had unmasked the Labour Party.

The MLP tried to give the impression that it was a changed party but when one scratched below the surface of its mask one could see all the ugliness of its history which had caused so much damage for many years, Dr Gonzi said.

The MLP, he charged, did not limit its criticism to a political level but it also went personal. Personal attacks had been made by several people, including Joseph Sammut, an MLP candidate and a regular contributor to l-orizzont.

The Prime Minister noted that when Malta became a member of the EU it had to set up an authority on statistics to guarantee that the NSO did its job properly and that it worked hand in hand with other European statistics offices. Malta had a system of self-verification which ensured that the statistics collected were in line with European criteria.

Dr Cordina had been chosen for his technical abilities recognised by all. But because he happened to be one of those who during the campaign leading up to the EU referendum had expressed himself in favour of membership, the Labour Party had attacked him from day one.

The government had remained silent, hoping the MLP would realise that the country stood to benefit from knowing exactly where it stood statistics-wise.

But the MLP's attack had led to Dr Cordina's resignation, which the statistics authority had been disappointed to accept while expressing its confidence in him.

It was a loss for the country and scandalous behaviour by the MLP, Dr Gonzi held. Labour was acting like this from the opposition, let alone what it could do when in government.

It was a shame for Malta to be in this position. The MLP believed all bad statistics about Malta but none of the good.

Labour had attacked Dr Cordina because Malta was achieving results. Rather than accept reality, the MLP attacked people on a personal level.

Faced with such a strategy, the government only grew stronger and became more determined, said Dr Gonzi.

He also spoke about SmartCity, which was putting Malta on the ICT development map.

Once the project had reached fruition, everyone would be wanting to find out why Malta had been chosen and the country would attract more investment to its shores.

Since Malta had joined the EU, it was being seen by investors as a country of political and economic stability, with capable workers and a government that planned for the long term. Malta had become a country that was attractive to invest in.