“I am confident that Gozo will continue to support the Labour Party, as it did in the last elections when it elected 3 representatives from Gozo. On the 24th of May Gozitan need to once again send a strong message.
This was stated by the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, during his address at a political activity held in St Francis Square, Victoria.
Dr Muscat said that today it was “a symbolic choice” to launch in Gozo the team of candidates for the upcoming European Elections.
“We worked to create more employment and to get the economy back on track, we have to ensure that more activities are held on the island, helping to breathe life into Gozitan businesses,” Dr Muscat said.
The Labour leader said that under a Nationalist administration the unemployed in Gozo increased by 8%, from 670 to over 720, while during the fist year of the Labour Government it managed to create more than 200 new jobs in Gozo. “This is not enough and therefore we will continue to work to achieve more, reiterated the Prime Minister.
Joseph Muscat also spoke about how the Yacht Marina and the Cruise Liner Terminal projects, together with the possibility of an air-strip will also help the Gozitan economy. He reiterated that the Government would be allocating 10% of European funds to the island.
Joseph Muscat said how in 2012 a request had been made for studies to be held for Gozo to be considered as a region, Indeed in October 2012, he said, the EU told the Government that the argument presented on Gozo to be considered as a region were not accepted.” He added, that Simon Busuttil “should bear the responsibility for the failure to convince the European Union that Gozo deserves more.”
The Prime Minister said that in the next few days the Government will be showing signs of how it plans to create more jobs in Gozo and how to maintain economic growth, “the best is yet to come,” he said.
The people of Malta and Gozo will detect the differences between one Government and another. This is a Government that takes decisions, as happened on the Civil Union vote, while the PN Party abstained. The Prime Minister said that even on the issue of hunting, the PN are not taking a position. “While others continue to abstain I have always taken the decision.”
Former Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca, and MEP candidate for the European Elections Clint Camilleri, also addressed the meeting.