Gonzi, Muscat go head to head

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition leader Joseph Muscat crossed swords on Xarabank this evening in the first head-to-head debate this year. Both leaders stuck to arguments they have been making for the past few months. Dr Gonzi's opening salvo was an announcement that a large international manufacturing company was going to expand its Malta operation. He did not name the company or give details of the investment. Dr Muscat criticised the high water and electricity rates, reiterating a pledge to lower utility bills if Labour is elected to Government. He did not say how this will be achieved and stuck to this line throughout the debate. Pressed by the Prime Minister for the details, Dr Muscat said his party will unveil its election proposals on the same day Dr Gonzi will publish his election manifesto. In a stunt to counter criticism based on a recent World Bank report that found it was difficult to do business in Malta, Dr Gonzi produced a raft of reports by various international agencies praising the country's economic performance. The stunt, which involved a woman walking into the studio with bound copies of the reports, almost backfired when Dr Muscat asked the Prime...