Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/614946
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2015 A majority do not consider the development of an airstrip a pri- ority for Gozo, while a staggering 93% want a fast ferry service to Valletta. Gozitans also consider the state of the roads as Gozo's main prob- lem, followed by lack of employ- ment opportunities and connec- tivity between the two islands. A relative majority are opposed to the privatisation of the Gozo General Hospital but a relative majority also expects the service to improve. PN voters less keen on tunnel 72% of Labour voters are in fa- vour of the tunnel, as against 53% of PN voters. 40% of PN voters oppose the tunnel, and similarly are less keen on the development of an airstrip in Gozo. While 28% of PN voters consider an airstrip a priority, the percentage rises to 36% among PL voters. Opposition to the tunnel is also higher among older respondents. While only 29% of under 35-year- olds oppose the building of a tun- nel, the percentage rises to 35% among those over 55. 63% of those whose relatives work in Malta agree with the tun- nel, while only 50% of those who don't have relatives working in Malta agree. 59% of Gozitans also believe that the development is fi- nancially feasible, as against 14% who say it is not. 30% of PL voters opposed to hospital privatisation A relative majority is opposed to the privatisation of the Gozo hos- pital. A majority of Labour voters support the privatisation but a third are also opposed: those aged 35-54 are more likely to oppose it Vitalis Healthcare's bid for a €200 million investment to run the GGH and St Luke's Hospital on a 30-year concession. While a rela- tive majority (42%) are opposed to privatising the hospital, a relative majority thinks this will make the hospital more efficient. Gozitans concerned about roads Surprisingly the state of the roads emerges as the top concern of Gozitans. In contrast to Malta, where 23% consider traffic as their main problem, only 4% consider traffic to be their concern. Concern about jobs is higher in Gozo. While only 3% of Maltese expressed this concern in a na- tional survey in September, the percentage rises to 18% in Gozo. Transport between the two is- lands is the third most mentioned problem in Gozo. 63% of respondents have rela- tives working in Malta. 80% think that it is not possible for them to find work in Gozo. And 51% are satisfied by the lev- el of income and working condi- tions they have. Only a fourth are not while 23% refused to answer. 14% of Labour voters will abstain The survey shows that while 2% of PL voters in 2013 would vote PN, 3% of PN voters would vote PL. This suggests that in Gozo the PN is still losing more votes than it is gaining from the PL. But while the PN retains 74% of its 2013 voters, the PL only re- tains 68%. The PN retains more votes because of a higher absten- tion rate among PL voters. While only 2% of PN voters will not vote in a forthcoming election, 14% of PL voters will not vote. The PL only retains the support of a third of switchers (voters vot- ing PN in 2008 and PL in 2013) but the PN only recovers a tenth of this strategic category. This suggests disgruntlement among Gozitan Labour voters, which has yet not translated itself into a shift to the PN. The survey shows the PL lead- ing by 11 points but this is mostly attributable to an under-repre- sentation of PN voters in the sample, which can be attributed to a reluctance of PN voters to declare their political alle- giance. When respondents were asked who they voted for in 2013, only 19% replied PN while 34% replied Labour. 42% refused to reveal their vote. When asked how they would vote in a forth- coming election, 46% refused to answer. This higher level of non-respondents, which is dou- ble the national average, is re- flected in an 11-point lead for Labour. Refalo and Said are top candi- dates Respondents were also reluc- tant to reply to questions on which candidate they would vote for in a forthcoming elec- tion. Only 16% of respondents replied to this question. Gozo Minister Anton Refalo is the preferred choice of 23% of PL voters followed by Justine Caruana (4%) and Franco Mer- cieca (3%). Chris Said is the preferred choice of 25% of PN voters. No other PN candidate surpasses the 2% mark. Former Gozo Min- ister Giovanna Debono, who has resigned from the PN parliamen- tary group following the arraign- ment of her husband, who is fac- ing charges of misappropriation for carrying out public works for private constituents, was only mentioned by 1.6% of PN voters. Methodology The survey was conducted by MaltaToday between Monday, 30 November and Friday, 4 De- cember. 761 respondents were contacted by telephone. 417 re- spondents accepted to be inter- viewed. The survey has a mar- gin of error of +/-4.8. 6 MaltaToday Survey 6 MaltaToday Survey 42% believe that privatising health will make the service more efficient, but 32.7% don't know and 25% disagree Roads, jobs are Gozitans' top priorities 2015 2011 PN voters PL voters Aged 18-34 Aged 35-54 Aged 55+ Is an airstrip a priority? Yes No Don't know All PN voters PL voters Aged 18-34 Aged 35-54 Aged 55+ All PN voters PL voters Do you agree with privatising the Gozo hospital? Do you agree with buidling a Gozo-Malta subsea tunnel? Gozitans' main problems Roads 26.3% Lack of work 18% Transport to Malta 14% Traffic 3.8% Publc transport 2% Immigrants 1.5% Lack of tourists 1.5% Environment 1% Others 10.5% Don't know 21.4% 59.8% 30% 10.2% 64.9% 28.8% 6.3% 52.6% 39.7% 7.7% 71.8% 21.8% 6.4% 67.7% 21.8% 59.6% 30.2% 10.1% 56.5% 35.4% 8.1% 33.2% 45.4% 21.4% 13.1% 73.8% 13.1% 54.3% 30.7% 15% 37.5% 45.8% 16.7% 39.6% 42.7% 17.7% 32.1% 46.2% 21.7% 38.5% 43% 18.5% 27.9% 54.1% 18% 36% 46.4% 17.6%