One of the major changes that the public wants is for their government to be clean and transparent, said Opposition Leader Alfred Sant yesterday, speaking at a meeting organised by the MLP’s Women’s Group in Swieqi.

He said the public was sick and fed up of ministers shirking their responsibilities, waste of money and contracts being issued willy-nilly.

Dr Sant also said that while the government was boasting about how it had brought finances to order, the reality was that it was the irresponsibility of former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and now Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi that allowed the debt to be created in the first place.

He said that to fill the ‘hole’ that was created, the government had to increase taxes by Lm240 million per year.

Dr Sant said that in many ministries, conflicts of interest, manipulation of decision-making and bribery were arising. “Even some hardcore Nationalists believe that the country needs a change,” he said.

Dr Sant said the MLP was building its plans around the main theme of transparency, seriousness and diligence. He also said it was shameful for Dr Gonzi to hide behind political procedures to avoid giving explanations about what was going on.