Dr Muscat, who was speaking during a Labour Party activity at Kirkop, called on the government to admit failing to reach the targets it set itself last year.
“These measures were not met not because of the international financial crisis but because the government spent an extra e70 million during the last general election campaign,” said the Opposition Leader.
As a result, he added, the next budget should be one that gives hope.
“It should be a budget that will help the economy’s growth while supporting families through a reduction in taxes. It is time for the government to sustain families and not the other way round,” said Dr Muscat.
He referred to other countries and pointed out that governments are providing direct financial aid. “However, the Nationalist government is the only government that is creating a separate crisis with the proposed utility tariffs instead of taking advantage of the fact that we were not directly hit to help the economy.”
Dr Muscat said that the government’s original tariff proposals were the equivalent of a 245 per cent surcharge.
“When the economy was doing well before the elections, a Nationalist government didn’t want to introduce an 83 per cent surcharge. However, the government is now saying that the economy is not doing so well and yet wants to introduce tariffs that are equivalent to a 245 per cent surcharge,” he said.
Referring to the privatisation of the gas plant at Benghajsa, Dr Muscat stressed that a Labour government is not against private investment as the government is duty-bound to protect the consumers’ interests.
“However, it was never stated in parliament how the government will safeguard the consumers especially where the price of gas cylinders is concerned,” he said.
The Opposition Leader pointed out that, during a television debate, the Prime Minister could not even reply to his question about the possible increase in the cost of gas cylinders. “It was only after the Labour Party put pressure in parliament that Finance Minister Tonio Fenech admitted that the price would rise.” However, added Dr Muscat, the minister could not state by how much.
Furthermore, said the Opposition Leader, the government then expected the Labour Party to vote in favour – which it did not and did not grant pairing arrangements either.
Dr Muscat also accused the Nationalist Party of trying to instigate the Birzebbuga residents against the Labour Party. “The PN stated that the Labour Party is against the gas plant moving to Benghajsa when all the Labour MPs had clearly spoken out in favour of this move in parliament.”
Furthermore, he went on to say, the residents are aware of all the work done between 1996 and 1998 to remove the plant from Birzebbuga.
The Opposition Leader also referred to the MITTS scandal and called on Transport Minister Austin Gatt to shoulder the responsibility for all that happened since he refused the resignation letters of the MITTS board.
Dr Muscat pointed out that Dr Gatt had refused the resignation of the MITTS for operational reasons and not for reasons that dealt with policy. “However, it seems that it was a policy decision to have all that information in one place.”
The Opposition Leader also spoke about the price of medicines and pointed out that, pre-election, following a lot of pressure by the Labour Party, the government had stated from time to time that steps had been taken to reduce the price of medicines.
“The government has not issued one statement after the general elections,” said Dr Muscat.