Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today said “365 days ago, the electorate decided on the future of the country”, paying tribute to all those thousands who voted for Labour who helped rewrite Malta’s history.
He thanked those individuals who feared voting for a new movement, but still did.
Dr Muscat was addressing a wave of supporters who braved the weather and gathered in St George’s Square, Valletta to mark 365 days since the Labour Party was elected to office.
Dr Muscat urged the electorate to vote for the Labour Party once this legislature is over in for years’ time.
Turning to the results achieved in the first 12 months by a Labour government, he told those who placed their trust in Labour that without “your help we would not be here today highlighting these achievements”.
Dr Muscat said that the European Commission itself has emerged saying that Malta’s economic growth is on the increase, along with the creation of new jobs.
“Simon Busuttil had said Malta under Labour would need a bailout, but now economists are saying the country’s performance has been the best, Dr Muscat said to the sounds of hissing and booing for Dr Busuttil.
He told supporters that when he mentioned Dr Busuttil, they should be as pleased as he was, and wished for Dr Busuttil to remain leading the PN and Opposition for more years to come.
Dr Muscat defended the government's floating LNG storage facility plans, where a tanker hosting the storage tanks would be anchored at Marsaxlokk’s Bay for the new power station.
He recalled: “The PN used to say that such tankers did not exist until a year ago; an EU expert has given the go-ahead for the government’s plans and the Opposition's scaremongering will not be believed by the people of the south.”
He added that the new gas power station would lead to cleaner air, replacing the 'silent killers' which were left by a PN-led administration, referring to the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO).
He said that as soon as a funding agreement will be reached with the EU, a gas pipeline would eventually replace the tanker and the Marsa power station would be closed.
On Coleiro Preca’s nomination for President of the Republic, Dr Muscat said that the past government had failed to nominate a woman, despite its gender equality calls.
A Labour government set the ball rolling to create an equality of rights and obligations for both married couples and those who tie the knot in a civil union by presenting a legislation in parliament.
Labour aboished prescription in corruption cases and introduced a Whistleblower Act. A white paper on party financing has also been presented. In the education sector, a number of reforms like such as the introduction of co-ed schools and the decision to teach ethics to students who opt out of religion classes were also implemented.
A Muscat administration has also honoured its electoral pledge to introduce free childcare for families, to kick off on 1 April, for parents who are either studying or working to encourage parents join the labour force. Another much-awaited major pledge is that of the reduction of 25% on electricity tariffs and the reduction of five per cent on water tariffs to start being implemented at the end of this month to help boost consumers’ purchasing power.
In the beginning of this legislature, Dr Muscat had also called on the Church for a revision of the Church-State agreement, which gave State recognition to annulment decisions made by the Church's Ecclesiastical court.
PL president Daniel Micallef, who prior to Dr Muscat’s address, paid tribute to all women including Miriam Spiteri Debono, and to newly appointed President of th Republic Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, said that Ms Coleiro Preca will be the best President this country has ever witnessed, contrary to certain statements that were made in the past days.
Mr Micallef said that in a matter of months this government showed that it is delivering and not wasting any time – a stable government which knows what objectives it wants to reach.
Turning to PN leader Simon Busuttil’s comments that ‘Europe is a cause worth fighting for’, as much as Mr Micallef agreed with Dr Busuttil’s comments, he added that “Malta’s interests are also worth fighting for”, referring the Dr Busuttil’s strong opposition related to the citizenship scheme and the floating LNG storage unit plans.
Dr Busuttil’s mention by Mr Micallef was drowned out by booing of PL fans.
PL deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela told those present that each problem that crops up is a challenge that is over-ridden by the government.
He said that unfortunately history shows that women are undervalued in society, “but women today can go on with their lives without a man thanks to today’s technology,” he added.
Dr Abela said that women like Dr Spiteri Debono made significant sacrifices to juggle between her political and family life.
On Ms Coleiro Preca, he said that with a stroke of a pen she has taken steps to help those individuals less fortunate than others, referring to those at risk of falling below the poverty line.
Dr Abela likened the empty offices found by a newly elected Labour government in March to the state of the country’s finances it inherited.
“All we found at the prime minister’s office is a pencil and a copy of The Economist,” he lamented.
The government had emerged saying that the offices were found empty back in March, save for a copy of The Economist, with a front-page heading saying 'Enter the clowns',
But while admitting that “we found some good”, he said that “there is no comparison to the bad we inherited”.
He slammed the Opposition for its stand it took when the prime minister travelled to watch a football game.
“Can you imagine if the prime minister was spotted on a yacht, just like the PN’s former secretary generals were,” he asked, referring to Paul Borg Oliver and Joe Saliba.
The media had reported that in 2007 Mr Saliba had been seen on construction-magnate and PN donor Zaren Vassallo’s yacht. Later in 2010, Dr Borg Olivier had reportedly had been seen arriving in Malta after holidaying in the Mediterranean on board Mr Vassallo’s yacht as well.