Mosta Labour councillor Rachel Tua this morning blasted the “vicious and unscrupulous attack” launched against her by the PN media, which ran a report about her absence from council meetings and activities.

“Those who passed on the information to the PN should have been honest and also have told them that I was excused because of my pregnancy.” Ms Tua gave birth a few months ago.

“This is an unscrupulous attack on my dignity as a woman who has just given birth to a child. The PN is capable of descending into this low form of politics without any shame,” she said.

Ms Tua said she was not surprised by the attack for the PN can never forgive her for leaving its embattled ranks in 2009 and joining Joseph Muscat’s Labour movement. “Attacks on ex-Nationalists are nothing short of contradictory of recent statements by PN exponents, Simon Busuttil included, who said they would like to see former nationalists return to the party. These attacks serve only to further the distance between these people and the PN.

“I can assure the PN that its dishonest tactics will not intimidate me. In fact they help me reassure myself that I made the right decision in 2009.” These attacks, she said, give her a stronger will to work within the Labour Party and in favour of Mosta residents. 

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However, PN EP candidate and TV presenter Norman Vella said today that information he obtained from Mosta council minutes shows that Ms Tua’s absenteeism has now spanned a period of more than two years – from January 2013.

On his personal blog, Mr Vella said Ms Tua only attended two full council meetings in 2013 and left early on three occasions. 15 meetings were held during that year. In 2014 she only attended one meeting from start to finish. On two other occasions she left before the meeting ended while she was absent for eight meetings. This year the council met three times but Ms Tua attended only once and left before the meeting ended.

“Because I believe that Ms Tua missed many council meetings for the reason she was pregnant, I also believe that she had a two-year pregnancy.”