He said the Maltese are fed up that the same circle of friends get preferential treatment while at the same time local families and the elderly have to continue carrying the burdens.

Speaking in Bahrija yesterday, Dr Sant spoke about the Malta House purchased by the Maltese government in Brussels. He said this house, which cost nearly Lm10 million, was the work of art of the same clique of people close to the Nationalist government including Richard Cachia Caruana. He said Mr Cachia Caruana made the purchase at a time when the government was increasing burdens on the elderly, workers and families, especially on those who have ended up without a job.

He said everyone knows who the lawyer who was asked to follow the contractual process of the purchase was and asked who the architect who looked at the property before it was purchased was. He also asked how this architect was chosen and whether this architect is part of the clique of Richard Cachia Caruana.

Dr Sant said the government had to pay between Lm10 and Lm11 million just so that Richard Cachia Caruana does not take a taxi to go to the European Commission but just crosses the road to arrive at his destination.

Dr Sant also questioned whether it was true that parts of this Malta House in Brussels will be rented out so as to generate revenue. He mentioned how parts of the Malta House in London were also going to be rented out but the government did not find a tenant and they are presently empty.

The Labour leader also spoke about how the Maltese farmers believe that they have been tricked by the government. He said it is a well-known fact that the subsidy the government gives to farmers is a substantial part of their revenue.

However, they will not receive their subsidy any longer. He said that later this week the MLP will be publishing its plan for the regeneration of the agricultural sector.

He said that sector of people who are expressing their anger at the Gonzi government is the same sector of people who are usually defending the government’s decisions. He said the MLP will be keeping a low profile during summer so as to give people the chance to reflect on what was happening in Malta and draw their own conclusions.

On unemployment, Dr Sant said the unemployment figure shows that the economy is still in a bad state. He said that former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami once said that if the number of unemployed exceeded the 7,000 mark, it could be considered as alarming. He said Malta has had an alarming situation with regard to employment for 34 months. He said 41 per cent of people registering for work were under 30 years old while the same figure for Gozo is 54 per cent.

On the idea of opening golf courses, Dr Sant said Dr Gonzi has finally woken up and recognised the need for two golf courses. He said the MLP has long been saying that Malta needs a golf course instead of the Maghtab dump and another golf course in Ta’ Cenc in Gozo.

In conclusion, Dr Sant said the MLP will continue telling the people the truth about what is really happening in Malta and give the people an alternative to what the government was doing or proposing.

Labour MP Noel Farrugia also addressed the same political meeting. He invited parliamentary secretary Frans Agius not to be as hard headed as former agriculture minister Ninu Zammit and as Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino. He said he should hold discussions with agricultural institutions which promote organic farming in the Mediterranean .