As a result of these decisions, the Maltese people are being forced to carry the burden of the government’s mistakes, he said.

Addressing a discussion meeting in Mellieha yesterday, Dr Sant listed a number of issues and decisions taken by the government that have had repercussions on the people.

The restructuring of the Public Broadcasting Services, the Freeport and what he called the Air Malta fiasco were some of the points he mentioned. “The government is giving no explanation for the action it is taking and therefore the people are left with many unanswered questions,” he said.

The opposition leader said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s actions are contradictory. “First he says the country must be wary of how to spend its money, then his government spends Lm10 million on Malta House in Brussels,” said Dr Sant.

Dr Gonzi’s government always has a hidden agenda, continued Dr Sant. He said the fact that the government wants to liberalise the ports gives the impression that the Nationalists want to manipulate the situation to their advantage.

At present only one company deals with cargo handling – a company owned by the General Workers’ Union. Claims by the government that it wants to liberalise the market do not convince Dr Sant. He said the Nationalists want to give the impression that they are trying to break the monopoly, but instead they are under-handedly transferring it to someone within the inner circle. “The government makes decisions with ulterior motives that benefit those with connections,” said Dr Sant.

The mistakes made by the government are gradually coming to light and people are coming to realise that the Malta Labour Party has been telling the truth, said the party leader.

On the subject of the rising price of oil, the opposition leader said that had the government made a hedging agreement over the purchase of oil that guaranteed a stable price, the increase might have been less drastic. It would not have compensated for the entire rise, but at least the burden on the people would have been reduced, he said.

“Everyone is discussing the Royal Opera House site at the moment, but this is simply a ploy by the government to distract people from the more urgent underlying issues that must be addressed,” said Dr Sant.

He pointed out that the tourism industry in Gozo is going from bad to worse and the ending of the helicopter service has definitely done nothing to help the

situation.

Of every Lm100 spent by each tourist, only Lm2 is spent in Gozo, said the opposition leader.

“With the industry down by

20 per cent, the government should not terminate something like the helicopter service that not only gives people jobs

but also serves as a tourist

attraction,” he said.

The government saying an English company might be taking over the service for a six-month trial period has only made matters worse, said Dr Sant. Tour operators have been left in limbo because they do not know whether to include the helicopter service in their brochures or not.

The party leader also addressed the problem Malta is having with illegal immigrants. This is the fourth most pressing issue on the country’s agenda, he said. Unlike the others mentioned so far, this is not one which has arisen because of any decisions taken by a political party, but it is still a matter that must be dealt with.

Dr Sant said the MLP suggested the political parties and other organisations, such as the church and the police force, face this problem together and draw up possible solutions that would be beneficial to everyone.

Discussing whether the immigrants should be detained or not is not the answer, said Dr Sant. “Malta must use all the resources it has. There is a need for a national agreement, with everyone pitching in, for this issue to be resolved,” he said.

The number of people unemployed is constantly rising and the government only has empty words to offer the people, said the MLP leader. His party, said Dr Sant, will be calling for a debate in parliament in order to draw up clear goals of how the economy can be developed to restore faith in the workers.

The MLP aims to succeed, said Dr Sant, and that political success will translate to success within society. “We have been working very well in the local sector and now we must bring that hard work to a national level to raise the people’s quality of life,” he said.

Dr Sant promised that his party will continue to give a clear picture of what the problems are and suggest viable solutions.

The MLP is not just criticising, he said, but is coming up with a policy that will ultimately work for the good of the people and the country, he concluded.