Reacting to comments on his speech at the General Workers Union General Congress earlier this week, Labour leader Alfred Sant said that the union has historically always been a staunch ally of the party and is an important member of the leftist movement.

Speaking in Rabat yesterday, Dr Sant also spoke at length about the Brindisi Terminal issue, the controversy on student’s stipends and the recent hefty increase in the price of fuel that has badly affected consumers.

The Labour leader said that the party’s General Conference had kick started a process that was regenerating the party. He said that the MLP were out to improve the quality of life of all people and all sectors of society including the self-employed and all people who have the country’s best interests at heart.

Dr Sant said Labour wanted to bring together all those who are genuine and who are really interested in rejuvenating the country. In fact, although this past year has been a good one for the Labour Party, it was a terrible one for the Maltese population who have seen a steady increase in taxes and expenses which all create a reduced standard of living and a more difficult life, he said.

Dr Sant said the cry: “we have been duped” was on everyone’s lips because the cost of living increased tremendously over the years meaning Malta’s price to income ratio was among the highest in the EU. He said the job market is shrinking, notwithstanding the government’s efforts to paint a rosier situation with most of new jobs available being in the part time sector.

The Labour leader said that government services were going backward with the waiting list at St Luke’s for operations getting longer and longer. He said citizens were not getting a fair deal and it was clear that Dr Gonzi’s government was incompetent, with the majority of people saying there was need for a change within the cabinet.

Referring to the Malta Freeport’s investment in Brindisi, which has now terminated operations, Dr Sant said this was a clear example of the government’s crass incompetence and arrogance, with the sum of Lm 13 million sunk into the port having vanished over the years.

Commenting on stipend reform, Dr Sant said the then Nationalist opposition had derided the 1996-98 Labour government for introducing a system based on interest-free loans. Now, with the drastic reduction in stipends, students were now aware of who had their real interests at heart with families struggling to make ends meet in order to send their children to university, he added.

In regard to the recent steep increase in fuel prices, the Labour leader said that the hedging agreement instituted by the MLP administration had been unceremoniously removed by the PN and now the situation was that prices were rising uncontrollably and were putting an ever increasing burden on the consumer and the economy. He also referred to the much vaunted double-taxation agreement with the United States and said that Dr Gonzi had to beg, cap in hand to President Bush for this to be re-instated.

While referring to his comments at the GWU Congress, Dr Sant said it was nothing new in saying that the union had always been a strong ally and associate in the leftist movement. He called on all Labour supporters to prepare themselves for the work ahead so that a new government will eventually take over for the common good of all Maltese and Gozitans, a government closer to the people and with the nation’s best interests at heart.