Malta’s socialist Members of the European Parliament are working hard and their actions are having a positive impact on the lives of ordinary citizens, workers and their families, said Labour MEP Joseph Muscat yesterday.
Mr Muscat was making his speech during the Malta Labour Party’s general conference at the party headquarters in Hamrun yesterday. The conference is entitled “A Labour Plan, A New Beginning”.
Mr Muscat said that he and his colleagues had the respect of all other MEPs, so much so that Louis Grech had been appointed to oversee the budget for the European Parliament’s institutions. “We were elected to make a difference. And that is what we are doing – working hard to make a difference,” said Mr Muscat.
He said that through the European Parliament, MLP MEPs were stopping the government from getting away with things it used to hide before. He said that there was many an instance where he or his colleagues put information forward to have an independent investigation into the government’s goings on.
He said that a few months ago, MLP MEPs managed to get European regulations changed so that subsidies might be granted to the Malta-Gozo helicopter service in the hope of giving Gozo’s tourism a boost. He also said that they managed to ensure that the rubbish transported to Malta from Gozo is not done in a way that was leading to pungent smells aboard ferries. “With us there, the government cannot have free reign over everything. We will not let them get away with it,” he said.
MEP Louis Grech also spoke and said that MLP representatives, both in the EP and Malta’s Parliament, were not going to make empty promises. “This party realises that there is a need for concrete action and change. We realise that we do not have a magic wand, but we will work hard and not make empty promises to anyone,” he said.
He also said that he was proud to have voted against the Port Liberalisation Directive, with the MLP’s consent, as it meant that a socialist vote brought about good for workers and their families in not sanctioning it.
MP Marie Louise Coleiro spoke about the social aspect and how people in Malta and in Europe were living below the poverty line even though some were gainfully employed. MP Anglu Farrugia spoke of the need for change and unity within the MLP so that victory could be achieved in the upcoming election.
MP Roderick Galdes spoke about unsanctioned development and how a culture change was needed within the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.
Party secretary general Jason Micallef opened the session which was supposed to be closed by deputy leader Michael Falzon. This did not materialise as the session ran out of time.
The conference resumes today.