The Labour Party will give its MPs a free vote when the House of Representatives votes this coming week on the bill bringing in extensions of the development zone boundaries.
This was announced last night by Labour leader Alfred Sant when he closed the party’s extraordinary general conference in Gozo. Copies of Dr Sant’s speech were given to the media in the afternoon and could not be checked against delivery.
Despite announcing a free vote, however, Dr Sant condemned the whole scheme as ‘scandalously corrupt and institutionalised arrogance’ but said each MP had to be free to vote according to his conscience.
Dr Sant also revealed he himself had called Minister George Pullicino’s staff earlier last week and, despite all the government’s promises and commitments, it will only be tomorrow morning, when the discussion is due to begin in Parliament, that the public can get to know the names of the properties now being included in the development scheme.
In the rest of his speech, Dr Sant spoke of the extensive consultation process which took place before the conference, with 480 hours of consultations, meetings with 1,600 people and with 80 organisations.
The conference approved plans regarding Gozo, industry, health and education.
As regards Gozo the party promises a regional council, a development plan, and a fiscal and financial special status together with a yacht marina, more sandy beaches at Marsalforn and Xlendi, a golf course, an all-year-round Customs service and a subsidised helicopter service.
As regards industry, Labour will set up a committee under the prime minister to focus on the needs of established industries and help them to grow. A task force will be set up together with unions and the private sector to see what can undermine competitivity and to announce, within six months, measures to address this. There will also be a thorough overhaul of the incentive schemes for industry.
As regards healthy, Labour promises an effective registration scheme for medicines, to cut waiting lists by 15 per cent a year and to ensure the new hospital truly serves as the principal hospital in Malta.
And as regards education, Labour is very concerned Malta is last in the Lisbon Strategy stakes and at the high number of illiterate school-leaving children. It will introduce a reception class between kindergarten and primary to ensure children get a good basis.