Opposition Leader Alfred Sant said yesterday that the prime minister is not telling the truth about the extra money being spent on a number of projects, and criticised the government for not using public funds wisely.

Speaking at a Labour Party activity in Gzira, Dr Sant said that during the discussion programme Xarabank last Friday week, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was not being truthful when he referred to the project on the road leading to the airport.

Dr Gonzi, said the Labour leader, had said the cost of this project had run into thousands of extra liri because of the archaeological remains that had been found beneath the road, but this was not true because these remains were discovered by Sir Temi Zammit in the 1920s.

Dr Sant said the government had spent an extra Lm363,000 on the project and it had done this with no authorisation whatsoever.

When the Contracts Committee discovered that this additional large sum of money had been spent on the project, the government had then asked the committee to approve the additional expense.

While the committee gave its approval, it had protested that things are not being done the way they should be, said Dr Sant, adding that the committee had given three reasons for the extra expense.

The Labour leader said that according, to the Contracts Committee, the original design of the project did not include any culverts or surface cables. Furthermore, no re-design version of the project was presented after the contract was awarded, and additional storm water culverts that were not included in the original estimate had been included.

This example, he said, showed that public funds are not being used wisely. To add insult to injury, the tax burden will have increased by Lm150 million over the three years since Dr Gonzi became prime minister, he said.

The Opposition Leader made reference to a shameful situation in Mosta. He said the PN-lead local council had employed a handyman on a contract basis.

This man, said Dr Sant, is being paid as much as he asks for and he has a strong link with the Nationalist Party, even though the PN secretary general has denied this fact.

Backing his argument by demonstrating a letter listing PN agents for Saturday’s local council elections, including the name of the same Mosta handyman, Dr Sant said just a few days ago, coincidentally some time before the local council elections, the Mosta local council issued a payment of Lm1,000 for the handyman.

The Labour leader said that while such situations are unacceptable, the MLP is not ready to promise citizens heaven on earth, but it will definitely promise to carry out its work wisely, seriously and fairly.

Referring to the PN-led Gzira council, Dr Sant said this is characterised by incompetence.

He said that suddenly, at the very last moment before the local council elections, the council is carrying out work on roads that it had promised to resurface years ago.

This is an example of the way the Nationalist government tries to deceive and make fun of people, said Dr Sant, adding that Gzira, like Mosta, deserve better local leaders that are capable of understanding challenges and overcoming them by using a plan, working properly, consistently and seriously.

Dr Sant cited, on the other hand, success stories of local councils with a Labour majority, because promises were planned in such a way that complements the characteristics of different localities and only intended to improve citizens’ quality of life.

Contrary to the Nationalist Party, the MLP gives localities the choice of a plan that can be implemented, said Dr Sant.

Looking towards the next three years, Dr Sant said there is a good chance that the Maltese will be able to experience a change on a national level. While local councils are faced with barriers from the Nationalist government, the Labour leader said the MLP in government will give its full support to local councils.

He said the Labour Party plans to seriously give the Maltese the possibility to experience a change, because the MLP will be working on an established plan, with much thought, goodwill and determination.

Dr Sant said that the Labour Party will be delivering its promises, so he appealed to families to choose Labour during Saturday’s local council elections.

Deputy Labour leader for parliamentary affairs Charles Mangion said Saturday’s elections will be another occasion for citizens to get their message across regarding the change they would like.

The Nationalist government has lost citizens’ trust, because Dr Gonzi and the ministers are not delivering their promises, he said.

On his part, MLP deputy leader for party affairs Michael Falzon said that in the past two years, the Labour Party managed to obtain a majority of councillors in five localities that used to be PN strongholds – St Venera, Mqabba, Msida, Pieta and San Gwann. Nothing holds the MLP from obtaining new majorities this time round.