The Labour Party is ready for a general election and all its plans for a new beginning are set in place, Opposition Leader Alfred Sant said yesterday during a public dialogue meeting in Valletta.

Dr Sant spoke about the importance of defending and safeguarding the national interests.

“It is a shame that the government sells a company without keeping what rightfully belongs to the Maltese and Gozitan,” he said.

The Maltese and Gozitans have a right to the land that is situated in Qawra and is worth Lm10 million, he added.

“All the Nationalist government had to do to save it was present a motion in parliament. However, nothing was done,” he said.

Dr Sant said that the government has to be held accountable for its actions, adding that the change brought about by a Labour government will defend what belongs to the Maltese.

The Opposition Leader said that the Labour Party visited several companies as part of the party’s Worker’s Day activities.

“The government has to be ready to do what has to be done – but it is not. Planning and investing in human resources is the key and that is what the Labour Party is doing,” said Dr Sant.

Contrary to what several people believe, Worker’s Day is still relevant today, he said.

“The interests of the Maltese and Gozitans come first and I believe that it is through the participation of the elderly, youth, women, workers and families that Worker’s Day will be given its full relevance,” said Dr Sant.

He pointed out that people who are at the forefront of taking care of Malta’s affairs within the EU have to remain focused on their role.

“Foreign Affairs Michael Frendo was recently nominated for the post of secretary general of Commonwealth. How can he guide the country in its international and EU relations if he is to take up this post?” queried Dr Sant.

The Labour Party will support Dr Frendo’s nomination and push it through Labour’s counterparts within the Commonwealth, he added.

“However, how can he continue focusing on the EU and guide Malta in the coming months with 12 pending infringement procedures, collecting funds and the euro changeover (if he takes up such a post),” said Dr Sant.

The government should have chosen a person who is not at the centre of what is going on at present, he added.

Labour spokesperson on EU affairs George Vella pointed out that it was the first time that so many work-related incidents took place during such a short period of time.

“Instead of implementing the various EU laws on the health and safety on the workplace, the government reduced the budget allocated to the Occupational, Health and Safety Authority (OHSA),” he said.

Dr Vella said that the Malta Shipyards are in great difficulty and they have little time to sort out their affairs.

He pointed out that the government did not carry out a study on Gozo as stated in the EU protocol.

“According to the protocol, which was signed by the Maltese government, a study on Gozo had to be carried out before a new budget was presented. However, this was not done,” he said.

When Labour is in government, it will place the worker at the forefront of its priorities, said Dr Vella.

“The Nationalist government is not affiliated with a political group within the EU that has one common political belief – unlike the Labour Party,” he said.

“The EPP is a mix of political parties and beliefs. However, the Socialist Party has a one common political belief that is looking for solutions to problems for all EU members,” said Dr Vella.

Deputy leader Michael Falzon said that a week has passed since the Labour Party offered its help to the government over the issue of land in Qawra worth Lm10 million.

However, he said, “the government did not come back to us. We are talking about land that is worth Lm10 million – land which belongs to the Maltese and Gozitans,” said Dr Falzon.

The Lm10 million could have been spent in various ways to give better services - building more centres for people with a disability, for example, he added.

However, said Dr Falzon, the government’s priorities are not the same as those needed by the country.

“The government is totally incompetent. The work on the Mellieha centre for the elderly has begun – it was promised 16 years ago,” he said.

Dr Falzon also mentioned the restructuring of City Gate and the Valletta bus terminus, which have been 20 years in the waiting.

Furthermore, he said, no one knows what happened to the inter-ministerial committee on tourism, headed and set up by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, which was set up three years ago.

Malta has 12 infringement proceedings by the EU, he added. Under the Nationalist government, taxes and inflation increased, while Malta has one of the lowest rates of economic growth, competitiveness and women in the workplace, said Dr Falzon.

Dr Falzon pointed out that the government still decided to go ahead with its plans for the Marsascala recycling plant regardless of the 8,000-strong petition presented to the government and the EU petition board, an EU infringement notice and a pending constitutional case.