The Labour Party said yesterday that at a Fgura activity last year the Prime Minister had promised that 2007 would be an exceptional year. In fact, it said, last month continued where the previous months had left off, with a government in serious difficulty.

Minister Ninu Zammit had been given compensation of Lm70,000 for two bits of land expropriated in front of his villa in Zurrieq within two years of applying under a procedure which did not apply to him, the MLP said. A canvasser of Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono was involved in a case of false certificates, financial abuses at Mosta council became known, the chairman of the Water Services Corporation was found to have a business relationship with a company of the Polidano Group, who were awarded WSC contracts, and it became known that PN general secretary Joe Saliba had gone on a Mediterranean cruise with contractor Zaren Vassallo.

The MLP added that there were also attacks on Dr Gonzi’s government by people who used to be or still were very close to the PN, such as former minister John Dalli. The re-appointment of Carmel Cacopardo, a former PN candidate and former PN president, as investigative officer of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority had been opposed by Minister George Pullicino, and last month was characterised by the resignations of former MP Ray Bondin, and John Camilleri, former private secretary of then Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami.

The MLP added that incompetence continued, as evidenced by the paving works at Merchants Street, which were creating confusion in the capital, the rebuilding of Manwel Dimech bridge was also taking much longer than planned and costs variations arose about the drainage treatment plants for the north of Malta and for Gozo.

Then the government had come out with an exhibition of plans, models and pictures about 20 Grand Harbour projects to be carried out in seven years, when Nationalist governments had produced an endless list of projects for the port which had never been implemented, the MLP said.

The last month was also characterised by price rises for pasta, rice, cheese, butter, cereals, milk, sugar, bread, canned tuna, biscuits and sweets among others. The IMF had also said that Malta’s economy had developed at a slower rate than those of various EU states, while Malta had also lost competitiveness.

In the light of these facts, Lawrence Gonzi last week took with him at meetings he had held not ministers but backbenchers and Nationalist candidates. This was but a gimmick, but confirmed that Dr Gonzi did not have confidence in his ministers.

The Prime Minister, the Labour Party added, was admitting that the country needed a change but the change that was needed was not one of faces. The change the people wanted would be the plan for a new beginning being promised by the Labour Party, it said.