Labour leader Alfred Sant told an interviewer that the party’s plan for a new beginning would concentrate on every sector on the needs of the family and children. The MLP looked on the family as an association of people whose activities revolved around the needs of children, whether it was a traditional family or not.

The priorities for Labour in government would be linked to the need of having the economy expand much faster than today. Then there would be social priorities in health, education, the elderly, young people, and environmental protection. The administration would be transparent, accountable and efficient, to eliminate today’s huge waste amounting to millions of liri.

In tourism there has been an increase in the number of visitors but it was not substantial, considering that the number of beds had declined. Tourism was considered to have done well this year because its performance had been compared to the last two years, when the situation had been bad. A tourism increase in August was normal.

Dr Sant said the Labour Party believed the country needed two other golf courses – one in Malta and another in Gozo, but these would be stand-alone courses – no apartments or hotels would be built with them.

In Malta the golf course could be built around Maghtab and in Gozo he personally agreed with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on a stand-alone golf course at Ta’ Cenc.

The Marsa facility would be expanded and brought up to international standard.

In the social sector, the first priority for Labour would be viable policies in health so that services would remain free, social services would be modernised and on this basis, pensions would be reformed.

All this would be implemented in consultation with all those affected.

Women, Dr Sant said, should have a stronger voice in decision-making and planning. Labour believed in an increase in the number of women in Parliament, and this could be brought about legislatively, without the need to change the Constitution.