A government led by the Malta Labour Party would make a success out of Malta and improve the quality of life of the Maltese and Gozitan people, said party leader Alfred Sant yesterday at a party activity in Gzira.

Dr Sant held that need for change has gained momentum in the past week and that Labour would see to bringing about this change in a few weeks time.

He said change would be implemented through the plans that have been devised in these last years and with the help of all those of goodwill who are keen on seeing Malta making progress, rather than regressing.

He held that a Labour government would see that current injustices are made right by fully implementing meritocracy rather than a regime of nepotism. Dr Sant said this would not be carried out by creating new injustices.

The Labour party, said Dr Sant, will seek to build a successful country by creating more jobs, as Malta is currently experiencing the lowest employment figures since independence. Dr Sant accused the government of boasting about how the country was doing well instead of trying to fix its problems.

The Opposition Leader said the Maltese had to endure the highest rate of tax in the EU, while not experiencing better quality of life in return. He said that the government taxed people more in order to balance its books. On the other hand the MLP, said its leader, was offering hope and a vision which stems from its commitment to create further opportunities for the Maltese and Gozitans. He reminded his audience about the MLP’s regional development plans for Gozo, Mellieha, St Paul's Bay, the South of Malta and the Grand Harbour. Dr Sant held that these crystallise Labour's intention of re-evaluating unexploited resources in order to develop new opportunities.

The Labour leader pledged to aid initiatives that would boost several sectors, including tourism, manufacturing, IT & financial services, agriculture, fisheries and enterprises. He confirmed that a Labour government would not close down the shipyards next year.

The MLP, said Dr Sant, will reach out to young people, who have grown used to a stagnating society in which opportunities were being eroded. Dr Sant confirmed the party’s intention to build a new sixth form in the North of Malta. He said MCAST must take further initiatives in order to boost the sectors their students aim to be part of.

He said young people would enjoy a wide array of opportunities as a Labour government would boost the economy in order to grow at a rate of four to six per cent per annum.

Such a growth rate was possible as a Labour government would have zero tolerance with regard to corruption. In the last years, he held, the government had overrun its projects by R445 million. Dr Sant stated that inefficient projects were counterproductive to economic growth.

The MLP leader criticised the PN for copying French President Nicolas Sarkozy's electoral banners and about their use of bill boards. He pointed out that such banners only portray Dr Gonzi while ministers Ninu Zammit, Jesmond Mugliett, Giovanna Debono and Tony Abela were well hidden away in spite of their “together, everything is possible” slogan. While the PN was hiding its ministers away, said Dr Sant, Minister Zammit – through his ministry – issued a special edition of its publicly-funded magazine On Site, in which he is seen flanking PM Gonzi. “Some Nationalists are saying that given the chance, Dr Gonzi would change some ministers. So why did not he do so in the three years he has been at the helm?” asked Dr Sant.

“The PN believes that a lie a day keeps an electoral loss away,” said Dr Sant. To this end, he added, the PN was churning out new lies such as, for example, that the MLP would pull Malta out of the EU, that it would decrease social services and that all children would be repeaters. He appealed for people to stay calm in the face of such lies, as the PN are expected to fabricate two to three a day.

The Opposition Leader said a Labour government would strengthen the curriculum from kindergarten level, in the fashion of the UK and Scandinavia. An MLP government would also invest heavily in kindergarten assistants and introduce a reception class that would put local education on a par with the rest of the EU.

Dr Sant reiterated his party’s message of a new beginning, while pointing out that it was not promising miracles. The party was studying the country’s challenges and would face them in order of priority. The MLP, said Dr Sant, was offering good governance that would eliminate corruption and bureaucracy, while creating more jobs. He affirmed that this would be achieved by an alliance with good-willed and capable people.

Parliamentary Affairs Deputy Leader Charles Mangion, criticised the government for closing down health centres, ending up with a deficit of 300 nurses at Mater Dei Hospital and imposing a fuel surcharge. He said PN candidates were acknowledging corruption, while ex-PN president Carmel Caccopardo had said that the party had covered up for wrongdoers.

Party affairs deputy leader Michael Falzon, berated Minister Austin Gatt for boasting about winning a bet he made regarding the closing down of factories. He also enquired as to whether the PN had been given permission to connect its billboards to the main electricity supply and who would be paying electricity bills.Meanwhile, Enemalta Corporation issued a statement later in the evening saying that it was the Nationalist party footing the bill. Enemalta said that the PN had applied for temporary power supply to the billboards from mains electricity, as is practiced when individuals or organisations want such a service, for example at Christmas time or during village feasts. Enemalta said that the application was processed at a fee of EUR69.90 (Lm30) and that a deposit for two months worth of temporary power supply was witheld.

No meter was attached as it is Enemalta’s policy to work the bill out according to formulae based on the number of tubes or bulbs using power. Enemalta said that the MLP had asked who was paying for the power and replied: “The one to pay is the one that consumes the power, in this case, the Nationalist Party.”