The Labour Party yesterday published a report commissioned by the PN following the 2004 European Parliament (EP) election, which gives reasons as to why only two Nationalist candidates made it to the EP, against the MLP’s three.

Labour leader Alfred Sant said the report incorporates the view of those whom the Nationalist Party itself commissioned. He said the report states that PN ministers were arrogant, distanced from the people and only implemented a few of the many promises made.

Dr Sant was speaking in Zebbug, the MLP bus tour’s last stop yesterday evening. The bus, which has been tagged il-coach tal-bidla (the coach of change), also took a party delegation to Mtarfa, Dingli and Rabat, where deputy Labour leader Michael Falzon addressed party faithful.

Labour leader Alfred Sant and deputy party leader Charles Mangion only turned up at the last stop, Zebbug, since they were getting ready for yesterday’s transmission of Xarabank, broadcast on TVM.

Labour supporters in Rabat were clearly overjoyed to be able to welcome a party delegation for the second time during this electoral campaign – the MLP organised a Mieghek fil-Misrah event in the same locality last week.

Dr Falzon urged supporters, particularly those in Rabat, to continue passing on the party’s message; he said the party wants to improve people’s quality of life and it will work as a team in doing so.

He mentioned the party’s three cornerstone promises – cutting the surcharge on utility bills by half, removing VAT on education and removing income tax on over time.

In Zebbug, Dr Sant said the party had to continue passing on its message. “We are going wherever we can, with a sense of good will and calm, to pass on our message for a tranquil change, a plan for a new beginning under a serious and honest leadership in the best interest of every family, because we care,” said the Labour leader.

He said the MLP wanted to address the worst burdens – the cost of living and taxes – by means of its proposals.

“We found that one of the worst burdens was the surcharge on utility bills. We’ve been told that it only applies to those who own a swimming pool,” Dr Sant said mockingly.

“Good luck to you if you own a swimming pool, but the proposal is targeted at every household and small business,” he said, adding that all self-employed people who do not benefit from capping on their utility bills, will receive back half the surcharge they would have paid in the form of credits on their income tax bill.

Reading parts of the PN-commissioned analysis of the 2004 EP election, Dr Sant said that four years later, the problems only got worse.

“GonziPN was heading the party then. His ministers have become more arrogant than they were then and now they are being sidelined,” said the Labour leader.