The Labour Party has launched what it said were 100 ideas which build on the past but look to the future.

The greatest recognition the PL can give to its forefathers it to continue building on their success but carrying out reforms that serve today’s needs, Prime Minister Robert Abela said at the launch.

Today we speak of helping people less fortunate, not about social services, which have been in place for decades, he said. Today we do not speak about pensions and same-sex marriages, because they have become part of our everyday life.

Today we look forward to helping people in difficulty finding accommodation, something which was not given importance by previous administrations, Abela said.

He said the PL will remain anchored to three principles. The party will remain the party of work – both employees and employers. “Our formula created wealth and prosperity because it built an allegiance between the workers and their employers,” he said.

The second principle is that of wisdom which “enables us to fight back each time we are dealt blows”. The PL never chose austerity and never punished workers to make up for market deficiencies, he said.

The third principle is the distribution of wealth. We can never be happy with statistics if growth does not reach everyone, he said.

Abela added that when he was elected leader, he was told not to change too much because the Opposition is weak and there is no need to take risks. His answer to this was that when the Pl was afraid of change, it lost. When a political party only looks within, it loses contact with the people and their aspirations.