Labour will announce proposals when PN announce theirs - Muscat reiterates

Labour Leader Joseph Muscat reiterated his claim that the Labour Party would be announcing its long-awaited proposals on the same day that the Nationalist Party announces theirs.

"Why is [Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi] so anxious to know them now? So that he can copy them?" Muscat asked, adding that this would be nothing new for Nationalist circles, in a jibe at Nationalist Whip David Agius.

Muscat was speaking during a political activity held in Sta Venera.

In reiterating Labour's position, the Labour leader was touching upon a sore point for Labour, arguably the biggest stumbling block that the party is currently facing as the electoral campaign gathers momentum.

Muscat was also hard-pressed to defend this reticence to unveil any concrete proposals during the Xarabank debate on Friday.

Confronted directly by Xarabank presenter Peppi Azzopardi, Muscat simply insisted that the Labour Party would be unveiling its proposals on the same day that the Nationalist Party did likewise.

During his address, Muscat insisted that Labour's policy on cheaper energy was solid and credible, and hit out at the Nationalist Government's approach to energy planning of first buying a new power station extension, and later announcing that it would be fashioning its energy policy.

He assured the audience that a Labour Government would encourage people to invest in alternative energy, such as photovoltaic panels and other technologies.

"But it would never occur to me to come out and claim that people are receiving utility bills amounting to 'zero', Muscat said, referring to Gonzi's statement during the Xarbabank debate on Friday.

The Labour leader also reiterated that Gonzi is well aware of "at least one option for reducing the utility bills", insisting that this option was simply "sitting in his desk drawer."

"But for some reason that we may one day discover, he chose to set this aside," Muscat said.

"He chose to set this aside and instead buy a power station off the yellow pages. Who knows why? Muscat asked.

During his address, Muscat also reiterated much of the Labour Party's criticism of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and his administration, accusing the Nationalist Government of allowing poverty to rear its head once again in Malta through financial mismanagement.

The Labour leader said that this was taking place through insensitive and exorbitant utility bills, which are forcing families to take a step back from the standard of living they had until recently becoming accustomed to.

Muscat again slammed the Government's policy regarding benefit vouchers, describing these as benefit of the necessary human dignity and respect.

"We believe that the policy should be to put wealth back into the pockets of Maltese and Gozitan families," Muscat said, reiterating Labours electoral slogan of "building a new middle class."

Muscat also hit out at Gonzi over his track record on deficit control, insisting that fully one third of Malta's existing debt was incurred under Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's leadership.

"Any government, irrespective of who wins the coming election, will be inheriting a government loaded down with unprecedented levels of debt," Muscat said.

He pointed to two crucial decisions, the construction of Mater Dei, and the Delimara Power Station extension, which, Muscat said, were grossly mishandled by the Nationalist Government

These, Muscat insisted, together cost the country €1,000 million.

Muscat added that to justify the financial mismanagement, the Nationalist Government habitually cuts much-needed expenditure in other areas to make good for his mismanagement.

 "He overspends on his luxuries while the population has to get by on less," he said, referring to cuts in education and health budgets.

Muscat also reiterated criticism against Ministers Austin Gatt and Tonio Fenech, insisting that during the past three years alone, these two spent €32 million in consultancies alone on flawed reforms or projects such as the Arriva reform and the Delimara extension.

In reaction, the Nationalist Party issued a statement wherein the party said Muscat is " Malta's expert in doom and gloom."

The PN reiterated that Malta has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU, and repeated its 20,000 new job claims.

"But doom and gloom is not the solution - Muscat is not the solution. His is a change for the worse," the PN maintained.