On the eve of the party’s first mass meeting at Cospicua tomorrow afternoon, Labour leader Alfred Sant took it relatively easy yesterday and only took part in a discussion programme on Super One Radio starting at 10.30am.
He left it in the hands of the two deputy leaders Charles Mangion and Michael Falzon and the party administration to visit the Arkadia Shopping complex in Victoria, Gozo, an hour later. So while Labour was lambasting Gonzi for leaving his ministers out of his campaign, Sant left his deputies on their own on the little island.
This morning, Sant will also be taking part in One TV’s press review show “Fl-Isfond ta’ l-Ahbar” hosted by Simone Cini, starting at 10 am.
Speaking on Super One Radio, Sant said that the Labour Party will be working during this electoral campaign to promote the message of change. “A Labour Government will maintain those things that are faring well, while those things that are faring badly will be addressed in the best interest of the Maltese and Gozitan people.”
Sant explained that the electoral manifesto approved by the party’s extraordinary general conference last Thursday under the slogan “Work, Care, and Dignity” recognised the need that in our country, opportunities are created for everybody.
The Labour leader insisted that the cost of living issue should be taken seriously with an effective law that protects consumers. He referred to the report published by EuroMoney Review and said that in this report, the chairman of the Commission for Fair Trading, Magistrate Silvio Meli had lambasted the fair trading legislation in Malta as being “toothless”.
Sant reiterated the pledge that a new Labour Government will help families by removing the VAT burden on education with a refund included in the children’s allowance, while at the same time reducing surcharge on water and electricity bills by half. “To those who took scandal as to from where the money will come, we tell them why don’t you get scandalised with yourselves when you are proposing something which will exclude large swathes of the population which are not paying income tax, which you are claiming to be reducing,” Sant insisted.
The Labour leader also lambasted Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech’s €35,000 donation to the organisers of the Valletta vs Juventus match in January from the Good Causes Fund. “It is shameful,” said Sant, “that Fenech donates money to a commercial company to make money, when these funds should be used for deserving social causes.”

czahra@mediatoday.com.mt