Labour leader Alfred Sant yesterday claimed credit for his party for introducing computers in Malta. Speaking in Zurrieq after touring towns and villages with the party’s election coach, Sant slammed the Nationalist government for wanting “to appear as if they were the paladins of IT”.
“It was the Labour Party to launch the first computer in Malta,” Sant claimed, going on to attack the government for taking decades before realising that computers for families should not be subjected to VAT.
Sant spoke about this week’s theme chosen by his party, that of manufacturing, which was derided upon by Investments Minister Austin Gatt who bet his money that factories would close down.
Claiming that he has already been approached by foreign investors willing to open business in Malta, Sant said: “We tell them, give us another phone call on 8 March. Our message is that our country means business. You’ll have a quick reply to your queries, a one-stop shop.”
Sant reiterated his pledge to reopen subsidies for the Malta-Gozo helicopter service, “because that service is needed”.
Attacking the prime minister on corruption, Sant said it was no use marginalising the minister on election eve when he did not act on cases of corruption.
“Doesn’t Gonzi know that when he is approached about corruption cases he has the powers to launch serious investigations,” Sant said. “Instead, he just refers whoever approaches him to report to the police commissioner. This is a deliberate method to let corruption slip. That’s why we need change from top to bottom.”
Deputy leader Michael Falzon referred to the Labour supporters gathered in Zurrieq square as “the lions of change”, adding that the locals there will have an extra feast to celebrate after 8 March besides the two religious ones they have already.
Referring to Monday’s debate at university in which Sant was repeatedly booed by the noisy Nationalist students, Falzon said his leader’s hecklers deserved a doctorate in insults and intolerance. “No wonder we need change, total change,” Falzon said.
The deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, Charles Mangion, said Monday’s rowdy debate showed how urgent the need for change was.
“A few hundreds out of the thousands of university students gave a show of intolerance, arrogance and no human respect,” he said. “We would have expected Gonzi to stop them as the person responsible to give a demonstration of democracy.”
Mangion went on to say that Labour’s pledge to halve the surcharge would not just benefit swimming pool owners, as the PN was claiming.
“But, if anyone prefers getting five light bulbs tal-lira instead of having the surcharge halved, all they need to do is to inform us,” he said jokingly, in a dig at Gonzi’s promise to distribute free energy saving bulbs.

kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt