Muscat promised an earthquake of change, and for starters he has changed a European election into a local one. KARL STAGNO-NAVARRA on the Labour Party’s new direction
Opposition and Labour leader DR Joseph Muscat yesterday shunned electoral polls and made a heartfelt appeal to all party activists to do their utmost and bring out the Labour vote in next Saturday’s European parliament elections.
“Let nobody forget that in on March 8 last year, Labour lost with just a handful of votes, and that is why every vote counts,” Joseph Muscat said, insisting that the polls that are showing a significant lead for the PL next Saturday, “is yet another ploy by the nationalist party. They are doing all they can to drive the result their way” he said.
Addressing a large crowd that thronged the Greek Theatre in Ta’ Qali – waving EU flags for the first time – Muscat insisted that a successful Labour vote will guarantee what he called a “coalition for a brand new dawn.”
During his 40-minute speech, Muscat warned that the electorate must be aware that yet again, the PN was shamefully activating its “web of deceit” as people who approached ministries were receiving follow-up phone calls from the PN.
“It seems that the PN has an endemic problem with its email server, as more mistaken emails were falling into the wrong hands or mistakenly delivered to others, and this is how their web of deceit is being uncovered,” he declared.
Muscat went on to say that next Saturday’s vote is not exclusively a European vote, but most of all, “a vote that has to do with a lot with the current state of affairs in the country.”
Families facing the plight of coping with an ever-increasing cost of living, and pensioners facing exorbitant medicine prices, were “unacceptable” and therefore – according to Muscat – “the electorate must send a clear message that this situation cannot go on any longer.”
He insisted that medicines in Malta were unacceptably more expensive than in any other EU member state and this is why, the PL will work hard within the European institutions together with the European Socialist Group towards the setting up uf a European agency that will safeguard the consumers interests against price abuse.
Saturday’s vote should also be a strong message to government from families and businesses who have received hefty electricity bills, while facing a hypocritical admission by Minister Austin Gatt who said that he regretted the new tariffs should have been introduced in January rather than being backdated to October.
Joseph Muscat added that employment is also an important issue that must be addressed in Saturday’s vote, explaining that workers were facing an unacceptable situation where employers were asking them to register themselves as self-employed or face the sack, while denying themselves the right to a single cent in bonuses.
Many other workers, he said, were also facing illegal immigration as a threat, as employers were seeking migrants to work with lower wages and unacceptable condition.
However, he appeared more careful in his choice of words than on previous occasions, describing the immigrants themselves as victims of abuse.
On healthcare, Joseph Muscat said that if the Prime Minister wanted to be true to his pre-election promise that this would remain free of charge, he should have made this clear when he commissioned a report on the subject.
He insisted that it was shameful for Malta to be the only country among the 10 new EU member states to be charging VAT on vaccines, and added that the PL will investigate comments made by the health parliamentary secretary that this measure was given the green light by the EU.
“Prime Minister Gonzi deceived you and your families,” Muscat said to applause adding that there were people who did not want to vote because they had lost hope.
While urging all to vote next Saturday, Joseph Muscat appealed to all Labourites to fling their doors “wide open” to all genuinely disgruntled PN supporters and Labourites who had strayed from the party during the last few years.
“We want a true vote coming from people’s hearts, electing deserving representatives to defend the Maltese, and not cover up for Gonzi” he said.
Shortly before Joseph Muscat made his speech, the crowd was addressed by PL deputy leader Toni Abela who said that Malta’s problems had a name and a face – Lawrence Gonzi – while in contrast the solution to the problem also had a face and a name: Joseph Muscat.
Exploiting the US President Barack Obama’s electoral campaign twister recounting ‘Joe the Plumber’s plight’ Toni Abela quoted constituents by name and ID card numbers, who faced situations where government showed no respect towards them and left them to their fate in healthcare and taxes, while Ministries and PN insiders were allowed to squander money and buying luxurious cars.
The crowd was also addressed by Jan Marinus Wiersma, Vice President of the European Socialst Group who said that the PL was poised to be the social democrat party that is expected to achieve the best result next Saturday.
The Dutch politician strongly criticised the Gonzi administration for having increased utility tariffs when many EU member states were reducing them.
“I was surprised to see the situation in Malta when I have just read the Belgian papers that explained that utility tariffs in Belgium were reduced because the cost of energy is down,” he said.
On illegal immigration, Wiersma pledged full support form the European Socialists, adding that the support would be “factual” and not “as Gonzi is surrendering and letting Berlusconi, from the same party, solve the problem for himself.”
Highs
• Well done for Joseph Muscat’s surprise appearance with his wife Michelle through the enthusiastic crowd gathered at Ta’ Qali. It was an effective move which set a tone of jubilation and celebration.
• Waving EU flags during a PL activity was a first, and quite a surprise for many gathered in Ta’ Qali. The flags were distributed by a party activist shortly before the meeting, and were all identical.
• The decision to invite senior members of the European Socialist Party to speak at the meeting gave the impression that the PL is firmly anchored in Europe: a clever way to dispel the PN’s current propaganda campaign of Labour as the “No to Europe” party
Lows
• Muscat’s delivery was clear and articulate, but his gesticulations leave much to be desired. The ‘hand on heart’ salute was so fake it was almost comical.
• The PL leader ought to invest in a better selection of shirts. His dress consultants must advise him to get rid of his striped shirts, and opt for clear whites or blues, that can also hide the sweat under his armpits.
• Simlarly, deputy leaders Toni Abela and Anglu Farrugia should consult each other on what to wear when they both appear in public. They emerged wearing very similar white shirsts with black stripes, looking for all the world like Tweedledum and Tweedledee...
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