Labour Party in election drive

The Labour Party's electoral campaigning is in full swing as this morning's traditional Sunday speech was made under a new political theme - 'Guarantee for Youths: Education, Training, Work' (Garanzija għaż-Żgħażagħ: Tagħlim - Taħriġ - Xogħol).

Just before PL leader Joseph Muscat addressed the party faithful, three short interventions were made by MPs Luciano Busuttil and Jose Herrera and candidate Charles Azzopardi who will be contesting the general elections under a PL ticket.

Hinting at the PL's electoral manifesto, Busuttil said the PL will guarantee a place of work to early school leavers, while helping them to train for a job or to further their studies.

On the other hand, Herrera encouraged the supporters that Labour would win this time round.

Addressing the crowd gathered in Zabbar, Joseph Muscat described his "movement as the natural home of the youths".

"We are the movement of aspirations, of those who believe they could be better and of the parents who work hard to guarantee their children a reliable future," he said.

Muscat said that the Nationalist Party is so afraid of losing power that it is resorting to scaremongering: "On the other hand, we are the movement that looks out for the aspirations of the youths."

He said that whenever it will take place, the PL will always be ready for the general elections when the electorate will be asked to make a choice: "Teachers, students, workers will soon have to make a choice. It will also be a moment of choice for the middle class who, under this government, is feeling threatened."

Muscat said that if Labour were to be elected in government, he would bring back the middle class to how it once was.

"We know which are the priorities. That's basic difference between us and them - €500 increase for MPs, the building of a bridge to nowhere or the construction of a new parliament are not priorities to us."

Muscat also referred to the motion tabled in parliament by shadow foreign minister George Vella calling for the resignation of Malta's permanent representative to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana.

Muscat said Cachia Caruana - whom he repeatedly referred to as the "expensive guy" - had gone behind the parliament's back, "in complete disrespect of democracy", during talks with NATO officials in 2004 to reactivate Malta's Partnership for Peace programme.

Muscat said it didn't matter to the Opposition which foreigners Cachia Caruana was set to bring to discuss his resignation motion. The issue at stake, Muscat said, was the supremacy of parliament which was being put at risk by the "puppet master".

"No one is bigger than the people. If elected, we will make sure that everyone abides to the democratic rules of parliament," he said, as he prepared party faithful to expect "a dirty campaign full of lies".

Muscat also reiterated his appeal that no one should think Labour is going to have an easy road to victory.

"We should work hard with the hope and believe that this movement is on the right side of history. We are the movement who is working for a better Malta ... to truly see Malta the best in Europe," Muscat said.