Labour to 'take its time' to discuss pensions

Labour leader Alfred Sant said the party will be taking its time to discuss the pensions issue, insisting that the matter is complex and requires comprehensive proposals.

Speaking during a meeting with the Alliance of Pensioners' Organisations, he said the party would have to discuss the matter at various levels.

The government said it will be publishing a pension reform Bill before Parliament rises for the summer recess.

The MLP has come under fire from the government for failing to adopt a position on this issue.

Dr Sant had refuted this charge, saying the government had come up with half-baked proposals after eight years of discussion. He said yesterday the issue was complex and demanded decisive solutions.

The alliance's president, Albert Tabone, said pensioners at the lower end of the scale would probably be left with a pension that would not sustain a decent standard of living.

Dr Sant said the pensions debate should cover all categories and not focus on one specific category of pensioners.

In the meantime, the party will continue discussing the matter with various organisations and individuals before it comes to its own conclusions.

The press was asked to leave after the opening speeches.