Muscat promises big changes

MLP leadership contender Joseph Muscat said yesterday he would unite the Labour Party and give it a victorious future.

Speaking at a public meeting in Vittoriosa, he said that after this week's and next week's elections, the party would unite behind its new leader.

If he were the one chosen, his first task would be to meet the other four contestants to look at how the party should progress.

He referred to the latest published poll and thanked Labourites, floating voters, small-party voters, youths and persons who did not vote in the last election for considering him their favourite candidate.

"I am not the favourite of only one section - the Nationalists. Don't worry, we will work together and attract these voters as well."

The country had to be given a dream, workers had to be given new rights, businessmen incentives and youths opportunities, he said.

A government minister was agreeing with the Labour Party that the waiting lists for operations at Mater Dei Hospital were scandalous, Dr Muscat said.

The former health minister, he said, had been hurt by these comments. Those who had waited for years for an operation had been hurt much more, however.

Referring to the forthcoming removal of the departure tax and the car registration tax he said he had campaigned about these issues at length and managed to change the government's position on them.

He would be going for big changes and he was not, and would not be swayed by others in any way.

"I will bring about changes and they will be big changes," he promised.