The role of the state should be to give talent a level playing field for the country to develop, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this evening.

Speaking during a seminar on a creative society he said this meant that everyone should be given the opportunity to develop his talent.

B ut the artists’ argument for this opportunity to be given should be that they deserved this because they were good, not because they were Maltese.

Dr Muscat said that it was the role of the state to expose real talent.

The Labour leader said that state broadcasting should give back to the public by promoting activities and productions which cost money because of the work they entailed and which were not always commercially viable.

Artists, he said, should not expect one to opt for a Maltese production just because it was Maltese but because it was good.

Labour MP Owen Bonnici said the party had been against censorship in arts. The party, he said, would continue working for criminal legislation regarding the arts to be revised.

The fundamental role of politicians was to find talent and give it the opportunity, he said.