Former minister Manuel Mallia said today that he was a Labour 'soldier of steel' and would stay within the Labour ranks.
The former home affairs minister was among speakers at a Labour activity in Zebbug as part of campaigning for the local council elections.
He spoke on an array of subjects, stressing the government's investment in healthcare and free childcare centres, enabling more women to go to work.
The government had created 5,000 new jobs in two years, he said.
This government also kicked off a plan to integrate disabled people within the society, even after their parents passed away.
Referring to the elderly, he said the government had found a disaster at the St Vincent de Paul home and its kitchens. Mepa had now approved plans for rehabilitation of the wards and the kitchen itself.
The Nationalist Party, he said, was worse off now than it was in the last election. It had no ideals and was negative and pessimistic.
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had claimed that the opposition had removed him, Dr Mallia said, but he was still there.
"I am still here. I was, am, and will remain here. I am now also a soldier of steel," Dr Mallia said.
He urged his listeners to vote Labour on Saturday. "We are optimistic and we are on the right side, and the right always wins," he said.
The event was also addressed by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
Dr Muscat - who had ordered Dr Mallia to step down after the shooting incident involving his driver and efforts to cover up the incident - praised Dr Mallia, saying he was a gentleman and an example of the Labour team spirit which, although not perfect, got stronger with the blows it received.
Dr Muscat reiterated his wish to see Labour win the local elections on Saturday, reversing the trend where local elections were usually won by the opposition.
On the allegations about Gozo minister Giovanna Debono and 'work for votes' he said that while Simon Busuttil had claimed to have only learnt about the case recently, PN president Anne Fenech had revealed how the PN executive was briefed about the case some three weeks ago.
Dr Muscat went over Labour's record in the past two years, mentioning, among other things, the way how it had reviewed the 'badly planned' interconnector project.
The interconnector, from Sicily to Malta, will be formally commissioned on Thursday with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi taking part in the inauguration.