The Labour Party had sunk to new depths after the recording of its deputy leader Toni Abela was released, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said last night.

“He is the deputy leader and Labour Leader Joseph Muscat is protecting him,” Dr Gonzi told a political meeting in Mqabba.

Dr Abela “knows who the Labour police are and he is saying that he doesn’t have trust in Nationalist police”. This was discriminating between the two...what could be worse than this, the Nationalist lead-er asked.

Dr Abela was also a lawyer and “knows the weight of his words”.

Dr Gonzi said he always allowed the police to investigate and go ahead with any action they deemed necessary. Now Labour had the cheek to say they wanted to fight corruption.

The party’s true colours were emerging with this incident, with former deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia’s charge of political murder aimed at Dr Muscat, and with the recent recording of the words of General Workers’ Union secretary general Tony Zarb.

There was no getting away from the link between the Labour Party and the union because there was a recording. This went back to the “bad times” when the two were linked.

He urged the electorate to be strong and not lose hope. “People are hearing us and slowly coming to us,” he said.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same. Careful. Three weeks are left before the people decide who will lead.”

Dr Gonzi received a glowing accolade from Philip Bradbourne, a British MEP for the Conservative Party, who said that thanks to the Prime Minister’s decisions, the country enjoyed stability when there was a global downturn.

Tough decisions were taken but Malta was on a path of growth, he said.