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Opposition leader Joseph Muscat, asked about the Cabinet reshuffle this morning, replied with another question.

"Did anything happen?"

He said the view held by the people and even Nationalist MPs was this was a change which changed nothing, not because there was no need for change, but because the Prime Minister was scared of change.

The country's problems would remain the same, he said, So would the burdens imposed on the people, such as the utility tariffs.

"The only thing which is becoming more apparent is the government's instability. Otherwise the government would not have adjourned Parliament for such a long time, despite the urgency it is claiming to have to push through the Mepa reform through the House," Dr Muscat said at a PL activity.

In his speech Dr Muscat said the Labour Party was a movement for the middle class while it would never turn its back on the working class. He said the PL had a better vision of economic management for the country and believed that the economy should be encouraged to grow through responsible tax cuts.

Rather than taxing the people more, the government needed to encourage investment and job-creation.

Turning to the privatisation of the ship repair facilities of Malta Shipyards, Dr Muscat said the ‘yard was being sold for just €52m net over 30 years. What the government had given the bus owners in a day in order to back out of promises it had made to them, would only be recovered after 30 years.

How could the Finance Minister retain his place after this?

Dr Muscat declared the Labour Party's support to the protest due to be held in a forthnight over the energy tariffs and encouraged people to take part.