The Opposition expects the House Business Committee to treat with urgency its motion calling for the car park tenders to be withdrawn since the tender was closing on October 26, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.
Speaking in Lija, he said that the tender was grossly irresponsible in that it was proposing a monopoly without setting any parameters for charges.
Labour believed in a free market and that more competition should be created but it was not in favour of the creation of new monopolies.
“We want to safeguard consumers. We do not want the people to have another burden,” he said adding that the PL was proposing solutions because those who created the problems could not solve them.
Lawrence Gonzi, Dr Muscat said, had taken over the Nationalist Party and made it unrecognisable for many Nationalists, including EU Commissioner John Dalli.
In such a situation, Labour had to continue to be united and open, more than ever before. The movement had space for everyone and should be the natural choice for the disillusioned Nationalists who no longer recognised their party.
It should be the natural home of all Maltese and Gozitans, including those, who once were part of the PL but left for a reason or other. PL activists, he said, should welcome these people whom he - Joseph Muscat - believed in.
Earlier, Dr Muscat said that Labour would not promise everything to everyone and then try to justify why it was not keeping its promises.
It would be responsible and implement what it promised. It would follow a roadmap to build a new middle class, strengthening the weak in society.
Economic growth was of utmost importance and everything Labour would do would be aimed at this because it wanted to ensure social justice – giving everyone the same opportunities to progress in life.
He said that while GonziPN was very good at winning elections, it was very bad at administering the country.
Labour, he said, would accept the people’s choice serenely because this was not the end but the means.
Dr Muscat noted that no one was believing the Prime Minister when he said that Labour would freeze the minimum wage.
People were mature enough to realise who was taking the responsible approach. They knew the difference between minimum wage and cost of living adjustments and would not be duped into believing the lies about the issue.
Referring to a declaration made by MEP Simon Busuttil recently that the PL would seek a bailout if it won the next election, Dr Muscat asked whether Dr Busuttil knew something Labour did not.
He said that from a technical point of view, Malta could never need a bailout because it was not in debt with foreigners but with the Maltese.
He also referred to a statement by Fitch this week that whatever the election result, Malta’s financial situation would remain stable.
The PL, Dr Muscat said, had already acquired its first certificate of stability from foreign experts.