Although it would benefit Labour to fuel the fire and adopt an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth policy, this would not be beneficial for the country, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.

Speaking in Qormi this morning, Dr Muscat said he spoke with a heavy heart because of the hateful, politically discriminatory and racist declarations made in the past days which led him to reflect on the quality of politics and its contribution to people's lives.

Dr Muscat was referring to the secret recordings of Sliema mayor Joanna Gonzi and councillor Julian Galea, a businessman.

In the recordings Dr Gonzi allegedly said "I want them dead, all of them". It is not known who she was referring to. Mr Galea, who has apologised for his remarks, claimed he had a phobia of Labourites and paid them less than their Nationalist co-workers.

Listening to such statements filled one with a variety of sentiments, including sadness and anger and the best thing to do in such instances was to let the situation cool, Dr Muscat said.

He added that such statements showed that the country had returned to tribal politics.

Dr Muscat again promoted the idea of a movement which he said he believed in wholeheartedly and absolutely.

"If people trust us with their vote, we will govern in a totally new style, we will be a government to all those of good will, all those willing to work with us for the country to progress. Will be be a government even to those who would be promoting campaigns against us," he said.

Justice, Dr Muscat said, will be achieved by giving everyone what they deserved.

Dr Muscat said that a new Labour government might find a situation worse than it was expecting. However, it would rectify what needed to be rectified with the help of all those who agreed with the Labour movement's position, that the country had to be taken back to a place where priorities were the right ones.