The Labour Party shall be meeting next Friday to modernise its structure and allow MPs to contest for the post of deputy leader for party affairs, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning.
Speaking in Lija, Dr Muscat spoke Toni Abela’s nomination for the Court of Auditors saying he was “a man of integrity” who, he said, would make Malta proud.
The nomination, he said, would open another chapter in the manner the party operated.
“We need all hands on deck in the second part this legislature, but at the same time we have to modernise our party structures,” he said.
An extraordinary general conference is being held on Friday to make the necessary changes, he said.
Earlier, Dr Muscat said that the Labour Government would strive to remain the agent of change. “We cannot rest on our laurels,” he said.
He said that the Labour administration has reversed the negative trend in unemployment with the lowest drop in 25 years, eased the taxation burden and introduced free childcare services.
So far, 350 persons had benefitted from incentives through which the government covered the travelling expenses of both parents when their sick children needed treatment abroad.
He also referred to the €6 million in vehicle registration tax which had been refunded so far, noting that the PN had branded such measure as “corruption”.
“Does this mean that a PN government will take this money back?” he asked.
Dr Muscat referred to the latest Transparency International report in which Malta improved its position by one place over the previous year. He also cited a separate study by The Economist which concluded that Malta was among 20 counties having a solid democracy among 158 states, ahead of the United States.
Touching on the health sector, he said that progress had been registered in Malta’s classification by international agencies as it did not offer abortion services. Dr Muscat, however, stressed, that government had no intention of introducing abortion.
In his address, the Prime Minister spoke about the opening of three regional centres aimed to reduce bureaucracy by outsourcing some 250 government services in the community. The plan was to widen online and even mobile services by rolling out various applications, he said.
Dr Muscat lauded the government’s decision to increase pensions, saying this was the first upward revision in 25 years, as the annual Cost of Living Allowance was only meant as a compensation.
The Prime Minister lashed out at the Opposition leader saying he was resorting to old-style politics.
“Dr Busuttil’s speciality has become to insult people,” he added.
Such attitude is testament to the fact that the PN leader has no plan on energy, fuel, pensions, health and tourism.
Dr Muscat spoke against having frequent fluctuations in fuel prices and thus justified government’s controversial decision to opt for stability. He also accused Simon Busuttil of fomenting racism by spreading rumours that the new university would bring to Malta Muslim students.
Though he did not say it himself, he was urging others to spread the word, the Prime Minister said.
He also stressed the need that the party remained an agent of change.