Labour leader Joseph Muscat will address a mass meeting the day after Independence Day to conclude the party's congress in Ta' Qali.

The congress is intended to set the priorities for Labour's manifesto, he said during a press conference this morning.

Asked what MP Karmenu Vella and Labour activist Aaron Farrugia had been doing since they were tasked with drawing up the manifesto, Dr Muscat said their work focused on economic analysis and proposals.

Now, Labour would listen to the people through a first-of-its-kind event, in which the people would have their say on what the priorities and direction they wanted the party to take.

Dr Muscat reiterated that the manifesto would not be a wish list but a roadmap.

The congress has been titled "A Future that Unites Us (Futur li jgħaqqadna) because the Labour Party is not focused on the past, which may have been divisive, but on the future, he said.

The theme was timely, Dr Muscat said, because in the past couple of weeks, following the death of Dom Mintoff, the country had united in mourning despite the former Prime Minister's controversial nature.

He said Labour did not care about people's pasts but was interested in working with everyone towards a better future.

The congress, which will begin on September 14 and end on September 23, will reach a climax on September 22, when the mass meeting will be held in Ta' Qali. 

This means Dr Muscat will give a keynote speech only two days after Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi addresses the PN's Independence Day celebrations on September 20.

The congress – which Dr Muscat described as "horizontal" rather than "top down" in its approach – will discuss business, Gozo, the elderly, healthcare, the family, equality and civil rights, jobs, the environment, energy, education, the economy, youth, and ways to create a fair society.