Former General Workers' Union stalwart Tony Zarb entered the political fray this morning, telling 'hurt' Labour voters that the pain would be worse with a Nationalist government.
Speaking during a rally organized by the Għaqda Veterani Laburisti, Mr Zarb, former union general secretary, targeted those who might be considering not voting.
READ:Tony Zarb to be awarded Gieħ ir-Repubblika
"To those of you who are thinking of not voting, who say you are hurt, I say the hurt will be worse with a Nationalist government. But with a new Labour government this hurt will be gone," he said.
Mr Zarb said the PN wanted to make the country "Labour proof". This, he warned, was a threat to all Labour supporters, and a sign of what was to come with a future PN administration.
He told elderly party supporters gathered in the GWU's auditorium, that he had recently required medical tests which he feared would result in a worrying health matter.
"So I told the doctor, will I make it to June 3? Because after that, the country will make do without me, but not without this great man [Joseph Muscat]," he said, prompting a chorus of "Joseph, Joseph."
Mr Zarb stepped down from his union post in 2015 and later reportedly served as part-time consultant to minister Konrad Mizzi. He famously headed the GWU's Issa Daqshekk (enough is enough) campġaign against the PN government in public protests in 2000.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, meanwhile, told the applauding veteran party supporters that the questions voters had to ask were: "Am I better off today? Is the country doing well? And the answer is clear," he said.
Dr Muscat listed electoral proposals that would affect the elderly - most notably subsidised public transport and a pensions boost.
After the work done to reduce hospital waiting lists and out of stock medicines, the Labour Party would now turn its attention to homes for the elderly, eradicating waiting lists there, he said.
He made an appeal to the veterans, many of whom waved old Malta Labour Party flags, to convince undecided voters.
"You have been through fire before and you know that passing through fire makes steel stronger," he said, a reference to Suldati tal-azzar, which is how the PL describes its activists.