[facebook_video video_url="https://www.facebook.com/partitlaburista/videos/1543233465707289"][/facebook_video]
Joseph Muscat urged voters to overcome the Opposition’s fear-mongering and choose to continue down the road of prosperity started four years ago.
In the last mass meeting of the electoral campaign, the Labour leader told the thousands of supporters gathered at the Ħal Far raceway to trust him once more because he had delivered a better country.
“You trusted us four years ago because you yearned for change… I come before you today to hand back a better country than we found it,” he said, describing his government's achievements as “a marvellous project”.
In an impassioned speech, which he delivered without the use of teleprompters, Dr Muscat thanked people for trusting him four years ago.
“I was simply the instrument to bring about the change you desired. I was your servant and it was an honour to be so,” Dr Muscat said.
He listed the changes that occurred over the past four years, including free childcare for working parents, tax cuts, lower utility bills, higher pensions and better civil rights, and warned all this could be lost if people did not vote next Saturday.
Admitting his government's failures on good governance, Dr Muscat said the Labour Party was proposing to include a Constitutional change so that wrongdoing by public officials is censored immediately and taken out of the hands of any future prime minister.
“I come before you with hand on heart, satisfied with the work we have done. The good is all your merit. The bad, I will shoulder responsibility for.”
Dr Muscat outlined the choice for voters on Saturday: it was either someone who was economically incompetent and who would be hostage to “a person who says one thing in the morning and another in the evening”; or someone who had a plan, was full of optimism, energy and now also had experience.
“The coalition of confusion will bring about instability,” he warned, urging people to go out and vote for all Labour candidates.
To those who voted PL for the first time four years ago, Dr Muscat said their trust had been repaid by creating more jobs, growing the economy and introducing more civil rights, contrary to what the PN had predicted.
Dr Muscat welcomed those who will vote for the PL for the first time on Saturday, urging them not to believe the scaremongering perpetuated by the PN. “Jobs will continue being created and the economy will continue to grow.”
“To those who always voted for us, like you,” he told the cheering crowd, "let us give another patriotic sign because for us Malta has always come first and foremost”.
Dr Muscat said it made no sense to ask people to choose Malta – the PN slogan. “You do not choose your mother. We do not choose Malta because we are Malta.”
It was voters’ turn to pass judgement on Saturday, he added, a verdict he would respect.
“If people decide they have had enough, I will bow my head and move out but if people decide to continue down the road we started, I will promise you more energy and dedication because this country’s best days are still to come.”
Photo: Kurt Sansone
Photo: Chris Sant Fournier
Photo: Chris Sant Fournier