Joseph Muscat laughed off the Nationalist Party’s proposal to lower electricity tariffs at night, saying the party would probably give families alarm clocks.

Parents, he said jokingly, were unlikely to allow their children to watch television after 10pm in order to save on electricity.

Interviewed by TV presenter Miriam Dalli under the tent in Pieta yesterday, the Labour leader took a dig at the PN’s night tariff proposal saying it was unclear by how much bills would be reduced.

“The PN will probably distribute free alarm clocks for people to wake up at night and use household appliances then.”

He also criticised the PN’s budgeting of its proposals, saying a gas pipeline was not even catered for.

“The Government’s gas pipeline proposal, including a floating LNG terminal, will cost €700 million and the PN did not budget a single euro for this in its manifesto costings,” Dr Muscat said.

The costing exercise presented by the Finance Minister also failed to take into account the expenditure to save Air Malta, he added. He reiterated that taxes would have to go up to finance the PN’s pledges.

Dr Muscat showered accolades on the Labour Party’s election candidates, describing them as “cutting edge”.

Voters in every district would have difficulty choosing between the candidates; Labour’s were accomplished in their respective fields.

Dr Muscat defended his party’s plan to separate the planning and environmental functions of the planning authority. The experiment of merging the two functions had failed to leave the desired results, he said.

He said that under Labour, planning fees would be reduced to a more realistic level within weeks of the new government taking office. Developments aimed at regenerating urban areas would carry more advantageous fee structures.

Dr Muscat arrived at the venue accompanied by deputy leader Louis Grech, who is a candidate on the first district that includes Pieta.