A new aid scheme for local councils will be announced in the coming days to help them in their work and projects Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday.
Addressing a large crowd of party supporters during the opening of the Labour Party General Council in Żejtun, Abela said the central government had had meetings with local councils to discuss the future of their localities.
“Today, I can announce that in the coming days we will be providing a new and stronger government aid programme for all our local councils,” Abela said.
It would, he said, be a strong programme that would cover the various projects the councils carry out.
The announcement comes as Malta prepares for its local elections on June 8- the same day as the European Parliament election, with both major parties stating they have a good number of candidates to field.
The PL leader gave no details on the new local councils aid programme, but instead highlighted the importance of voting for the PL in the upcoming election.
He said June 8 would be a day of important decisions and the Labour Party was proud to have a large pool of dedicated candidates, both old and new.
“Instead look at our friends, the Opposition. They look at their councillors as just a number to gain power back. Power to run the country. We cannot let power be abused in this way.”
PN want to turn the clock back
At the beginning of his speech, Abela slammed the Nationalist Party for trying to “turn the clock back” on the progress the government had made.
“We heard it from the PN just last week. They want this (the election) to be the beginning of the road back to power,” he said.
“They are so thirsty for power, they have no shame. They think June 8 is the day in which they will start their way back to Castille. They told us that the PN is here, and they brought out Lawrence Gonzi and Simon Busuttil to show us. They want to take the clock back, not forwards.”
Abela said that the Opposition could not stand the success the government was achieving for the country and had no confidence in its growth.
“Have you ever heard the Opposition say anything positive about this country,” Abela asked.
He said that the government, on the other hand, continued to move the country forward and create opportunities for everyone.
“You can be smart, ambitious, and have as many dreams as you want, but without a government or country which believes in you, you won’t make it,” he said.
‘Peace, peace and peace’ - Malta’s foreign policy
Abela referred to a comment the Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg made at the beginning of the event, commenting on how the island’s foreign affairs policy was built on three words: “Peace, peace and peace”.
Abela said people should not be fooled into thinking that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East had no impact on their lives in Malta.
Malta, he said, would never stray from the road of peace and neutrality.
Former PN leader Simon Busutill had said that he wanted to see Europe invest in its arms industry, so that those around it would be afraid.
“This is not the talk we want. We say no to arms, no to war, yes to peace and neutrality.”
On a final note, Abela issued a call to Labour Party supporters to attend the party’s Worker’s Day mass meeting on May 1.