The Labour Party is focused on the country’s problems and the electoral manifesto it was working upon was not a wish list, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this morning.
Speaking during a radio interview, Dr Muscat said the country needed a road map for economic growth and the private sector had to be allowed to work to create this. It was only in this way that deficit could be reduced in a sustainable way.
The Labour leader referred to the current political situation and said there had not been as much consensus as now on a political matter for a long time.
Everyone realised that it was time for the Prime Minister to call an election but Lawrence Gonzi wanted to keep the country hostage for a bit more.
The PL had been very careful and it was not calling for a general election itself but all civil society and the media, irrespective of whether they supported Labour or PN, were doing so, because this was what common sense dictated.
Dr Gonzi, however, wanted to remain at Castille for a bit more and the more he continued acting in this manner, the more beneficial it was for the Labour Party.
Dr Muscat said that as a result of the Prime Minister’s behaviour, decisions which had to be taken were not being taken and the GonziPN clique was greatly damaging the Nationalist Party and genuine Nationalists.
However, the ball was in the Prime Minister’s court and the decision that had to be taken is his responsibility.
In spite of the fear campaigns being carried out at several places, including at SR Technics and at Air Malta, the PL, he said, was well prepared for an election, whenever this may come and the main issue now was what was happening in the country and the Prime Minister’s attitude.
Dr Muscat said he would have expected the Prime Minister to put the people’s mind at rest about what was happening in the health sector. The situation was disgraceful with medicine not being bought and tenders being given but orders not being made.
He said it seemed this was because there was a problem of a lack of funds. But if there was a sector where this should not be an issue, it was the health sector, which should be treated as a priority.