Sant non-committal on post-election referendum

Labour leader Alfred Sant did not confirm or deny yesterday whether his party was considering calling a referendum on EU membership or partnership if it won the next election.

Asked about this following a report in yesterday's The Times, Dr Sant only said he would give Shakespeare's advice: "Be patient till the last".

Speaking at a news conference on forming a new social alliance for persons with a disability, Dr Sant said a new Labour government would seek out an alliance with the opposition, the Church and other organisations to draw up a 10-year plan aimed at consolidating all the national efforts to assist persons with a disability.

The priorities in this plan would be education, the creation of respite centres, the creation of employment opportunities for persons with a disability and ensuring a better future for those whose parents were no longer able to care for them.

Dr Sant said the plan would include respite centres in the community and part of St Luke's Hospital would be adapted to serve as a home. All this would be done hand in hand with all the social forces which showed creativity and good will.

In the field of education, one priority of a new Labour government would be to revive the special needs school at Wardija, giving it a new lease of live.

Under a Labour government, there would be no VAT on medicine, or on medical and other equipment required to help persons with a disability lead a better life.

Labour MP Karl Chircop said a new Labour government would do its utmost to boost the standard of living of persons with a disability to the level of everyone else's.

Labour candidate on the third district Joseph Abela said it was a shame that persons with a disability were ending up at St Luke's waiting for a place at St Vincent de Paul when they no longer had their parents to care for them.