Alfred Sant: Ħadd mhu akbar mill-Partit Laburista u xejn mhu akbar mill-pajjiż

Waqt li kien qed jindirizza lid-delegati tal-partit fil-Konferenza Ġenerali tal-Partit Laburista, li saret fil-Ħamrun l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant enfasizza li l-Partit Laburista dejjem kien hemm għan-nies komuni. Kien grazzi għall-partit li seħħ tnaqqis kbir fil-faqar, minkejja li dan ma ġiex eliminat għal kollox. Madanakollu, ma tistax tmexxi l-ġlieda kontra l-faqar u favur il-ġustizzja soċjali, mingħajr ma tiġġenera l-ġid u tipproteġih. Dak hu li qed jagħmel il-gvern Laburista, saħaq Sant, biex fl-aħħar mill-aħħar il-ġid iġġenerat jintuża ħalli jtejjeb il-ġid tal-poplu.

Il-Konferenza Ġenerali Laburista ssir kull sena. Isservi biex titfassal il-viżjoni tal-partit u tagħti lid-delegati l-opportunità li jibqgħu aġġornati mal-ħidma li qed issir f’isimhom.

L-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Alfred Sant faħħar il-ħidma li saret mill-eks Prim Ministru u eks Mexxej tal-Partit Laburista Joseph Muscat u tal-Prim Ministru u Mexxej tal-Partit Laburista attwali Robert Abela. Huwa insista li n-nies għandhom iżommu saqajhom mal-art għax il-pajjiż qed jiffaċċja tliet sfidi kbar jiġifieri, il-ġlieda kontra l-inflazzjoni, l-isforz meħtieġ biex tiġi miġġielda l-bidla fil-klima, u l-prospett li taħt pressjoni tal-Unjoni Ewropea Malta jkollha żżid ir-rata tat-taxxa korporattiva tagħha biex iġġibha konformi ma’ bażi ta’ taxxa komuni.

Dwar it-tibdil fil-klima Sant qal li l-miżuri li qed jiġu żviluppati fi ħdan l-Unjoni Ewropea biex iħarsuna minn dan id-diżastru naturali se jeħtieġu sagrifiċċji mal-Ewropa kollha u bidliet kbar fil-mod kif niggvernaw lil pajjiżna. Min-naħa l-oħra, qal li bażi ta’ taxxa komuni jkollha impatt fuq is-settur tas-servizzi finanzjarji f’Malta, li huwa pilastru ewlieni tal-ekonomija.

Dwar problemi ta’ governanza li jridu jiġu ffaċċjati, Sant wissa li l-Partit Laburista m’għandux iħalli lilu nnifsu jiġi aljenat mis-suċċess tiegħu stess u jċedi għat-tentazzjoni li jinjora l-kwistjonijiet ta’ amministrazzjoni ħażina u korruzzjoni. Il-prattika tal-politika m’għandhiex titqies bħala ħidma ta’ karriera, iżda bħala sforz biex wieħed iwettaq l-ideali tiegħu, enfasizza Sant.

---

Alfred Sant: No one is greater than the Labour Party and nothing is greater than the country

Addressing party delegates at the Labour Party General Conference, held in Ħamrun former Prime Minister Alfred Sant emphasized that the Labour Party has always been there for ordinary people. It was thanks to the party that there was a large decline in poverty, eventhough this was not completely eradicated. Yet, you cannot lead the fight against poverty and in favour of social justice, without generating wealth and protecting it which is what the Labour government has been doing, Sant stressed, so that ultimately the wealth generated would be used to improve the welfare of the people.

Labour’s General Conference is held every year. It serves to lay out the vision of the party and gives delegates the opportunity to keep abreast with the work being done on its behalf.

Labour MEP Alfred Sant commended the work done by former Prime Minister and former Leader of the Labour Party Joseph Muscat and of the current Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party Robert Abela. He insisted that people should keep their feet on the ground because the country is facing three daunting tasks namely, the struggle against inflation, the effort required to fight climate change, and the prospect of having under European Union pressure to increase its corporate tax rate and bring it in line with a common tax base.

On climate change Sant said that the measures that are being developed within the European Union to shield us from this natural disaster will require sacrifices for all Europe and big changes in how we govern our country. On the other hand, he said that a common tax base would impact the financial services sector in Malta, which is a key pillar of the economy.

Turning to problems of governance that must be faced, Sant warned that the Labour Party should not allow itself to be distracted by its own success and succumb to the temptation of overlooking the issues of bad administration and corruption. The practice of politics should not be seen as a career move, but as an effort to fulfil one’s ideals, Sant emphasized.