We believe in fostering unity, love and civil liberty to all’ – Joseph Muscat
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat exclaimed that he is proud to be joining the list of Prime Ministers to have achieved their dreams, citing former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff’s dream of freedom, Prime Minister George Borg Olivier’s dream of independence, and his dream of establishing unity, love and rights to all minorities in Malta.
Dr Muscat’s speech was made on the eve of Freedom Day, at a political activity in Vittoriosa.
“The state should not be there to impose limits, but to help. These are the values that have propelled us forward. We do not look at faces and votes, but we are led by these values.
“These values do not see faces or political parties, but look at a united population who believe in love.
“We believe free healthcare and education should be of the highest quality, that work should always leave an individual with a feeling of dignity. “There have never been more people out at work, and we be- lieve that every mother and woman who wants to work, should be able to work. Parental duties should not limit the woman, because these duties are shared by the father and mother, which is why we made free childcare a priority.”
Dr Muscat made reference to a piece written by late Prime Minister Dom Mintoff in the Daily Malta Chronicie on December 10 1938, where he wrote:
Malta is in desperate need for people with new ideas, that will foster progressive and liberal ideas amidst the universal degeneration of fascism, that will make Malta the envy of the world.
Dr Muscat called these words “forward”, and said that we have made, and continue to make, these words a reality.
He proudly stressed that for the first time in a generation, Malta is generating more wealth and benefits than it is taking and has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe, something that could only be said by Mr Mintoff some 36 years ago.
Areas of poverty still need to be addressed, and there are big obstacles that we need to overcome such as increasing the minimum wage, Dr Muscat said.
“We will continue to work on delivering our dream, which has only been made possible through an independent, free and Republic of Malta.” Deputy Leader Chris Cardona praised the government, saying that it has been fighting tooth-and-nail to bring the public freedom and opportunity.
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Chris Cardona also addressed the event, saying that his “will be acknowledged in history as having worked for liberty and freedom, despite conservative forces trying to limit this work.”
He referenced examples of freedom such as the introduction of divorce, gay marriage or being able to dictate your own identity.
“Dr Muscat is an exemplary symbol of freedom, through the influence he is leaving on Malta’s political landscape and the changes that he is bringing about.”