Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/827043
maltatoday, TUESDAY, 23 MAY 2017 7 News MIRIAM DALLI PRIME Minister and Labour leader Joseph Muscat has urged voters to collect their voting documents, warning that "thousands of voting documents" remain uncol- lected. "Pass on the word and make sure to collect your voting documents," Muscat said, adding that votes should be cast at the earliest possible on 3 June. Muscat was addressing a mass rally in Hamrun, at the Tar-Rabbat Housing Estate, where he drove home the message that people needed to get out to vote. He also reassured those present that the Labour Par- ty was against abortion: "We are in favour of helping peo- ple forming their own fami- lies," he said. Muscat also urged those present to vote for the La- bour Party. "The coalition of confusion is no longer a laughing mat- ter," he said, referring to the PN-PD coalition. "Every day you need to take decisions and Simon Busuttil will end up spending every single day negotiating with Marlene Farrugia, asking for her per- mission." As he made his way through the crowd, towards the po- dium, the Labour leader was stopped multiple times to pose for photos with adoring fans and to sign f lags and copies of books. His address was aimed at informing the crowd pre- sent what they would ben- efit from if the Labour Party were re-elected to a second term. At the same time, he took aim at a number of proposals by the Nationalist Party, insisting that the PN would only be able to deliver the pledges it was making if it increases utility bills, VAT and national insurance. "So the choice is clear: it's between Simon Busuttil and us… but you know where you stand with us. You know that we keep our word," Muscat said, to chants of "Joseph! Joseph!" and loud clapping. With Muscat increasing his visits in different localities, it became evident that even his followers have learned some of his catchphrases, at times finishing his sentenc- es in one loud chant. The Labour leader said that the Malta Files – the publi- cation by the European In- vestigations Collaborations which includes MaltaToday – reveal nothing illegal. Muscat said that he spent the morning reading foreign newspapers like l'Espresso, Der Spiegel and French jour- nals which included reports "attacking" David Gonzi – the son of former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi – in connection with the in- formation of Malta Files. "I will defend Dr David Gonzi," Muscat said, adding that defending Gonzi also meant "defending Malta". On the Panama company Egrant inquiry, Muscat told the supporters "to expect falsified documents to be published any time now". against embryo freezing, euthanasia vestment, there will not be sale of citizenship because I am still against the principle," he said, adding that prospective investors would have to show a commitment towards the country before being given a passport. Busuttil stressed that, unlike the current government, he would use the proceeds rather than save them. Egrant inquiry On the challenge by the Prime Minister to resign if the Egrant inquiry were to find no connection between Mus- cat and the Panama company Egrant, Busuttil said he was sure the magistrate would feel there was enough evidence to merit further investigation. "There is a whistleblower that saw with her own eyes, docu- ments saying Egrant belongs to the Prime Minister's wife," he said. "When you have an al- legation that isn't simply made up, but is coming from a per- son, it must be taken seriously." In addition to this, he said a report on Pilatus bank had been published in The Malta Independent, that showed the bank is used for money laundering. He added that the Prime Minister had lied five times when defending himself against the allegations during a debate Put together, he said these facts were serious enough for him to speak out. "God forbid I didn't speak up," he said. "People would have questioned what purpose I have, had I not." Bugeja pointed out that while Busuttil had stated on numer- ous occasions that he had no faith in the police, there were "other options" that could have been used to report corrup- tion, such as going straight to the courts to challenge the po- lice commissioner or to go the commission against corrup- tion, which he said was "led by a magistrate with a good repu- tation". However, Busuttil stressed that the leader of the opposi- tion should not be the person tasked with acting on matters of corruption. Turning to the CapitalOne Inquiry, in which PN deputy leader was involved, Bugeja also asked Busuttil whether he had tried to find out what was stated by the part of the report that was not published and which had been sent to the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit. Busuttil however insisted the inquiry "had found nothing" and once again stressed that it was not his job to find out what the contents of the report were. Finally, Busuttil did not deny having told BirdLife repre- sentatives that he was against spring hunting, despite public- ly saying that he was in favour of it. He said that as far as the PN was concerned the referen- dum result must be respected and he was sure that Partit Demokratiku leader Marlene Farrugia, who is against hunt- ing, would accept it. Thousands of voting documents not yet collected, Muscat warns