The Labour Deputy Leader for Party Affairs and Vice President of the Party of European Socialists, Alex Agius Saliba, declared that “the Labour Party’s priorities are driven by social justice.” Speaking at the closing of the first session of the Labour Party’s Annual General Conference, Agius Saliba said the Party’s compass “is the creation and fair distribution of wealth to those most in need.”
He argued that this vision stands in contrast with the Nationalist Party, which he said “is in panic” ahead of another strong budget. Agius Saliba also underlined the Labour Government’s efforts to “leave more money in people’s pockets,” and noted that delegates would review the Party’s financial accounts — “something the PN cannot do.” He criticised the Nationalist MEPs for “inciting foreign colleagues against Malta,” and praised the Government’s investment in facilities such as the Ċensu Moran Centre in Paola and the Aquatic and Sports Pavilion in Gozo.
Referring to a motion presented by the Bormla Local Committee, Agius Saliba commended its focus on social and affordable housing, calling it “the way forward” for Malta’s social progress. The motion recognised a “revolution in social housing policy” since 2013, highlighting that the social housing waiting list “was almost halved between 2017 and 2024.” It noted a €40 million project providing homes for 267 families, reforms to pre-1995 rent laws, and accessibility works including €2 million in new lifts.
The motion also referenced measures such as Deposit Guarantee, Equity Sharing, Social Loan, New Hope, and Sir Sid Darek, which helped over 1,300 families, as well as Ursula von der Leyen’s words that “housing is about dignity, justice, and the future of Europe.” It urged Malta to “serve as a practical model” for sustainable, affordable housing, with further retrofitting, urban greening, and regeneration of abandoned properties.
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