The Nationalists are overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the last budget of this legislature presented by the Prime Minister a few weeks ago. A budget that for obvious reasons has anticipated the festive mood and was an attempt to mitigate the burden carried by social stratifications that were most hardly hit by previous ones.
By contrast to previous budgets presented by Dr Gonzi throughout this legislature, certainly it was a sigh of relief after all the thickset austerity measures introduced during the past years. A skilful exercise that momentarily compensates all those who were left breathless and panting as a result of preceding budgets and government induced costs introduced through the many legal notices.
A budget that most social stratifications have been desperately waiting for after all! Incidentally, all this came at the end of the legislature. The government deliberately thought that now it was the most opportune time to loosen the belt and give us the chance to breath. Mind you, this did not come about simply because the general election is days ahead, but for the reason that our finances are as solid as a rock.
After all, who were the main sponsors of the crass incompetence shown throughout the last years? Shouldn’t we at least be compensated by those who made us bear all the sacrifices and had to carry the burden of all the venial and mortal sins committed? An attempt that came too little too late to resuscitate an agonizing cow that has been by far over-milked.
Definitely, this was more of a political budget rather than an economic one. It lacks economic vision and mission. The main objective after all was to utilize this budget as a pain reliever for those who saw their purchasing power fading away. A budget that won’t survive more than 12 months! Does anyone sincerely believe if we ever had to experience once again a Nationalist budget within the coming 12 months it would be a repeater? Doubtfully!
The Nationalist top guns have earnestly struggled to transmit the impression that this year’s budget was an extraordinary one for the benefit of all our families! The very fact that this was an “extraordinary” budget meant that this was not one in a continuum but a one off. Incidentally it happened to be just a few days before a general election.
Mysteriously, the main issue that followed within the last days was not the enormous benefits resulting from this years’ budget for all our families, but the scoop that a group of youths forming part of the Forum Zghazagh Laburisti are exercising their fundamental right of expression to write letters on local dailies in support of Labour future plans. Those who believe they are the stalwarts of democracy on these islands have created a turmoil out of a non-issue!
Surely it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. “A group of youths is manipulating the local media!” Then, no mention regarding the list of spin doctors who weekly feature in dailies and weeklies portraying the modus operandi of this regime as out of this world. Irrespective of whatever is said about these youths, surely no one can allege that they are corrupt or that somehow are benefiting from lucrative consultancy fees or benefiting in anyway from public tenders or direct orders.
Another scaremongering assertion is that Labour’s future plan is chock-a-block with hollow promises. What cheek! The same people who have been promising heaven on earth and then keep on fabricating utopian promises still believe that they can continue to take everyone for a ride! A simple exercise would reveal that they are responsible for unfulfilled promises that have been proposed more than 20 years ago!
At present in the country there is a general feeling that the downfall of the PN is precisely attributed to the endless list of hollow and unfulfilled promises made throughout the past 20 years. Promises that either never materialized or else kept dragging on for ages. Most of our electorate is fed-up with is crass incompetence and being treated as gullible.
A dreadful error committed by the Prime Minister during the last legislature for which he is going to pay a high price was that he failed to affect the necessary repotting when the need was badly felt by all and sundry. Currently, the country is in a desperate need of thorough pruning, weeding, ploughing and reseeding. Our voting public is resolute to affect this process and soon.
It will be a sigh of relief, as our country will be experiencing the flourishing fresh buds just at the right season: spring. We will be doing away from a style of politics which its best before date has elapsed by far. Within the coming days we will be assisting to a new way of administering this country. We will be turning on a new clean sheet.

Roderick Galdes
Labour’s Spokesman for the Environment and National Heritage