The Nationalist Party general council yesterday night approved an electoral manifesto of 353 promises which pledges less taxes, and new environmental and law and order proposals.
Amongst its fiscal proposals, the PN is promising to curtail taxes, abolish the annual €16.31 (Lm7) levy on credit cards, the annual TV license of €34.94 (Lm15) and the air departures tax of €23 (Lm10).
It has also pledge to completely eliminate the inheritance tax on property.
In an effort to address the issue of transparency, the PN is pledging that all appointments to governmental boards are only done after a public call for applications from prospective candidates.
The PN is also promising to wipe out hospital waiting lists. “In cases where the waiting list problem persists, the government enters into a specific agreement with the private sector in Malta. These can offer free services to the patients.”
The manifesto refers to the controversial issue of hunting and trapping stating that “one can practice hunting and trapping in conformity with EU regulations as understood by the European Court.”
The manifesto is also promising touch measures on crime through the introduction of a sexual offenders and paedophile register, and electronic tagging for defendants facing serious criminal charges in court. The sex offenders’ register would only be accessible to law enforcement officials and official institutions.
But despite its calls for stronger families, and having had a workshop on families during the last General Council, the 72-page manifesto is weak on family proposals – even discarding its 1998 promise for the recognition of the rights of cohabiting partners.
Among its infrastructural promises, the PN said it wants to develop the first open-air studio for film productions, strengthen the manufacturing industry in Gozo, and other long promised projects such as the reconstruction of the Royal Opera House and City Gate. On Gozo, the manifesto lists 29 promises for the sister island, and pledges that it will be generating all its energy through alternative sources.
In a rousing farewell speech, outgoing veteran MP Antoine Mifsud Bonnici warned Nationalists not to cast their vote for either Alternattiva Demokratika or Azzjoni Nazzjonali: “If you vote AD or AN, this will be a vote in favour of the Malta Labour Party and against the Nationalist Party,” insisted Mifsud Bonnici.
Mifsud Bonnici also appealed to Lawrence Gonzi for more supervision on government departments. “It is against my wishes to say that not all departments are serving people equally. For me it isn’t acceptable that a government department discriminates Nationalist voters. Others are being served in a better and faster way,” Mifsud Bonnici said.
His speech was followed by a standing ovation by the Nationalist councillors.
Yesterday’s general council was sealed with Gonzi’s speech, who made special reference to Environment Minister George Pullicino as “the one who did a lot for the environment.”
Gonzi appealed to his diehards not to take anything for granted during this election. “We can win if we work together till the very end. In the past we worked hard in order to win important elections… We have to be humble. We’re telling people ‘we know that we could do more’. There were things which we could have done better. We are not perfect. We don’t know it all.”
Gonzi also referred to former minister John Dalli’s earlier speech. “Like John Dalli said, we are in the phase of closing a chapter and opening another one.”
Earlier Dalli insisted that change was needed in each sector. “It’s in the Nationalists’ DNA to change and not to leave things unchanged”, he said with reference to a recent jibe by Labour deputy leader Charles Mangion on the Nationalists “having something wrong in their DNA.”

jfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt