Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi received a roaring welcome yesterday morning in Siggiewi from a full capacity crowd spilling outside the tent set up for the occasion, as Malta’s general election campaign began being turned up a notch as the first week of campaigning entered its final day.

In a matter of weeks, Dr Gonzi said, the Maltese people are to face an important decision when they go to the polls on 8 March. “On that day,” he said, “the Maltese people will decide what will happen over the next full five years for themselves, their children and the whole of the country.”

The PN’s income tax proposals, Dr Gonzi reiterated, would put more money in the people’s pockets and boost the economy. He also urged voters, particularly those still undecided, to assess both parties’ proposals while bearing in mind the successes and failings of past administrations. The results of such an exercise, he said, would be clear.

“While this week the PN has announced the welcome economic stimulus package, what has Labour done?” Dr Gonzi questioned. “It has announced it intends all children in Malta and Gozo to be kept back a year in education through its reception class proposal.”

From feedback received during his visit to the Rabat open market yesterday morning, where he was swarmed by zealous supporters, Dr Gonzi said it was clear the income tax breaks he had unveiled earlier in the week were appreciated.

Yesterday’s dialogue meeting was hosted by Lourdes Pullicino and was also addressed by PN secretary general Joe Saliba and finance ministry parliamentary secretary Tonio Fenech.

Referring to different elements of Labour’s billboard campaign, Mr Saliba said the MLP’s campaign was perfectly embodied by their billboards – empty containers.

In three of the last four budgets, Dr Gonzi observed, the government had not introduced any new taxes, while in two of the last four budgets, income taxes were, in fact, cut. The first budget of a new PN legislature, he said, would be taking the train of thought one step further by introducing one of the largest income tax breaks in recent memory.