It would seem that in drawing up the budget measures for 2008, which he announced yesterday, Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Lawrence Gonzi, came face to face with principles he had laid down and promoted months ago, only to back away from them. They were found inconvenient and expendable.

This was not going to be an election budget, it was stated with conviction, so long ago that it seems to be pre-history.

In fact, the budget speech laid out three main aims: a reduction of the deficit by Lm20 million (the government is aiming for a budget surplus by 2010), investment in the economy, industry, tourism, infrastructure, education, culture and so on, and a distribution of the wealth created.

In fact, this is an election budget. This is a budget with just that supreme exercise in democracy in mind. Perhaps there will be those now, who will wish for an election every year. Wage earners will breathe a sigh of relief, as there is a considerable easing of the burden they have been carrying in the form of taxation. Even abandoned animals are being provided for.

The goodies are in evidence everywhere, in varying measures. They translate into more money in the pocket of the family, married couples, single persons, the elderly and pensioners who decide to take up some form of employment to augment their income. After the years of sacrifice, comes the fruit. At long last, many will say, now we are getting something back for what we have put in.

But seeing that this was possible now, if the situation was that happy financially, why have families been allowed to make so many sacrifices these past weeks, with not much help from a government that had such largesse at its disposal. Could not the government, only weeks ago, have absorbed, for instance, the bakers’ request for a price increase, instead of passing half of that burden on to already-burdened taxpayers?

For it has to be considered that in all this showering of the common wealth on the masses, there is not one whiff of a price increase anywhere. Not for cigarettes, whisky or beer. Not for the national insurance contribution. Not for any service provided by the government. Of course the price increases are at the butcher’s, the grocer’s and the petrol pump. And there is no reining them in, the cause is the international situation, we are told. Which is true – oil prices are at record highs, cereals and grains prices are hitting the roof.

This is a political budget, with a political target in mind. It would seem to make an election possible before the end of the year, and before that other imponderable happens – the changeover to the European currency which, in spite of all the good intentions, could erode much of the additional income finding its way into people’s pockets.

The opposition, of course, has been baying for such a budget. With reason. The government has for long been saying the economy is strong and growing; that the country is doing well. In that case, it was to be expected that the opposition would seek a distribution of the wealth that was being created. And there is a good sharing. In children’s allowances and various other allowances – such as the fostering allowance, in increased benefits for the disabled, in services for the elderly, in the adjusted income tax bands, in education and sports.

These are apart from the infrastructural investments, of course, in tourism, roads, education, for instance. And the cost of living increase, which should be 50c and is being boosted by a further Lm1, in anticipation of the cost of living.

Lawrence Gonzi is only human, and has his human foibles. No one can blame him for wanting to have his party re-elected, which is the clear aim behind this budget. He has for months been saying that the economy is improving and growing. It is that kind of economy which would make possible budgetary measures such as those that were announced yesterday.