They say that people in glasshouses should not throw stones. This is what’s happening with the Malta Labour Party (MLP) in its ruthless electoral campaign to win the next general election. They are banking on two main issues to belittle all the good work performed by the Nationalist government. The two issues are the high cost of living and corruption. But the MLP must be careful because they are living in glasshouses.

Many voters still remember how the cost of living exploded beyond control when the MLP were in office between 1996-1998. In less than two years, Dr Alfred Sant introduced no fewer than 33 new taxes which left us breathless. This, when the price of fuel was only $12 a barrel and the price of cereals was rock bottom.

No one can deny that the cost of living is continuously on the increase but the difference is that in the last three years, Nationalist budgets made up for this increase with significant rises in salaries, apart from reductions in income tax and other incentives to all categories. To add to all this, many collective agreements were signed to the benefit of thousands of employees.

This is in clear contrast with what happened 10 years ago when salaries and benefits were frozen.

Another issue which is on the MLP agenda is corruption. How dare they even mention this issue when voters of a certain age still remember the rampant corruption which was institutionalised by previous MLP governments? Who can forget the way we all had to pay some extra Lm50 in order to obtain a television set or had a telephone installed? Who forgot how jobs were dished to diehard Labour supporters through MLP clubs? And what about the way building permits were only issued if parts of the area was handed over to “special agents” who worked on behalf of certain people? What about the many beautiful houses that were unscrupulously requisitioned only to be given to Labour supporters to be negotiated for hundred of thousands of liri. Was that not corruption at its best?

For the last number of years, the MLP went on a mud-slinging campaign aimed at many of the Nationalist ministers. The Prime Minister took all the necessary action to trace any corruption practices but the opposition refrained from presenting any evidence. This reminds us of when in 1971 and 1996, the respective Labour governments tried their best to take past ministers to court accusing them of corruption. But they had to swallow their accusations because they were all frivolous.

The Nationalist government should not be afraid of these issues as it has done its best to control the situation. In the next general election, voters should give credit to Dr Lawrence Gonzi and his team for the way they have governed us.

Peter Borg

St Julian’s