The electoral campaign is in full swing. Once again, the Labour Party leader is turning to last minute promises to gain votes. Alfred Sant’s desperate effort to gain sympathy is leading to last minute changes to the Labour Party’s electoral proposals.

After 10 years sitting on the opposition benches, the Labour Party led by Alfred Sant still lacks the vision and ideas to lead our country.

The new beginning that the opposition leader is suggesting is nothing more and nothing less than losing what we achieved along the years.

At this moment in time, we are starting to reap the fruits of our hard work. Last week, Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical arm, placed Malta’s gross domestic product growth at 4.3 per cent for the third quarter of 2007.

The 4.3 per cent annual figure also confirms Malta’s economic growth over last year’s third quarter was above the eurozone’s average 2.7 per cent growth for the quarter in question, as well as over the EU-27’s average of three per cent. We managed to reduce the income tax and still achieved economic growth.

While the Nationalist Party is ready to continue building on what we already achieved, the Labour Party led by Alfred Sant wants to start all over again. He even suggested reopening negotiations with the European Union. Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament, thought that such a thing is unthinkable. Such a statement generates instability. Everybody thought that this issue ended in 2004.

The Labour Party wants to take away what you, your family and our country achieved along the years. This was admitted by Charles Mangion himself when he said that due to the country’s interest rates, cut-offs will have to be made on services such as healthcare, services for the elderly, investments on infrastructure and housing schemes.

The Labour Party wants to remove overtime benefits using as an excuse for removing income tax. This would mean another loss for the workers while at the same time gives leeway to abuses.

The Labour Party’s proposal on overtime takes away what workers along the years achieved.

I wonder why the General Workers Union remained mum about the whole issue, I hope it does not agree with the Malta Labour Party removing the overtime extra payments.

The controversial proposals also hit the housing sector. The proposal made by the Labour Party for housing will reduce the benefits youths are gaining through the Equity Sharing scheme.

The proposal of giving 10 per cent of the property price up to a maximum of Lm5,000, made by the Labour Party is by far less generous then the present scheme of Equity Sharing by which a couple may benefit from an assistance of Lm14,000. The Labour Party’s proposal may lead to an increase in prices on properties priced less then Lm50,000 with a detriment to first time buyers.

However, the lack of vision is clearly unveiled when the party led by Alfred Sant makes proposals that are already implemented and functioning. The Labour Party’s electoral manifest promised that they would set up an Internal Audit Unit for the public sector. This already exists!

The Internal Audit Unit was set up way back in the year 2000 as a functionally independent government entity. The Labour Party also promises to pay maternity leave for 14 weeks. Another promise that the government led by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has already implemented.

These examples continue to unveil the unprofessional manner that Labour makes promises. These events continue to unveil Labour’s thirst for power and lack of ideas. Rather than a new beginning, this is a bad effort of recycling good measures that are being implemented in an effective manner.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi proved himself. The able leader led our country, through thick and thin, and still managed to gain the best results for all Maltese society proving that together everything is possible.

Together we freed the country from the violence that dominated the 80s, we joined the European Union, and we entered the eurozone at the same time the Malta Labour Party either opposed or criticised negatively these historic steps.

However, this is not enough and the Nationalist Party is presenting an electoral programme full of proposals that will guarantee better life styles to all of us.

In the coming election the choice is quite simple. Do you want to go back to an uncertain future by starting a “new beginning” or do you want to continue building on a vision that together we will make it possible to achieve more for our families and our country?

It is your choice!

David Casa is a Nationalist MEP

[email protected]

www.davidcasa.eu