Last Wednesday the Minister for Finance read his last budget for this legislature.  Of course soon afterwards, the usual debates took place and are still going on.  However this time round we have also something else to speak about.  Apart from the usual talk and speculation of what will be implemented of the sweet talk of the budget this time round people are wondering whether the budget will go through.  After all this is all that matters for the time being.  We heard statements from a PN Member of Parliament that he will not vote for the budget.  He had insisted that the Prime Minister should go for the general election rather than to present a budget while knowing that he will have problems in being approved.

But of course GonziPN is more interested in his clique rather than the country.  It seems that the Christmas period is going to be dominated by politics since we will be campaigning.  But that is what the GonziPN wanted after all.  They wanted to avoid an election this year and subsequently trying to survive until the first months of next year.  Somehow they managed in doing so but this at the expense of the national interest.  In the last months uncertainty is the order of the day.  This of course is not good for the business community and also for families.

Quite rightly the Labour Leader Joseph Muscat two weeks before the announcement of the budget said that if elected a Labour Government will retain the budget framework.  This would be done to put the mind at rest of families and the business community as well.  Apart from this even the timing will not be ideal.  Supposedly this budget was agreed with the European Commission.  As such it will not be ideal half way through next year discussing the budget for 2013 when technically the preparation for the 2014 budget will have to start at least by summer 2013.  So Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party took a very responsible position once again in the national interest first and foremost.

This position has created instability within the GonziPN camp.  Now they are trying to distract the people’s attention by asking which measures Labour is going to retain.  By this their intention apart from trying to discredit the Labour Party are trying to put forward an argument that the opposition should vote with the government.  They are saying so since they do not feel comfortable at all that the budget will make it through.  Some weeks ago the Prime Minister stated that the budget will be a vote of confidence in him and his government.  The opposition has no confidence in him or in his government.  And that is another reason why we are going to vote against this budget.  This position does not contrast at all with our position to retain the budget framework if elected.  It is a clear position for those who want to understand it and also puts the mind of the Maltese at rest.

We are in this ambiguous situation because of GonziPN and his stubbornness to continue governing the country at all costs even if his majority in Parliament is not secure at all.  But their propaganda machine ignores all this and tries to blame others for this situation.  The Maltese people however are aware that GonziPN is to blame for this status quo.

The country needs to move forward and we at the Labour Party under the leadership of Joseph Muscat are prepared to take this responsibility and move the country forward for a better future.  We have been making proposals throughout this entire legislature but intentionally GonziPN opted to ignore them even though later they would resort to them.  In the mean time we also were preparing for the electoral manifesto and what our road map will be if elected in government.

We are working as a united team.  This is in stark contrast to GonziPN style and current state of affairs.  A united front under Joseph Muscat working in the interest of the people to try and make a difference in people’s lives.  In Opposition we are focused on the real priorities of families and the country and if chosen to govern we will continue to be focused on the right priorities of the country.  And yes we can deliver.  GonziPN promised a lot but did not deliver.  They were more interested to win the last general election rather than to govern and deliver.  Now they are doing the same.  There interest is to win the election to keep the power for their clique and not for the benefit of the nation.

After the presentation of the budget, considering that this was the best that GonziPN could offer, we are even more convinced that we will deliver and will also help those who were left out from the benefits while of course keeping those that were given to others.  We will start doing this from the beginning and not just before the election.  We will do this because we have our priorities in order and because we sincerely believe in the Maltese.

Carmelo Abela MP

Main Spokesperson for Social Policy