All that was required of this year's rendition of the annual budget speech  by the incumbent decision-making group , elected or non-elected, was  the articulation of a  set of reassuring measures that  would establish the ability of this government to consolidate and  guarantee an attractive and sustainable environment for families, firms  and residents to live and  thrive in the Maltese Islands.

The Government's  best attempt at that endeavour  is duly accomplished. That attempt was supported by a barrage of media  encounters, adverts and publications the cost of which would have financed a score of measures that would really  have given a head start to quite a few struggling poor children.

It is now the Leader of the Opposition's turn to try his hand at convincing us that somewhere in the mind of the leaders of our political class there exists an alternative fresh vision  for this country's future, a vision that does not measure the success of a country only in statistical, or wealth  terms, but gives proper weight to the  actual quality  of life of its citizens.

As things stand, what was so ably drawn up by the PL government for Malta 2015 might be very close to what I think even a  PN finance minister  would have  been able to draw up had he found himself finance minister of a country that has sailed relatively gracefully out of the financial crisis. I say this without forgetting the results of  the now almost forgotten Gonzi's hugely unpopular and back breaking tariff hike, ( but with hindsight possibly  timely austerity measures saga),   the halting of oil procurement theft, the sharp drop in  international fuel prices including HFO, as well as the respite in  cost of production of electricity provided by the Nationalist's maligned 'cancer factory ' itself.

This is not to mention the windfall of EU funds coming our way (also a derided Nationalist  achievement) which if utilised properly can go a long way towards enhancing this country's  infrastructure and social structure.

The big question remains:  What do the people expect from a Labour Movement Government Budget as distinct from an old PN budget? Some will  retort that PL has slashed  utility tariffs which it has as duly promised,  and I would retort back that the Nationalists would have reduced them too this time round since PL government has  admitted that tariff prices can be reduced even though  the new gas fired  power station is nowhere in sight. 

I would add that the Cable Interconnector (another Nationalist baby) is almost ready and can provide us with much cheaper electricity and replace inefficient, black dust belching Marsa. Others will try to tell me that the economy has grown, to which it will be my turn to retort that so has the National Debt, in spite of the Passport acquisition scheme, and no major projects to write home about.

In any case, we have voted for change and it is PL who is in charge of the change project and will be for some time if it changes with change.

In the meantime, I'm all for my PL government taking constructive steps to curb abuse of public finances through  welfare benefit fraud of any kind, and feel even more strongly about motivating individuals hooked on welfare, to seek and pursue ways of improving their lot through hard honest work rather than conniving ways of milking the system. However, for the Government to be in a position to take the high moral ground, it has to question its own maybe inadvertent but nevertheless real misuse of the people's hard earned taxes.    

The outgoing PN government was notorious for the fortunes spent each year on useless consultancies, committees, expensive trips abroad and more. All these flaws together with engagement of incompetent   Individuals for pivotal jobs, and / or creating unproductive  government positions for favoured individuals, while   simultaneously not finding the funds for necessary recruitment in  human resource lacking areas,  such as health, does not augur well for any government's credibility ratings with people who  can boast of an ounce of common sense . 

It is painful always but especially at this time of year with the Community Chest fund people trying so hard to get funds and reminding us of so many unmet needs in our society, to try to understand the abuses allowed in government projects, contracts and activities... So much more can be achieved if our taxes were used properly.

The Government's  real authority is directly proportional to the respect its citizens think it deserves, on observing  how it is functioning.

It's very sad that our government's long-term vision for our rural and urban environment stands out by its absence in this budget plan. It's bad enough that the Maltese landscape in all its forms has suffered incredibly under a  PN government that even went as far as to sell its ultimate environmental credentials when it approved the massive increase in built up areas (rationalisation zone). 

The last thing Malta and Gozo need is a new administration that has little regard for  sustainable development and  natural resource management, and worse still is hijacked by a development lobby which has no regard for Malta's architectural or natural heritage.

Then there is the question of bureaucracy and tax collection. Increasing paperwork does not increase productivity, motivation or tax collection.  Government bureaucracy wastes  time and costs SMEs, industries and individuals huge amounts of money ( ot to mention the mental exhaustion). If the Government wishes to collect more taxes it should concentrate on improving its own efficiency in doing so rather than by weighing down its contributors by time guzzling rituals. Our competitiveness is already going down as it is. Loading bureaucracy or any other expenses on struggling SME's will have the same effect as the utility tariff hike of the nationalists. People will just close shop, send their employees home and register for work themselves.

To conclude, most of the people who voted for the Labour Movement are expecting a transparent, efficient, responsible government with a vision, that delivers in real time and makes the best use of our country's resources and not just for short-term gratification.

I am sure that the more the PL government proves its disposition  to govern wisely and impartially while , upholding  law and order,  the  more will it be assured  of the stakeholders 'contribution to its eventual success.

It is sad but real, however, that the converse is also true. If the Government cannot keep its position of high moral ground, it will end up being looked down on.