So close and yet so far!

I genuinely feel that Lawrence Gonzi is the man to lead the Nationalist Party and eventually the government and I agree wholeheartedly with his statement when he said that the government should be closer to the people. But as is always the case with Nationalist leaders, although they talk about dialogue etc, pleas made by the public normally fall on deaf ears and when it is too late they say: "We should have listened to the people".

In last Friday's Xarabank, a member from the audience told Dr Gonzi that the 35 per cent capital gains tax on inherited property is political suicide for the Nationalist Party and how right he is. Unfortunately, Dr Gonzi quickly evaded the reality of this horrendous tax and responded by telling him: When you buy property you have to pay tax; so when you inherit property you also have to pay tax.

Dr Gonzi was very misleading in this statement and that is not fair on the public. The reality is that when you inherit property you do pay the initial five per cent succession duty tax on the value of that property. After you pay this tax, the inland revenue send their own architect to value that property and if that property is undeclared you have to pay a hefty penalty.

However, the crunch comes when you come to sell that property. You have to pay an additional 35 per cent capital gains tax on the difference between what you declared and what you have sold. Basically, if there is more than one heir to any undivided, inherited property, the government will be the biggest shareholder in that property. This clearly demonstrates how obscene this law is; a law we never expected from a Nationalist government.

The people are advising the government to amend this law now, before it is too late, and Dr Gonzi has already begun turning his head away from the pleas of the public. So, how's that for "getting closer to the people"! May I suggest that readers of this newspaper keep this letter and in four years' time show it to Dr Gonzi!