An even bigger boost for PN

Many decades ago Eddy Privitera admitted with yours truly that he doesn't really write letters or articles but he just scribbles! Unfortunately for readers he still does. Furthermore, he even scribbles without checking facts.

My attention was drawn to his reply to my brief letter on the MLP budget poster which I claimed gave a boost to the Nationalist Party because of the Prime Minister's charismatic smile that inspires trust and confidence. Mr Privitera went off tune as he took the government to task because pensioners were not given the full cost-of living increase.

The real truth is that for more than three decades governments, including the Socialists under Dom Mintoff and later Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici of CNI fame, adopted this same practice. Naturally, Mr Privitera kept silent then. He now foretells that for this reason thousands of pensioners will give the PN "the boot" at the next election.

What an illogical prediction! Typical of those wishful thinkers with boastful promises that the country will be changed into an utopia in six months.

Mr Privitera will be the first to admit that the MLP did not lose the 1982, 1987, 1992, 1998 and 2003 elections because pensioners were then also dissatisfied with the two-thirds cost-of-living increase.

Mr Privitera himself is giving the Nationalist Party a further boost.

He could not criticise any item mentioned in the budget speech (no taxes for the second year running and no increase in existing taxes) so he had to refer to an old practice, which apparently did not even bother the leader and other speakers sitting on the opposition benches in their replies to the measures that the government will be introducing next year.

The government's vision for Malta is that of a dynamic, high-value-added economy founded on competence, skills and excellence and capable of sustaining a high standard of living for its entire people.

Despite Mr Privitera's puerile predictions, which are possibly based on Labour's past experiences of dishing out favours on the eve of a general election, the PN budget is based on a seriously planned five-year strategy programme to 2010.

As a very serious, intelligent man of vision Lawrence Gonzi will not be resorting to any gimmicks in his next budget - no promises of removing VAT, or a two-month tax holiday for income tax payers and bonuses for those zero-rated, or a 40 per cent - 50 per cent decrease in the surcharge etc.

The present government is attracting a million liri in foreign investment per day and creating thousands of new jobs - not through some labour corps like Dirghajn il-Maltin, Izra w Rabbi, Bahhar u Sewwi - apart from seeing to hundreds of new projects.

The government has a brilliant track record which inspires confidence in the future and appreciation from the majority, despite Mr Privitera's regular scribbles.

He would do well to recall an old Maltese saying which roughly translated goes something like this: "A donkey's bray never reached the high skies!"