Deciding Malta's future

In the very near future we will be asked to cast our vote to decide who will run our country for the next five years. So, I would like to make some reflections.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has been at the helm for just over three years, and in such a short time he addressed the deficit, meeting the Maastricht criteria and at the same time setting government finance on a sound basis, with ensuing very positive economic results. Indeed a pair of steady hands on the tiller! In the past year the country attracted some Lm575 million in foreign investments, hundreds of jobs were created and unemployment stands at its lowest levels for the last 12 years, despite the closing down of several textile factories. Restructuring is progressing without any social upheavals.

There is also a sign of encouragement for tourism, thanks to the measures taken by the government in late 2006/early 2007. All ministries are delivering. Besides SmartCity, the Nationalist government over the last two years has been planning a holistic development plan for Grand Harbour which identified 20 projects for implementation. The Prime Minister has spelled out his grand vision for this country. By 2015 Malta would become a regional centre of excellence in six sectors. In this case there is no doubt that the past is a guarantee of the future. Not bad for "a tired and stale government that has run out of ideas"!

Dr Sant had been in government for almost two years and during his time we experienced just Lm19 million of foreign investment, unemployment soared and his government seemed to be disconcerted on being elected. You only have to consider how he tackled the replacement of VAT by CET and you will quickly realise that there was no plan at all. His government will be remembered for utter uncertainty, water and electricity bills and for innumerable conflicts within his party. Just as in 1996, Dr Sant has no plan for running the country should his party become elected. And just as in 1996, Dr Sant is making unfounded allegations on corruption to alienate the attention of the electorate from the galloping economy and the government's ambitious vision for these islands.

In 2003 the Maltese people gave their mandate to the PN to run the country. Pretty soon, we will have to decide to whom we will trust the management of our country for the next five years. Who do you want to govern us, the party which brought stability, democracy, investment, made us EU members and negotiated €855 million and has a clear vision for our future - the PN? Or the party whose leader was not even able to maintain unity and stability within his own party, who is promising us that theirs will be a government for the Labourites, and whose vision for the country is as blurred as a northern wintry foggy day - the MLP?

Malta's future is in your hands and mine.