Budget 2008 is truly the people's budget. Not only because there is something for everyone and every sector but, especially, because never before have so many participated in its formulation. It's the very fact that there was so widespread consultation that a myriad of measures have been introduced and no one was forgotten.
The budget has proven that there was genuine, sincere consultation. The government has truly listened and acted on the valid suggestions proposed by the people, civil society and the social partners. Indeed, this is a new way of doing politics. In this respect, the government did not have the same success as regards the opposition. After all it takes two to tango and over these past three years the opposition showed no inclination to dance. It wouldn't like to prove the Prime Minister right, would it?
However, the people in their thousands did participate. Suggestions were made by the man in the street as well as by experts. Among them were well-known Labourites who would probably still vote Labour but who jumped at the idea of direct participation in political decisions.
But then they contradicted themselves by broadcasting high and wide that it is too little, too late. How people must smile on coming across the empty slogan on billboards while anticipating the 2008 bonanza. No amount of spin will convince anybody that it is too little when cheques start being delivered.
Labour supporters have already started slamming the delegates who did not make a clean sweep of the old brigade back in 2003. The Labour leadership strategy of doom and gloom deceived their very selves rather than fooled the people.
They have been for so long painting everything black, stating that NSO and Eurostat statistics were cooked, that they seem not to have believed in the turnaround in the economy beginning at the end of 2005. They could not believe that at the same time when the government's finances were being put on a sound footing the restructuring of the economy was bearing fruit not only in the long and medium terms but also in the short-term.
How can one explain that the loss of some 2,000 jobs in the textile sub-sector was barely felt on a national level? So much so, that there were never so many in full-time productive employment besides a further bonus of 13,000 working part-time! I know Labour sees this as a minus but go and tell that to many students and others, mostly women, who cannot cope with a full-time job.
The truth is that the Labour leadership was totally taken by surprise by the bounty and they did not have the common sense midway through the Prime Minister's speech to order a change of strategy and prevent the putting up of the billboards. Too little, too late! How can numerous families gaining Lm500 or Lm600 through the various budget measures buy this one?
Nor did they develop a strategy as the days rolled by. Unless the shouting of people as happened during the Xarabank programme passes as a new strategy. Don't they realise that their intolerance is doing us a favour?
The weakness in Labour's slogan that it is too little too late is borne out by the very fact that the Leader of the Opposition almost totally ignored the budget measures and tried to sell his "new beginning". Naturally, he had his usual mud slinging bout.
Labour and their apologists question the possibility of implementation of the budget measures. They quote international reports about a diminishing rate of growth envisaged for next year and, hence, claim that the government was over optimistic in the revenue take for next year. Why do they never learn? Hasn't this government confounded local and foreign experts who three years back questioned its political will and discipline to implement the necessary stern measures to put government finance on a sound basis? Hasn't the Labour Party and others underestimated more than once the ability of this people to respond positively to competent, steady and credible leadership? Haven't they learned that playing doubting Thomases once more will be counterproductive to their cause?
Contradicting himself once more, Alfred Sant called the budget one of political convenience, an election budget. Some time back I affirmed my conviction that with Lawrence Gonzi at the helm there will never be an election budget. This year's budget was built on the previous ones. The sacrifices of the first Gonzi budget and three years of hard work and courageous decisions have borne fruit. This government started with barely any elbow room to manoeuvre. In the following years it gained more freedom to act according to the economy's needs as well as to our social principles. Two examples would suffice.
The government last year exempted 27,000 families from paying any surcharge on the utilities bills. In March, it pumped an unscheduled million in the tourist industry. And the results show. Next year, the government will not only continue to invest in the economy and education, creating new wealth for further investment and redistribution in the following years but will also be more generous with our families. It is fit and proper that since the economy is flourishing the people's standard of living is raised. And this is only the beginning.
With prudence! In fact, conscious of the renewed spiralling in oil prices as well as ever-rising cereal prices, the government has granted an extra Lm1 a week but reserved some Lm5 million as a cushion in case the expected threats materialise or in case of other contingencies. A government hell bent on electoral expediency would have distributed them.
Remember the employment of over 8,000 people in the six months prior to the 1987 election? And what are we to call Labour's promise to halve the utilities surcharge when the price of crude oil is pointing to $100 a barrel? Isn't that electioneering? And if Labour deems that revenue for next year has been grossly overestimated, where will it get the funding to halve the utilities surcharge and their other announced measures? Will it resort to new taxation or curtail most of the benefits granted in the budget?
The Labour leadership has now switched to some sort of positive posturing. They have copied a new slogan. Who dares wins! Now daring is the very antithesis of Labour as led for the last 15 years. Just the most glaring example! What was so daring in Labour's opposition to our policy of joining the EU? Essentially their call was to urge the people to shelter behind our sturdy fortifications and remain within our safe harbours lest we were devoured by the European whales. The only daring has been in the profuse pre-electoral promises only for them to be broken once in power or the resort to the numerous u-turns Labour had to make to retain a modicum of credibility.
Besides what is so daring in their "new beginning"?
What we need is serious leadership, with a vision for this country, well laid policies aimed at the highest goals achievable within that vision and borne out by a credible record.
To me the people's choice has never been easier.
Dr Deguara is Minister of Health, Community Care and the Elderly.