The people’s sacrifices

While replying to Joseph Muscat’s speech in reply to the Budget speech, I heard Lawrence Gonzi state that our country had made progress “because of the sacrifices made by the people”.

That the people were forced to make sacrifices is quite true, even though they were promised differently before the 2008 general election.

I will give just one example. Electoral promise No. 216 read thus: “We will continue to subsidise the surcharge on electricity.” As we all know, Dr Gonzi did exactly the contrary! So yes, the people did make sacrifices.

What, I am sure, many people were surprised to find out was that the Prime Minister, his ministers and parliamentary secretaries not only did not make any sacrifices but made life much more financially comfortable for themselves when they gave themselves a salary rise just after the general election.

The reason given for the astronomical rise was that Dr Gonzi, his ministers and parliamentary secretaries were not just doing the work of ministers and parliamentary secretaries but also the work of MPs.

No wonder then that they are being insensitive to the pain being suffered by the great majority of the people. Dr Gonzi would have had good reason to speak of “sacrifices” if he and his ministers had made sacrifices too.