A clear line of attack used by the Opposition in its critique of next year’s budget is the government’s alleged failure of keeping the promises it made in last year’s budget speech. Labour Leader Joseph Muscat set the ball rolling and all the PL speakers have taken the cue - ranting on what the government was supposed to do did not do and failed to do.

Fair enough, where government fails I don’t expect anyone to pat him on his back. However, one gets really concerned at criticism which is based on half truths or worse, manipulated facts. In his reply to the budget speech, Dr Muscat mentioned an endless list of supposedly broken promises. Barely two days after, Prime Minister Gonzi laid down on the table alist which clearly shows that Muscat’s list was a distorted picture of the truth.

Let’s go through a few examples.

Allegation: Muscat queried what happened to the Government’s promise to invest €20 in the upgrading of industrial zones around the Island.

Fact: All the tenders have been issued awaiting to be awarded.

Allegation: Muscat alleged that government failed to keep its promise to launch a scheme whereby local voluntary organisations could get a refund of 15.25% on their expenditure.

Fact: The scheme is open and eligible organisations are free to apply.

Allegation: Muscat cast doubts about the €9.5 million that had to be invested in Tarxien, Ggantija and St Paul prehistoric temples

Fact: Work on these three sites is currently underway. The project is funded through EU funds and should be completed by March 2013.

Allegation: Government failed on its promise to restructure the operating theatre at the Gozo General Hospital.

Fact: Tenders were issued months ago however bidders were found to be non-compliant and therefore a negotiated procedure was ultimately recommended.

I don’t think that Muscat is so naive as to expect government to fast-track all projects , by-passing all the stringent regulations which are there, after all, to ensure that the tendering process in this country is a transparent one. Where tenders were issued the least he could do was to acknowledge this fact. This information is readily available on the contracts department website.

But of course, a litany of ‘broken promises’ sounded nice in parliament and his advisers must have told him that he would score points by mentioning them. Little does he realize that the worst thing that may happen to a politician, particularly to a political party leader, is to lose his credibility and to be labeled as one who would rather play for the gallery than to act like a true statesman. But perhaps being an Opposition leader at the age of 34 has its disadvantages after all!