We were all taken aback once again by Joseph Muscat’s barefaced admission that he will tell us how he will tackle Malta’s economy when the time is right. This should not have come as a surprise really because last June on Xarabank, when he promised that a government led by him will reduce water and electricity tariffs, he told us he will not divulge his plans before the next election. In the meantime, we will all have to continue listening to how he plans to ruin us and this country.
How can he not realise that with his irresponsible promise to reduce utility tariffs across the board he will be punishing those who are careful and sensible and rewarding the rich and the wasteful? Moreover, can he please tell us now how and where he will find all of some €170 million to do this? He also insists that petrol, diesel, paraffin and, gas cylinders prices are unjustifiably high and repeatedly gives the impression he will be reducing them too. True? If so, what taxes does he intend imposing to finance the shortfall in government revenue?
In an effort to lure the disgruntled into his fold, Dr Muscat also suggests that he will reduce VAT. Admittedly, that would leave another mega juicy sum in our piggy banks but, once again, he fails to explain how he will replace that amount to balance the books once our national reserves are suddenly depleted by another €100 million. Believe me, our pockets will be his first targets.
Dr Muscat constantly criticises the government for introducing or raising administration fees: The Malta Environment and Planning Authority and Park and Ride spring to mind. Is one to assume that he will do away with them too? He has promised to refund VAT paid on car registrations – another €50 million into some pockets and out of many others – and has also hinted that he would be more generous with pensions.
Where on earth is he going to find all this cash? There is no doubt in my mind that he will divine some Machiavellian way to pinch it from us to make up for the deficit. Remember when his predecessor, Alfred Sant, not only trebled our utility tariffs, when oil cost only $12 (!) per barrel, but slashed funds for the police, local councils, students etc. and also unashamedly introduced 33 new taxes in just 22 months?
There are several other shockingly unrealistic proposals that Dr Muscat likes to chuck around. Just to mention one: last year, he told us that Labour was considering the introduction of a living wage as he wanted us to be the best in Europe. Well, for starters, we are already the best in Europe in many areas but a year has passed since he pronounced those words of wisdom and, yet, we have not heard an iota on the subject!
Apparently moonstruck, a month later he announced that Labour wanted to espouse a new value in its political beliefs: meritocracy. Cannot he see that a living wage given indiscriminately to workers, be they valid or not, goes diametrically opposite to Labour’s newfound value? Cannot he see that he will be robbing a valuable worker’s personal and financial worth simply to whimsically reward a useless one? Words fail me.
The sad thing is that Dr Muscat has dedicated three whole years describing a gloomy local economic scenario. Now he is going round pontificating that there can never be a reduction in national debt and deficit unless there is economic growth. Well, it may interest him and readers to learn that the government’s modus operandi is bearing fruit. Malta registered the fastest growth rate in the eurozone in the second quarter of this year. More specifically the growth rate for the eurozone was 0.2 per cent against Malta’s 2.8 per cent. The latest Eurostat data on employment (September 30) shows that, at 6.5 per cent, Malta has the fifth lowest unemployment rate in the EU and the eurozone, which average some 10 per cent. Alas, the Leader of the Opposition does not have the guts or the decency to mention these remarkable feats.
But hold on, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. Soon after playing his meritocracy mantra, Dr Muscat said that Labour wanted to be honest with the people. He even went as far as telling us that “we have to make sacrifices and that no one has a magic wand”. Did he have a moment of blinding lucidity? If, indeed, he was being sincere, what sacrifices was he talking about? Surely we have the right to know!
Perhaps now is the time for the real Dr Muscat to stand up and tell us once and for all what taxes he intends introducing. If he does not, then, no matter how much he tries, he will never be a credible candidate to govern this country.
I will conclude by quoting this paper’s wise words: “The Labour Party’s reaction to Moody’s downgrading of Malta’s bond rating by one notch shows the extent to which it is prepared to go to interpret matters in a way that suits its ultimate aim, which is that to win votes at all costs. Labour, it seems, will never change, which is why it has been languishing out of government for so long” (September 22).