Quality of life is key Budget concern for PM and Opposition

Quality of life is a key Budget concern for Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech, with the former promising a balanced Budget and the latter demanding an admission of error in Labour’s previous economic plans.

In separate political activities ahead of Monday’s Budget, Grech said that he hopes government will tackle people’s quality of life in its economic plan, while Abela promised that this will be the centre of its Budget outline.

Grech went a step further and said that government should outline how it will cut spending, help people in need, and improve quality of life. “There needs to be a solid economic plan.”

He added that he expects Finance Minister Clyde Caruana to admit that the Labour Party’s economic plan in its nine years of power was not the right one.

Meanwhile, Abela said that this Budget will be “the first of five”, part of a wider plan spread out over a period of years.

“Tomorrow we will put forward a fair Budget with everyone, one that helps those who can least afford it,” he said. “It will be a credible Budget from a government that delivers on its promises.”

Abela gave no teasers as to what’s in store for Monday’s Budget. He reiterated that no new taxes will be introduced this year, and government will not slip into austerity measures.

Indeed, he said that even the mood in Brussels is shifting towards anti-austerity as European leaders grapple with a crisis in the energy sector. 

While Abela offered no hints on Budget measures, the PN launched its pre-Budget document with 100 pages of measures across different sectors.

Grech said this document was the result of lengthy consultations and tries to go beyond the bare minimum.