A vision to realise

Come November, the delegates to the Malta Labour Party general conference will be called upon to make a number of very important decisions. Among such decisions, for the first time in many years, the delegates will be asked to select, in a hotly contested election, the members of the party's administration.

Personally, I believe that the fact that such internal elections will be so hotly contested is a positive sign. This is so because this is a clear indication that, albeit the difficulties the party is experiencing, there is a willingness on our part to rise to the occasion and to work hard to steer the party away from the troubled waters it currently finds itself in.

After a period of reflection, and having taken into account the diverse political roles I have served in, as well as my academic and professional experiences, I felt it was time for me to offer a larger contribution to the party by submitting my nomination for the post of general secretary.

In this role, if elected, it is my determination to work so that, in the shortest time possible, this country will once again have a Labour administration, an administration which, I believe, is the only one that can address the very serious problems that are plaguing this country and which have been allowed to fester for far too long by the present Nationalist government.

In view of this, I am putting forward a vision, based on three important premises, for the consideration of party delegates.

First, that the MLP needs to shed its reactive mode and once again transform itself into a party that comes forward with new and innovative ideas. In this way, I believe, we will be denying our political opponents the strategic advantage which they have been enjoying for too long of dictating the political agenda in this country.

Secondly, that the MLP, as an organisation, must be structured and operated in ways that make sense in the political realities of today.

In this respect, special consideration must be given to the party finances and to ensuring that the various commercial interests of the party are run in a profitable manner.

Thirdly, a realisation that if the MLP wants to transform itself from a big and strong party in opposition, as it is today, into a party that enjoys the popular support of the majority of the Maltese electorate it is imperative that all those who share our willingness to work in the interests of the workers and are ready to do so within the framework and according to the rules of a political organisation, should be able to find their natural home within the MLP.

If elected to the post of general secretary, I will do my best towards translating this vision into practice. This I have pledged to do by working together with the party leadership, my colleagues on the administration, the national executive and the general conference.

I am confident that, if all of us within the Labour movement were to unite and work together towards one objective, that of ensuring a Labour victory at the next general election, we can succeed.