Is it Labour's acceptable face?

There is no doubt that Michael Falzon, the deputy leader of the Malta Labour Party, is part of Labour's acceptable face to the significant part of the electorate that decides the outcomes of general elections. His balanced criticism of the budget in the interview carried in this paper (October 30) contrasts strongly with the rash and pre-determined slogans uttered by Alfred Sant about the budget, a stance that ended up isolating him from the mainstream of public opinion.

However, one cannot allow certain comments made by Dr Falzon go unchallenged particularly his statement that "on the ground there are not many good things to speak about".

The points made in the interview to support his stance referred to the notion that we are the worst performers in education among EU countries, that the real increase in employment is in the part-time sector, that the rate of participation of women in the labour market is still low, that Malta's economy will be in bigger trouble when "there's nothing to sell" and that many students wishing to study IT were turned down at MCAST.

In the education sector Dr Falzon fails to mention that in a relatively short time of six years the staying-on rate in tertiary education has improved from 40 per cent to 56 per cent. Not enough, of course, but still an impressive jump considering the financial outlay that has to be made by the taxpayer to support more students in full-time education.

The fact that students wishing to enrol for IT courses at MCAST could not be accommodated is, to a large extent, a certificate by Labour to the runaway success this government has achieved through the setting up and support of MCAST.

There are always finite resources. The problem is that the success of MCAST has raised expectations beyond anybody's dreams and any criticism focused on the shortage of places at MCAST exposes Labour's past policies in this sector to serious scrutiny. In any case, the budget has dealt with this problem by offering students who study in private institutions the same support that is offered to others in Church and government educational institutions.

The option for part-time work should not be pooh-poohed. Part-time jobs are real jobs. For some workers they may be the ideal jobs as they suit their needs perhaps to earn some money and at the same time pursue further studies, cater for some specific responsibility at home or, let's say it, engage in the black economy.

Part-time workers still contribute to the country's wealth and one could say that, to a certain extent, allow the national cake to become more evenly spread.

The low participation of women in the labour market has to be objectively looked at in the context of a culture that for years and years militated against the working mother. Not so long ago a Labour government banned women from being employed when men were available for the same work. The incentives given by this government to redress this situation should not be ignored.

The other point refers to the selling of wholesale or partial government assets. Labour has an ambivalent position on this issue. It is not the business of government in this day and age to remain where private investment can do a better job with no risk to the taxpayer.

When the government sold these assets it has also divested itself of the burden to put in any new investment in them and to account for their losses. That is a gain which will carry on helping the Maltese economy in various ways. Unless, of course, Labour plans to retake the Freeport, retake HSBC Bank, reinvent Sea Malta and so on. It is about time that Labour comes clean on this issue and not continue to speak in forked tongues.

Finally, Dr Falzon asserted that Labour wants and deserves to win because "we are also capable of making people's aspirations come true". Nice words but where's the beef? It seems like only yesterday when Labour was hell-bent on depriving the Maltese people of their aspirations to join the European Union and, hence, become entitled to all the benefits that account now for such improvements in our infrastructure, in our educational facilities including the MCAST, the participation rate of women in the economy and the increase in employment.

These are some of the good things happening on the ground and there are more, such us the care of the elderly and the health service that continues to expand. But Labour prefers not to talk about all this.

Good attempt, Dr Falzon, but more effort will be expected next time.