The Labour Party is offering a practical and realistic vision for a better Malta and Gozo. It is not promising heaven on earth.

It wants to improve the income of families that are being pressed hard by water and electricity bills, taxes and rising prices. This will be done by cutting the surcharge by 50 per cent and creating the right conditions for the economy to grow by generating more jobs and wealth.

Education will be a top priority for a new Labour government. Our country can only move forward if our children and young people receive better quality education. We have too many children falling behind and leaving school unskilled and unemployable. Even where our children are succeeding in education, they need to do better, as they need the skills, attitudes and practices necessary to face the challenges of the 21st century.

Healthcare will be also at the top of the agenda of a new Labour government. We must make it more affordable and accessible. At present we have a dual track health system: those who can pay, or somehow or other manage to find the money to pay, and get the services they require; and those who cannot pay, who have to wait in pain and discomfort for years before they get the care they need from the public service, which is being financed by millions and millions of liri paid by taxpayers.

A new Labour government will also give a lot of attention to providing affordable housing for new couples entering the property market for the first time. Mortgages and high property prices are making many families suffer and a Labour government will be committed to addressing this painful problem.

A new Labour government will also deliver a cleaner, fairer and more efficient administration that will be focused on providing services and projects that improve the quality of the everyday life of people.

A Labour government will be keen to measure the quality of services on the impact they have, and not on how impressive they seem in PowerPoint presentations, on billboards and in rhetorical speeches.

These are the five main areas the Labour government will be concentrating on.

Last Monday, Labour leader Alfred Sant was right when he said: "The people want change. The people need good governance. That is where the (Lawrence) Gonzi government is failing, that is where my government will be delivering."

Dr Gonzi is being very defensive on the issue of good governance, as corruption and poor project management as well as overspending have undermined all his efforts as prime minister.

Smiles are not enough

Instead of admitting where things went wrong, Dr Gonzi has been defending his record even when it is not defensible, like his failure to reshuffle exhausted and poor performing ministers in his Cabinet.

In last Monday's TV debate, Dr Gonzi said: "I do not regret not changing my ministers. We have achieved."

Dr Gonzi's words displayed bravado, but his body language gave the game away.

He slouched silently in his seat every time Dr Sant mentioned corruption cases that have exposed Dr Gonzi's impotence to act and address this important issue. Dr Gonzi was sour-faced and nervous when he reacted to Dr Sant's remarks that a Labour government will have "zero tolerance on corruption, zero tolerance on wastage and be focused on good governance".

Corruption is not the only issue where Dr Gonzi shows himself to be very weak.

He also lacks the frankness to admit his government has burdened education with VAT. Again, instead of admitting this failing and committing himself to address it, he tries to dismiss it.

This time round, when he brought up the issue of VAT in education, Dr Sant waved documents which clearly showed there is VAT on education materials such as books and stationery.

Visibly troubled, Dr Gonzi repeated: "There is no VAT on education; education is not (considered to include) school ties (referring to compulsory school uniforms)."

Dr Sant said: "According to my list, Lejn il-Missier, L'Italiano allo specchio, the atlas... parents paid VAT for these items."

To counter, Dr Gonzi simply said: "Are the atlas, school uniforms, education?" and smiled hysterically. This hysterical smiling does nothing to soften the pain felt by parents paying VAT on important educational items.

Dr Sant put more pressure on Dr Gonzi when he quoted the report published by the German NGO, Transparency International, which listed Malta as one of the countries with a significant worsening in corruption index.

Malta's position has deteriorated since Dr Gonzi became Prime Minister, and compared with last year our country fell five places in this year's report.

Very unconvincingly, Dr Gonzi tried to dismiss the issue by saying that he is more interested in what Jean-Claude Trichet (European Central Bank Governor) says than what Dr Sant says. 

Dr Sant was right to hit back saying: "Clearly you are confirming the people's beliefs that you are helpless in fighting corruption. You are complacent in the face of your government's abysmal performance.

"My government will offer good governance based on the principles of transparency, accountability and efficiency, giving the taxpayers value for the money they pay."

evaristbartolo@hotmail.com