The proof of the pudding is in the eating

We have rec-ently heard the great news that the Bus-iness Park area at Smart City will be catering for 8,500 jobs instead of 3,000 originally planned. When SmartCity is fully complete, the number of "new" jobs created will reach a staggering 11,000.

So much for Labour's ultra pessimistic views on SmartCity and its unfounded allegations that this deal "will serve to screen the transactions of luxury apartment entrepreneurs from abroad" and that "to camouflage this, the government side has been boasting about the thousand of jobs in IT that SmartCity will create".

Now that Labour has crowned its new leader I am hoping that it will reverse its position over SmartCity. After all, it would not be the first time Labour has driven head on into a wall inevitably having to concede defeat over and over again.

Joseph Muscat has himself performed more than a cartwheel or two over his VAT and EU stances, to name but a couple. I am now expecting Dr Muscat to remember that a year ago his predecessor did not even bother to take part in the parliamentary debate discussing the SmartCity project.

During his many maiden speeches, Dr Muscat argued that all those who criticise him constructively will be considered his allies. May he, from this day forth, count me in with his best allies because my criticism has been, is and will always be "infallibly" spot-on. Conclusions drawn in Labour's post-election analysis report prove my point.

It is said that one must look to the past to define the future. May I suggest to Dr Muscat to delve deep into Labour's clumsy decisions and rectify all wrongdoings once and for all.

The new Labour generation has to rethink everything from top to bottom. Starting afresh does not mean ignoring its mistakes. Neither will countless rhetorical apologies alleviate the pain suffered by the many. Nor does it mean shrugging off the past as though it never happened.

A case in point: We need to know why Labour's media declined the Prime Minister's invitation to form part of the national delegation to attend Gitex in Dubai, the second largest ICT fair in the world; why its "official" delegation failed to turn up for the unveiling of the SmartCity master plan, when Labour had allegedly sanctioned an "unofficial" one to visit Dubai at the same time as some MLP-friendly contractors did; why the Labour media failed to even report both events. In a nutshell: Who took the decision to boycott SmartCity?

Would I be off mark if I were to say that under a Labour government SmartCity would never have seen the light of day? Some clarifications are long overdue lest history repeats itself.

To quote Minister Austin Gatt on the launch of phase one of this mega-project : "We have come a long way but we have a long way to go. We have changed our economic policies to integrate them with Europe.

We have changed our currency. We have invested in our infrastructure. We have attracted foreign investment".

Earlier this year we received the news that the French multi-national shipping company CMACGM, which operates the Malta Freeport, will be investing €130 million and will be increasing its workforce by 500 employees. Which reminds me: the old generation never referred to the outstanding success achieved in local and or foreign investment. Something else to work on Dr Muscat - learn to give Caesar and Augustus too their due. Remember, you will be judged by what you do and not by what you say. No "fair play" trophy was awarded to you during the Labour leadership race but, hopefully, you will learn from recent shortcomings and start playing fairly.

Much was revealed during the Labour leadership race. Much more was exposed in the post-election analysis report. Much, much more was divulged in persona by the candidates themselves. They spoke to their heart's content (save for the unacceptable censorship vis-à-vis Xarabank) all of them selling the fact that they were the best remedy for the MLP: so and so would be good to unite the MLP, so and so has the experience to lead the MLP, so and so has charisma to win back votes for the MLP etc. etc. Unfortunately, I don't recall any of them, Dr Muscat included, promoting themselves as being the best product for the country.

May I meekly give Messrs not so "new" Generation a few words of advice: look at the bigger picture and place the country's national interests before your provincial partisan wants. Remove your blinkers, open your minds and think big! Believe that, yes, together, under the Nationalist Administration, we can excel in all areas: IT, tourism, health, financial services, education etc... Be smart!