Together we can make it

The talks within the newly-established Parliamentary Select Committee have the potential to herald a new era in the way of doing politics in this country. It is a tall order and it will not be easy. Nevertheless, I am positive that if there is the necessary will from all those involved we can achieve progress.

There might be others who might not think this forum will bring about any breakthrough. They base their assessment on past experience. They might be right. But I am an optimist by nature. I am just like any other young person in this country and in Europe. I want to believe that change is possible. I want to give dialogue and discussion a real chance. I do not want to be an armchair critic picking at the way our society is developing. Instead, I want to work for sensible, serene, overdue change. And I do not mind if this change starts now!

Indeed, I regularly meet people who question my rationale of insisting that what can be done now should not be postponed for later. It goes against the grain of the way in which politics has been done in this country over the past decades. If there is a good idea, I do hope the present government implements it as soon as possible. This would benefit the country and citizens. It would raise the game and would get political forces to focus on new and more ambitious targets. Our objective, as Labour, is to lead this country because we can offer a better project and not because it is faring badly.

Lawrence Gonzi and I agreed on a number of principles that will govern these talks. First of all, both parts will have equal representation on this Select Committee. The meetings will be chaired by the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Moreover, no pre-conditions have been set and the various items on the agenda will be treated separately and not necessarily as a package.

One of Labour's proposals, which were taken on board, was that concerning the involvement of civil society in these talks. The Select Committee will be able to invite and hear submissions from those interested in the various subjects. Other political parties, such as Alternattiva Demokratika, should have the opportunity to voice their opinion and give their suggestions when it comes, say, to state funding of political parties and financial transparency of the same.

In this way, we would be opening up the process and going beyond parliamentary boundaries.

The ambitious agenda of the Select Committee includes the restructuring of state broadcasting and a better regulation of those stations owned by political parties. We will look into the electoral law and into the financing of political parties. We will see what resources Parliament needs to live up to expectations and what procedures should be adopted. We will discuss new rules governing conflict of interest as well as the beefing up of the Ombudsman's office and the Permanent Commission Against Corruption.

Even the fact that such a discussion has started is positive for our democracy.

Labour will be represented by a strong and level-headed team. I am sure that Anġlu Farrugia, Charles Mangion, Karmenu Vella, Evarist Bartolo, Michael Falzon and George Vella will do us proud.

I am happy that my friend Simon Busuttil will be penning a report on the European City Guide scam. This is an issue which I have raised numerous times in the European Parliament on behalf of hundreds of small businesses in Malta and Gozo that have been defrauded by this Spain-based company.

The victims of these fraudsters have also included NGOs and voluntary organisations that are led to believe they are being given a "free" advert when in fact they are charged heavily for the insertion in this publication.

One loophole that the fraudsters are using is that business-to-business transactions do not fall in the realm of consumer protection within the EU context. Nevertheless, this is a case of consumer welfare, an all-important subject which some still tend to minimise.

Dr Muscat is leader of the Malta Labour Party and a member of the European Parliament.

www.josephmuscat.com