Focused on the elections

A frequent conclusion to explain the government’s inefficiencies underpinned by arrogance, when discussing the issue with some of my Nationalist-leaning friends, and to explain the quandary in which the Nationalist government finds itself, is the need for change to inject fresh impetus and enthusiasm in a pedestrian government that has lost the plot.

During these discussions, however, the quadrennial gap, synonymous with a Nationalist government, has of late started to gain currency.

Why has a Nationalist government failed so glaringly to translate into reality a better quality of life we were promised upon joining the European Union?

The quality of our urban and rural landscapes, the quality of services and our social and cultural landscapes continue to suffer from a kind of mediocrity that has an important bearing on our quality of life.

In my opinion, a major reason for this is the quadrennial gap whereby government action is principally concerned with the next general election. The government marks time throughout the first four years, only to launch disjointed “projects” in the 12-month run-in to a next election.

This behavioural pattern results in a government that constantly suffers from low levels of electorate confidence during this four-year gap, a low level of confidence that it cynically plans to recover in the crucial final 12 months leading to an election. This culture means that initiatives are both amorphous and disjointed and are principally eyeing segments of the electorate that are also targeted through “amplification” by a national public broadcaster that is generous to this culture.

This may explain in part why our development remains so meagre and disjointed and so far away from the expectations that were fuelled in us when joining the EU.

These expectations can however be realised if the government adopts and applies a focused strategy that is implemented throughout a legislature and beyond. The opportunities are there and we have the potential to upgrade our living standards across the board to levels that are to our general expectations as members of the European Union.

It is for this reason that I am excited by Labour’s holistic vision for Malta’s development that will be applied during each and every day of a legislature with a vigour and enthusiasm that we deserve and have come to expect.