Labour’s identity crisis

The International Monetary Fund has praised Malta for its economic performance, warning that “Malta’s resilience to date cannot be taken for granted – continued vigilance is required’ (January 23). And who, pray, is the best leader to accomplish this? Obviously, it is the qualified Prime Minister with a proven track record and who is bold enough to take difficult and unpopular decisions.

What is Labour’s DNA today?- Berta Sullivan

It is certainly not an inexperienced and vote-seeking leader of a political party that has a “glaring tendency to miss the big picture in its earnestness to put the government in a bad light, particularly at present when the political situation is uncertain” (January 31).

When I hear Joseph Muscat saying that Malta needs a change I cannot but worry. Dr Muscat says he will use different tactics but we don’t even know what his destination is, let alone how he will reach it! If, against all odds, the Nationalist team is steering Malta steadily in the international turbulent waters, why change to a Labour crew?

This Administration has placed employment on top of its agenda. It has truly achieved miracles in the circumstances. In fact, Labour hardly ever mentions jobs in its critical diatribe. To be quite honest, it never talks about anything. As The Times put it, “it has only given a framework of half-baked proposals and rhetorical declarations” (January 25). We are all sick of that, might I add.

Dr Muscat repeats ad nauseam that he will reduce utility tariffs as soon as he is elected Prime Minister. What, pray, will he be doing for the rest of the legislature? Five years are a long time and we have the right to know Labour’s realistic strategy for the economy, education, health, the environment, renewable energy, taxation, etc.

Winding up the Labour conference last January, Dr Muscat offered us a perfect example of his finest rhetoric: he shared his childhood memories and how he arrived where he is. He also spent precious time telling how he wishes us to have a good education and free health care without actually explaining how he will sustain this “good” and free education and health care to all, which we are all already enjoying!

Reducing the deficit and national debt; tackling illegal immigration; generating and safeguarding jobs, increasing investment, checking inflation etc. also remain a mystery.

What is Dr Muscat going to offer “the middle class”, as he likes to put it, the elderly, youth, students, small businessmen, teachers, nurses, mothers etc? We don’t know, do we?

All we know is that Labour has changed to blue: blue ties, striped blue shirts, blue pullovers, blue backdrops, blue online banners and so on. It has also strangely chosen not to fly the Labour emblem at some of its activities leaving the Maltese and European Union flags standing alone instead – prime ministerial style!

Labour’s conference was an eye-opener for all those who want to see. In fact, among the many speakers all spewing unconcealed thirst for power, a Labour candidate, Deo Debattista, sporting a blue striped tie, took the podium and admitted that he was very confused about his own party, noting, and I quote, “…or because we are red or I don’t know what colour we are now” (January, 20).

He is as confused as we are. What is Labour’s DNA today?

In January, we also had Labour’s parliamentary no confidence motion. The two-line motion, probably the shortest one ever presented in history, had one apparent scope: an attempt to destabilise the government.

This is not the first time Labour staged a no-confidence motion but, for the umpteenth time, Labour failed to gain the majority of the votes. Now we know once and for all that Labour does not enjoy the confidence of the majority of the House and that early elections, much to Labour’s dismay, may not be on the books!

What Labour should realise is that the electorate democratically voted for a Nationalist government for a five-year term. Malta has stability in policies, the government has not deviated from its electoral programme, values or beliefs and statistics show that its performance has been “an example to follow”.

Once the Nationalist government’s responsible decisions are bearing positive results why should we change course mid-stream?

In spite of the prevailing global turmoil, Malta has the lowest unemployment rates in the entire EU. Malta is now among just four eurozone countries with a public deficit that is lower than three per cent of GDP and Eurostat statistics recently showed that Malta registered the lowest increase in cost of living in the eurozone. Furthermore, Malta also recorded the sharpest drop in government debt in the EU during the third quarter of last year (Eurostat, February 6).

There is much more but that is not the thrust of this piece.

The point is that no matter how much the Labour Party cosmetically tries to appear blue, it and the Nationalist Party are poles apart in substance and experience. As The Times editorial put it: “Labour has yet to prove that it merits the people’s trust. A change of tie colour is not enough!” (February 2).

We all learn by doing. And Labour has done zilch so far.

We all know what the government has done, what it stands for and where it is going. The same cannot be said for Labour. We have no idea what it is capable of doing, what it stands for, where it is going and how it is going to get there!