I shall be voting Labour on March 9 because I believe that this country needs the Labour Party in government to ensure further progress and the consolidation of what our country has achieved to date. To be fair, the Lawrence Gonzi administration has steered this country through a difficult period of economic recession and financial crisis in Europe but its performance still leaves much to be desired.
The intelligent voter knows that Labour is the wisest choice- Desmond Zammit Marmarà
Persistent allegations of corruption; mega failures such as the Arriva fiasco and in the field of justice and home affairs; the lack of transparency in public administration; the nonexistent accountability of government ministers; the internecine strife within the Nationalist Party itself; the stagnation in the field of innovation and ideas; the failure to fully exploit Malta’s European Union membership; the threat to democracy through having real power in the hands of only a restricted number of people; all these make one yearn for a Maltese government that one can be proud of and which can lead the country forward in the years to come.
Why vote Labour? First of all, the Labour Party under the leadership of Joseph Muscat has become an all-inclusive political party. Everybody is welcome and the party will defend the interests of all workers, employers, the self-employed, housewives, pensioners, students, etc.
Muscat has consistently stressed that politics should serve to unify the Maltese nation and not to divide it. Meritocracy will be the order of the day under a new Labour government. This is refreshing, given the political polarisation of the past and the condemnable clientelism that has pervaded all recent Nationalist administrations.
Secondly, the team of candidates presented by the Labour Party is one of high calibre.
It includes new candidates who have been successful in their respective spheres of competence and old but experienced campaigners whose experience in public administration is badly needed to sort out the mess being left behind by the Nationalists. These Labour candidates are capable people under a capable leader. They deserve the confidence of voters on their own merits and not just because everyone is fed up of the incompetence of the Nationalists.
Thirdly, today’s Labour Party is a pro-active political party with a positive approach to things. Muscat has already stated that he will build upon the good work performed by previous Nationalist administrations. In Opposition, Labour has always put the national interest first and has cooperated with the Nationalist Government when this was what was required for the good of the country and its people.
Fourthly, the Labour Party is close to the people and builds its policies around the needs of the people. One of the things that has really irritated people during the Lawrence Gonzi administration has been the way the Nationalist Government has persistently underestimated the weight of the burdens it has been placing on the common people.
To add insult to injury, the Nationalist Cabinet never in any way tried to set an example by sharing such burdens. Money continued to be spent on ceremonies, lavish salaries for consultants and, of course, the infamous €500 weekly increase for the Nationalist Cabinet behind the people’s back.
Labour is the political party with a social conscience, something the Nationalists once had but have now lost. One of the crucial differences between the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party is that while Labour will never follow policies which entail a very heavy social cost, the Nationalist Party is not averse to doing so and has, indeed, done so during the whole Lawrence Gonzi administration from 2008 to 2013.
Just look at how the present Nationalist Government has destroyed the middle class! Just look at how some pensioners were reduced to living in misery because of the exorbitant energy tariffs!
The Labour Party slogan for the General Election 2013 sums it all up: “Malta for all” (Malta tagħna lkoll). Under a new Labour government, a new vision of Malta will prevail, a vision where all Maltese will work together for progress. There will no longer be first-class and second-class citizens, an oligarchy which makes hay while the sun shines and at the same time when the vast majority of citizens are reeling under unbearable burdens.
Do you want to vote for a Prime Minister renowned for making promises before a general election and then reneging upon them once elected to power? Or would you rather vote for a person whose record of achievement and reliability are guarantees in themselves?
Finally, it all boils down to a question of democracy. The Nationalist Party no longer tolerates different opinions. Look at how they treated Franco Debono, Jesmond Mugliett and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. The Labour Party, on the other hand, celebrates difference instead of condemning and ostracising it.