No one should take voting lightly

The political storm is almost over. Now two days of calm before a fresh storm engulfs Malta on Sunday. Voters who have not yet made up their minds – according to the polls there are still quite a few – must consider their options carefully when going to the polls on Saturday.

At least this week has been calmer than previous ones, with both parties once again returning to their core messages rather than protracted revelations of scandal after scandal. It is not before time that the campaign returned to the issues that will affect people in the months and years to come.

Labour is making a case for a change in government by stressing the need for political reforms, a new energy policy and a different way of doing politics. It is also banking on the idea that voters are tired of the Nationalists after a long spell of PN Administrations.

However, it remains to be seen whether it can achieve the same level of economic growth, job creation and financial sustainability that the PN has managed over the years.

There is no doubt that the country’s economic figures are generally positive (even though public debt is still too high).

The PN Government over the past five years has presided over job creation, low inflation, a substantially reduced deficit, economic growth and increased spending on health, education and social services.

Indeed, according to the European Commission’s latest economic forecasts, Malta’s economy this year is expected to register the second highest growth, 1.5 per cent, among the 17 members of the eurozone. This is particularly significant when one considers that the Commission is projecting a contraction of -0.3 per cent in the eurozone as a whole this year.

The Commission has also forecast above average job creation in Malta of 1.7 per cent compared with -0.8 in the eurozone and low unemployment, 6.4 per cent, against 12.2 in the eurozone.

As politicians have seen elsewhere in Europe, management of the economy does not necessarily translate into success at the polls.

This Government is defending a wafer-thin 1,500 vote majority, it made a number of mistakes during this legislature, it was rocked by a backbench revolt, it presided over a huge rise in utility tariffs and its 2008 ministerial pay increase was completely mishandled. The last legislature should also have been brought to an end sooner given all the PN’s internal instability.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party has moved to the centre, fully endorsed EU membership and embraced many liberals and centrists who previously felt more comfortable within the PN.

So, when people decide, they will be thinking about whether they are prepared to turn a blind eye to the PN’s mistakes in the light of the economic stability that has come with this Government and whether Labour is able to guarantee a continuation of the sound economic policies that we have become accustomed to over the years.

They should also be thinking whether there is a need for change and, if so, whether that change will be positive or negative. Change for the sake of change is not a valid reason, even though this factor may come into play all the same on Saturday if recent polls are anything to go by.

Above all, people should not take their decision blindly. Casting a vote is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly by anyone.