The good governance of Gozo is an issue that crops up on the political agenda of the country every now and then, especially when a general election is approaching. This year, we are celebrating the 54th anniversary of the foundation of the Gozo Civic Council.
The council was set up as a statutory local government in the island of Gozo on April 14, 1961. This was the first real experience of local government in Malta on a regional level. The law empowered the council to collect and impose taxes, although it never actually made use of this power.
In June 1971, the Malta Labour Party was voted into office. Since its support in Gozo was very weak and it favoured a purely centralised style of governance, it proposed a referendum in 1973 on the abolishment of the civic council, laying emphasis on the unpopular possibility of it raising taxes.
Despite pressures to abolish the council by the socialist government, only 195 opted to exercise their right to vote out of the 15,621 registered electors.
Notwithstanding the very low turnout, the government proceeded with its plans to abolish the civic council. The administration of Gozo was centralised in Valletta and Gozitan affairs became the direct responsibility of the Office of the Prime Minister.
This government will not give Gozo and the Gozitans regional autonomy
In the following 14 years, Gozo reverted back to direct rule without any form of representation in the Maltese executive. It was only in 1987, with the election of a new Nationalist government, that the Ministry of Gozo was set up, giving the island a real voice in the Cabinet of ministers.
Local government was restored with the establishment of 14 Gozitan local councils in 1993. However, since then, no other directly-elected regional body, or civic council, has been re-established.
So here one asks: what is the next step? Is it time to consider the establishment of a real ‘regional administration’ for Gozo?
Labour, which was elected to government in March 2013, lacks any such vision for Gozo in its electoral manifesto. The removal of education and health affairs from the portfolio of Gozo Minister Anton Refalo surely is no good sign and confirms that this government will not give Gozo and the Gozitans regional autonomy. Personally, I am not surprised by this decision to demote the Ministry for Gozo to a glorified local council, suffice to mention one single fact among others: the Ministry for Gozo was demoted to a parliamentary secretariat between 1996 and 1998, and, consequently, Gozitan affairs once again became the direct responsibility of the Office of the Prime Minister.
As the present situation and history shows, Labour never favoured any form of real local autonomy; its negative stance when local councils were launched in 1993 is a case in point. To be credible on fundamental issues, it is a must to remain consistent. Anything else is mere pure political speculation.
In my opinion, the setting up of a regional council can be the first step towards the establishment of a proper Regional Assembly. A model that can be followed is that of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, which is made up of deputies elected by direct election every five years. There is also the model found in Scotland, where the Scottish government is responsible for all issues that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament at Westminster.
Devolved matters include the national health services, education, justice and policing, rural affairs, economic development and transport.
I am convinced that more autonomy will bring about the introduction of the needed measures to renew the Gozitan economy. The decision-making process must move closer to the people and listen to their needs more attentively.
Investing more in the financial services sector and gaming industries is a priority for Gozo. Furthermore, Gozo needs to be given its fair share of the foreign direct investment coming to our country.
A Regional Assembly will have the power and the means to attract such investment towards our island.
Of course, in the process there must be an exercise to prevent the creation of a bureaucratic system. In the coming days, as a new candidate for the next general election on behalf of the Nationalist Party, I will be writing to the party so that the setting up of such a regional council is included in the next electoral programme.
On a final note, quoting a great person, I advise the present Labour government to follow this advice: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
Joseph Attard is a Nationalist Party electoral candidate.