The process to elect the next leader of the Nationalist Party is slowly reaching its end. Today week the choice will boil down to two contestants, with all party members then voting for their preferred candidate two weeks later.
Saying this has been a special summer would be an understatement. It has been a process that ignited enthusiasm within the party and highlighted a huge determination by so many of our activists to see the party strengthening itself and becoming the formidable Opposition and government-in-waiting this country needs.
In my daily meetings with our councillors and activists I am continuously reminded of the untapped potential within the party. The number of those who are willing to join us and contribute towards having an effective Opposition are growing by the day. I’m inundated with e-mails and Facebook messages from young people feeling inspired to joining a revamped Nationalist Party. I’m meeting, every day, scores of people who left us in recent years but who are willing to return to give their helping hand. There is a growing feeling that the country needs the Nationalist Party back – to do what it does best, ignite the enthusiasm of the country and lead it towards brighter times.
I built my campaign around three main keywords: experience, integrity and renewal. I have been in the public eye as a politician for 30 years, from a mayor to a minister, from a member of the Nationalist Party Youth Movement to secretary general of the party.
People know what I stand for and how I always repaid the trust shown in me. I can proudly look back at 30 years of public service and say that I did not waste a minute. It’s not in my nature to do so. If I am given the privilege to lead the party, it will be an early wake-up call for all party officials from September 17 onwards. The task is huge and there’s not a moment to lose.
My plan is clear – a reinvigorated, innovative, proactive and inclusive party
My experience in politics also means that I have been under the watchful eye of the press for years on end. All my cards are on the table. It’s with this spirit that during this campaign I toured, among others, all the newsrooms of the country – including One News – allowing journalists to ask me any question and at any length.
It was also in this spirit that I published my family’s declaration of assets, showing exactly what I have earned throughout my life and where that money went. It’s in this spirit that I want to lead a transparent Opposition, because transparency triggers trust and that’s what we need to regain once more.
I was often reminded on the campaign trail of my prompt resignation as parliamentary secretary when there was the slightest accusation of wrongdoing. I had been encouraged not to resign as it was clear that I was innocent. Yet, my conscience did not allow me to. I resigned, cleared my name and returned to work with the same determination.
Our people deserve a government that is there to serve and not to be served, a government that treats power as a huge responsibility. With me at the helm of the Nationalist Party we will build a programme for a government that cherishes integrity. It will be up to the Nationalist Party to once again reintroduce strong moral principles in government.
Our plan for the future of the country will revolve around the dignity of each and every one of us. It will allow honest and hard-working people to once again move ahead in life without having to beg any minister for help.
We will craft a plan which ensures that our education system produces students empowered to always seek what is right and that the authorities are meant to keep government in check remain strong and efficient.
Being in Opposition is a crucial time for rebuilding and regrouping. If I’m elected leader of the Nationalist Party I will make sure that the party renews itself to be able to, once again, regain the place it deserves in the hearts and minds of our people.
My plan is clear – a reinvigorated, innovative, proactive and inclusive party, bringing together people from all walks of life, building bridges with all sectors of society and presenting an ambitious plan to take Malta forward in a way that the sustainable creation of wealth reaches everyone.
We are here to serve, and nothing fills us with more pride than being able to make a difference to people’s lives. The future is bright. There are many of us, toolkits in hand, willing to start working hard. And we will get there as we have always done.