Perhaps inspired by US President Barack Obama, Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday logged on to Google Hangout to chat with seven preselected participants.
The participants were mostly in their 30s and 40s and with an IT, business or financial background.
There were supposed to be eight but one dropped out due to connection problems. In fact, there were several technical hitches – including poor sound and picture quality – as the participants linked up from their homes to the Labour leader at his office desk. The Hangout was also transmitted via One TV, the party’s TV station.
The use of social media follows the PN, which has had the Prime Minister answering questions by internet users in Sunday discussion meetings streamed online.
Participants asked Dr Muscat questions about the policies and strategies of Labour in government and the PL’s electoral manifesto was mentioned when the “chat” turned to education and social mobility.
He said the manifesto had very clear ideas about the targets in education. When asked whether the PL would address the long working hours and the financial difficulties of families, he stressed that the “romantic idea that women stay home and husbands goes to work” had to be dispelled and women had to be encouraged to join the labour market.
“We cannot promise that if the PL is in government we’ll have ‘Little House on the Prairie’ families.”
During the chat viewers were encouraged to submit their own questions on YouTube but only 18 comments were sent in: two were from PL activist Cyrus Engerer, one was a comment about the bad sound, another two wrote in to praise the initiative and another two simply read “Dear Joseph”.
Other topics touched upon included the self-employed.
“Our policy can be explained in one sentence: we will let you work,” said Dr Muscat. He said this may sound “easy” and “run of the mill” but a fight against bureaucracy was a priority for the PL.
He praised the PN government on several issues and said Labour would continue the financial sector strategy, the sports scheme allowing athletes to be recruited in the military so they could train regularly, building the sports-themed school and SmartCity.