Citizens generally expect their country to make fairly constant advances across a range of areas over the years and decades. Whatever their political leanings, in the end they aspire to see basically the same few simple measures of progress, such as greater wealth creation, higher living standards, more choice, improved health and education services, clean air to breathe and natural habitats to enjoy. They want to be assured of fair treatment, honest leaders and protection from crime. They look forward to increased opportunities of self-fulfillment for their children.
It is the job of politicians to deliver on those expectations. A difficult task and one they often fall short of for a variety of reasons, such as lack of skill or vision, or decision-making compromised by self-interest. This is the end result of a political system that tends to produce mediocrity rather than excellence. That’s inevitable perhaps when politicians are part-timers and politics fail to attract the best brains. With the civil service far from a paragon of competence, politicians of goodwill need all the help they can get to give citizens the sort of country they desire.
This newspaper can only cheer, then, when the Today Public Policy Institute steps forward and offers a little of that badly needed assistance.
The TPPI, an independent entity whose funding is provided by charitable institutions and corporate bodies, has over a decade produced a series of objective, deeply-researched and generally well-received reports that recommend sound national policies on governance, sustainable economic and social development, the environment and international relations.
The institute has now decided to produce more work of this nature and try to exert a greater influence on public debate and policy making. It has started by expanding its ranks, made up of people of undoubted intellectual standing and independence of thought.
Among its ideas are the setting up of a public policy institute funded by the government, but independent of it, staffed by professionals who would be commissioned to formulate policies on the government’s behalf. Another intriguing offer before the election is to advise party candidates and inexperienced potential ministers on the ins and outs of running a government ministry.
Citing “maladministration and misgovernment”, former TPPI director general Martin Scicluna spoke last week of the pressing need for independent and objective policy development. Checks and balances, he observed, are not really working and institutions have been overridden by the government.
As for the PN, it has dealt another serious blow to faith in politics with its receipt of dubious payments.
The country is in desperate need of a revival of trust in the political class. Politicians in and out of government could do worse than outsource some of their policy making to public-spirited people who have the acumen and vision to devise solid recommendations that go well beyond the term of one administration.
To its credit, the PN has accumulated a small collection of well-thought-out policies on governance, the environment and other areas, while its donations scandal has a silver lining in its attempted act of redemption: the commissioning of an independent report on party finance reform, which it has pledged to adopt.
The country needs to see more of this kind of approach.