The Nationalist Party needs, as of now, to start communicating and discussing its current policies and those policies it intends to adopt when the Maltese electorate entrusts it again with the reins of government and, in that, the future of our country.
Maltese citizens need to regain their place at the centre of politics. It is the responsibility of political parties to recognise, encourage and empower citizen participation and people’s role in society.
True meritocracy and justice should become the indicators of a people-centred political approach with the aim of enhancing the well-being of current and future generations. This well-being can be sought through (but not only) clean government, good governance, sustainable policies and the modernisation of laws and structures.
The constitutional reforms that have been long coming are now way overdue. This needs to be tackled hands-on, and no time would be better than the present.
At its roots, the Nationalist Party should and must ensure that its sectional (local) committees and party clubs become the enablers of a people-centred politics. The party will primarily become the facilitator in this process with the constant presence of its leadership and officials. This will give us as a party the best opportunity to listen to the public, empathise, understand and establish policies that meet their realities.
The PN must also meet those people who, for a multitude of reasons, might have lost confidence in the party. The PN will have to dedicate time to listen and understand the grievances of these individuals in order to provide them with tangible, valid and serious solutions.
We need to challenge all ideas in order to bring out the best in each other
Isn’t this what people-centred politics is all about?
We must go to the roots, back to basics, holding on to the most natural value that made the PN the people’s natural choice. If we want to represent the people, and if we truly believe that polices need to be focused on the wants and the needs of people, then we must be ready to discuss these essentials.
We have over the years developed an number of fora in the party to reach out to our diverse society. Now let us empower these means to truly be representative of the nation we aspire to bring forward.
The PN must actively address the calls of civil society and lend them its political support. Nationalist MPs should serve as a platform to voice civil society’s concerns through the use of their seat in Parliament.
I have always done that for the areas I have shadowed in Parliament over the years. We need to be a tool in that sense and give a real voice to those we aspire to represent.
Civil society, trade unions, employers and all other representative bodies need to find a voice within the PN and eventually feel part of a winning formula that will truly come forth for the common good and the equality we aspire to provide for through the distribution of wealth as a nation.
Diversity does not worry me, stagnation does. Diversity works in parallel to unity. We will only get stronger when we debate ideas rather than use them as reason to disagree. We need to challenge all ideas in order to bring out the best in each other.
When our only resource as a nation is our human resource, then we will be all better off if we bring out the best in each other rather than the opposite.
My challenge within the PN will be that of bringing together these ideals and placing forward the policies that are required to bring about real and tangible change. Until the time comes, we also need to keep to the forefront our calls for justice and institutional change that can only lead to a better and fairer society for all.
Toni Bezzina is a Nationalist Party deputy leader for party affairs candidate.