Democratic politics has one distinct advantage over all other political systems: every few years it empowers people to tell their government, “You are fired!” We are fast approaching this moment of truth for our country. So why do I believe that the electorate will pass this judgement on the present government?

The enemies of trust

Politics is built on trust. During the past few years the gap between what the Nationalist Party had promised and what it has delivered has grown wider. Let us take some examples.

The Gonzi administration, and the Fenech Adami one before it, never really cared much about influencing the cost of living. On the contrary they piled taxes, sometimes guised euphemistically as surcharges, on Maltese families, to the extent that even middle class families are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the quality of life they were used to.

The National Health Service is creaking in every aspect. The rocketing cost of medicine, long waiting lists for vital surgical treatment, worrying statistics about MRSA incidence in our State hospitals, and long waiting time to simply see a consultant in St Luke’s, are just a few examples on how this government is failing on the health front.

Now Dr Gonzi will, on his birthday, give the Maltese nation “the best gift it has ever received”. How patronising and false at the same time! A hospital that should have cost about Lm80 million will cost more than three times as much, and is being delivered about 10 years late.

Failing education

But perhaps the most serious failure of this administration is its under performance on the education front. Success in this important sector, which has such a vital role for our future economic performance, is measured by the Gonzi administration in terms of the money spent on upgrading schools.

Spending money has never been a problem for this government, but attaining high quality standards in education was, and still is. Eurostat confirms that Malta ranks at the very bottom of the EU league with regard to the number of young students who leave our educational system under-qualified, and practically unemployable in today’s modern economy. In fact 42 per cent of our young people are in this category.

No wonder the question of lack of suitable job opportunities comes up so often in our frequent contacts with Maltese families. A Labour government will tackle the problem of under performance in the education sector with determination and commitment to change what is undermining our schools.

Pie in the sky

Now that time is running short for this sclerotic government, Dr Gonzi dons the robes of a modern day Moses and promises to lead us to the Promised Land. He is trying to create a vision of Malta becoming “a centre of excellence”.

With brazen impertinence he tells the thousands of suffering operators in our tourism sector who have seen the industry go downhill through neglect, that if re-elected he will make Malta a centre of excellence in the tourist sector.

Our families deserve better than this. Promises that are justq pies in the sky will not satisfy the hunger for change. The claim that Labour has no alternative policies is as arrogant as it is patronising for the thousands of citizens who this time round will, from the silence of the polling booths, tell this government: “You are fired!”

Dr Mangion is the deputy leader of the Opposition.