If there is one message that the Maltese people are clearly putting forward to us in the Labour Party is that they want a change and that they can get this change only from Labour. Not only a change in faces, but a real change in whatever has to do with the way things are done in this country. A real change that filters down to the people and benefits all and sundry, especially the needy.

This government is lost in its own spin. It says a lot, but does very little, and indeed the majority of families can see very little improvement in their lives. Big talk on the economy meant to impress, trying to make belief that all is well, is the rule of the day. But not all is well. Foreign economic reports clearly indicate, that we are at the bottom of the economic league, lagging even behind countries that are restructuring their economies after five decades of soviet occupation.

All statistics also illustrate, that our quality of life has been deteriorating for quite some time as wages, instead of improving everyday life for our families, are deteriorating with bullish effect, not only on the low income groups, but across the spectrum.

The rate of increase in wages in Malta has been shown to be statistically among the lowest across Europe. What this means is that, for one, wages in Malta are not in tune with the economic growth across Europe. In reality, considering inflation and the high cost of the water and electricity surcharge, we are effectively earning less. That is why, once in government, Labour will halve the surcharge, definitely making life better for all our families. It will also give a deserved fresh breath and a new lease of life to our industry, tourism and commerce. This will in turn trickle-down, leading to better benefits all round. This is the way Labour thinks and plans to work; greater benefits all round, to all and sundry.

The young, too, are fed up with the present administration. The general quality of conditions of work is continuously falling, coupled with relatively high unemployment, leaving our youth merely hoping and longing for what the Nationalists have repeatedly promised them, without delivering.

In so far as education is concerned, our spending is also not giving us what we are effectively paying for. Illiteracy, sadly so, is still running very high.

Industrialists complain on the kind and quality of graduates being produced by the system. Ironically so, after demolishing the vocational sector of our educational system, so tirelessly built by past Labour governments, the education minister is now proposing a new grand college. But the end result of all this is, that after 20 years of Nationalist government we are at the bottom of the European education league too. Shame, shame indeed!

Conversely, there is not a single week in which we do not hear about new cases of corruption and abuse. Unfortunately, however, these scandals do not only affect the credibility of the Nationalist government, but also of the state. All this shows that the Nationalist administration is a tired government, short of ideas, energy and innovation.

Labour, on the contrary, is continuously showing that it is a party full of energy, vigour and innovation, looking forward with a sense of vision to take the ropes of government in order to recreate a sense of nationhood and solidarity aimed at achieving better benefits for all.

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Dr Michael Falzon is the MLP Deputy Leader for Party Affairs