It is true that there are a number of positive indicators that point to a country that is moving forward on a number of fronts. In fact Malta has sturdy economic growth that is outpacing the Eurozone and this together with unemployment on a constant decline, a tourism industry that is doing increasingly well, a debt burden which keeps going down and an even sturdier economic growth forecasted - all positives that cannot be overlooked. 

One can also tot up to this the momentous work that is being done with minority groups, improvement in the quality of service provision for persons with disability together with the strengthening of the legislative backbone that protects vulnerable populations.  The dementia agenda is also being taken seriously, hospital bed- shortages are being addressed and the ‘out of stock medicine’ mantra seems to have settled down.  Co-education, specialized programmes for young people who have fallen by the wayside, the youth guarantee and employing more Youth Workers is also leaving a positive mark on the younger generation.   

This added to initiatives like the Whistleblower Act, party financing bill and the removal of prescription on acts of political corruption are allowing for a potentially positive impact in terms of accountability and transparency.  Businesses are also recording a very good moment and job creation in the private sector is a constant.  This didn’t happen by chance but because the Government in a number of areas has shown enterprise and endeavour. 

But I still think that most people still decide where to cast their vote depending on their ‘take-home’, the cost of fuel and the water and electricity bills, their purchasing power and whether they can get their annual holiday and a pizza on a Saturday night.  People will also vote if their rights are not being guaranteed, for example workers who are on precarious contracts and minority populations who might be denied their civil liberties.  I’m not at all convinced that some public appointment or other will make the electorate decide where to cast their vote. Nonetheless one incident after another is making the Government look slipshod. When you thought you had seen it all, Pop! Goes the weasel! 

As a matter of fact once again the Government walked a tightrope, this time round with the proposed nomination of two new nagistrates, one of whom eventually bailed out.  Do we have such a dearth of talent that these nominations had to create such a hullabaloo or were the persons designated so brilliant that they would have solved all our quandaries?  I believe that Franco Debono, the Law Commissioner, as reported in this newspaper following a contribution during my programme Ghandi xi Nghid, described it crystal clear stating that; “It is very unfortunate that two lawyers known for their integrity have been uselessly dragged into this controversy, which could have been avoided by the exercise of more diligence, prudence and a sense of equity and justice.”

Another case in point is the environment.  When it comes to this agenda it is one fail after another.  The Government has so far been unable to create the right balance between sustainable development and safeguarding the environment.  I haven’t seen the environmental lobby so irritated and aggravated like it is at the moment.  The general population seems to have lost any hope that the Government has a genuine interest in the environment and that turning Malta and Gozo into a concrete jungle seems to be time-honored.  The Government in the process has lost an MP and doesn’t seem to have come to terms with this casualty simply dismissing it as an MP gone rogue. 

Needless to say the Gaffarena saga, the Premier debacle, the Zonqor point travesty are either acts of sheer stupidity and naivety or power settled in primitiveness and conceit.  Losing two Ministers, a Parliamentary Secretary and an MP because of governance clutter in less than three years is disquieting and not called for.  The Prime Minister cannot stick his head in the sand.  In politics the writing is always there to see. 

On the other hand we have the Nationalist Party that tries to ride every downbeat the Government is entrenched in perpetually sounding the ‘I told you’ refrain.  I have often said that the Opposition is still perceived as trailing rather than setting the agenda as it should be doing by now.  The PN should be unrolling more of its policies, giving clear indication how it would lead the country.  Criticizing the mishandling of appointments and surveilling of Government is definitely part of the role of the Opposition but now is the moment to take it a step forward and persuade people that Simon Busuttil can be an alternative Prime Minister and the Opposition has the clout and the qualities to lead the country. 

Back to the Government.  There is so much work to do and the administration should be focused on the tall order, never ending agenda a country has instead of spending its time walking the tight rope and trying to recuperate when it slips.  We need to strengthen our laws that safeguard the well-being of children.  We need to work towards lessening the scar of poverty that eventually generates collateral problems like criminality and a serious negative effect on children and family.  Adoptions seems to have been put on hold, social services need to be modernised and we need to incentivise more women to go out to work.  Poverty, drug  addiction, a prison system that is failing its objectives, mental health residential services that have stopped in time require our full commitment and focus.  On a level of governance we need to strengthen our institutions.  We need to let-go of the Attorney General, National Audit Office and Ombudsman.  It is ridiculous that both Government and Opposition exalt them when decisions go their way and we kick them up the groin when they ‘let us down’.  Parliament needs to have its autonomy and the long awaited Constitutional reform has to kick off. 

All of this also depends on the generation of wealth.  It is only when we have a serene society that encourages the creation of prosperity that we can manage to appease the pain and the suffering of those at the bottom of the heap.  So in other words the Government needs to focus less energy on fixing and more on doing the right thing.