Yesterday, people voted to select six MEPs and hundreds of local councillors. The election campaign was short, intense and only marred – as usual – by petty, unfounded and deliberately misleading accusations. This startegy was aimed at undermining the stream of continuous good work that the Labour Government has delivered, and is still delivering, with success since coming to power in 2013. The entrenched negative attitude of the Nationalist Party’s campaign stems from bygone tactics that do not hold water with today’s electorate.

Seeing through

This is exactly how the PR machine of the Opposition –  or any of its sections – has behaved throughout the campaign. It is a tactic that shows how puerile and out of touch with reality the Party is at its very core. We all know that the country is doing well and people know what the Labour Government stands for.

The country’s successful performance and the nation’s ever-increasing wellbeing confirm that the people attacking this adminstration are living in a parallell universe and are totally unaware of the fact that the electorate can see through their smoke screen. Their dissemination and recycling of half-truths are precisely aimed at alarming people through an orchestrated denigration of the nation’s constitutional institutions.

Responsible citizens can see through such malicious and time wasting tactics. It seems this is the only transparent aspect of an Opposition that is otherwise dismantled and cannot be credible in whatever it stands for. This behaviour can be dangerous for the country's democracy but can equally be useful to the electorate to reach a better understanding of what the government stands for.

 

Close contact

The Labour Government has been striving all along to fully grasp what the country and the nation needs. My role as a Cabinet Minister with a specific remit for Gozo has brought me in constant touch with the electorate. It is an undeniable fact that watching Gozo lag behind and accepting leftovers from the national wealth is a thing of the past. Gozo is progressing at a fast rate and the endeavours of the Gozo Ministry are showing on all fronts, especially in economic terms where our economic growth rate is faster than that of mainland Malta. 

Gozo’s resilient citizens have become leaders in various sectors that contribute to our economic and social wellbeing. Gozo’s social fabric is made up of hard-working families with an endemic flair for enterpreneurship and many have invested heavily in the commercial and idustrial fields over the past six years. The business community in Gozo, has developed niches that are now established, productive and constantly improving and growing.

The new positive energy pushing Gozitan enterpreneurs to generate wealth stems from the Government’s persistent support through financial and fiscal incentives, infrastructural assistance, continuous consultation with all stakeholders  and ceaseless efforts to attract foreign investment to the island. The Government’s positive attidute towards enterpreneurship has had a strong impact on Gozo’s overall image and psyche and this is evident in every village and town on the island.

 

Gozo’s progress

Gone are the days when Gozo died in the shoulder months. Proof of this are the fully booked B&Bs, boutique hotels and guest houses located across the island, and the new quaint bars, pubs and restaurants all carefully and lovingly in keeping with the local ambience. These and much more have all become tangible proof of the island as an all-year-round destination.  

Consequently, the demand for greater accessibility between the islands has led the Gozo Ministry to seek further accessibility and to the commissioning of a fourth ferry, together with the soon to be launched helicopter service.  Additionally, the long-held dream of a permanent link has been taken in hand by this Government and the ambitious tunnel project is also in the pipeline.

Gozo is known for its carnival, traditional village festas and operatic soirees. It is, however, fast becoming a unique tourist destination thanks to the Gozo Minstry’s jam-packed calendar of cultural events, tailor-made to cater for both Maltese and foreign visitors.

Careful planning  has ensured that Gozo is promoted and sold as a unique tourist destination that defeats seasonality. Our calendar contains an eclectic blend of one-off local and international events, performances and exhibitions. It is with satisfaction that I note that Gozitan enterpreneurs, hobbyists and NGOs have embraced this initiative and have injected the typical, unique flavour of the Gozitan way of life and outlook into each and every event that takes place throughout the year. All activities are high end and unique and the participants are particularly keen on sending the message that Gozo has talent and can progress in a sustainable way without harming the environment and losing its unique, quaint atmosphere.

 

One pulse, one nation

Yesterday’s election results will be out shortly. The people have voted and their mid-term verdict will be the catalyst to propel Labour’s ambitions to greater heights. In the coming years, the Government is determined to transform the country into a strong, confident, self-reliant and vibrant nation that is prosperous, just and inclusive – a nation of winners, the envy of the whole world.

It is obvious that this Government’s performance,  including that of the Ministry for Gozo, shows the determination and hard work injected into every initiative and goal set out in Labour’s electoral manifestos under the leadership of our Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat. In the last six years, Labour has painstakinly built solid economical foundations that have yielded superlative results.

We are, in fact, already reaping the benefits and the government is doing its utmost to distribute wealth as fairly and inclusively as possible. This government feels the pulse of the people and adapts to the needs of all for the common good.

The ultimate goals of this government are to raise up the most vulnerable people in society, distribute wealth with equity and create a more accessible inclusive society in which each and every citizen feels part of the whole. This government is  building a society that has Malta and Gozo at heart – one pulse, one nation, a beacon of light, a true example of living in a fair society where equity and justice reign supreme.