The local council elections have come and gone, the number of political contributions has drastically decreased in our local newspapers, and I’m not complaining about this. The analysis of the results is underway. Many people contribute in their own way to this debate, many forward their explanations for victory and defeat, from national to local issues, from economic turbulence and the price of oil to personal grievances.

Clearly, there is a message both in the vote and even in those who did not vote – who have also voted. Clearly, both parties need to withdraw into their internal structures and analyse every locality in depth and with a realistic appreciation of what went on.

There is no doubt that the country is passing through tight economic times, through patches which necessitate a resolution to steer out of this with the least harm possible. These decisions and strategies come at a cost, but are they the only motive underlying people’s complaints?

I believe that they are not the only reason. There are complaints accumulating over time, which have to be addressed. Minor complaints which bother our citizens, our taxpayers who, after all, fund this whole system of governance, lest we forget.

Small daily issues, the result of abuse, the result of lack of management, the result of a lack of discipline and also the result of lack of common sense. To resolve many it would take no Einstein and no researched political strategy, just ordinary decisions by the persons entrusted with such responsibility – a responsibility given to them precisely to take these ordinary decisions.

The lack of carrying out this responsibility results in complaints, which complaints are in turn directed by the public at large not at the person entrusted to carry that responsibility, who shirks it off quicker than the manner with which it is entrusted upon such person.

We seem to be willing to give up the concept of subsidiarity, taking the decisions at the lowest threshold possible, content to blame the lack of initiative or decisions on our superiors. A case in point:

Travelling through Luqa Airport passport control outbound last week, the EU nationals queue was full of people, while the Non EU National file was empty, not one person. In the non EU Cubicle there were three personnel on duty and one policewoman adjacent to the cubicle; in the EU cubicle there was one official and a policewoman adjacent outside same.

Trying to pass through the non EU Cubicle was greeted with large protests since this was a file for non EU – notwithstanding the fact that they were void of clients, that they were three there and on the other side there was one person, that there was a long queue in one and no persons in the other. Notwithstanding that this was brought to their attention, they refused to change their stand.

When one highlighted that they were there to give a service they responded, that “this had nothing to do with it” they stated – those were their rules, the order received. Do you believe it, this is the service we pay for and, beware, we have no right to complain to these individuals.

It is not only by way of expectancy but by right that they expect lounge about between them, when the taxpayer, paying them salaries, is waiting to be served.

It is at this level that people are complaining. It is about these individual attitudes that Joe and Joan Citizen – who have no access to any channels to voice their complaint, justified and frustrating as they may be – are complaining. The result: the writing is on the wall.

Joe and Joan Citizen are conscious of the national difficulties long publicised and discussed. These are issues they accept need to be addressed, conscious of the reality that these require long-term strategies to be addressed appropriately. They are prepared to carry same – but should they be made to carry more?

Discipline and responsibility are undoubtedly among the major causes of complaints. These in turn translate to the service Joe and Joan Citizen received for the taxes they pay.

Are we satisfied? Should we ask who gives this service? As citizens – as taxpayers, we give a service to ourselves and receive our services from our fellow citizens, colleagues and others – who should we be addressing our complaints to? What should we be doing about it? Is it only politicians who should respond?