As we move inexorably to the next general election, the present government, which continues to be in office but not in power, must waste no time and give priority to issues of national importance rather than concentrate on vote catching partisan issues.

Any government in the last few months of its existence feels its grip on power loosening, because it will have few options to influence economic performance in the short term. This is when the temptation to let the country run itself is at its worse. The economic life of a country goes on, despite impending elections.

It is therefore important that no time is wasted in supporting initiatives aimed at bringing about medium to long term benefits for the country, rather than concentrating on short-term cosmetic measures to present the party in office in a rosier light to the electorate.

When deciding on a plan of action, the question every statesmen leading a government in the last few months of its life should be asking is “What serves the country best?”

Revitalising tourism

The peak of the tourist season is fast approaching. And yet, there is very little evidence of any action being taken to ensure that last year’s dismal performance is not repeated. Too many people depend on, and too much investment has been made in this important industry to let it rot, at best through benign neglect, or at worst through crass mismanagement.

The Labour Party has repeatedly declared that once in office it will give top priority to tackle the alarming decline in the fortunes of our tourism industry. One does not need to be qualified in nuclear science to inject some life into this industry.

What is needed is a huge dose of commitment and a team building effort among those involved in this industry to initially take short term measures and give a facelift to the island followed by deeper and more intensive planning to address the structural decline which seems to be developing in this important industry.

Boosting investment

The Prime Minister has probably made himself hoarse repeating that last year we attracted Lm500 million worth of investment. What Dr Gonzi fails to point out is to what extent this investment has created job opportunities for the thousands of young, and not so young, workers seeking employment.

The anecdotal evidence that my colleagues and I hear when visiting families is that lack of employment opportunities has reached worrying proportions. And this is not only affecting workers with low educational achievements, but also graduates and middle managers who have lost their jobs as a result of restructuring.

This issue is closely tied to improving the country’s competitiveness that has been so badly eroded in the last few years. We need to put education on the top of our “to do” list once again. Although there is no shortage of money being spent on education, the results are miserable.

We have a growing army of young people with a low level of education and little or no skills looking for menial jobs that a modern economy cannot provide. Just as tragic, we have increasing numbers of young graduates qualified in subjects for which there are little or no demand in our economy. Retraining and re-skilling is the answer to this difficult problem.

The Labour Party is constantly asking itself “what serves the country and our families best?’ This is the ethos that drives us in our political lives. We are confident that the electorate increasingly understands this new approach and will confirm their support by voting for change.

Dr Mangion is the deputy leader of the Opposition.