Over the past few weeks, the Nationalist government put forth tangible proposals that will undoubtedly positively affect the future of our nation.

The government has announced that it will be investing Lm50 million to set up a new campus at MCAST in Paola. The new set-up will encompass all the institutes that fall under the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology. The government intends to double the amount of students attending MCAST from 5,000 to 10,000.

There is no doubt that Nationalist governments, over the years, have always been committed to improving the educational sector and have invested greatly in education primarily because they believe that the key to a better quality of life lies in education.

A credible opposition?

On the subject of education, the Malta Labour Party in opposition also had the opportunity to present tangible proposals. It could have proposed a new set-up at MCAST or somewhere else but it chose to embark on a mud-slinging campaign. Haven’t the higher echelons occupying parts of Mile End Street in Hamrun realised that people are sick of listening to tirades of personal attacks on ministers and their officials? Don’t they realise that the electorate would much rather listen to the plans and proposals of a Labour Party in government? Minister Censu Galea is bearing the brunt of the mud-slinging game at the moment.

The Labour media has devoted all its efforts and concentration on some events that, it is claiming, occurred between 2001 and 2002. Is this what New Labour is all about? Re-hashing the past? Perhaps the Labour Party should learn how to shy away from old pre-election negative campaigning tricks and concentrate on informing the public that Malta’s employment level has reached an all-time high, that unemployment levels are the lowest they have been over the past 10 years and that the Labour Party in government would work at retaining and bettering these records.

The Labour Party would indisputably earn brownie points if it were to admit that it would, once elected into power, attract foreign investment very much like the Nationalist Party in government has managed to attract over the last 10 years, making Malta a financially-sound European Union member state that will shortly be introducing the euro.

Centralised region

By 2015, Malta will be a centralised region in the information technology sector. In addition to this, in a few years’ time, it will also be considered a centralised region in the financial sector. In the hospitality industry, despite the setbacks that we have experienced over the past few years, Malta will become a tourist centre boasting one of the best cruise liner passenger terminals in the Mediterranean region.

Seeing that we are highly dependent on the hospitality industry, a considerable amount of the EUR855 million from the European Union will be invested in this sector. Plans for an overhaul are also under way in the health sector with the opening of Mater Dei Hospital, which is expected to create new opportunities for employment.

To some it all up, the Nationalist government is determined to continue increasing employment opportunities for the Maltese and Gozitans.