My thoughts this week go on some parallels that have been drawn lately.
I start by making reference to the much-marketed plan for the Grand Harbour area. On one side you have the Labour Party who very quickly put up a series of meetings with various entities in a bid to draw up some form of prospectus that involves the area and its people.
On the other hand the Nationalist Party unveiled a mega 20-project vision that gives us details of each part of the Grand Harbour area. It was a proper presentation with details of sites and plans that give you a great idea of what will take place. Unlike the government, the Labour Party had its difficulties to put together a brochure. It relied on the most “unbiased” news programme in Malta, Super One, to give the nation the good news. It is a typical example of the state of both parties.
The Nationalist Party is doing its rounds with the various constituted bodies, with a programme and a vision till 2015. People at the helm are hearing where the government wants to arrive by that year. Unfortunately the Labour Party could not make any plans for such a long time, as even if it were to win the election, it can hardly keep its forces together to muster a five-year term.
Such is the divide, that when you hear Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi talk, you can clearly see his vision too, while you must search for the details within the Labour Party, not sure whether each sentence is a possibility or a reality.
Another comparison is the length of stay of the two party leaders. Over these years, we had a new Pope, a new archbishop, a new bishop in Gozo and our prime minister changed too. The only one who remained is Alfred Sant, 16 years as MLP leader. Then its Labour that accuses the Nationalist of being old. How can the people believe such things?
Which brings me to the style of talk that both leaders use to address the crowd. Our prime minister goes for the concrete, continually quoting statistics, presenting projects one can see and feel, finished works, fewer people registering for work, tourism figures that are going up, finances that are looking really good, dialogue for the next budget.
The list is a long one that proves the success of the working government. On the other hand, the “unbiased” Super One news gives us the Alfred Sant speeches or parts of them, that are a mud-slinging exercise on anybody that comes up. Only recently, we had three serious accusations on the Water Services Corporation. Accusations that may have serious repercussions.
Minister Austin Gatt did well to put up an urgent request for the Public Accounts Committee to deal with Dr Sant’s allegations. One point was suddenly thrown out of the window, and it shocked the whole room. That of a Gozitan contractor with close connections to ministers who, according to Dr Sant, is involved in a tender process. It turns out to be that a joint venture company with a French and a Maltese company are involved. One asks, how can the people believe an opposition leader, aspiring to be a prime minister, in the light of such above facts?
Asking for a vote, maybe obtaining a vote, on a promise, or on a slogan, or on a vision, is one hell of a marketing exercise. However one does not sell illusions, or a mirage, but sells serenity, calm, prosperity, future, and well being, as done solely by a Nationalist government.
Robert Arrigo is a Nationalist MP