We are in the middle of summer, a season in which a lot of people go away on holiday or try to break their normal routine. This is the ideal time to reflect on how things are changing, or maybe not. Almost five months have passed since this year’s election, 1/12 of the legislature, but one can still see two different approaches adopted by the main political parties. The party in government continues with the same arrogant attitude, the same traditional way of doing things, while the opposition, with newly elected leader Joseph Muscat, is introducing to our country a new way of implementing politics, a truly new political season.

Just before parliament convened after the election, the government started on the wrong foot by reactivating Malta’s membership in the Partnership for Peace programme without any consultation. An approach which was constantly adopted again in issues of great importance, like the drastic revision of the water and electricity surcharge, the rise in fuel prices, the privatisation of the shipyard and recently the liberalisation of the public transport sector.

Looking back through the last five months, one can also come to another conclusion, that of a government which persists in breaking promises. I will just mention a few promises included in the electoral programme which the government failed to introduce or maintain from the previous legislature: the rebate on white goods, the equity sharing scheme, the promises to the shipyard workers and the committee for monitoring medicine prices. There are also serious doubts about the income tax reduction which the PN promised with great pomp during the last election campaign.

There are a few positive moves that merit a mention, which are the select parliamentary committee, the recognition of the waiting list problem at Mater Dei, and the mentioning, although in an inconsistent way, the issue of divorce. We must say that these issues were only mentioned or addressed by the government because it could not do otherwise. The waiting list problem was a main priority for the Labour opposition during the previous legislature, but the government kept ignoring it till the situation become unacceptable. Divorce become an issue for the PN government just after Dr Muscat promised to open the divorce debate, with a view to presenting laws in parliament and allowing a free vote.

I must also mention another major achievement which was attained thanks to the pressure made by the Labour Party. The Ombudsman stated that “decisions taken by courts and tribunals that are judicial institutions should be respected and implemented”. Such a statement is not just a significant one for our democracy, but also for all those people who have been suffering injustice in the last two decades.

After the summer break I truly hope that the Labour Party continues with this positive way of doing politics, especially after Dr Muscat assumes the responsibility of Opposition Leader, so that he can continue leading the Labour Party and our country towards a new political season.

Silvio Parnis is main

opposition Spokesperson

for Consumer Protection

www.silvioparnis.com