It has been a year since the present Government took office after that the Nationalist Party won for the third time in a row the General Elections It is a good time to have an objective look at the track record of Government’s first year in office.
Winning the last General Election was no mean feat and the effort put in by the entire team to secure a victory against all odds cannot be underestimated. As the final weeks of the election campaign rolled on, the Nationalist Party moved from a negative rating with the electorate into positive territory, then for known reasons lost part of the momentum gained in the last week but still managed to secure victory.
Less than three months earlier, Government had seen to the introduction of the euro as our national currency. In most other countries that alone would work against the Government in office, but in Malta’s case, the people made the wise decision that changing Government at that moment in time was not of any benefit to the country and people as a whole, despite Labour’s claims.
The fact that the Labour electoral campaign never took off clearly did not help Labour. Even a year later, many remain surprised how Labour could not get right the most elemental rules of a proper campaign.
A year later, many analysts seek to examine whether or not Government has lived up to its electoral promises. Considering that it’s only been one year since the Election and the mandate is to govern for another four years, I find the analysis made by such commentators who are far from complimentary towards the Nationalist Party to be rather encouraging even if that was not the intention. In particular, percentages worked out with regard to how much of the electoral programme has been implemented indicate that the Party is well on track.
No less than 7,000 jobs have been created. In this day and age that should be regarded as the most vital benchmark, the more so when the entire world is facing a very difficult phase and most economies are in a recession.
Malta is managing to sail through but that argument cannot be extended to imagine that we shall not feel the impact of the stormy waters that surround us. In a positive sense, we cannot afford but to keep our wits about us – to remain and become more shrewd.
As one of Malta’s Consults attending various meetings held for them over the past week aptly put it to me, “One can be positive in the negative!” Difficult situations create their own challenges and opportunities and if maintain a national sense of unity we can reap more results from which the whole country could stand to gain.
Having the courage to carry out long outstanding reforms is part of the winning formula. Be it with regard to rent laws, our planning process, how Local Councils operate, our educational system, or public transport, Government has embarked on an ambitious programme of change to give the country the benefit of attention to all details that should spell a radical process of much needed transformation over the coming years.
Embarking on reform, and putting in motion projects such as those that will regenerate our capital city are not the only items on the Government agenda. Much time is required to do a reasonable measure of fire fighting such as when Government intervened to safeguard 1,080 jobs at Methode and Trelleborg.
Securing the VAT exemption on food and medicine by having an effective voice within the European Union has been another achievement in its own right.
In the meantime, Labour tries to concoct stories that reflect the prejudices that it cannot shed, such as concocting the story about Malta paying the European Union more than we receive and then not having the courage and rectitude of owning up and admitting that the calculations were mistaken! Politics should also be all about having the decency to admit when one is wrong.
A year later, it is equally clear that there have been issues that could have been handled better and minefields avoided.
Remaining in touch with the people is the best way to handle our entire agenda and how to look forward to our commitment and tough work over the coming years.
Dr Zammit Dimech is a
Nationalist MP