The results achieved over the last few years by the present government have been positive on most fronts. The government’s policies and achievements have indeed been commendable in various important sectors. The family has always been at the heart of the government’s agenda, not only as an institution but in its entirety, and our aim is always to improve the circumstances of every family, and all the members of that family, be they young or old, male or female.

This fondness for the family has been expressed in many ways: hefty investment in quality education, from early childhood to post-doctorate study; free healthcare in state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, including care of the elderly and the building of a new oncology centre; the creation of more and better jobs, with Malta being ranked as the country with the fifth lowest unemployment in the EU; incentives, including tax breaks, to encourage more women to enter the labour market coupled with family-friendly measures including the introduction of more child-care centres; making headway in information communication technology and e-government services; and a cleaner and more pleasant environment, which includes investment in sewage treatment and recycling plants, cleaner sea water, better and safer roads and beautiful gardens, parks and open spaces. Furthermore, national dignity has been raised especially, if not solely, by the way in which the government dealt with the Libyan crisis.

In spite of all these achievements, and many others in various sectors, at the moment both the government and the Nationalist Party seem to be facing an inability to translate these successes from the national level to the individual and to finally exchange these achievements with the popular vote. On the other hand, one finds an Opposition party, full of smiles and sympathy but devoid of policies and solutions, which seems to be getting the upper hand. This is not being argued because of the results in the recent local council elections, as these should be taken for what they are – local elections with local issues involved. We have already experienced a series of local election defeats only to be followed by a totally different result in a general election. Nonetheless, these results added to recent opinion polls should not be ignored. It is evident that the Labour Party, in spite of not increasing its votes in the local council elections, will not be the underdog in the coming general election.

It is evident that voters – while remaining interested in the overall success of our country and how it is faring in the global economic crisis and the instability of the Mediterranean region – give priority to bread-and-butter issues closer to home. Of course, while there is no doubt that the achievements obtained at national level have an impact on individual performance, there is an obvious difficulty with translation. We have to find better ways of communicating the message and this cannot be done by a top down method, but rather by getting closer to the people and using the tool that has worked so many times for the Nationalist Party and for the country: dialogue. We need to listen more to learn about people’s perception of reality. We need to be sensitive to people’s problems and attempt every possible solution. Above all we need to show that this is a caring government, even when having the courage to explain why we cannot satisfy illegitimate expectations.

National policies, regulation and legislation are not introduced or upheld for the vain glory of the state but are rather instruments for the wellbeing of society, the community, the family and the individual.

Clyde Puli is Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport