The worst thing that could have befallen the Labour Party was for it to win the election with such a large margin of votes and parliamentary seats. Parties and people in power tend to become rather arrogant and smug by default and the worst thing is for a party to feel that it is untouchable and invincible because of its large parliamentary majority. What is even worse is that they think that all of us are really stupid while they are the only ones saying intelligible things. It did not take very long for the Labour ministers and their party stalwarts to feel that Malta was, after all, theirs for the taking (Malta taghhom biss syndrome?) with very little respect for the spirit of the law of the land and its people.
This attitude is becoming increasingly evident day by day, as party faithful are promoted to take the place of suitably qualified personnel. This seems to be happening across the board – from the police to the army, and in several government departments and authorities. One must think that if they do these things to the wood when it is green, what will happen to it when it is dry!
The removal of Ms Doris Gauci, an incentivised and highly qualified person who has worked in the mental health sector for most of her professional life, from her administrative position at Mount Carmel Hospital, in order to be replaced by a Labour party stalwart who happens to be a lawyer, takes the price for eyebrow-raising this week. It always struck me as funny how lawyers tend to end up in administrative positions everywhere in government departments, even within the health services field, though it is often difficult to find doctors, nurses, engineers or architects, for example, in charge of the law courts!
That is why I suggest that the government accepts the proposal of the Leader of the Opposition to create a parliamentary committee to oversee the ethical behaviour of its member MPs and the members of government. The idea, which was the Archbishop’s, could easily be taken up by a parliamentary committee and official, though I see it being difficult as a post to be discharged at ministerial level.
This new committee could go a long way towards overseeing the ethical and moral operation of the government, pulling in over-zealous ministers and their minions and calling them to attention. It would do the Maltese people good to know that someone is looking after their ethical interests and the government a world of good by keeping its members in check so their heads do not grow so big that they eventually think they are the be-all and end-all of everything.
The second suggestion made by the Opposition this week was also a very good one. This was to set up a permanent committee in Parliament to discuss and help resolve several issues in the health sector. This sector takes up a large proportion of public finances and administrative energy. It is a constantly growing sector, with increasing financial and administrative problems that need to be resolved in the national interest, such as the “out-of-stock medicines” situation. Many of these problems need a national, not partisan, approach for their resolution, as otherwise they tend to become disproportionate and engulf us all.
A national health committee in parliament could tackle and discuss these problems and suggest legislative, tendering and administrative changes that would maintain a sustainable health service, regardless of which party was in government. The expenses associated with the health sector actually are the biggest threat to its long-term sustainability. Such a committee would also take this problem off the health minister’s shoulders, which often can turn out to be bigger than the government itself. I am particularly referring to the foreign trans-national pharmaceutical companies here!
It is said that nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself. Example is not the main thing when it comes to influencing others – t is the only thing!
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