Watching and listening to Simon Busuttil speaking in Parliament on Monday on the Budget restored our mind and emotions to a level place, from where we may regain a sense of trust and order.  Too often in these past years we, the public, have had to endure an irregular state of affairs and be subjected to an abnormal belief system which has demoralised us and created a lot of division amongst ordinary people, normally neighbours and friends, but lately unknown entities.

Like a virus spreading in a crowd of hosts, the malady of greed for money and positions of wealth has distorted the view of what is earned and what is corrupt.  Some of the information coming out of the media and parliament leaves us speechless, especially when the current behaviour contradicts decency and legitimacy, contrasts wholly with past positions, whilst jeopardising the good of the country. 

In this regard, for Simon Busuttil to have kept an honest and clear view as to what is right and what is not, as to what is and what isn’t in the interest of the country and how to emerge from this state of affairs, is to be applauded.  If Muscat, in his own words, has been the hare, Simon has been the tortoise who has arrived ahead of the hare, slowly and in his own pace, not to compete but to achieve.

From here forward, the field is open for debate and engagement in a way that has been previously lacking or haphazard.  The path is clear and the direction has been set.  People are reminded that a PN government knows how to achieve goals and create stability, not through artificially keeping the price of fuel high, but by the force of a team and a vision, led with integrity and good intentions.  There may be failures and misses, but the task of leading and governing is once again clearly identified with the PN as a whole – one party one crew.  The Prime Minister’s own reply on the budget, was lacking in substance and humility and only served to stir the murky waters, although it is clear that the budget does include some significant moves such as in pensions and the subsidy to employ a Carer, though I cannot see how this will be applied only to those on the waiting list for SVP because it could create a false demand for SVP.

Busuttil’s decision to start presenting an agenda to fill the void created by the Labour Budget is the right tactic.  Many solutions to the current problems or challenges facing the country will take time to formulate and require well planned resources.  Any contribution from the Opposition towards urgent issues which need addressing or in the field of investment and the economy, can help to avert a crises further down the line, at a time when they may very well be asked once again to take the place of governing the country.  Rather than finding a dire situation and having to ask the people again to make sacrifices, the path can be cleared in advance and more stability will ensue.

I don’t think that the strategy would have been there to do this exercise and present proposals, were it not that the void exists.  Otherwise, much of the time spent by the opposition would be needed to assess the merit of what would have been budget measures and to evaluate the success or failure of them.  Seeing the lack of economic direction and the implications of an absence of commitment towards attracting real investment to Malta and dealing head on with serious challenges such as the traffic and the saga of the power station, it is only fit and proper that the country is offered an alternative.

It is, at any rate, in countries with a mature political scene, quite normal for members of Parliament and political parties to be continuously grilled about their policies and opinions on matters arising.  Only here in Malta the ruling party seems to have a prerogative over matters of policy and a sort of permission to remain unchallenged in every regard.  Certainly, a majority will give a party the right to govern and set policy but only in one party systems does it mean that we cannot also hold other views and indeed must and should.  And it is only in illiberal democracies that a government can expect to be given a free pass. 

So, therefore, we can now hope for some balance in the democratic system we hold.  Which means that we expect debate, dialogue and practical ideas based on the ideologies of the parties and across parties.  Going back to positions held in the past, such as with the tunnel for Gozo or the free transport to private and church school students, may not be the best thing.  Environmental and economic concerns remain with the tunnel and that it is seen a vote catching manouver can spoil it for other positive proposals.  As for the free school transport, it is not just a matter of cost for the parents who would not contemplate the dawn start for their children to be at the bus stop.  The school transport system needs a fresh look and a general overhaul.  One that meets the needs of the children and of the parents and of the traffic congestion without remaining in the same system of operation.  The time has come for the country to create a national transport system for schools, with its own fleet and management.  Maybe the old Arriva buses lying in the field can be re-utilised for this purpose.  I expect that the coach companies will want compensation for the loss of the school business but they might want to allocate one or two or more of their own coaches towards the school transport hub, same as they did before with the Unscheduled Bus Service, or streamline their operation towards meeting the needs of general business and tourism.  When Arriva was brought in many bus owners were told they would be able to switch to the school transport contract and that is the situation at present.  But with the addition of the traffic problems, meeting the needs of both the school transport and the tourism industry is becoming more and more difficult and leading to the situation we have where children have to rise at dawn or before and tourists have to wait in hotel lobbies, especially if it has rained.  The world around us becomes more and more specialised by the day and by profession.  This one size fits all thinking is amateurish and unfit for purpose. 

Even in the public transport area, the needs of Sliema and St Julians, Marsa, Msida and Paola are not the same as the less populated or trafficked areas.  Transport to these areas should be continuous and should possibly also have a well serviced dedicated terminus of their own with regular departures.  Private operators can also be considered in a way that Auto Buses de Leon could sub-contract some termini to private operators.  Same as with the trains in England.

The same goes for security, where the need for police stations to be set up and serviced is very urgent and the creation of specialised police units is crucial to ensuring safety and security for all.

Overall, the time also seems right for the country to begin looking responsibly at its immigration policy.  A sustainable policy is needed to ensure that the country does not become chaotic and

lose its values and standard of living.  Immigration is not just the migrants landing on our shores from Africa.  Nowadays that is not the case at all.  It is rather the many people who have residence and who are working here, legally or not.  The foreign workers have been good for Malta in many ways but a structure and long term planning is needed. Areas of preference need to be identified to ensure supply and skills.   Angela Merkel’s overtures to Turkey in recent days, offering support for Turkish nationals to have Schengen visas and towards their EU entry, risks bringing an upheaval of gigantic proportions to the EU countries.  The increase in population in Malta, wherever it comes from, impacts all of the areas which need serious attention, that is, traffic, health and education.   We should start to prepare for this from now and carry out an impact assessment on immigration.

Consequently, if the PN can show us their worth and their capabilities to run this country, seeing it from now will not harm their chances.  At the least, like the magnificent sail boats heading out of the Grand Harbour last Saturday in the start of the middle sea race, a good tack can throw some dirty wind to the boat behind you, so, politically speaking, it should benefit them.