By far the best news of the day yesterday was that there were no serious incidents on the road, no serious injuries and no fatalities.
The police said that the vast majority of breathalyser tests they carried out resulted in the negative; very positive news once more. It seems that we have finally matured and snapped out of the false sense of security that driving under the influence brings with it.
Indeed, it seems, the world managed to ring in the New Year without tragedy. In his New Year’s Eve message, the Prime Minister spoke at length of how the healthy state of the economy is giving people more spending power and better quality of life. This is true. But the Prime Minister also went on to mention that the government has cracked down on corruption and will continue to do so. This is also true. But what about a bit of Spring cleaning? The government will soon be past the halfway mark of this legislature and this might be the time for Dr Muscat to air out the cupboards and plump for a reshuffle of his cabinet.
There is no doubt that people are incensed by some of the deals that went down this year. From early retirement packages, to bailouts, to land deals for an obscure ‘university’ and, of course, the infamous Old Mint Street deal; people are growing tired of such antics.
The government needs to deliver on its pledge to transparency and accountability. Allowing such things to go on is just out of order. Malta looks set to be firmly on the international map and the CHOGM and Valletta Migration Summits were a good showcase for us. 2016 brings uncertainty in the form of the migration phenomenon. Libya seems to have gone off the radar since the unity agreement was signed at the back end of 2015. But will that government be able to crack down on the Islamic State presence there? This is a phenomenon Malta, and the rest of Europe cannot ignore. As we saw with Syria, if law and order breaks down in Libya, then people will leave in their droves. And that is something of which we must remain aware of.
Hopefully, the government has made a new year’s resolution to give more care to the environment. While we need to recycle more, generate more clean energy and improve air quality, what people really care about in Malta is safeguarding the few open natural spaces there are left in this country. The Prime Minister has pledged to do so, but this government’s track record in conserving green natural spaces so far, leaves much to be desired.
Another one on people’s wish-list is for politicians to behave themselves when they are in parliament. There were numerous occasions last year where the behaviour observed in the brand new chamber was simply unacceptable.
The government said that it will continue to push the economy ahead, aiming for beyond the 5% mark. The growth figures registered are remarkable, but we must ensure that it is sustainable. 2016 will also be make or break for Air Malta. The government needs to bring in a strategic partner, and hopefully, the national carrier will be able to stretch its wings once more. We cannot, repeat, cannot, leave air travel links to be solely in the hands of foreign carriers. The new bus service has just been revamped and the results are not yet tangible, but surely, that and the development of alternative means of transport to alleviate congestion is surely another issue that must be put high on the government’s agenda. That being said, what people really want is a bit of peace and respite from the troubles of the world. 2015 was a tough year, 2016 will be tougher and we will face the challenges it brings with optimism and enthusiasm.