In the past three weeks, two keynote speeches of substance were delivered. On Independence Day, the Archbishop of Malta Charles J. Scicluna stressed the need to promote the common good during the Pontifical Mass homily. “We should ask ourselves whether the wealth being generated in our society is creating new forms of economic disparity, whether it is creating an oligarchy of the super-rich while reducing our workers to situations where they cannot even afford the monthly rent for a decent home, where the savage laws of demand and supply are reducing many people to situations without hope and without a secure future”.
While delivering the keynote speech during the opening of the forensic year on 2 October, Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri made other razor-sharp statements. Mr Chief Justice, rightly so, used common parlance to ensure that his statements reach the widest audience possible. “The rule of law cannot rule if the laws are not applied and enforced. … The police are duty bound to investigate crime, collect evidence and arraign the suspects before the judicial authorities.”
When referring to the role of the Attorney General, Mr Chief Justice emphasised, “In certain serious cases, the Attorney General had some investigative powers, and where the police failed, responsibility shifted to him, but again, if no action was taken, the judicial process could not start.” The courts, he said, were the last bulwark for the protection of the rule of law, but if the authorities who could take the initiative remain inert, the courts could never exercise their duties and would be unable to enforce the law.
If one starts to lose heart and confidence in public office holders, these charging speeches should stimulate the necessary energy to right the wrong.
But the first test came yesterday, when Finance Minister Prof Edward Scicluna announced the 2018 Budget measures. In one particular extensive interview before the Budget for 2018 was announced, Prof Scicluna confirmed that the priorities for next year would be the strengthening of Malta’s infrastructure and ensuring that everyone enjoys the fruits of Malta’s strong economy. I believe that many are on the same wavelength with regard to these two priorities, as both objectives are equally important and have become quite pressing.
Ascertaining a better and an improved quality of life require long-term strategies which may span over several legislatures, perhaps even over different shades of government. Although politicians are more inclined to think in five-year timeframes, our business community and the rest of society do not.
One particular issue which cannot wait any longer is the current road network which clearly cannot cope with the number of cars on our roads. The daily traffic congestion that accumulates in many arterial and secondary roads is making life miserable for many of those who have to travel from one point to another on a daily basis. Traffic congestion has reached unprecedented levels, and driving on our roads has become a nightmare. It seems that the resultant negative economic effects are beyond the grasp of the authorities and government, as too little is being made to address this mammoth task. To make it amply clear from the very beginning, I strongly urge politicians to steer away from devising complex road networks with the hope of relieving traffic congestion. Time has come to call in traffic management experts to find reliable alternatives to commuters.
And while currently Malta’s economy is booming and can absorb, to a certain extent, the negative effects of the poor road network, this will ultimately become a critical issue for Malta’s competitiveness. The number of man-hours wasted due to traffic congestion directly affects the bottom line of the companies, and would become unsustainable sooner rather than later.
The other crucial issue is to ensure that our society moves forward together at the same speed.
In addition to the proposals put forward by the social partners in the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, the Nationalist Party presented a pre-budget document, titled “A sharing economy”. The document addressed various issues and proposed new economic initiatives, and raised the issue of the unfair distribution of generated wealth. In a time of a relatively booming economy, one must ensure that the generated wealth is not enjoyed by the selected few on the premise that this will trickle down. It will not.
This brings me to another issue altogether. As far as I can tell, the PN is the owner of a large building in Pieta’.
On 29 September, the outgoing PN Deputy Leader Party Affairs Mario DeMarco, flanked by MPs Claudio Grech, Kristy Debono and Clyde Puli, presented the PN’s pre-budget document “A sharing economy” in a press conference held inside the Parliament building. The newly- elected PN Leader and Leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia also convened a meeting with the social partners on the same subject, again at Parliament House. In the past months it has become customary for the PN to hold official meetings in the House instead of the PN Headquarters, and when making press conferences. Why the PN convenes meetings and press conferences in the House instead of the party’s headquarters needs to be explained and made clear to particularly to party members. There might be good reason, but someone from the PN must clarify why the PN, instead of making use of its facilities at the PN headquarters, use the House to announce party initiatives.
As yet, the Archbishop makes full use of St John’s Co-Cathedral to deliver homilies, and Mr Chief Justice does not deliver his in Pjazza Regina.
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