A progressive agenda has, at its very basis, a strong dimension of change.  One cannot genuinely believe in a progressive agenda if one does not value and push forward changes: whether be they technological, societal, and environmental or in the sphere of the economy.

I believe, more than ever before, that the way forward for Malta is by having a strong progressive agenda.

Innovation is therefore at the heart of what a person believing in a progressive agenda embraces- both in the sphere of science and in the sphere of the arts.  Innovation does not mean the cancellation or a devaluation of the past or generational legacies but does not mean either the preservation of the past.

People embracing innovation believe that by means of science and thinking processes, our quality of life can move forward and improve.  This is what the famed economist Joseph Stiglitz describes as the “Enlightenment project”. In his words, it has allowed for the creation of non-work time, which can be devoted to the acquisition of goods beyond the bare necessities and to leisure activities, including the development of culture and science, the expanding of our horizons, and the raising of our living standards still further.

Mankind does not have an answer to everything: you only need to have a brief discussion with a quantum physicist to quickly realize that there are a lot of questions to which we do not know the answer.  The physicist will tell you that for many things that actually happen in the world of quantum, we do not have an explanation and we have settled to take things as they are without understanding why they are that way.  Similarly, there are various aspects of social sciences and human interaction, which we are still learning about and examining.

In order to improve the standard of living of people, one first has to know how people think and the reason behind their decisions. Moreover, as we know, ideas and thoughts evolve and change and we therefore can, through education, create a better, kinder, more loving society. We can actually change the way societies think and the paths they take to arrive at decisions, and that is a fantastic basis of a progressive agenda.
There are core values, of course, which the progressive thinker firmly believes in. 

The value of liberty is probably one of the most important: that which provides the right of others to live their lives and take their decisions, as long as their actions do not affect negatively other people. This is the argument, which we had heard repeatedly during the legislative processes and the respective run-ups to them relating to the right of divorce or the right to same-sex couples to get married.

A continuum of this argument is that if, conversely, the actions of the few are affecting negatively the life of others this is wrong and a progressive cannot accept that or be passive to that. Therefore, a true progressive would advocate in favour of the imposition of rules and regulations in those circumstances so that the life of others is not affected negatively.

The classic example is environmental protection from overdevelopment or actions in order to diminish the impact of air pollution.  I personally find more appeal in studying regulations and rules from this point of view rather than from the classical “rule of law” perspective. In addition, the fundamental human rights enshrined in our Constitution are, at the end of the day, mechanisms aimed at protecting a person or a number of persons from actions committed by others, which are affecting them negatively.

A second continuum of the value of liberty is that two consenting adults should essentially be allowed to do anything they want in the privacy and sanctity of their own home.  I personally was never impressed with argumentation made some traditional quarters of the country that long-standing institutions should guide the actions of two consenting adults in their privacy.
The most important question relates, of course, to the whole reason behind this urge for progression, change, innovation.  Why are we doing this?  What is the ultimate aim?  What should be the ultimate aim? The answer is clear-cut: change should be in order to improve the quality of life of everyone.

In essence, here we are speaking about social justice - the right of every person, independently of where they were born or to whom they were born, to succeed in life, to fulfil one’s potential. In addition, once we have this clear in mind, we can discuss everything else and the structures we have to build to achieve equality, fairness and social justice for all.

Collectively fulfilling one’s potential does not mean maximizing the GDP, it goes beyond materialism. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt put it, happiness does not lie in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.  The joy, the moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits.

At the end of the day, a better life, a more fulfilling life is achieved by registering significant positive change and progress on the main things people care about such as jobs and wages, education and health, a home and a safe environment to live in.
A progressive agenda, an agenda for change, an agenda for innovation is decisively the way forward for our country.