The most recent crop of Labour cronyism coming to light centres on the young and the beautiful.
From the busy and efficient Rosianne Cutajar, moonlighting into a real estate agent, to other people like the sprightly young Labour rebel of 2013 who went from election video to a restaurant business that didn’t just stop there. On to the daughter of Minister Ian Borg’s chief of staff and ministry advisor, awarded a lucrative direct order contract with Transport Malta before even having graduated as a lawyer. Then there is the young 28 years old lawyer appointed Chairman of the Malta Gaming Authority having worked in Robert Abela’s legal office.
Besides the young members of the Labour benches are rolling in appointments to boards and offices that they may never even have heard of or might only serve to rubber-stamp more cronyism and silent deals.
The structure is so top heavy that it threatens to topple over, but the army of trolls and labour- till-I-die strong men and women are doing quite a good job of propping up the tower.
Youth that joined Joseph Muscat’s movement and went on to become poster boys and girls, fulfilling the needs of social media and creating the image of wealth and success are popularity itself.
This is what many are pushing for the Nationalists to become. The party that will change and take away the pain of lack and stagnation. Bring out the young bloods to attract the very important vote of the young generation.
“How can I try to explain?
When I do he turns away again
It's always been the same, same old story
From the moment I could talk
I was ordered to listen
Now there's a way
And I know that I have to go away
I know I have to go”
That was 1970. Cat Stevens was having a dialogue with his father.
It is one thing to populate the party with new blood. It is another to listen and present a new belief system to them. Without a shift in thinking and political behaviour that reflects the reality of young voters today, it is unlikely to bring in the result in new votes.
Labour’s youth was promised freedom of choice, freedom of belief and life. They could own their identity, whatever that was. The PN on the other hand, repeated patronizingly:
“It's not time to make a change
Just relax, take it easy”
But change was raging all around. Social media launched a new freedom of expression and of exhibitionism. Travel became a must and cultures mixed freely with all the pros and cons that can bring.
Soon it became clear that the political motive for young voters was leverage. Mum and Dad’s connections started to become super valuable. They could convert their investment studying law and business into a lucrative income. Financial gain was a powerful driver. Getting places and being seen to be the centre of success. Not to mention the MEP, person of trust and diplomatic jobs waiting to be gobbled up.
Not so easy, therefore, to put a reconditioned engine into a battered car and hope it can race against the fast sports car.
If the regeneration is to work for the PN, it needs to begin attracting those believers by presenting the same leverage they had when they gave them the EU membership. It is simply not going to convince new voters to change to PN just by bringing in younger candidates. The whole political package has be re-tailored to fit with today’s expectations.
Yes, corruption is on the mind of many.
I was once like you are now
And I know that it's not easy
To be calm when you've found
Something going on
They don’t like it. They don’t want it. They are sick of the crimes and fed-up of hearing about the illicit business at Castille and everywhere that money could be made by skimming the pot.
But they want more than to survive. Money is needed to live well, to buy a nice property, to travel, to build your image and to distract yourself enough until you achieve it. Parties must go on even with Covid. The party may be illegal but advertising can go ahead. The demand will leverage the decision to proceed once the time comes.
The Nationalist party gave youth new jobs, skills and qualifications. Labour gave them a destination.
The take from Father and Son is “things might suck at the moment and there might be plenty wrong in life, but relax... it’s all gonna work out.”
The work should be on making the PN the natural home of young people. The break from Labour is there, but a new destination must be presented. One that can attract a crowd of eager travellers of different budgets and interests. Once aboard, the choice is theirs. Whether they want to get out of the rat race of making money. Or if they choose to make some sacrifices and go for the car they want or the new property.
People do not like being told they must follow one dream. They want to be dream-makers.
Probably, backing off rather than going after youth in a way that conditions their expectations will send the right message of freedom which is so important and empowering.
Find them, socialise with them and speak to them about your vision and your intentions on how to present a new generation of politics and way of doing things. It should not jeopardise their chance to enjoy the fruit of their hard studies, but it can persuade them that there are other ways of achieving in life, than cronyism.
Stand alongside NGOs that have committed to creating a better Malta and Gozo. Be clear about where you stand on refugees and immigration. Make their values count and not just lip service when the occasion presents itself. Are you likely to find your new young voters out hunting or protesting on pavements? Will they be listening to your plans on how to combat climate change or on a tunnel to Gozo?
What will they think when you kick out the experienced MPs so you can say “I’ve got one too”? Look, young like you. No connections, no experience but ready to leverage politics for you. I think they will have a good laugh on Bis-serjeta. Transformation, not reformation is the missing link. If there are those in the party who have been around the block one time too many, they can take a look and see that there is a new life for them if they want. Unfortunately many are of a generation that does not respect retirement. Whereas today, early retirement is the ideal life.