It will get busy at Mile End Road this weekend. The Labour Party convenes its general conference to elect two new deputy leaders and a new administration.  

Future is the most important word in politics. The Labour Party has been winning successive general, local, and European elections for more than a decade because it convinced the electorate that it is the party of the future.  

We are at the crossroads again. At the last European and Local elections, the electorate sent a strong and unequivocal message: We trust Labour to lead this country, but we want a better version of it. This weekend, we shall do precisely that - renewing the Labour Party to ensure a better version of it and ensuring we remain the party of the future.

Labour always won when it looked to the future.

Consider the changes we made since our first landslide victory in 2013: Free childcare for all; higher pensions; lower taxes; more affordable housing; Malta is now Europe's leader in LGBTIQ+ rights; the introduction of divorce; the lowest unemployment rate ever; massive infrastructural projects; the biggest ever investment in culture and the arts; a higher minimum wage; government subsidies to cushion the impact in the rise of energy prices due to a war in Europe; excellent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc worldwide but not in Malta; and foreign direct investment has soared to mention but a few of Labour, and the people of Malta's, extraordinary achievements.  

A new Labour government, way back in 2013, was a much-needed breath of fresh air after 25 years of nearly uninterrupted Nationalist Party governments which, following Malta's accession to the EU in 2004, had completely lost the plot.

The old elites held the country and its people back. They kept people down. There was an old air of superiority that was stifling.

Labour changed the political landscape of Malta forever and for the better.

As recently as 2022, Labour secured another victory at the polls, the biggest ever majority secured by a political party in Malta's post-independence history.

But we are never complacent. We are aware that people expect better from us.

The economy is strong. Today, Labour is undisputedly the party of economic competence, but it is not a good enough reason for people to keep believing in us and trusting us with their future.

People expect, and rightly so, a better quality of life: more open spaces; a cleaner environment; public institutions that function better and are more transparent in their operations; better planned construction and adherence to rules and regulations; stricter enforcement; managed population growth; sustainable spending of public finances; better solutions for traffic congestions; good governance and a stronger civic society. It is a tall order, so there is so much more to do. But it will be done.

This weekend, we shall renew the Labour Party. Monday morning we'll have a rejuvenated government. A modernized Labour Party and a stronger progressive force in Maltese politics. A force of change driving the future. We owe it to the people. We shall not let them down.

Science is for everyone

Science will take over the Triton Fountain area in Valletta on the 27-28 September as a new edition of Science in the City shall create a hive of interactive activity and creativity.

Now in its' twelfth year, attracting 30,000 visitors annually, and more than 100 organisations, Science in the City is Malta's largest science and art festival. It brings together education, science, and the arts.

This year, 3D modelling to understand the role of microbes in the intestine and humanoid robots, amongst other cutting-edge innovations, shall take centre stage.

J.E.D.I. is this year's festival theme, which stands for 'Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion' - these are fundamental pillars for a more beautiful and equitable future.

At the inauguration of the Festival, late last month, I stated that Science in the City serves as a powerful reminder of the limitless creativity and innovation that fuel the cultural development and prosperity of our nation.

This festival is open for everyone. It is not an academic event reserved strictly for scientists. As Dr. Edward Duca, festival coordinator, rightly said science is for everyone.

We must be brave too

On Victory Day, I attended a solemn mass at the beautiful Parish Church of Mellieħa. On Victory Day, our great nation recalls the end of three sieges, namely: the Great Siege of Malta; the Siege of Valletta by the French Blockade; and the Siege of Malta during the Second World War.

We recall the courage and resilience of our forefathers to whom we are eternally indebted.

They stood up for their country; many lost their lives, but their unconditional love for their country surpassed all other personal considerations.

They took selfless risks to save the lives of others. They are Malta's heroes.

To honour them, we must be brave too. We must love our country and one another, and we must stand up for what is right, unfailingly and always.

A celebration of love

Jake Vella's funeral mass was a celebration of love. The 15-year-old, whose life was cut short by a rare illness borne by fortitude, won peoples' hearts and minds.

I knew Jake and his parents, Josie and Maruska, personally and witnessed their unconditional love towards their child at first hand.

At the end of the mass, I helped carry Jake's casket. It was a heart-breaking moment witnessing Josie and Maruska bidding farewell to their son - every parent's nightmare.

But their courage is inspiring, as was Jake's, a brave young man who, despite the many challenges that he faced, left a legacy that shall live on forever.

His legacy belongs to all of us.

Karl, a gentle soul

We lived in parallel political worlds, but our paths were always bound to cross.

Karl and I are of the same political generation. We were both active in student politics and in local councils.

For some years, Karl was a member of Parliament, too.

I was always intrigued by his decency in human interaction.

His death shocked the nation across the political divide.

Tributes poured in for the kind, gentle, and smart man whose life was cut short tragically.

He had a positive mindset.

There was a time when Karl shadowed my political portfolio. He would, at times, disagree vociferously, but he was never spiteful. He was a gentleman who knew how to agree to disagree. It was a pleasure to engage politically with him. He was genuine.

Politics lost one of its finest. Malta lost a gentle soul. His parents and friends lost a remarkable young man who knew how to love and was loved.

Farewell, dear Karl. May you rest in peace. You will be missed.