Robert Abela blew it, again. He had all the chance in the world to really show his political prowess and stature as a leader, and address the elephant in the room. This Budget 2025 process could have been the pivotal moment when Robert Abela and his government would show that they have the vision to tackle the issues that are plaguing the country and propose concrete measures to address them. Unfortunately for all of us, however, this was just another cheap exercise in wall-to-wall marketing, puerile personal attacks on the Leader of the Opposition and the opposition bench, and a gigantic waste of resources.

Pajjiz ta' Kwalitá indeed!

With the budget cycle behind us, it is evident that this government is out of ideas, and out of energy, and is once again reproposing the same tired and dated notions that have worked in the past. The difference is that the public can see very clearly how the Emperor's new outfit, is nothing more than his birthday suit.

In fact, the government has failed to address the bread-and-butter issues that are important for our families.  Starting with the ever-climbing inflation, which is the direct result of the government's own policies. Even the social partners have called out this budget as nothing more than an exercise to drive consumption - which naturally will result in increased inflation. This is basic Economics 101, which I'd expect the government to be well conversant with. It is the old recipe from Muscat's playbook to drive consumption up and grow the economy artificially. In the meantime, our families struggle to make ends meet, to make it to the end of the month, and our young families are now finding it practically impossible to buy property of their own.

The public health system is a complete joke, and the government has zero ideas on how to address the crumbling system. Queues at health centres are offensively long and are far out of hand now. When you need to wait for four or five hours to get a service which is being paid handsomely by your own taxes, then you must admit that something is extremely wrong.

Not to mention the deadlock in our streets, that we experience all day long. Gone are the times when we used to talk about rush hour. Today we are surprised on the very rare occasion, when we get out of the house and get to work in under an hour. That is the dire situation we have driven ourselves to. We need bold and courageous solutions which this government completely lacks.

Most seriously, in a nearly three-hour long budget speech and an equally long divisive and partisan replica by the Prime Minister, we heard zero ideas for a new economic model that would turn this country's fortunes and economy round.

The government has proposed no new ideas how it intends to attract new investment and create new economic sectors that would reflect in more jobs, better jobs, better paying jobs. Robert Abela and his tired government clearly intends to continue relying on the successes of the past because it has no ideas how to do otherwise.

We don't only need new sectors, but we need a new economic model. We really need to look forward and ask ourselves where we want to take our country in the next 20 years? Do we want to aspire to attract 10 million tourists a year by 2050? Sounds ridiculous. But that is the direction we are heading at if we maintain this course.

We need to truly strive for better, for finer and more quality.

Quality that is translated into real action and policies, not just a convenient slogan for the budget marketing cycle.

Dr Darren Carabott is the Opposition's Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Reforms, and President of the Public Accounts Committee.