The people haven't spoken. They have screamed at the top of their lungs. They have voiced their unequivocal disapproval to this Government's way of leading the country, and the very encouraging showing at last Sunday's protest organised by the Nationalist Party in Valletta, is crystal evidence to this.

Certainly, long gone are the days when people needed to attend protests or mass meetings to hear what political parties have to offer. In this day and age, people no longer need to get out of their homes to hear the political message of politicians. Yet, the crowds did gather last Sunday, and Maltese families did take time out of their precious weekend, to express their disgust at the way the country is being run - to the ground, might I add.

At the protest, I had the privilege to meet with numerous people, some old friends and familiar faces, but also many others from all over Malta and Gozo, who came to make their presence felt. Together we shared the hope for a better future for Malta.

I met middle-class families who cannot make ends meet. They explained to me how they struggle to survive on two relatively decent wages, as their standard of living is increasingly threatened by the ever-rising costs across the board.

I met a single mother who is raising her two children who need LSAs, but there aren't enough to go round, so they remain underserved.

I have met family members of a young disappointed and disillusioned police officer, who joined the force with great hopes to be a force for good, yet he is demotivated to see criminals get away with their crimes, while common folk are persecuted.

I met a young lawyer who also wanted to make a difference in society but cannot fathom how the government wants to dissolve one of our democracy's strongest tools in the hands of the people - the magisterial inquiry - giving a free pass to the ill-intentioned.

At the protest I met thousands who are fed up with the country becoming a place where one's connection is way more important than their merit. A country where one racket, bigger than the previous one, is never too far from making the news, exposing some intricate and elaborate scam to syphon taxpayer-funded goods and services into the hands of those who don't deserve them.

The people spoke loudly on Sunday, and expressed their disapproval to this government's track record. However, they also came to support the vision of the Nationalist Party, which is offering a robust and credible alternative, as it gears up to be Malta's next government in waiting.

The Opposition, throughout this legislature, has adopted a positive attitude towards politics, proposing legislation, contributing constructively towards the national debates, and championing the causes that matter most to our families.

The Nationalist Party has touched and felt with its own hands the issues that are making our families tick and walked the walk with them to obtain a first-hand understanding of the aspirations of the Maltese and Gozitans.

I am confident that the momentum has shifted, and the change has started.

We are ready to listen more and be close to those who feel they have been treated unjustly, those who feel that the country doesn't represent them anymore. But most importantly, we have the energy to bring about the changes that will make a difference, as we build a new society, that welcomes and nurtures all.

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