The Gozo I want
Throughout the time I have been involved in politics, I have come to understand, and firmly believe, that the most successful policies are often those that are made by the people themselves. Politics succeeds in empowering people and improve their quality of life only when it is in synchrony with the society that it aims to serve.
The Nationalist Party, in its work towards the election of next Saturday, has put this principle at the core of its work and the development of a fresh vision for our Country. In the past four years, while restructuring the party organisation, we have sought an extensive consultation with society at large in order to develop an Electoral Programme which gave life to the people’s vision for their country. Response has been overwhelming, and this vision is now fully accessible in the form of our Party’s Electoral Programme.
I am particularly proud that this time, the Nationalist Party has produced an electoral Programme specifically for Gozo.
A set of 100 proposals specific to our island which we are describing as ‘Our Commitment to Gozo’. An ambitious programme of Government to implement, should we be entrusted by you to lead our country. A programme for Gozo which will transform our island through fundamental actions which we – as an island community – have been yearning for these last decades. We have consulted Gozitans extensively to make sure that what we propose in our Gozo manifesto reflects the aspirations of the Gozitan Community. We are confident that the end product is not solely a party manifesto, but a vision by the People of Gozo for the People of Gozo.
These hundred proposals are not thought out in isolation. They are interlinked to form a sound vision for the future of our island of Gozo, and build upon the main Electoral Pledges the Nationalist Party is presenting on a national level. I have often had the opportunity to discuss some of these proposals with many Civil Society counterparts and Citizens. This is why I believe that they make sense for Gozo – you have already told us so yourselves.
Of these however, I feel I should single out a few proposals which, given the times we are living, gain a higher significance:
Our country needs to be endowed with a model of Governance that will ensure that what we are experiencing the moment will never ever happen again. We will make sure that the fundamental organs of the State will never again succumb to the whims of the Prime Minister or those around him.
The administration of our island of Gozo will be taken to the next level by the definition of Gozo as a Region in our Constitution. This will be followed by the establishment of the Regional Council for Gozo. Think about it for a while. The PN has the foresight of planning for the day when Malta may not be eligible any longer for EU funding, but Gozo would still be eligible. We have already found the solution. Have you heard anything from Partit Laburista about this? Guess not.
The only hospital in Gozo, a vital service to its people, shall return to be administered by the Government. This way, it will be the people – you – who will decide who will be leading your hospital, every five years through the elections. A far cry from the redress Gozitans can now have with a shady company we know so very little about. Look at it this way. Had it been such a good idea, why did Joseph Muscat not include it in his last Electoral Manifesto of 2013 (recall the Malta taghna lkoll?!)?
Without beating around bushes in the way Joseph Muscat and Anton Refalo have done in the past 4 years, we will launch the project for the development of the Tunnel project. We will do this while taking the stakes one step higher. Gozo will also be served with the Metro system which our party is proposing as a clear solution to Malta’s traffic congestion problem. The implications of this proposal are staggering. Can you think of doing Victoria – Valletta in about 30 minutes?
The Gozo manifesto presents a bold set of measures and incentives, which taken collectively, present a one-time opportunity to reverse the negative trends in Gozo once and for all. The package addresses all sectors, not in isolation, but as a concerted strategy which spares no effort to see Gozo succeed.
This is the Gozo I want. A modern, caring, peaceful, successful and sustainable island we all call home.
I invite you to look up the Nationalist Party’s Gozo manifesto ‘Our Commitment with Gozo’ at forzanazzjonali.com to get to know better the package of proposals we are presenting for the long-term success of our island of Gozo.
Taking up that opportunity is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.