Full commitment achieves high results

With a 3.9 per cent overall unemployment level during July and a 7.1 per cent rate among young people for the same month, we should be proud to be leading all the other members of the EU. Employment levels are among the main features of any national economy levels and the results achieved are the highest tangible proof of Labour’s continuing success.

Lowest unemployment rates ever

Despite the gloomy pre-electoral forecasts that “Labour won’t work” and “Labour will be asking for a bailout”, we simply rose above those negative predictions and shine by all comparisons. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s bold challenge, way back in 2013, proved to be the country’s best way forward, with a determination that achieved what no other previous government had ever done.

With the flourishing results in the country’s highest service industry – tourism, and the solid performance of our financial services, we can comfortably say that the bailout innuendo was the most deriding slogan ever made by local politicians. It is indeed an honour to form part of Dr Muscat’s Cabinet, fully aware that even in my own portfolio, my Parliamentary Secretariat has contributed to such results by creating jobs for hundreds of people with disability in the last year, compared to the few dozen over past decades.

Sitting on our laurels is not an option and it never has been in the short span of barely 40 months or so. We have gone from strength to strength, notwithstanding the puerile attempts to destabilise the national economic and financial progress. The coming months will see the transposition of such positive economic strengths to all levels of the population. The next phase will proceed with consolidating the ground for Malta and Gozo to keenly seek and look forward to the next Labour administra- tion as not only the best in Europe as our nearest neighbourhood, but establishing at all levels of our population a really healthy and fair society.

Best quality services for the elderly

The increase of life expectancy is one of the greatest achievements of mankind: together with higher levels of good health and independence in old age, it is the fruit of social and economic progress.

We are fully committed to implementing strategies that improve and enhance the well-being of older people. We do this through higher levels of active ageing and the constant training of all related staff. Our ultimate aim is to sustain older people to live as long and as much as possible within their respective family and postpone eventual admission to longterm care facilities or residential homes.

The Labour government immediately took a bold strategic step in placing elderly and dis- abled people within the portfolio for the family and social solidarity, rather than the one for health. It was a clear message that we consider these people as clients rather than patients.

We have moved from the concept of mere care for the elderly into a strategy of active ageing, transforming day-care centres into learning hubs, and, in particular, introducing them to the digital world of modern technology. We have dropped the traditional idea of giving philanthropic help and have taken major steps – through specific laws and standards – to establish a commitment to the concept that the older members of our society have the right to enjoy their human dignity to the full. Most importantly, we have emphasised the importance of the highest quality in all the services we provide in these two important sectors.

High levels of training

With this in mind, we have introduced an ongoing exercise of induction and refresher courses for all employees at all levels. These courses are accredited by the Faculty of Wellbeing of the University of Malta and we are committed to providing the highest levels of service through the professional training of all care-workers and other personnel.

Over a thousand employees have undertaken an endless number of courses over the last two years. For us, a high investment in human resources has been a natural parallel with infrastructural projects in state homes for the elderly in both islands and, more emphatically, at my Secretariat’s flagship – the long-term care facility at St Vincent de Paul.

In itself this provides a golden opportunity for care-workers to upgrade their skills in a scenario that offers personal enrichment and job security, as life expectancy grows among the older generation. Besides belonging to the hard-working teams within established residences, these people can ven- ture into the home-care sector. Our pilot project for live-in carers, launched a year ago, has had positive results and, with the appropriate professional training being given, we will soon pool together an attractive number of professionals for older people to choose and employ for their own service, according to their own choices and preferences as long as the established criteria are satisfied. With this new project, the government is paying up to €4,500 per annum to fund the homecarer.

Disability awareness from childhood

For the second year running, my Parliamentary Secretariat has successfully organised two summer programmes for schoolchildren in Gozo: Talenti+ and 4Kids. Apart from filling their time with useful training for team-building through digital and outdoor games, we planned to induce further awareness about inclusivity and solidarity. The inclusion of children with disabilities in such sessions was a reality check for everyone to appreciate diversity and inclusivity at all possible levels.

With well over 200 participants, ably led by qualified trainers and coaches, this year’s summer programmes proved useful to the children themselves and their respective families. Accepting diverse skills and talents at an early age augurs well for a new generation that accepts the rightful place in society of everyone, whatever their abilities. I strongly believe that such initiatives among our children will eventually result in them acquiring the basic principles of inclusivity, where acceptance surpasses any faint residue of mere tolerance.

While adults and the elder generation can savour all that the government is doing to establish a fair society, our children will absorb genuine seeds of human solidarity and will, in turn, develop a belief in inclusivity and respect.

Useful projects in Gozo

On a note closer to home, we have to appreciate the vast amounts of national and EU funds being spent on major projects around Gozo. Considering the past negative experiences that have surfaced so far, it is all the more imperative that any work carried out is of a high standard and that full accountability is given.

The recent embellishment of Xagħra’s main square is yet another leap forward in Labour’s commitment to acknowledge the Gozitan urban heritage. Such projects are further cherished when they not only upgrade the village core but also provide everything that is indispensable for accessibility purposes. In fact, I look forward to a new project we are working on in this area.

On this and many other initiatives, Gozitans and visitors acknowledge the direct benefits, in sharp contrast to the false alarm of ‘Labour won’t work’ and similar irresponsible statements, now superseded by facts for everyone to admire!