Grinding to a halt

Election

As anticipated by many and all, the election will be held in four weeks’ time, almost a year before it is due. As is always the case, elections seem to be ‘the moment’ in our country that defines us. It is the instant that our country grinds to a halt. If there is a lesson that has been learned in these last years it is that the two political parties have given a distorted message that our institutions are in agony. I hope that in this electoral campaign I will be listening to ideas and realistic proposals rather than insults.

Institutions

It seems that this issue of whether or not an election is called seemed to excite us and take precedence over a number of other fundamental issues, namely that the perception of people is that some or many of our institutions are tainted. This in itself is incredibly serious. I believe that calling an election is not enough to clear the air, whatever the result. This in a way vindicates, for example, the need to have a number of key institutional positions in our country appointed through consensual agreement in the House of Parliament. The muchawaited reform of the Constitution that has been thrown on the back burner (not even simmering) was another important stepping stone. So if this situation will in any way be cleared by an election, I hope it happens tomorrow. However, in all this hullabaloo, what we really need to focus on is reassuring the citizens that justice will prevail and that the institutions are operating autonomously and thus any sludge or grubbiness is filtered.

Media

Once again the media has proven to be the most important and observant establishment in our society. Even though a never-ending debate ensues whether a blogger is a journalist and how relevant the media houses that operate within a political party are, the truth of the matter is that the fourth estate has a crucial role in the socio-political landscape and the proliferation of democratic values.

Principles and objectivity

There are very few instances in my life that will pull me to one side instead of another without ever swapping that position. However, like others I have nogo areas that will never shift. One of these is that I will not create a space for resentment, revenge and hate speech whether it is on my Facebook page, my radio show or this column.

AD-PN coalition won’t happen

AD will not be part of the PD and PN coalition. This can take the AD to either one of two positions, forever lost in the political innuendos or else rising from the ashes, the real alternative in all of this jumble. Elbowing out AD could be a major Achilles heel for this coalition. The constant number of supporters that have remained essentially relentless in the AD ranks, especially the leftleaning young people, could be an important layer for this coalition in view of the way the polls are developing.

Dr Godfrey Farrugia

You might not agree with this man but he has been incessantly steady in his beliefs. Some time ago I heard him speak during a parliamentary sitting and I was impressed with how sensitive, thoughtful and caring a man he is – politics did not take this away from him, but it surely has taken its toll. His decision not to stay on as whip must have hurt him immensely. Let me share this piece with you which illustrates the pleasantness of this gentleman: Illum irrid nagħti leħen lil min m’għandux, se nagħti leħen lill-kelb tiegħi Max, liema kelb huwa mimli bl-għomor għax għandu ‘il fuq minn 80 sena, mhux pedigree għax huwa bejn Labrador u Alsation, huwa kelb li ġbartu mittriq, qatt ma daħal f’wirja għaxshow... (Seduta Nru 499)

Claudia Faniello

So sad for this artist. She has worked tirelessly to make it to the Eurovision Song Contest (finally) and the only people who are breathless are the hard-core supporters of both parties; on the one hand, those hoping to have a go at government and the others who are hoping to keep their leaders in control.

Madeline McCann

She has been missing for 10 years. A story of immense pain that has gripped the fears of so many parents. It is dreadful for any parent to go through what the McCanns have been through. Protecting and safeguarding our little ones is fundamental – when something happens to them it is indeed a declaration of failure.

Suicide

And while we are mentioning failures... These last weeks we have seen a number of reports in the media about episodes that sound more like suicide than accidents to me. When people in their 20s or 30s or whatever age have lost hope, have a dark veil that takes over completely, it is indeed the end of the road not for them, but for us. We have failed. We are the losers.

Minimum Wage

Having a minimal increase in the minimum wage might not resolve the issues of people who are at that level of income. However, this will also release us from the thinking that minimum wage is there to stay and never change.

University Act

Recently, the Minister of Education and Employment has released a document – University of Malta Act: Increased access, Better Quality - A vision for tomorrow’s University in the modern world that will lead towards a University Act, the first of its likeness. This is indeed an important moment for our tertiary education but will also require that the general public debates this important manuscript if it is to have its desired effect.

Parole

The issue of parole has been raised again following a constitutional case by Tunisian Bel Ali Wahid Ben Hassine, against the government. This is indeed an interesting development in our justice system and I am waiting for the public outcry to come down on the judiciary system like a ton of bricks.