Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1276949
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 AUGUST 2020 Rosianne Cutajar OPINION Equality cannot wait the first place. That same contrast I mentioned earlier: you know, the one between the masked Health Minister who takes such pains to publicly stress the importance of observing health regulations… and the barefaced Prime Minister sitting next to him, whose every word and action seems geared towards perpet- ually undermining his own govern- ment's health strategies… …to me, it provides a striking visual correlative for our current predica- ment; it almost explains, at a glance, how a country which had so success- fully managed to cope with the first wave, would go on to screw up the second so completely. For let's face it: this is not exactly the first time Robert Abela has ap- peared to minimise the dangers of COVID-19; or, for that matter, has acted or spoken in a way that seems to somehow contradict the warnings of local and international health ex- perts. As I recall, at a time when the Su- perintendence of Public Health was urging the general public to 'remain vigilant', despite the apparent lull in new cases… the prime minister was publicly airing his opinion that 'waves' were only to be found 'in the sea'. And if that wasn't enough to em- phasise that the threat of a renewed epidemic was 'nothing to be too concerned about'… how about when the same prime minister went on to declare 'victory' in the war on COV- ID-19: even going as far as to decree, with an air of total conviction, that 'the danger is behind us'? But something tells me that those two particular Robert Abela quotes – and maybe a few others which hav- en't aged very well, either – will con- sistently keep coming back to haunt him in the weeks and months to come. So tell you what: I'll cut him a little more slack, and – with an effort – resist the temptation to over-in- flate all his other recent gaffes, too. The bottom line, however, is that they all examples of the extraordi- nary complacency that Robert Abela has consistently displayed, as prime minister of this country, ever since the original state of emergency was lifted on 30 June. And while this was by no means the only reason for the sudden plunge back into a crisis situation over the past few days – to be fair, Robert Ab- ela was hardly the only one to lower his guard in recent weeks; I reckon we all did, up to a point – the fact remains that… well, like I said ear- lier: Robert Abela is the prime min- ister of this country. The rest of us are not. Whether he is aware of it or not, the examples set by prime ministers do tend to be followed slightly more than those of ordinary citizens… even, I am sorry to add, of doctors, nurses and superintendents of pub- lic health. This would, of course, be true of any country in the world (look un- der 'America, United States of' for further details)… so just imagine how much more it should hold, for a country that still tends to over- whelmingly elevate its political lead- ers to the status of 'demi-gods': to be idolised, venerated, and defended at all costs… and, much more impor- tantly, to be obeyed and emulated in all matters, and at all times… MANY of us, thankfully, have never felt on our own skin what it is like to be treat- ed less than another fellow human being, simply for being different. We have never been treated with suspi- cion, never been denied a career oppor- tunity, never been assaulted, due to our faith, or the colour of our skin, or who we choose to love. However, we must acknowledge that this is not everyone's experience in our country. Every day, different groups are facing discrimination and exclusion, as they attempt to go about their daily lives. We must face this reality, and we must address it – now. As policymakers and legislators, we could have taken the easy road and looked the other way. Our values impede us from doing so. That is why, year after year, consecutive Labour administrations have tackled thorny – and at times con- troversial – issues head on. My predeces- sors, as well as present colleagues, have transformed the legislative framework for minorities in Malta, and I am proud to further this commitment as Parliamenta- ry Secretary for Equality and Reforms. Our next decisive reform will come in the form of two legislative proposals: the Equality Bill and the Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill. If approved by Parliament, these new laws will dras- tically strengthen the legal framework protecting the rights of every individual, and establish a new entity to act as Mal- ta's human rights watchdog, among other important roles. The few, privileged opponents of this legislation will remark that it is unneces- sary; that Maltese law already prohibits discrimination, or that the existing fora already provide sufficient remedies for victims of discrimination. With all due respect, I beg to differ. The number of cases brought before our current Equal- ity Commission, for instance, are few and far between, and are far from a true representation of the discriminatory acts occurring in our communities every sin- gle day. Law and reality are clearly far apart. The reasons for this are various, but they include legal provisions that are un- clear or limited, a lack of awareness of one's rights, legal proceedings that are lengthy and unaffordable, and at times, situations that are simply not covered by our current laws. An overhaul in this area is therefore long overdue. As we drafted these proposals, we asked ourselves, why does discrimination still endure in Malta? Why are our laws and policies so clearly insufficient? Most importantly, what can we do better to address an issue that af- fects every single aspect of our lives? The two Bills are a representation of our vision in this regard. We believe that every individual, irrespective of their characteristics, deserves to live a life that is free from discrimination. We believe that where such discrimination occurs, remedies must be just, accessible, and expeditious. And as Government, these laws will oblige us to put our money where our mouth is, by establishing and enforcing equality mainstreaming poli- cies across the board. Labour's legacy has always been based on progress and justice. I am humbled to be able to further this mission for the bet- terment of society. As we drafted these proposals, we asked ourselves, why does discrimination still endure in Malta? Why are our laws and policies so clearly insufficient? Most importantly, what can we do better to address an issue that affects every single aspect of our lives?