Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1363129
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 APRIL 2021 OPINION Every decision counts electoral strategy is simply not working: full-stop – the PN's entire modus operandi has re- mained virtually unchanged in any detail, too. Not just since 2019, I might add… but ever since the 2013 election itself (you know: the one whose very result seems to have meanwhile got itself firm- ly entrenched into the entire country's political fabric…) Take, for instance, that De- cember 2019 European Parlia- mentary resolution I went so far out of my way to mention, above. It is obviously a coinci- dence that, on both occasions, a similar condemnation from that institution happened to be quickly succeeded by polls sug- gesting that… um... quite frank- ly, the vast majority of Maltese citizens don't actually give a toss about what the European Parliament says or thinks, either way… But there is nothing 'coinci- dental' about the fact that these outside interventions (for want of a better description) always seem to collide so severely with public opinion. There is, after all, a limit to how many surveys – not to mention electoral results – have to actually emerge, before a political party finally gets the message that… how can I put it? These things don't actually go down too well with the wider electorate, you know... And yes; I know it's com- pletely 'unreasonable', 'unfair', and all that… but somehow, the general population doesn't seem to actually enjoy watching its country's name consistently dragged through the muck like that. And if you don't believe it, coming from me... well, it's coming from all those surveys, too. Not that it is the only message, of course: being so unreasona- ble, it seems the Maltese pop- ulation also expects its Oppo- sition parties to occasionally come out with a few workable policies of their own… or (even more bizarrely), to lay down some kind of political 'vision' with which to entice voters… or, at the very least, to just give them an indication of where the party actually plots itself, on the political spectrum… And again: these are not ques- tions coming 'only from me', or from a few random political observers here and there. No, they have been repeatedly asked of the Nationalist Party, by all sorts of people – including a few of its own former members, who now apparently even need 'rehabilitation' - ever since that fateful 2013 election itself (and arguably, even before). How can anyone be 'surprised', then, when the same old, failed strategy keeps returning the same old, disastrous results? Or when polls and surveys so stubbornly insist on projecting harsh reality back in our faces… when what we really want to see is a reflection of our own, jaun- diced perceptions? How, indeed… THIS week marked seven years since civil unions between same-sex couples was final- ly introduced. I still remember attending the parliamentary sitting back in 2014, to witness this historic milestone for the country. I was just 20 and had started becoming active in politics. As an interested citizen, I felt it was my duty to be present and experience this moment with my own eyes. That is when I realised how decisions taken by politicians can have a profound impact on people from all walks of life. It got me thinking about the series of so- cial changes we have seen this country go through over the past few years. Take the rent reform that addresses pre- 1995 concerns, or the White Paper on can- nabis reform. These are the latest in a se- ries of social chang- es we have seen this country go through over the past few years. Let's face it: in a world plagued by a pandemic, class divisions and eco- nomic hardships, a long-standing issue on rent reform and the responsible use of cannabis is un- doubtedly low on the scale of urgency. But as present- ed by Labour, these proposals reflect the party's commitment to never leave an- yone behind. And for too many years, as a society we have chosen to ignore the realities of too many people. Under Prime Minister Robert Abe- la's watch, no reform is too small to be put on the agenda even if we are in the midst of a pandemic. It is also further proof that that the gov- ernment is putting into practice the princi- ples of social justice, new civil liberties and progressive politics. Once again, Labour ventured where PN governments had dared not step and brought about a revolution in the sector. It's for this reason that I am running for politics on the Labour ticket. Because it is the party that believes that everyone should be at liberty to be who they want to be. It is the party that cares about families of all kinds, the party that spurred on civil rights, the party that is sympathetic to the plight of those who suffer, the party that believes in justice and fairness and the party that helped construct the middle class as we know it today. This list sums up what my core values are. Lastly, the history of Partit Laburista and what it has accomplished and championed over the last century, are an immense part of why I chose to contest the next general election. Our party has a very rich history, and it is now time for our generation to keep building on this progressive agenda. I be- lieve that when we empower the future to change our society, we can innovate the very way in which our society is run. And as young people, the future of our country is in our hands. However, the reac- tion I get every time I tell someone that I am running for poli- tics is definitely not one you would ex- pect. Most people seem perplexed and their answer is gen- erally along the lines of "should you not be enjoying your life at this age?" Well yes, but why should that preclude me from be- ing an active citizen and from trying to do my bit for the future of my community? Politics can literally shape our environ- ment and we should all be able to con- tribute to it, wheth- er it is directly or indirectly. If not, we will be letting others make our decisions for us. It might be a simple issue that we take for granted or else an issue that can set the country on a different course. We have seen this happening first-hand. Par- liament passed several civil liberties laws which transformed Malta from a conserva- tive country to one of the most progressive nations in Europe. The bottom line is that politics affects us all. Climate change, sustainable develop- ment, quality education, and gender equal- ity are just some of the issues that impact us in one way or another and they all must be addressed by our elected representa- tives. Every decision counts and that is why I decided that it's time to get off the side- lines and run. Rebecca Buttigieg is a Labour candidate for the Tenth district Rebecca Buttigieg I believe that when we empower the future to change our society, we can innovate the very way in which our society is run. And as young people, the future of our country is in our hands