Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1497522
8 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 APRIL 2023 ROBERT Abela reaffirmed his party's reformist and modernis- ing mission in his closing speech to Labour delegates last Sunday, pitting himself against the "sta- tus quo" and the "conservative" Opposition. Abela said the PL is the only party that believes in reform, progress and change, while the conservative "others" are com- fortable with leaving things as they are. "We will never cease to dream, and we strive to sustain and fulfil the dreams of Mal- tese and Gozitans," Abela said. What he probably meant was that Labour can only avoid get- ting bogged down in scandals of its own making by continu- ing changing the country. In this way, Abela presented his audience of party activists with a narrative with the aim of galvanising them back in- to action in the challenging times ahead. As the chickens from the Muscat administra- tion keep coming back home to roost, Abela knows that Labour can only redeem itself by its ac- tions in government. Yet, his attempt to sell himself as a decision maker increas- ingly contrasts with a sense of lethargy and indecision creep- ing into the various layers of government including Abela himself who has a habit of test- ing the waters before acting, as he did before forcing Rosianne Cutajar to resign. But Abela's problems have been compounded by his nav- igation from one international crisis to another, with corrup- tion taking on a new meaning in a context where many are struggling with rising prices. People are seeing government corruption and political pa- tronage, in a different light now than they did during the so-called 'best of times'. Abela's priority remains that of restoring the feel-good fac- tor which made people forgiv- ing of Labour's uglier side. But to do that he also relies on an economic model, which in the same conference was criticised by Labour grandee and former leader Alfred Sant. The economic model and its consequences Sant understood Abela's di- lemma. The former Labour leader said one cannot combat poverty and ensure social jus- tice without taking care of the economy. But Sant also ques- tioned the economy's depend- ence on low-paid workers. "We must not forget the for- eign and Maltese workers on a miserable pay. It is a truth that our economy is dependent on low wages. This injustice must be fixed. No one should be for- gotten," Sant said. He also warned that the gov- ernment's economic success would naturally lead to tempta- tion for bribery, corruption and "people putting their snouts in the trough". Sant's words may be inter- preted as an absolution of La- bour by blaming corruption on the economic model rath- er than on the individuals in- volved. But his criticism may go even deeper than that of the Opposition, targeting the structures which enable and sustain corruption. And crucially Sant wants La- bour to put fighting corruption back on its agenda warning that Labour should not make the same mistakes the Nationalist Party made while in govern- ment, "by ignoring the problem or denying it even exists". And significantly he warned Labour officials not to see their political role as a career oppor- tunity, but a way to advance Labour ideals "Ask not what Labour can give to us, but what we can give to Labour. No one is bigger than the party. No one is big- ger than the country," Sant told delegates. And even here Abela falls short in extending his reform- ism to much needed reforms in party financing laws, laws regulating lobbying and the ap- pointment of a national prose- cutor to tackle corruption cas- es. Abela ignored the elephant in the room and failed to refer to the problems raised by Sant. Land reclamationas antidote to stagnation Abela's concerns are more mundane. His greatest accom- plishment so far was that of shielding the working class from the pain of austerity by absorbing the rise in the price of energy. This is no mean feat considering the situation in most other countries. But Abela also knows that the economic model which sustains government's social spending and indirectly his government's popularity, de- pends on endless growth. La- bour's economic model hinges on the increase in tax reve- nue resulting from economic growth. This may explain why in a speech devoid of concrete ex- amples, Abela singled out land reclamation as an issue which will inevitably result in a back- lash. In this context Abela warned of the "paralysis" that comes "when you stop taking decisions to avoid criticism." Abela is strangely hinting at the inevitability of a backlash before even presenting studies and plans which could allay Robert Abela and the wear In his closing speech to the party's general conference on Sunday Robert Abela tried to project a decisive streak, as an antidote to the wear and tear corroding the Labour administration after a decade in power. How convincing was he, asks JAMES DEBONO