Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526409
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 SEPTEMBER 2024 4 INTERVIEW Norma Saliba: 'PL should be government's main critical voice' THE latest MEP election result showed that the electorate wants to see improvement in its quality of life, Norma Saliba believes. Sticking largely to her script, the candi- date for Labour Party president says the PL should be "government's main critical voice" but refrains from being too critical about the party herself. As we sit down for this interview, Saliba consistently lists initiatives and achieve- ments of the government over the past 10 years. When I ask whether she thinks it's justi- fied that people criticise the PL for deviat- ing from its socialist roots, Saliba says she is surprised that I would suggest this. She cites free childcare and increased pensions to prove her point. Speaking about the apathy and disgust that youths feel towards politics, Saliba notes that political tribalism and character assas- sination are driving young people away from politics. She calls for more sensitivity when using social media. Responding to questions about Joseph Mus- cat and the PL's attitude towards its prob- lematic former leader, Saliba defends the way Prime Minister Robert Abela reacted to Muscat's arraignment. When I ask about Ab- ela's use of the term "establishment" to single out journalists, and the inquiring magistrate, she says it was a case of Abela "expressing his opinion," before listing the reforms intro- duced by Abela's government in the appoint- ment of the judiciary. As a candidate for Labour Party president, Norma Saliba believes the electorate wants the governing party to improve their quality of life. She discusses the PL's socialist roots, young people's disdain towards politics and the party's way forward with Matthew Farrugia. If I want to criticise someone I don't need to destroy them, because whoever it is, they have a family. I think we need to think about being more sensitive in how we speak nowadays. Although social media is effective in getting your message out, we need to see that it's used well.