Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538811
THIS is addressed to the people who live in Gozo and whose lives have particular challenges. Because a ferry left late, you queue at Ċirkewwa be- fore sunrise and crawl back home after midnight. To find a parking spot close to the pharmacy, you circle your town, especially if it is Rabat. Families stretch every euro as food prices climb and electricity bills bite into sav- ings. Booking an MRI results in staring at a date, months away. Calming a child during a coughing night means some- one must wait for hours at a clinic. You sweep dust from the doorstep while cranes swing overhead and jackham- mers rattle your street. You want quiet, safety, and dignity in your own neighbourhood. Since you work in Malta your days are very long. If I am chosen to lead the Nationalist Party, the party will not ignore your day-to- day needs because you have been there for the party come rain or shine. I will hold open clinics every month in every locality, not only in election season. I will set up a Gozo Tesserati Council that meets quarter- ly and shapes our priorities. We will publish the min- utes within a week so every- one sees what we decided. Your membership will carry weight. I will schedule regular door-to-door visits with MPs and councillors so we listen on your doorstep and try to understand problems on the spot. Transport comes first— everything else depends on it. To ensure workers, stu- dents, and patients keep ap- pointments, I will push for a Gozo resident lane at Mġarr and Ċirkewwa during peak hours. A PN government will add services onto the fast fer- ry public service obligation so that early morning and late- night trips are guaranteed all year. A coordinated timeta- ble for buses and ferries that reaches villages, not only through the usual routes, will be some- thing we will provide when in government. We will create a park-and- ride hub near Xewkija with a frequent shuttle into Victoria so parents and carers can run errands without stress. I will work with local councils on school-time traffic plans that keep children safe and keep cars moving. Your health is central to our concerns. Many of you tell me you dread the trip to Mal- ta for chemo, cardiac checks, or scans. I commit to chemo on site, in Gozo; a modern maternity wing and full diag- nostics, including MRI, CT, dialysis, and cardiac echo. We will partner with the Univer- sity of Malta and Mater Dei Hospital so specialists will rotate to Gozo every week. We will fund scholarships for nurses, radiographers, and carers who train now and serve here at home. We will run a seven-day af- ter-hours GP clinic, expand telemedicine for routine fol- low-ups, and guarantee pa- tient transport for urgent ap- pointments in Malta. It is important for young Gozitan families to be able to live and work in Gozo if they wish. We will build so- cial housing projects that el- egantly blend into streets and no more apartment blocks that divide neighbours. I will create a simple complaints channel that triggers on-site inspec- tions within 48 hours when contractors block pavements, pour dust into windows, or break agreed hours. Work should not vanish in October. Tourism gives us life, yet the season swings too hard. We will support hotels, farm stays, and restaurants so they can build winter of- fers around hiking, heritage, gastronomy, and wellness. By providing direct marketing support for local guides, arti- sans, and farmers, the PN in government will help visitors find the real Gozo, not plastic souvenirs. I en- courage employers and un- ions to raise service standards and wages through short, funded training in customer care, languages, first aid, and digital tools. Better skills lead to better pay and fewer staff shortages. I will sup- port minor events in shoulder months, simplify film per- mits, and promote weekend packages that fill rooms when beaches fall empty. The continuous increase in the cost of living has a neg- ative impact and drains mo- rale. Energy support that re- wards households for saving electricity and water is what I will push for. For essential workers who commute daily, I will advocate for fair fuel pricing. Price transparency from ferry operators, utilities, and telecoms will be required by me so families understand bills and fix errors fast. I will back a monthly price-bas- ket check in Gozo shops and publish results so consumers choose wisely and shop lo- cally with confidence. I will defend the weekly market in Victoria and give stallholders small grants to improve stands and card payments. Little things count too: We will fund safer crossings close 14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 AUGUST 2025 OPINION Many of you tell me you dread the trip to Malta for chemo, cardiac checks, or scans. I commit to chemo on site, in Gozo; a modern maternity wing and full diagnostics, including MRI, CT, dialysis, and cardiac echo Adrian Delia Gozo first, every day PN leadership candidate Gozo Ferry (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)