Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/919364
maltatoday SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 26 The ideological convergence of both par- ties to a centre of moderates is sometimes interpreted as being a manifestation of 'realistic' politics, the kind which invites decision-makers to look beyond political philosophy and instead get down to the brass tacks of doable policies. But this convergence has ultimately erod- ed much of the choices left to the electorate when it will be called upon to elect its new government. Lawrence Gonzi is menaced by the threat of fatalism – his 20-year-old Cabinet is a factor that could punish the Nationalist leader when he comes to sell off his own persona as a 'safe pair of hands'. History would seem to be set against him, although he firmly believes economic pros- perity will be his winning ticket. And Labour looks set to present itself as a 'fresh' alternative, notwithstanding the same faces it presents, armed with a voluminous blueprint for governance which it hammered out in consultation with various groups. But its complacency on issues such as divorce, immigration, and hunting, cannot be ignored. Alternat- tiva Demokratika runs the risk of being ignored despite the respect it has enjoyed in various environmental and community campaigns, and setting the agenda on rent reform. To the electorate however, the ideological convergence of the two main parties leaves it with a simple choice as to whom it wishes in power: it will most certainly be the person likely to be 'a better prime minister', a judgement which can be fraught with weakness. It will be a choice on whom the electorate trusts the most, again a value judgement that might not be based on seri- ous considerations as to what the party is actually offering, or what it will actually do once in government. Lawrence Gonzi has proved to be a disci- plined manager of the country's economy by achieving euro convergence, but his gov- ernment has lacked on issues which many back in 2003 believed it would champion as the party supporting EU membership. It is perceived to have become even more conservative and not as keen a supporter of EU legislation when it comes to issues such as hunting in Spring. Alfred Sant has been the easy target of Nationalist mud-slinging, with his two- year record in government always one of the most favoured methods used by the PN to counter his arguments. Labour can look towards a positive year it seems, going into the elections with some renewed confi- dence. It can harp on the need for change, something voters are likely to find appeal- ing. It can present new ideas and steal the limelight from the Nationalists, who have yet to make amends with what negative effects, if any, might arise in the first few months of Malta's accession into the eurozone. And Labour has also enjoyed a lead in the polls for the greater part of the year. But that alone shouldn't put it at ease. The polls do change, as they did in the week following the performance of both party leaders at the Independence Day rallies, when Labour's lead narrowed to just one per cent. The electorate, evidently, appears even more sensitive today to performance, as if it were some profound indication of how a government functions. If anything, it was an indication of the fick- leness of politics when people don't look beyond the media and TV spin. When parties are interested only in pushing their leaders as the focal point of a successful government and a more prosperous country, rather than taking head-on issues which are not necessar- ily popular – such as immigration, the hunting conundrum, and even divorce, electoral reform or party financing – the voters respond by voting according to their TV performance, rhetorical bravado, and the spin that will be most certainly gener- ated in the coming election. Hardly the kind of leaders we need. In no manner should we overstate that, if a change in ideas has really occurred in the Maltese electorate, this resonates with Labour's programme. This election is being squarely fought over whom to trust with the country's ongoing development. And the faster the election heads into this direction, the more the electorate will be scrutinising leaders' personalities and their records: Gonzi with his lacklustre record over quick decision-making or shortcom- ings of his Cabinet team; Sant with his prospectus of lost elections and his unsat- isfactory two-year stint. But it is also the two main parties which need to modernise and be braver about the 'unmentionable' issues, as this newspaper describes them in this special edition for 2008. Whatever fortunes this year will bring to any of the two future prime ministers, they should exploit their status to present radical policies to the electorate and tackle the thorny subjects once and for all. Labour may be an effective opposition, but it must convince the people it is an alternative government, one with a costed and philosophically coherent electorate programme. For Gonzi, it will be his abil- ity to guarantee years of serene and even more prosperous fortunes to the people. In either case, they will not be just selling their programmes: they will be battling to be believed. Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Editorial – 29 December 2007 Nationalist and Labour leaders both battling to be believed Parties' rare unity on hunting at Majjistral Opinion Bicycles reduce emissions fines Reacting to the Environment Ministries new committee be- ing set up to launch the process towards cleaner electric vehicle transport, the local cycling commuting group Bicycle Advocacy Group is calling for a similar independent committee to explore ways of encouraging bicycle commuting. Even in 2010, according to official statistics there were ten times as many bicycles as there are electric cars today. With cycling rising by 20% every year, there are now far more bicycles being used each day in 2017. This is reducing Malta's transport emissions and more importantly, fines that Maltese tax payers and drivers will even- tually fork out. But very little is being done to help cycling commuters and the group are calling for a similar task force to exploit the fact that bicycles are a low cost, low hanging fruit. Cycling is a quick win-win scenario for all min- istries and one that has been overlooked in recent changes to our road layouts. Yet cycling is by far the most successful in terms of cost effectiveness and modal shift emissions reduction, the group said. Therefore it felt that the Environment minister Jose Her- rera should seriously consider setting up a similar task for just for bicycles. Bikes benefit everyone. Jim Wightman Bicycle Advocacy Group Motion to investigate Caruana Galizia allegations Once the most serious allega- tions which had been made by blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia against the Prime Minister and his wife Michelle, Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri among oth- ers, are already being investi- gated by different magistrates. Except the allegations she had made against the present leader of the PN, Dr Adrian Delia. Had Dr Chris Said's motion, asking that all Daphne's allega- tions be investigated by "three retired judges", been approved by parliament, this would have meant that our highest institu- tion would have passed a motion of no-confidence in the mag- istrates presently investigating the most serious allegations made by the callously murdered blogger! Eddy Privitera Mosta Subtle innuendo It is very difficult if not impos- sible, to interpret John Guil- laumier's wild and weird fan- tasies but from what he wrote, he implicitly and unwillingly admitted that Jesus really dwelt among us, a fact he vehemently denied at least up to April 2013. May I remind him that in those days, his extremely fertile imagination could only perhaps envisage the possibility that Jesus existed in the same way that King Arthur or Robin Hood may have existed as real people on whom many stories were later written. As such, no proof existed of Jesus' exist- ence, never mind that he was a God-man. At that time he also wrote whatever the church taught was Christian mythology. In reality, ever since, the Jesus movement became the world's largest reli- gion and still growing in spite of unprecedented persecution. What is paramount and cru- cial for a believer is the fact that Jesus existed. How his birth occurred makes no difference, just as it is not important how one dies but rather how one lives to acquire the master key to eternal bliss. Guillaumier goes to great lengths digging out spurious letters to put our beliefs into a bad light but that puts us all the more on our guard against the forces of evil and deceit, which surround us. John Azzopardi Zabbar The importance of the environment and public access to the countryside has once again not been recognised by our Government, and this time also by the Nationalist Party. A motion by Godfrey Farrugia and Marlene Farrugia asked for the legal notice extending hunt- ing to 12.30pm from 10am, to be withdrawn. Representations made by the park managers, including Din L-Art Helwa as well as the Majjistral Park Board composed of Government representatives, the Mellieha Local Council and the park managers advising against this extension, were ignored by the Government, and also it seems by the Opposition. The reasons put forward, that access to the national park by the public, including by children during school outings, is not compatible with hunting for safety and other reasons were not accepted. The original compromise to allow hunting to 9am, later extended to 10am was accepted by the park board, as before that time there would be few visitors and no school outings. Furthermore the hunters have two reserves nearby, at l-Ahrax and at Mizieb. Clearly the Govern- ment and Opposition (united on this rarest of occasions) felt that a special interest group such as hunt- ers, should have access to the park to the exclusion of the public during the open season. This makes a mockery of the con- cept of a National Park open to all, something clearly not understood by our legislators. It is yet another blow to our increasingly besieged natural environment and shows that our parliamentarians are not prepared to show any leadership or empathy with protecting our natural herit- age but would rather give into to the demands of a specific lobby group to protect their interests. Maria Grazia Cassar Din l-Art Helwa