AT THE CROSS ROADS ONCE AGAIN

It is generally agreed that the international economic recession that has gripped the world’s leading economies is very deep. There is disagreement however as to how long this recession will last and as to how best to tackle this recession. This recession is different from that experienced in the past for two main reasons – it is a global recession in that it is hitting the leading economies simultaneously (albeit to a different extent) and it has been brought about by a crisis in business and consumer confidence (because the credit crunch is really nothing more than a lack of confidence by financial institutions in themselves and their customers).

Malta is starting to feel the pinch of the recession. The gross domestic product has experienced a drop in real terms in the last quarter of last year. A number of firms are experiencing a drop in sales and consequently a drop in activity. Although the recession is a global one and the solutions that need to be agreed upon by the governments of the leading economies have to be global in nature, Malta still needs to address the issue locally to seek to mitigate the negative impact.

Malta is once again at the cross roads. It needs to decide how best to tackle the recession such that we are fully prepared to exploit the opportunities once the international economy starts to pick up momentum again. We have been at the cross roads before. In 1964 when we gained independence, in 1987 when we were faced with further retrenching of the economy into itself or liberalisation of the economy, in 2003 when we had to decide on EU membership, and in 2008 when we adopted the Euro.

Facts have shown that each time this country was at a cross roads, the Nationalist Party showed us the way. Not the easiest way, maybe and not the most popular way but time and time again the way forward proposed by the Nationalist Party was the best one. History has proven the Nationalist Party right every time. History on the other hand has not been kind on the Labour Party. On each of these occasions they have consistently offered the worst option. Throughout the history of this young nation, the Labour Party offered protectionism and was proven wrong. Instead of EU Membership, the Labour party offered pie in the sky/Switzerland in the Mediterranean/Partnership. Instead of having the courage to go for early membership into the Eurozone the Labour party offered devaluing the Lira. When leadership was required, when decisiveness was a must, Labour offered neither.

On each of these occasions, the people chose to place their trust in the leaders of the Nationalist Party, in George Borg Olivier, in Eddie Fenech Adami and in Lawrence Gonzi. History has proven that the options these leaders gave were the correct ones. Once again though, we are facing a situation that is comparable to these occasions. It is a situation that requires strong leadership and decisiveness. The wrong decisions now will haunt us for years to come.

In all of this the Labour Party seems oblivious. It is a party that is far more eager to talk about refunding VAT on car registration, and on why we shouldn’t have an underground museum in front of St John’s co-Cathedral than on the economy and how we can create new jobs and safeguard those that we have. The country is at a cross roads but the Labour Party is not even bothering to choose which path to take. Not because they are still working on their policies; but because they have chosen to be absent and this to the detriment of the country. They are choosing the politics of style over substance, of trying to be popular with one and all, choosing the issues that could win some votes rather than choosing the right issues.

We are coming up to the elections for the European Parliament. It may appear to some that the members of the European Parliament would have little say on how to address the international economic recession. This is simply not the case. The European Parliament takes decisions on a number of issues that can and do have an impact on the Maltese economy. Facts have shown that the Labour Party members of the European Parliament have not always voted in the best interests of the country. They have forgotten the old Labour Party Mantra Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox choosing to kowtow to whatever Mr Schultz from the European Socialists tells them to do. They voted against Maltese interests or abstained on issues like migration, detention period, and e-gaming. Issues where Maltese interests are at the core of how they should have voted. They simply cannot be trusted with Malta’s interests.

It is for this reason that the European Parliamentary elections are to be considered as critical. Malta is once again at the cross roads and a vote for the Nationalist Party candidates is a vote for the persons that have the best track record, that have always offered the best solutions, that have got it right time and time again.