MLP Leadership Contest - Joseph Muscat's 40 Points - Part One

As always it's taken me an age to get round to following up previous posts but now the weekend's here I've found a little time. So, here comes my first thoughts on Joseph's 40 points. To keep things simple I'm going to divide things up in the same way he has.

Here are the first group of points ...

OBJETTIV 1: PARTIT LABURISTA POZITTIV

Partit li jkun pozittiv u proattiv. Iffittex l-Interess Nazzjonali, izzomm kontroll fuq il-Gvern u jhejji Programm ta’ Gvern ghall-elezzjoni li jmiss.

1. Billi jitwaqqaf Grupp ta’ Hsieb permanenti maghmul minn hassieba u mexxejja ta' l-opinjoni li jezamina r-rwol tal-Partit Laburista fis-socjeta’.

I think this is long overdue. As I've mentioned before on this blog I've always considered myself a social democrat but unfortunately for too long the Malta Labour Party has been far too inward looking and has got most of the major strategic decisions wrong. I'm part of a London based think tank and although it sometimes seems like a lot of hot air, having a forum where a wide range of opinions can be discussed definitely helps to create a clear sense of policy direction. I've every confidence that Jospeh would ensure the group is not made up of yes men and women - and that will be nothing but a good thing.

2. Billi l-Grupp Parlamentari u l-Ezekuttiv Nazzjonali ikunu mghejjuna fil-hidma taghhom minn teknici esperti f’ setturi differenti.

Of course this would be ideal. But, people's time is short and valuable so I think I would need to see a bit more about how this would actually happen. Perhaps a good idea would be to have MPs and the National Executive doing work placements in the sectors they represent in order to be able to watch and learn from the 'experts' without taking up too much of their time and to learn first hand the current scenarios these people are facing. It would also be a great way to show and maintain contact with the wider community.

3. Billi d-djalogu mall-Gvern ikun miftuh u jpoggi l-Interess Nazzjonali qabel kollox. Il-principju li jiggwidana ikun li l-Partit Laburista ghandu r-responsabilita' li jirraprezenta nofs il-poplu u ghandu jkun rispettat u konsultat.

Good luck with this! The PfP decision didn't set a very good start, nor did the Speaker 'offer'. Of course in this case the party also has to deal with the general bias of the media in Malta which is always too happy to paint any offer from the PN as perfectly reasonable and any refusal from the MLP as the party being difficult.

Of course, the party hasn't done much to help itself overcome this over the years mainly by adopting a too confrontational approach. Rather than reacting to what the PN does, the MLP in representing 'half' the population should sieze the agenda and be proactive in generating new policy ideas which benefit the whole country.

For me the most critical task facing the new leadership is to be a credible Government in waiting. For too many years the MLP has been debating an agenda which more or less has been set by the PN. This has got to change. We shouldn't be waiting - or asking - for the PN to respect or consult us. We should earn it.