MLP Leadership Contest - Joseph Muscat's Vision (Part Seven)

OBJETTIV 7: PARTIT LABURISTA TA’ IDEAT

Partit li, permezz ta’ l-istrutturi godda tieghu jaghti l-possibilta’ lil kull individwu biex tressaq/jressaq ideat u proposti personali.

30. Billi jitwaqqaf il-“Forum ta’ l-Ideat” fejn kull persuna tkun tista taghti l-ideat u suggerimenti taghha ghal proposti Laburisti.

It seems to me that the building of a big progressive tent is something on the forefront of Joseph's mind. I'm sure there will be lots of people wanting to contribute ideas but the big challenge will be to recruit people who are currently outside the tent.

The problem I see is that people in Malta are still mostly stuck blindly to one side or another and the big battle ground are the few thousand in the middle (like me) who are prepared to make decisions on a case by case basis based on which party we believe represents the best option for Malta.

Unfortunately the Labour Party has lost so much credibility with this core (and it has to be said) growing group that the first challenge will be to engage them and re-integrate them into the debate on Labour policy.

If this happens, then Joseph's ideas forum could be a fantastic tool for the centre ground to begin to feel some ownership over progressive policy development and that could make a hell of a difference come election time.

31. Billi jitwaqqfu Gruppi ta’ Hsieb dwar oqsma ewlenin tal-politika lokali, Nazzjonali u internazzjonali biex jghinu fit-tfassil kontinwu tal-politika gdida Laburista f’ dawn l-oqsma.

This is something that's always perplexed me - the lack of think tanks in Malta. I know resources are a bit of an issue. Well, they're a massive issue and there's always more pressing things to spend money on.

But, if we did have some groups that stood slightly apart from the political battlefield and looked more carefully and analytically in to the future we'd perhaps not have the awful looking building site that we call home.

For those of us who consider ourselves moderates and progressives there are lot sof areas in which Malta needs to develop some really tight policy strategy. Climate change resulting in rising temperatures, rising sea levels and increased migration are having an obvious impact.

Our present policy seems to be either ignore it or pass the buck or deal with it as a continuous emergency.

What we should be doing is getting people ready forthe fact that the days of a homogenous Malta, for example are over. How do we adjust to a multi-cultural society? Boq!! Well, let's have a think shall we?

Obviosuly there are loads of other things to worry about and politicians frankly need help with these big global questions which now, perhaps for the first time in our history, we alos have to take responsibility for. That's what being in the EU means!