The future belongs to all of us

We are now on our way to a general election; a democratic process we as a nation are proud to embrace. For the Labour Party, it will be a campaign that taps the social and economic aspirations of all social classes through creativity and motivation.

The experience, the resilience and the competence shown during the past 13 years of Labour administration will prove pivotal.

To be able to move forward, however, we also need to see how and why today’s prosperity is such a remarkable reality. We have witnessed achievements in all spheres of everyday life, from major projects to electoral pledges kept, and better social benefits to a most positive transformation in the health and disability sectors, social liberties, and the end of the infamous unemployment queues of the not-so-distant past.

Long gone are the pre-budget blues that used to prevail every year. In contrast, people today look forward to budget day to confirm how better off they are going to be because economic success has paved the way to a better all-round quality of life despite several global crises.

While other nations across Europe grapple with economic trauma and the re-emergence of austerity, the Maltese and Gozitan people find themselves shielded and protected by a strong and resilient economy and a government committed to further sustaining families and jobs.

It is on the basis of these facts that we look forward to an exciting electoral campaign with a strong sense of optimism, proven belief in the skills and talents of our people, and the insistence on providing opportunities of a better quality of life for all classes of society. While looking at what our political parties are pledging, people instinctively look back to assess their future. It is only natural for them to hope for a future of more achievements, new targets and even more enthusiasm. A future that is ours for the taking.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has stressed that the nation’s success is the result of a strong economy, backed by a government that unwaveringly has sought progressive ways to improve people’s lives. The competence shown in the administration of the country’s finances and the economy contrasts with the conservative austerity and the yoke of negativism displayed by past administrations.

Robert Abela has emphasised the vital decision to protect our families from the impact of spiralling oil and gas prices as a result of a world in turmoil, with other countries in Europe still dilly-dallying as to what they can do next in the face of mounting inflation, shrivelling economies and an inevitably disgruntled labour force. The Maltese Government’s choice to sustain working-class families, industries and enterprises will not falter. The downbeat declarations from within the Opposition ranks won’t change that.

Continuity of the current socio-economic policy is the guarantee to an even better future. This is not only manifested in Vision Malta 2050, but is based on the credibility of the Labour government and the overwhelming trust it enjoys from the electorate. In the prime minister’s own words: “Under the theme Int Malta – il-Ħolma Tiegħek. Il-Proġett Tagħna, which represents the first costed manifesto with a wellbeing index, is in itself a five-year plan built on new ideas and real measures. The future belongs to all of us.”