Put your cards on the table

Labour’s ‘hidden’ manifesto means the party does not yet take official stands but rests on its leader’s personal beliefs.

Jurgen Balzan 5 April 2012, 12:00am

3 min read

The PL is duty-bound to explain what these policies are if it really wants the electorate to judge and decide whether the party is a viable alternative to the present administration.

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Despite the political rumour mill incessantly pointing at an early summer election, the PN seems intent on hanging on to power until the very last day and Labour seems equally intent to keep the country guessing over the actual proposals of its electoral programme.

Although Labour insists that its proposals are written and ready to be published in the eventuality of an early election, the former tourism minister Karmenu Vella is still responsible for the drafting of the programme. To sex up the dreary subject of electoral programmes, Labour's manifesto even has its own personal secretary in Aaron Farrugia.

When faced with reasonable questions over the palpable wariness the PL has in publishing the manifesto or at least parts of it, Labour defends its corner by saying it will not play into the government's hands and will only reveal its plans when elections are called.

By default this means that the electorate will only have a few weeks to absorb, decipher and understand the Opposition's proposals, and this during a hectic electoral campaign which will focus on anything but the parties' programmes as a blueprint for the future.

Certainly, a few proposals from all parties' programmes will be picked by opposing parties and possibly mocked and shot down (repeater class anyone?). However, this automatically excludes a proper and mature public debate on the party's manifesto. Is Joseph Muscat happy with having a shallow and superficial debate on his blueprint for the future, or does he really want to do things differently?

If the policies are really done and dusted, then the PL is duty-bound to explain what these policies are if it really wants the electorate to judge and decide whether the party is a viable alternative to the present administration. The party in government demonstrates what its policies are in its everyday deeds. To a certain extent, the PN has clearly and officially stated, black on white, its beliefs and its ideas, such as on divorce and gay rights, while the Labour Party has not taken an official stand but rests on its leader's personal beliefs.

Labour's apprehension that their ideas will be either mocked or taken over by the government indicates a mixture of fear, inferiority and opportunism. It is partly an admission of defeat before the ball has even started rolling.

Labour's past inability to match or outdo the PN in terms of effective propaganda and use of the media seems to have scarred the party permanently. This time rather than risk being outdone, the party has chosen to keep its mouth shut. For sure, the Mile End is no source of courage and self-belief.

Labour's stubborn insistence to keep the cards firmly close to its vest also indicates that the party would rather remain silent and win by default rather than behave like any Opposition party should behave itself in a democracy. If you are good enough to govern the country, prove your worth in opposition. An over-cautious and feeble Opposition makes an even poorer government.

Probably the truth is that the party has some kind of policies and proposals written somewhere, however the party cannot rest on its laurels just because it scored a significant victory in the 10 March local council elections.

Although the elections resulted in a landslide victory for Labour, Labour only registered a marginal increase of just over 100 votes, while the PN suffered a haemorrhage of votes (over 11,000), when compared to the previous rounds of 2007/8.

What the recent local elections showed is that the unpopularity of the Nationalist Party doesn't automatically translate into votes for Labour.

The Labour Party has to give the electorate reasons to vote for it, not just reasons to vote against the party in government.

If all the PL has to offer are shallow statements without a new story to tell, then it mustn't be surprised if voters turn their backs to Labour once again.

Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.

More from Jurgen Balzan

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Dear Mr Balzan thank you for a very interesting article. However,please do note that it is only this week, that, for example, Sarkozy and his opponent Hollande, issued their electoral programes; one month before the elections! This is a normal practice in Europe; why should the PL be different; because the exhausted GonziPN electoral machine say so?

Luke Camilleri •

Antoine Vella is just another member of DCG's Coterie!

Micheal Bonanno •

@Antoine Vella. Is this all you can come up with? We criticized his article and questioned his logic. We didn't even say he was a GonziPN apologist. One thing is certain you are 100% certified GonziPN apologist and lecca culi!

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Allura sur Balzan mhux anke GONZIKARETTAPN bl-istess argument tijek missu jejdilna xinuma l-proposti tijaw ghal legislatura ohra jekk allahares jerga jigi elett jew ghalik 2 wieghts and 2 measurements?

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It would be interesting to know how many actually read the electoral manifesto and more importantly how many digest it sufficiently to hold a party to account for it once elected. Out of the odd 350 points in the last PN manifesto I am sure very few can quite remember any. other than the unrealized promise of a cut in income tax rates. Have the media actually pushed and kept tab of the number of these 350 points realized? Experience have made the citizen diffident of promises made in pre-election political manifestos and I feel that other factors are much more relevant when it comes to casting of one's vote.I feel that this time as in the 1971 election a general feeling that we have had enough of the PN and that a change is due will condition the floaters whic win elections more than any manifesto produced. The fact that the leader of the opposition is striking the right chord and creating increased trust in his leadership with those floaters wanting change is more important than an early production of a manifesto. Let us admit such a manifesto can only be realistically finalized once JM if elected is in a position to take full stock of the true economic situation in our country.

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So, Jurgen. have you seen how easy it is to become "a GonziPN apologist"? These are your readers - enjoy them.

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The government's errors and countless defects do not require an Opposition who is just waiting, motionless, for the PN's demise to take its place. When weighing up whether a rudderless government should be replaced by an Opposition party, I would like to know whether or not that party has a clear vision and a plan for the future. Waiting in silence in order to win power by default does not justify anything in my books. Giving the leader of the Opposition a carte blanche to take Labour to the promised land is just as disturbing as the current administration's desperate attempts to cling on to power at all costs. Labour's fear that their policies will be taken over or ridiculed by the PN only means; Vote PN get PL (and vice-versa).

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Halluh lill-Partit Laburista u l-mexxej Joseph Muscat imexxi bl-istrategja tieghu. Fuq kollox il-Parliament hu xoljt? Allura meta ahna zguri dwar id-data tal-elezzjoni. Le l-PL m'ghandux ghalfejn jikxef idu, l-messagg tieghu qed iwasslu. Kollox fi zmienu, imma fil-principji ma hemmx dubju li l-PL jaf x'irid. Tridu tafu kif? Staqsu lill-Gonzi Pn meta dahal ghal mega progetti tal-Parlament gdid jew Bieb il-Belt kellux flus fil-kaxxa. Staqsejtu ghala ghadu jaghfasna bl-gholi tal-htigijiet normali, dawl, ilma, gass, petrol, etc. Staqsejtu ghal id-deficit qed jitla' b'rata daqstant allarmanti u kellu jnaqqas 40 miljun euro ghas-spejjez ta' nies vulnerabbli. Miskin Gonzi ma setax jaghmel mod iehor, ghaliex il-qaghda internazzjonali hekk titlob? Halluna, araw x'tiktbu u tikxfu idejkom qabel tfaqqa' l-elezzjoni. Jekk il-poplu jrid il-PN flok il-PL jaghmel hu meta tasal is-siegha deciziva, imma ebda kowc mhux se jikxef il-pjani tieghu lill-avversarji. Jurgen kont nghallemk iktar matur. Ghaliex dan l-inbix. Inbixu l-hnizrijiet ta' Gonzi u l-qaghda meskina li gie fiha Mater Dei.

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I agree with Thorny. Why do many journalists focus on the opposition when really and truly they should be looking at what is going on around us. Air Malta, the deficit, BIG SCALE CORRUPTION, MEPA, nepotism, mismanagement, Enemalta,Power station etc etc.. With us being members of the EU many policies are dictated by the EU and therefore the emphasis of any government is to be a good manager and not to reinvent the wheel. If the PL just writes to words in the electoral manifesto it will be good enough without promising any big changes. GOOD GOVERNANCE

Luke Camilleri •

Min qieghed iservi ta' Papagall ta' min?

Luke Camilleri •

Min qieghed iservi ta' papagal ta' min din id-darba? In due time, in due time... Why all this zeal to know LP proposals of its electoral programme? Is the PN short of ideas ( as if we didn't know) AND WANTS Labour's ideas?

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Mr Balzan its really incredible he we are a country without a working parliament and all you could write about is this silly none sense.

Joseph Sant •

Human Torch is 100% - a new broom sweeps clean and that's what the people want this time around. With reference to this article though, the minute Mr Balzan pens a similar article asking what another PN government intends to do differently (considering most of their policies have failed in recent years) I would be the first to credit said Mr Balzan with a smidgen of good faith.

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Sur Balzan, tista' jekk joghgbok tghidilna x'fih il-programm elettotali tal- Partit Nazzjonalista ?. Ghax kif qieghed tirraguna int u hafna bhalek, qiskom tafu x'qed joffru tal-PN. Issa int wiehed fost l-eluf li xebghu imaqdru l-policies tal-Gvern prezenti. U l-mod kif qed tiktbu, billi titolbu lill-PL BISS biex jghid x'ser jaghmel,qiskom tafu x'ser joffru l-PN. Minn mitt mil boghod ixxomm il-bias. Jaghmel sewwa il-PL li ma jikxifx idu, ghaliex issa drajnihom, li hekk kif il-PL jipproponi xi haga il-PN johrog malajr malajr, altaparsi jaghmel dik il-proposta u jibda jghid lin-nies, "Ara dik diga ghamilniha ahna !". Issa dan jaghmluh avolja xebghu jghidu li ma jehdux pariri mill-PL !!. Mela ibqa' stenna, hu pacenzja u meta l-gvern isaffar is-suffara, u l-PN johrog il-proposti tieghu, serrah rasek li l-PL jaghmel l-istess. U mbaghad sta ghall-poplu biex jaghti l-gudizzju tieghu.

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Human Torch — 05/04/2012 14:35:00; In complete agreement.

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"Labour only registered a marginal increase of just over 100 votes". This is what the PN have tried to put forward to diminish the effect of their mega defeat in the local council elections. You seems not to agree with what MT published, that is, that the PL actually made gains of over 3000 votes. Who is right you or your colleagues who wrote that report? One thing is sure, the PN are desperate to turn their guns on Labour, that's why they want to know about proposals. Gonzi has stated that he will expose the PL's 'wild promises', which means he knows what Labour has got in store. Or he is simply inventing it all up.

Micheal Bonanno •

By any chance Jurgen, are you playing into the PN's hands or now that elections are nearing the final lap, masks are starting to drop? We have already noticed that the Government in its haste to use its power of incumbency has already implementing and even implementing some of the proposals put forward by the PL. As long as the PN is governing and not a caretaker government, I tend to agree with the PL to keep the cards close to its chest (vest?). The time will come when the cards will be put on the table. Till that time, we'll let the PN puts forward its electoral proposals with bated breath!

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Jurgen , I tend to agree to disagree with you. This time round it will not be anyone's electoral manifesto which will bring to power a new government but it will be the insatiable need for CHANGE. No supreme manifesto can top that, my friend! Capish?!

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Mr. Muscat certainly makes of big show of the lack of transparency by this PN administration but takes a low profile of the discussions between the PL and potential voters lobbies. At least he did admit that making wild promises is part of his game. Confusing times for the electorate where their choice is either voting for the evil you know or risk jumping from the pan into the fire.