Labour unveils 10 policy forums to map out country’s future

The Labour Party has set up 10 forums to draw up a set of policies by year’s end in a project called 100 Ideas.

The initiative was unveiled by deputy leader party affairs Daniel Micallef on Wednesday, who invited people from outside the party to contribute.

The forums will be coordinated by Micallef, Labour MEP Miriam Dalli and party president Ramona Attard.

Touching on a range of subjects, each individual forum will have its own coordinator.

Micallef said the initiative will put political discussion at the centre of the party in the year marking its 100th anniversary. He also encouraged the party's own sections - youth, women and veterans - to encourage their members to pitch in.

He said the first phase of the exercise is expected to conclude by the end of the year, from where a more specific debate will take place on the ideas generated by the forums.

Dalli will be coordinating the forums covering the economy, environment and health.

Attard will coordinate the forums covering foreign and EU policy, equality, education and democratic reforms.

Micallef will coordinate the forums covering social policy, Gozo and local councils.

The individual forums will also have their respective coordinators.

The economic forum, which will also delve into the just redistribution of wealth, is coordinated by financial analyst Steve Ellul.

The environment forum that will also touch upon the European Green Deal, fisheries and agriculture, will be coordinated by architect Chris Mintoff.

The health forum will be coordinated by Jan Chircop, a medical doctor.

The foreign and European affairs forum, which will also deal with the issue of migration, is coordinated by Anthony David Gatt.

Rebecca Buttigieg is coordinating the equality forum.

The forum dealing with education, including children coming from difficult backgrounds, is coordinated by Robert Abela’s sister-in-law, Alison Civelli. 

The forum dealing with democratic reforms is coordinated by Jonathan Attard, a lawyer.

The social policy forum that will also cover the fight against poverty and social housing, is being coordinated by sociologist Maria Brown.

Monica Farrugia is coordinator for the Gozo policy forum, while former Żebbuġ mayor Sarah Agius Saliba will coordinate the local councils forum.