Government 'undermining' its own message of national unity

Nationalist MP Ryan Callus has insisted that the government’s actions since being elected to a second term have shown that it did not really believe in the contents of the President’s ‘speech from the throne’ on the opening day of Parliament.

In her speech, the president called for national unity and the healing of divisions created by a very divisive campaign, while emphasising the need for constitutional reform and the birth of a second republic.

Callus put forward an amendment to the motion in reaction to the President’s speech and said that while the government had learnt its lesson, and had avoided the same divisive language used in 2013, it had still ordered a number of transfers days after being elected.

He stressed that to people on the receiving end of such actions - many of whom, he said, were transferred without any explanation - speeches in parliament meant nothing.

The president, said Callus, also said that government would be working towards more independent and accessible institutions, however he insisted that even in this case, the government seemed to be determined to render institutions unable to carry out their function.

This was clearly evidenced by the dismissal of two high-ranking officials at the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit last month, he said.

Callus stressed that institutions had an obligation to act in the interest of the people and not protect politicians.

“If they are given an order by a politician that creates an injustice rather than solves one, they should stop and not implement that order,” said Callus, adding that it was significantly worse, when people who had done their duty were dismissed from their role.

Turning to the Armed Forces and Police Force, Callus said that if the government really wanted more accessible institutions, it should accept the Opposition’s proposal, and appoint a Police Commissioner and Armed Forces Commander following a vote in parliament rather than allowing them to be led by people who sought protect partisan interests.

“Despite the speech’s tone, the government is dragging its feet in answering several parliamentary questions about cases of alleged vote buying in the last general election, including hundreds of promotions in the Armed Forces, some 1,000 government jobs in Gozo, as well as the vast sums of the people’s money spent on propaganda,” said Callus.

The Nationalist MP stressed that despite promises regarding the country’s infrastructure, the last legislature had left an “infrastructural deficit”, with several arterial and residential roads in urgent need of investment.

Finally, Callus said the Opposition would be insisting the government keep the promises it had made before the election, including on social housing and the protection of the environment, and to make sure it is held accountable for its actions.

Labour MP Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that the President’s speech showed great ambition on the part of the government. Its work, he said, would be centred around four main principles: social mobility, social justice, national unity and equality.

“These principles were at the centre of this side’s electoral program which we presented to the nation, and which received historic support,” said Zrinzo Azzopardi.

The Labour Party, he said, had always worked to ensure that opportunities were available to everyone in society, and had always measured the country’s success by “how far the weakest had advanced”.

He insisted that the fact that the country had a strong economy, allowed the government to create the necessary wealth that was in turn creating more opportunities.

Zrinzo Azzopardi emphasised the need for further improvement in the education sector. He said the absenteeism in school needed to be addressed, pointing out however that there was a reduction in the number of children missing from school over the past three years.

On social justice, Zrinzo Azzopardi said that during the last legislature, the government had overseen a reduction in poverty and had strengthened social services.

He acknowledged that in rising rent prices, the country was facing a new challenge which needed to be addressed. While this was mainly a consequence of the country’s economic performance, he said the government needed to intervene further.

Turning to equality, Zrinzo Azzopardi said the government had immediately set out to “implement a law that will continue to strengthen equality” and will be introducing changes that “other countries have not yet started to discuss”.

Zrinzo Azzopadi stressed that national unity needed to be strengthened, adding that this not mean stifling debate in the country. He said that the country had achieved its greatest results in moments when it had “understood that it was one nation”.

Nationalist MP Claudio Grech said the President’s message of unity was appropriate and worthy of the occasion, adding that the Nationalist Party had accepted the election result.

“Political unity is not an abstract concept,” said Grech. “We achieve unity through our daily work, and rather than have unity down on paper we should seek unity through our actions in the way we interact with each other.”

Grech insisted that excessive tribalism had done untold damage to the country and needed to be addressed.

“There are many issues we need to start to find consensus on. They are issues that will lead to big problems if we do not have a common plan on,” said Grech.

Among the most pressing issues in need of bipartisan efforts were pensions and the healthcare system, the country’s infrastructure, and above all poverty – both material and educational, he said.

“I believe they are aspects that require us to find consensus,” said Grech. ”This doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing, but rather trying to build on points we agree upon.”  

Reaching this unity, said Grech, would require a long process, which ultimately could not be accomplished if a “part of the population” felt it was being held back because of its political conviction.

He stressed that constitutional reform should include broader participation in politics, adding that those in politics should raise the level of political discourse in the country