It is clear to many that Malta needs a change of government, even if just to get us off the FATF greylist and start rebuilding our global reputation.
But people who want to vote for change also need to know what government they will be voting in.
That is why the Nationalist Party is not waiting for an election campaign to start rolling out its positive vision for Malta.
In the past few weeks, we have already outlined some key policy ideas.
We gave a bold commitment to provide a new public green space to every locality by buying undeveloped land and safeguarding it for the community.
This ties in with our previous commitments to give Żonqor Point back to the people as a national park and to buy Ħondoq ir-Rummien for the same reason.
We will also create a map of all trees in each locality and provide a green score for local councils to track their progress and discourage unnecessary removal of trees. This besides more pedestrianised areas in every locality.
Once in government, we will create a rural plan. This will enable us to protect our unbuilt areas from speculative developments, by requiring a two-thirds majority in parliament to overturn this plan in case of extraordinary national importance.
We also offered to help farmers facing eviction to buy their land to ensure we can keep guaranteeing food security.
We pledged to radically improve pensions – not only to solve injustices from previous reforms – but to help fight the cost of living.
We are committed to raise the salaries of educators, and to provide air-conditioners in every classroom.
We will also seriously tackle the obesity crisis after the government failed its 2020 targets. We need to start in schools since we have a completely disproportionate child obesity rate. We need to acknowledge that low income earners, those living on social benefits and pensioners have been the worst affected by this crisis.
We are committed to provide better care for cancer patients, including chemotherapy services in Gozo, ambulatory treatment at home, and the financing of cancer treatment in various EU countries.
We will also pay for IVF medication to make the system truly free for those who are willing to raise children. For those who are not yet willing to start a family, we will offer free contraception.
We promised to extend Mġarr harbour and build two new ferry boats, one of which to be used for cargo. We pledged to scrap the unacceptable Vitals deal and build a new Gozo hospital. We will close Mount Carmel Hospital and create a mental health hospital close to Mater Dei, like we did with the oncology hospital. We will also expand psychiatry services in the community.
We will also refund all those who were overcharged on their electricity bills due to the devious way Labour changed the tariff structures.
We will remove VAT obligations from those who earn between €30,000 and €60,000 by extending the VAT exemption ceiling.
We began work on ensuring a €40 million annual State Aid fund for manufacturing companies to fight rising international freight costs.
We pledged to boost tourism through better targeted international campaigns complemented by investing in tourist is niches, such as through the creation of more dive sites and investing in Maltese products for agri-tourism.
We also need to make climate change a major priority for the country to also create an economic opportunity out of being leaders in research and innovation.
These are just some of the many ideas and commitments we have published in the past four weeks.
We have done this even at the risk of Labour taking up our ideas ‒ which they usually do after they mock them.
We have many more ideas because we are close to people and are listening to their needs. And we know how much more this country can do if we stop wasting so much money on corruption which is benefiting the few.
I have always underlined that policies should be forged around the concept of the common good. No policy or vision has value unless it is centred around the very notion of our value of the human being. Politics is merely an indispensable tool for its fulfilment.
If you have a great idea you want PN to endorse, write to us on www.kunilbidla.com. Let’s unite to provide a positive vision for this country when it needs it most.