I stand for open mindedness and am against fanaticism. I believe in ‘a hands-on’ approach to problem solving and follow evidence-based decision making.

I am open to persuasion and consider diversity and contrasting opinions as very useful and dynamic forces in a competitive democratic system yet at the same time I believe that whenever possible decisions should be reached by consensus and active participation of all those involved.  I believe in fairness and am against every sort of partisan, gender, sexual orientation, racial and religious discrimination.

I think we can create a better Malta and Gozo by rewarding hard work, merit and honesty.

I consider politics a public service through which I can participate by giving direction and vision to give our country a better quality of life. I believe that the Labour Party should be in constant contact with the greatest number of Maltese and Gozitans possible, to give them a chance to express their thoughts, needs and aspirations.  The party should strengthen its roots in the southern part of Malta, while also doing its utmost to grow in the north of Malta and Gozo.

I commit myself to continue helping those who lag behind, while ensuring that Labour will also be a party for those who succeed, even more than it already is.  Thus we need to set up policies also for the middle class.

I think the party should improve its policy making, base them on facts and make them relevant for the majority of the population. The party should communicate these policies to as many people as possible, through a credible and effective media system, and more and more through the Internet.  We should also strengthen contacts between the party, and other Labour and Social Democratic parties in Europe and in the rest of the world.

We have to show that we are an alternative government. We agree with what is being done properly and good for the people, while criticising what is going wrong, while offering credible alternative proposals on how the situation can be improved.

We will work to improve education in Malta, to succeed in the globalised economy of our times, where investment goes to countries with highly skilled people and where the right conditions exist for ideas and projects to grow.  We need to develop our economy in an environmentally sustainable manner and invest seriously in clean energy. We must safeguard the rights of employees and workers, including the most vulnerable workers on contracts and in part-time work. We must support our small and medium enterprises to enable them to survive and thrive in the more open economy of today.

I believe we need to improve public services in health, education and welfare, and the way our country is governed.  Labour also has to increase the public’s participation in all government actions and decisions.

We have to see that women really enjoy equal opportunities. We need to improve the quality of life for elderly people, and ensure that they have adequate pensions to live a better quality of life.  We must work with youths to increase new opportunities and to support families and those who raise children.  We must change the current culture with regards to disabled persons, who should no longer be seen as people in need of charity, but as individuals with full human rights and we need to create structures to reflect this radical change.

Labour should ensure that public health care will be of top quality, that every family should have adequate housing, and that animal welfare awareness increases. Through preventive strategies, Labour will also ensure that persons in difficulty are identified at an early stage, to help them in time to get back on their feet.

We need to enhance democracy by giving more power to civil society.  By creating more space for private initiatives, and more opportunities for citizens to effectively participate in different sectors.  Through progressive policies, we will change our society and open it more in line with other open and liberal societies in Europe.

We need to work harder and smarter at making EU membership a success story. Malta should work with other member states so that the EU improves its sustainable economy, environment protection, and social solidarity policies.  The EU should lead the way in facing the challenges of globalisation, climate change, and irregular immigration.

Malta should also ensure the best commercial relations with other Mediterranean countries, and with others, such as China, India, Brazil and Russia, to increase employment and investment opportunities in our countries.  Malta should also strengthen its identity to become more confident in face of globalisation.

Labour must open up to those with different opinions, and accept them by developing a new way of how the party’s internal structures operate, and how the party relates to society. We must make better use of the talents and capabilities within our party, and beyond, to make Malta and Gozo a much better country.