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It was a belated appeal albeit a welcoming one, that made by Prime Minister Gonzi when addressing the Party faithful during the Independence festivities on Monday.
Consensus strikes a chord with the wishes of the majority of the electorate who daily, grow more frustrated with confrontational party politics and the effect it is having on their general well being.
When the Prime Minister assumed office his call for a new way of doing politics was understood to mean the ushering in of consensus politics. Regrettably, his very first decision, the appointment of the new president was the very antithesis of consensus.
Equally noteworthy is the missed opportunity of celebrating independence as a national event together with the other political forces in the country and not downgrading it yet again to a solitary Nationalist Party feast. Had the offer of a national celebration been made, it would have given more credibility to the Prime Minister’s call for political consensus.
The Labour Party may choose to refuse the offer to tackle national problems together but in so doing it will only be adopting an inward-looking political strategy that at its very best can be described as short-sighted.
As long as the offer for consensus is genuine and not one meant simply to shore up difficult decisions by banking on the support of the Opposition, the Labour Party may very well find that it is in its interest to co-operate. In four year’s time, if Labour is elected to govern, it will be Prime Minister Alfred Sant that will have to face the music of much-needed reforms in key sectors of the country’s economy and welfare system.
It is time for both sides to show statesmanship.
The financial plight of the country leaves little room to debate the necessity or otherwise of reaching consensus. It just has to happen. This is no longer an academic debate for political scientists. In the absence of a common programme, the country risks drawing to a halt with the deficit at Lm113 million in August of this year and national debt rising to Lm1.3 billion.
We may sound alarmist but this newspaper has been advocating consensus on fundamental political issues as the key to progress, for months. Many opportunities have been lost but more will arise not least in the priority areas listed by the Prime Minister – the environment, pensions, tourism, ports and health – where drastic reforms need to be undertaken.
Whatever the response he may get from the Opposition, the Prime Minister must soldier on. He must stay the course and introduce the necessary reforms even if this costs his party an electoral debacle. His place in history will long be remembered for having the guts to do just what needs to be done - placing nation before Party.
On the environment it would be a mistake to reduce the problem solely to cleanliness. Strict adherence to the Structure Plan by developers is required and Gonzi has to make sure that changes to draft local plans are not being made just to accommodate individual interests.
He should stop focusing particularly on the need for a golf course and concentrate more on the need to control air pollution by proposing a radical overhaul of the public transport system within the wider context of a transport policy suitable for Malta 2004.
Cleaning up the country and harshening penalties for litter louts is commendable and a necessity, but so should the upkeep and efficient use of this country’s cultural treasures.
On pension reform Gonzi must administer the necessary medicine by extending the retirement age and ensuring that persons who carry on working even after retirement age pay social security benefits. A more concerted effort to entice women to continue participating in the labour force is required and is a partial solution to the pensions problem.
On tourism, government must carry on investing in the product with the same enthusiasm it spends cash on marketing campaigns abroad. The situation at the ports has to be addressed head on – it is an important factor in making industry and business more competitive. Monopolies, restrictive work practices and laid back attitudes adopted by various entities that operate in the port have to be hacked at.
On health, Gonzi must set a date for the opening of Mater Dei hospital. This white elephant is a haemorrhage on public finances. The Prime Minister is right to expect accountability for all expenses made and still to be made.
The effectiveness of consensus politics was experienced when Malta set up its financial services sector, a sector that has since proved to be vital for Malta’s economy.
The road to recovery is a long one indeed but consensus, even if limited only to some aspects of reform, would ensure that changes are achieved earlier.
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