One hundred and five

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)

Following the Labour Government's investment of around €30 million to save a total of 14 band club venues at risk of eviction, we have now taken a further step in our effort to safeguard Maltese pastimes and traditions.

Last Sunday, at a town hall meeting with several NGOs and organizations representing pastimes and local traditions, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that musical societies which did not need this assistance would be able to benefit from a prospective  interest-subsidy scheme which will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

This is a very important financial help to these societies, and over the past few days, many festa musical societies have reached out to us, expressing their satisfaction with this decision.

SAFEGUARDS

In Bormla, the Prime Minister also announced that local traditions shall be given constitutional safeguards. This is an unprecedented decision and reaffirms Labour's commitment to pastimes and traditions. We have proved, time and again, that no other political party or government can guarantee them but the Labour Party.

RESPONSIBLY

Traditions should be exercised responsibly, following laws and regulations, to ensure they can be enjoyed safely. But we are determined to ensure that every tradition that is exercised within the terms and parameters of the regulations and laws of the country deserves legislative protection.

FREE

This week started with the welcoming news that Hamas had freed all living hostages and Israel had freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. This happened as the US President Donald J. Trump was in Israel for a short visit to address the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, before heading to Cairo, Egypt, for a high-level conference. Monday's events were part of a ceasefire that paused two years of war that destroyed the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The world hopes that peace will last in a region ravaged by war and destruction for decades.

MEDICINES

An opposition party's role is to present credible and alternative policies. But they must be credible. We are a government that listens, and we implement many proposals that are brought to our attention. If they are in the people's interest, we implement them, regardless of who makes them. There were occasions in the past when the Labour government improved policies or adopted new ones made by the Opposition Nationalist Party. Unfortunately, however, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the current opposition leader has the troubling habit of shooting from the hip. Only recently, it said that generic medicines are inferior to original ones. His statement was met with a barrage of criticism from Malta's Medicines Authority, the Doctors Union (MAM), the Chamber of Pharmacists, and the Superintendence for Public Health In a nutshell, the authorities that matter spoke out against Alex Borg's statement. It is a pity, really, that an opposition leader makes such statements that could have a huge, negative impact on people's health and well-being.

105

The Labour Party is celebrating its 105th anniversary and what a journey it has been. It was set up in 1920, a few years after the Sette Giugno uprisings. The aim of the Labour Party, since its inception, has been to work tirelessly for Maltese workers and to lead a progressive agenda for Malta and Gozo.

CHALLENGES

Throughout the years, Labour faced several challenges, some that seemed insurmountable at the time. Dom Mintoff was fiercely opposed by the country's establishment, which at the time included the Church. Mintoff, his MPs, and Labour Party supporters were denied absolution and a proper church burial.

RIGHTS

When Mintoff wanted to introduce the minimum wage, children's allowances, pensions for all, free health care, free schooling, the separation between Church and State, and so many other rights and freedoms, he was fiercely opposed by the Nationalist Party, the Church, and the country's establishment.

LEADERS

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, God bless his soul, too faced huge resistance; as did Dr Alfred Sant, the man who modernised the Labour Party. Joseph Muscat faced, and still does, fierce opposition and unprecedented personalised attacks from the PN and its cronies. So does Prime Minister and Labour leader Robert Abela. But none of our leaders ever succumbed to pressure. They all persevered, knowing that they were on the right side of history.

PERSEVERANCE

We never give up; had we succumbed to pressure, Malta would still be living in a bygone era where same sex couples are denied their right to marriage, and people whose marriage didn't work out, denied the right to marry again. Had we given up, there would be no pensions; no free childcare; no free IVF; no children's allowances, no increases in the minimum wage, no women's rights, including the right to vote, and the list is endless. We are the party that brought huge and much-needed changes to Malta and its people. We are the party that fights discrimination in all its forms, shapes, and sizes. We are the party that stands boldly for social justice. And our progressive agenda continues. My sincere appreciation to every individual who, since 1920, contributed to the Labour Party's success.