The credibility test at the ballot box

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)The May 30 general election boils down to one key question: Which of the political parties has the credibility to implement their electoral manifesto?

The Labour Party and the Nationalist Party are announcing, daily, their electoral proposals - some are more generous than others. The Nationalist Party seems to be caught in the weird cycle of trying to outdo the Labour Party proposals, and it is becoming screamingly obvious that most of their proposals are made haphazardly, if not on the spur of the moment. Rumours have it that the PN often waits for the PL to wrap up its press conferences before starting theirs, and in so doing, they would be able to match the PL proposals and outdo them.Only recently, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced 100 solid proposals for Gozo- a short while later, Alex Borg announced 110 proposals for Gozo. Labour announced a yearly super bonus of Euro 1,000 for all workers, the PN said Euro 1,200 - although they made a mistake when adding up the numbers and were taken to the cleaners by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, whose expertise in financial matters is unmatched by all PN MPs put together.

But back to the credibility issue - although the PN antics that I have just described speak volumes about the PN's lack of.

The credibility question is more important than the electoral pledges themselves. An electoral manifesto is, after all, only as meaningful as the party's ability to translate it into reality. Credibility is not claimed; it is earned. And it is precisely here that the Labour Party distinguishes itself as the more convincing option.

If you take the last four years, there is no denying that Labour faced extraordinary challenges that, at times, seemed to be insurmountable, but the Robert Abela administration proved them to be not. The geopolitical situation was, and remains, challenging - to put it mildly. As I write this article, the situation between the US and Iran seems to be getting worse, and the price of oil is skyrocketing once again. The provision of jet fuel seems to be in dire straits, and with the holiday season around the corner, that is a huge concern. Notwithstanding all this turmoil, Malta is stronger than ever, and luck plays no part in this regard; it is the competence and strong leadership of Robert Abela and the Labour government that do.

Amidst the unprecedented geopolitical turmoil, Labour retained, and shall retain, subsidies on water, electricity, and fuel prices. Pensions continued to increase with every budget, and children's allowance too, as did stipends, the in-work benefit, financial help for first-time buyers, investment in health, financial aid for our artists and creatives, as well as for the NGOs, and the good news is that a new Labour government shall guarantee all this, and do even better.

Not so the Nationalist Party. People my age recall when, in the early 2000s, a Nationalist Party administration led by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, faced with an international financial crisis, was quick to lump the burden on families and businesses. We all remember how Prime Minister Gonzi went to Parliament and boasted that he would vote wholeheartedly for an increase in water and electricity prices. He kept that promise, and consumers were left to carry the can.

This is why the Nationalist Party is anything but credible when today it promises cuts in water and electricity prices and an increase in pensions. For crying out loud - this is the same political party that, in its long years in government, refused to increase pensions and now wants people to believe that it will. No wonder that the electorate is not taking Alex Borg seriously, because their abysmal track record speaks for itself. People are questioning the PN's proposals and doubting their genuineness. With the PN's poor track record, these questions are legitimate.

Granted, no administration is flawless, and Labour does have its warts, and all, but its track record provides a foundation of trust that gives voters peace of mind. With Labour, voters are not being asked to take a leap of faith; they are being asked to evaluate what has already been achieved and, based on that track record, are being asked to consider giving Labour a new mandate.

Another dimension of credibility is consistency. Voters tend to trust a party that has maintained coherent policies over time. Labour has proved that, notwithstanding the challenges that came its way, it remained consistent and fully focused on maintaining a robust economy. The PN, on the other hand, has been busy infighting and changing leaders, giving little to no hope to an electorate that places peace of mind as its topmost priority.

People cannot predict the future with complete accuracy, but they can evaluate the past, and that is precisely what voters will do on May 30th. They will examine which parties have delivered on their promises and which have not, which leaders of the two political parties have demonstrated competence, and which have not. In doing so, they zoom in on the central question of credibility. Policies and leadership matter, and credibility is the bridge between promise and reality.

In this contest, the Labour Party's status as a governing force that guarantees stability and peace of mind makes it the people's credible choice.