A choice in our country’s best interests

I launched this campaign last December and have since tried my utmost to meet or correspond with as many of you as possible. From here I thank you for all your support, encouragement and feedback.

These months of campaigning came to a head this morning when I addressed my final press conference before Saturday’s vote. We need to take this election seriously and choose who the candidates we think would best represent us for the next five years in the European Parliament – an institution that decides on matters that are of concern to us all.

If I am entrusted to be one of your MEP’s in this coming legislature top of my agenda will be working towards

- Increasing the job opportunities for Maltese and Gozitans

- Overcoming the challenge posed by illegal immigration

- Ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment

- Continuing to strengthen our Education system

I firmly believe that in the coming five years our country deserves to be represented by people whose political beliefs are based on the values of solidarity, subsidiarity, democracy, tolerance and the respect for Human Rights.

The PN has a proven track record and will continue to work for Malta’s membership of the EU to continue to translate into more and better opportunities for all Maltese and Gozitan families. Today we have a voice that is being heard in Europe and our country is managing to convince fellow Member States to take decisions in the best interest of Malta. A perfect tangible example of this is the fact that Malta managed to negotiate successfully for VAT not to be charged on food and medicine.

Allow me this opportunity to thank all those who have helped me in this campaign and once again appeal to everyone who has not yet picked up their voting document to do so and to go out to vote on Saturday!

Thank you all.

Creating more and better jobs

Our quality of life depends on the creation of more and better employment opportunities for us all.

The objectives envisaged by the European Commission and Malta in their employment strategies need to be reached. Things can be done on a European level to boost our competitiveness in this area. Attracting investment, continued training and skill diversification for workers in a large range of categories and age groups, coupled with proper planning of EU and national programmes to make sure we continue to invest in the jobs of the future, need to remain a high priority. At the same time we need to focus on tapping EU funds aimed at re-training and supporting job seekers

As a mother of two, I am also well aware of the vast potential benefit for the Maltese economy that is yet to be unleashed through more empowerment of and participation of women in the workplace. The EU is giving this aspect the importance it deserves but there remains a lot more we can do locally in this area, through support from EU funds and by building real political momentum in this direction. Participation of women in the labour market is an area where we lag behind other states. We can learn by observing good practices across the EU and adapting them to the Maltese reality and by utilising available EU funds in a better more effective manner. Flexible work practices through the strengthening of a holistic parental leave system and the provision of more and better child care facilities need to be encouraged. The recent opening of a child-care centre in MCAST and the Government’s decision to grant a tax-break to new mothers are testament to the government’s commitment in this area. Of course, more can and must be done, but we are on the right track.

EU funds should be made use of in order for us to work towards reaching EU childcare provision targets. At the same time more value has to be given by employers to a person’s need to have time with his or her family - thus more flexible working arrangements are necessary. We can benefit in this regard through the exchange of best practices with other EU Member States. If exploited properly by businesses this would lead to a more competitive economy and encourage more women to participate in the labour market.

The turbulent international and financial climate we live in however continues to throw harsher challenges at us. Living up to these challenges will need a continued strong leadership on national level, and backing from Malta’s five MEPs on a European level– who all need to pull the same rope if we are to deliver the best possible results for our country.

This is why this election is so important. We need people who know what they’re doing, know how to achieve results and who will be able to open doors for the benefit of all Maltese and Gozitans.

Entitlement not Charity

I’ve just had the opportunity to meet with a number of parents, children and NGOs involved with working with and for the disabled. These are a group of people that face sometimes overwhelming financial and social challenges and difficulties to care for themselves and their children in the best possible way.

It is unacceptable that in this day and age people are still affronted by social stigmas which is coupled with severe financial problems simply in an effort to live as we all do. During the meeting the main question preying on parents’ minds remains that of what will happen to their children if something should ever happen to them. I cannot imagine a more preoccupying thought than worrying that should something happen to you, your child will be faced with an uncertain future. This is an area of concern that desperately needs to be addressed.

We need to tackle the issues faced by disabled people in getting a job while ensuring they are not discriminated against on the work place. If I am elected to represent Maltese and Gozitans in the European Parliament I will work towards the EPP objective of having people with a disability be able to participate in society without restrictions and free from discrimination. I will work actively within the European Parliament All Party Group on Disability for stronger legislation on a European level to ensure that every person is afforded the same treatment and to encourage the increased participation of people with a disability in the labour market to ensure they can find sustainable employment , not remain dependent on social services and be afforded the dignity we all deserve.

That said and while a lot still needs to be done, we’ve come a long way in last years - we are on the road to ensuring equality. The Government, the KNPD, NGOs and parents' associations in the sector have done great work in raising the profile of this issue with the public and with tackling a number of the issues associated with the disabled , be it through individual advice or through legislative initiatives..One concrete example, that has improved the lives of many, is that every new building that is accesible to the public, must be certified by the KNPD as accessible to people with physical disabilities before planning permission is granted.

The EU too has moved on this issue. The EU was instrumental in the United Nations adopting the Convention on the rights of people with a disability and is in the process of ratifying it – within this convention are measures that prohibit discrimination against people in the workplace and in vocational education and training. As a nation, we need to do everything possible to speed up this process of ratification.

As one participant in the meeting pointed out, we need to continue to move away from the mentality that treating people with a disability equally is equivalent to an act of charity – it is not. It’s entitlement.

We are all consumers

In a press conference that I held this morning in Birkirkara I announced that I have just endorsed The European Consumers’ Association (BEUC)’s Europe-wide consumer-pact.
The Consumer Pact is a document that is intended to be used a political guide for Members of the European Parliament and for everyone contesting the EP elections. The results of the Eurobarometer Survey of last September show that 70% of European consumers are ready to defend their rights in court if they are given the real opportunity to join other consumers who have the same difficulty. This clearly shows the need for consumer rights to be given increased importance on a European level.

I’ve endorsed this pact as consumer rights have been a central part of my campaign for the EP elections and will be one of my priorities if I am elected to represent Maltese and Gozitans at the European Parliament. In the past weeks I have tried to show how consumers can benefit if they are given the backing they need from politicians – the campaign to remove time-windows from pre-paid mobile phone top-up cards is further proof of this.

The pact covers eight main commitments, all of which are close to me and have been central to my election campaign over the past months. The themes are Energy & Sustainability; Financial Services; Consumer Contracts, Food; Digital World; Health; Safety and Group Action.

I believe that the European Parliament must always keep European citizens at the centre of its mission statement. Consumer issues fall within the category of the bread and butter issues faced on a daily basis by European citizens. In a time of economic difficulty, restoring consumer confidence is one of the keys towards finding a solution. This consumer pact specifically covers all these themes and ensuring its implementation can only help strengthening credibility in the EU and its institutions and their ability to make a difference in the everyday life of EU citizens who also happen to be consumers.

Below is a brief summary of the eight commitments I have signed up to from the BEUC website:

ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY
COMMITMENT
Guarantee all EU consumers access to the energy services of their choice without compromising the needs of current and future generations. Ensure consumer goods and services are sustainable and accessible for all; enable consumers to act ‘sustainably’ easily.

FINANCIAL SERVICES
COMMITMENT
Guarantee access to secure, affordable, transparent, fair and efficient financial services.

CONSUMER CONTRACTS
COMMITMENT
Strengthen consumers rights when buying goods and services on and off-line, and make them future-proof.

FOOD
COMMITMENT
Help consumers to easily make informed choices, improve access to safe and healthy foods and promote sustainable food production & consumption.

DIGITAL WORLD
COMMITMENT
Empower consumers to play a central role in a safe, fair and competitive digital market.

HEALTH
COMMITMENT
Put consumers’ health first: promote high quality information and health care for all.

SAFETY
COMMITMENT
Ensure safer products and reduce consumer and environmental exposure to dangerous chemicals.

GROUP ACTION
COMMITMENT
Fully compensate all EU consumers who have suffered damages caused by the same trader.

You can read more and download the full pact here
http://www.consumerpact.eu/

www.mep2009.eu

Last Saturday, at the Tal-Qroqq Skate Park, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi officially launched the new website www.mep2009.eu. The website has been described by PN Secretary General, Paul Borg Olivier as a ‘virtual pjazza’. It combines the views of various different bloggers all of whom come from different walks of life and is an online portal where everyone can give their opinion on the upcoming MEP elections on June 6th.

Log on, check it out and become part of the debate!

You can read Roberta’s contribution to the site here.

A boost to the economy

I’m glad my eldest son is beginning to discover the joys of Playmobil. A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to join the Prime Minister, and fellow MEP candidates, on a tour of Playmobil’s Hal Far base. When the winds of the economic crisis continue to blow across the world, it was heartening to see that the company, headed by Helga Ellul, not only employs some 800 people running shifts 24-hours a day, seven days a week, but announced that it is to invest a further 6 million Euros over the next year.

Playmobil has become something of a Maltese institution and has been expertly guided through this crisis – so much so that it has seen an increase in its exports over the last 12 months.

In an excellent example of industry-education cooperation, the company is developing cutting edge research in their IT department, with ICT graduates from UoM and MCAST, and collaborates in a training programme with MCAST. Increasing the links between higher education and industry is being pushed both on a Maltese and European level as one way of combating the financial crisis as well as a method to increase the employability of graduates by ensuring their skills, knowledge and competencies are relevant to the labour market.

Now there’s a true success story.

University Debate

I'm managing to post this having returned from a discussion event I hosted on our University campus. yesterday It was a fantastic feeling returning to the quadrangle and being able to have a one-on-one question and answer session with the many students that attended. The fact that it was held hot on the heels of the launch of Malta’s higher education strategy for 2020 and on the same day that Minister Cristina is signing a new Bologna Process communiqué in Belgium made it even more significant. The Bologna Process started in 1999 as an intergovernmental education reform initiative. It now consists of 46 countries whose Ministers of Education meet every two years to discuss the progress made in higher education reforms and to plot the way ahead in setting up a European Higher Education Area where all national systems are compatible and comparable with one another allowing for increased student mobility, better degree recognition, increased quality in education, a better credit system and more.

The debate was moderated by Peppi Azzopardi and Julia Farrugia who also took the opportunity to ask any pressing questions they thought of – I wanted to keep the event as open and free as possible so I did not limit it to a particular topic and preferred instead to allow students to ask whatever they saw fit to question. It was refreshing to see that interest in these EP elections remains high on campus and questions ranged from whether I faced any particular difficulties as a female candidate, to how I cope as a wife, mother and candidate, to illegal immigration, education and the environment – in particular the need for faster reform of MEPA.

The hour flew by and – too early it seemed - I was forced to rush to another radio programme and continue my house visits…I hope I will have the opportunity to return to campus or perhaps MCAST and ITS to continue where I left off before the end of this campaign.

In the meantime, as always, please continue to send any questions, comments or feedback you may have directly to roberta@roberta2009.eu!

Be in touch.

Meeting on Campus

As part of a series of meetings that I'm having with civil society and different communities, I will be hosting discussion event next Tuesday 28th April at 12pm on University Campus. The dicussion is open to all and will be led by Julia Farrugia and Peppi Azzopardi. As with every campaign activity, it is open to everyone.

So come, get the answers to all your questions and bring your friends! email: campaign@roberta2009.eu or call 79707142 for more information.

On Animals...

I am not one to comment on legal proceedings currently underway and I won’t except to say that the recent case involving one of Malta’s most visible animal carers has sent shock-waves through the entire community. The allegations (and let's remember that’s all they are at this point) are of huge concern to me and to other like-minded people and they should not be interpreted as a proper reflection of all the people and NGOs who volunteer tirelessly to take care of those animals either forgotten or abandoned.

It further proves the point that Government needs to do more than simply rely on good natured individuals to care for these animals. George Pullicino’s initiative in starting the set up of the Ta Qali Animal After-care Centre is a big leap in the right direction – and it’s good to see that these issues have made it onto the political agenda.

We are by and large a society that cares for our animals and people’s awareness of the issues has hugely increased. When I compare to my election campaign five years ago I now find people I meet not only aware but advocating for this to a remain an important issue.

Should I be entrusted to represent you within the European Parliament, I will lend my voice to animal welfare concerns, not only for domestic animals, but also for the proper and dignified treatment of animals that are in the agricultural food chain. My position is that we, as Europeans, should always strive to treat our own animals better, and I would work for educational programmes and legislative proposals which would help achieve this.

After all I think it was Ghandi who famously said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” – wise words indeed

Curtain call

Malta’s new President caught the public’s attention, as Dr. George Abela now takes over this prestigious position, a brief reflection on one of Malta’s most outstanding personalities becomes appropriate, as we approach the final acts of the career of Dr. Edward Fenech Adami better known to us all as “Eddie”.

Fenech Adami’s career epitomises how charisma, vision and courage can contribute to make a leader stand out as a statesman. Commonly considered as having started out as the underdog when he contested the post for PN Leader, Fenech Adami was soon to become the undisputed leader of a nationwide movement which strived to bring about profound democratic changes in our country. In 1981, he had already succeeded in attracting the political consensus of a majority of the electorate; and yet it would take him another six years to be in a position to bring about the freedom aspired to by Maltese people from all walks of life. .

Those six years were hardly a walk in the park. Many people still recall the bold image of Fenech Adami leading crowds in streets of the most politically prohibitive corners of Malta. This was well before he achieved the formal, institutional image which accompanied him from 1987 through the rest of his career. That six-year period was marred by institutionalised violence and corruption which Fenech Adami retaliated with unstinting efforts to spread a message of peace and hope. He avoided the temptation of fighting fire with fire at all times. During this period, he also managed to widen the appeal of the Nationalist Party to new segments of society; people whose expectations previously had not been adequately represented, thus making the PN a party for all irrespective of one’s economic or social background.

I was just eight when Fenech Adami became my Prime Minister. I will never forget the middle-of-the-night celebrations at home. However, the transition from Leader of the Opposition to Prime Minister was probably the greatest test for Fenech Adami’s leadership qualities, since he had to tangibly respond to the aspirations and expectations of the people who elected him. Throughout the late eighties and up until the mid-nineties, he had to introduce reforms necessary to modernise Malta’s economy and infrastructure after years of socialist restrictions. Media pluralism was finally introduced in our country, paving the way for the birth of radio and TV stations – lest not we forget that these are essential ingredients of a proper democracy. Even then, Fenech Adami’s long term vision was already set on making Malta a Member State of the European Union – a vision that was well ahead of its time. Too ahead of its time for some, as Malta’s European ambitions were stalled as Fenech Adami was back in the Opposition from 1996 until 1998.

The question of Malta’s EU membership culminated in a referendum following years of heated debate which involved the whole nation. Fenech Adami’s statesmanship came again to the fore as he managed to rope in the majority of civil society behind the ‘Yes’ campaign, turning it into a movement which transcended party lines - a long and arduous task that required exceptional political stamina. If any further proof of his leadership qualities was needed, the courageous decision Fenech Adami took in immediately calling a general election after the positive referendum result, and which was due a few days before the signing of the Accession Treaty in Athens. His gamble paid off. The image of Fenech Adami signing the Treaty will remain etched in the memories of all of us; the image of a man in his prime who had succeeded in fulfilling a vision for which entire generations will be thankful in the years to come. The ‘European of the Year’ award by the influential European Voice publication in 2003 for his unfaltering efforts to bringing Malta into the European fold in the face of staunch opposition, placed him rightfully in the illustrious company his efforts deserved.

The decision to nominate Fenech Adami as Malta’s President was not spared from the usual controversy that dominates this country. However, at the end of this mandate we can all conclude that he served this role with an admirable dignity and his customary integrity, qualities which again gave the lie to the grumbling of some critics upon his nomination. It will be difficult for this country to give this great statesman of our times a curtain call worthy of the remarkable service he gave it.

At the top of the world

I think it is fair to say that the announcement that three men will aim to be the first Maltese to conquer Mount Everest has captured the imagination of the country.

It is initiatives like this that provide us Maltese with hope and optimism that nothing – not even the world’s highest summit - is beyond our reach and one that provides our youth with priceless local examples and role models to look to.

As Maltese we are too often divided along all sorts of lines that we draw and this sort of initiative is something that fills the entire population with pride as we forget our differences and proudly cheer on ‘our’ climbers.

It will undoubtedly be a long, tough and hazardous journey and one that requires huge reserves of mental and physical strength as they battle the elements in the worst conditions and from here I wish them all the luck in the world.

The fact that they’re raising the profile of Maltese asthmatics and tying in their efforts with a campaign for cleaner air is testament to the local significance of this 8,848 metre journey.

I encourage readers to check out www.challenge8000.net and join their facebook group “CHALLENGE 8000” to show their support and give ‘our’ climbers all the encouragement they will need to conquer the world’s highest peak.

Thank you for giving us all the opportunity to soon see our flag fly on top of the world. Marco, Robert, Gregory and the rest of your team rest assured that we will all be rooting for you all.

Community Discussion - Sta Lucija

As part of aseries of community meetings, I will be hosting a reception and discussion event today Thursday 12th March 2009 at 7:30pm at the PN Club in Sta Lucija. As with every campaign activity, it is open to everyone.

So come, get the answers to all your questions and bring your friends! email: campaign@roberta2009.eu or call 79707142 for more information.

Malta keeps zero VAT on food and medicine

Allow me to use this blog to welcome the news that following the latest Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) Malta has managed to retain its right not to charge any VAT on food or medicine even after 2010 and has managed to reduce VAT on health services related to the elderly and on restaurant services.

The negotiations were long and tough but this result is a sure sign that, despite our small geographic size, our fellow European Union Member States are in tune with our country’s particular needs and circumstances in this area. Hopefully this success will rub off on other areas of concern to us all.

This effort undertaken by the Government is to be applauded.

A more detailed statement on the issue can be found on www.roberta2009.eu

Ban Time Windows

It's time that time windows on pre-paid mobile phone cards are banned once and for all. Time windows are not only an unfair practice but also a barrier to the benefits of competition.

It is unfair for us to lose our credit and face higher charges simply because our time window has lapsed. It is even more unreasonable when so called "special offers" are also subject to time limits. Operators have no objective justification to keep time window whic

h only serves to increase their revenues at the expense of consumer rights.

ACT NOW and show your disapproval for these unjustified practices by signing our online petition calling for a ban on this practice at http://www.bantimewindows.org

Censorship

I have received a few emails and phone calls asking what I think of the recent decision to ban the play "Stitching" which was due to be put on recently. Now, without getting into the details of the script or the play – I haven't read or seen it – it is incredulous that in this day and age we are still concerned with banning plays – however avant garde or distasteful they may be. I sometimes wonder if we are really in 2009.

From the media reports I've read about this whole sorry saga it seems the play is shocking, provocative, and doesn't really sound like something I would be particularly interested in seeing. But the fact remains that we cannot ban the play because we may not agree with it, not like the underlying themes or think that it's too much for Maltese to handle. It's simply not on.

The answer would have been to ensure that it is open only to adults – raise the viewership age if really needs be - and that every person is warned in advance that the play is provocative and that some scenes may shock. Then everyone would be free to decide whether that was something they were interesting in watching – by themselves and not by some higher authority.

Of course if the Government doesn't want it put on on their property then they also have a right not to allow it – but who is anyone to say what can and can not be shown to informed adults on private property?

I hear the latest news is that the play will be shown in defiance of the ban – I hope the authorities don't make a mountain out of a mole hill and attempt to shut it down - the irony of such a move is that it will only increase the interest in the show meaning more people will want to watch it...

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

The turbulent international and financial climate we live in continues to throw harsher challenges at us. Living up to these challenges will need a continued strong leadership, and the government's 65 electoral promises linked to creating 'more work, better work' provides a solid platform of commitment to address these challenges pro-actively in very difficult circumstances.

Victims of the global economic crisis, cause us all to worry and lose sleep. I constantly meet people who live in fear of losing their jobs and it is plain to see that their and their family's lives are in turmoil. We need to band together to ensure that these people are given the very best chance of finding new employment quickly, we need to ensure that re-training opportunities are given to those who require it, we need to up our efforts to increase foreign investment and mostly we need to ensure that these people do not have to face these hardships alone.

From within the European Parliament much can be done to boost our competitiveness in this area. The objectives envisaged by the European Commission and Malta in their employment strategies need to be reached. Attracting investment, continued training and skill diversification for workers in a large range of categories and age groups, coupled with adequate planning of EU and national programmes to make sure we continue to invest in the jobs of the future need to remain a high priority.

I believe that an MEP's role in terms of employment should cover two separate aspects, namely:

- Providing a strong voice in the EU institutions to ensure that citizens in the Member States can benefit from the right kind of employment conditions and ensuring the correct implementation of EU programmes such as the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (that provides help in situations when there have been downsizing due to reasons attributed to globalisation with the aim of providing additional support to workers made redundant), and the PROGRESS Programme (that helps national authorities in developing new national programmes to reach the Lisbon Agenda targets).

- And keeping the national government on the right track and at the right pace in ensuring that it lives up to its commitments, and delivers on its promises.

Read my full position on employment at the link below:

http://www.roberta2009.eu/rtt/content.aspx?id=98837&subId=98835

20 days in 2009...

It’s been quite a start to the year on both a personal and a political level...so eventful in fact that I’ve been putting off the chance to write this blog for a few days now and it can wait no longer…

- Of New Presidents…

Perhaps the first major decision of the New Year was the somewhat surprise announcement that Dr George Abela will replace Eddie as our next President. It was a surprise move but a welcome one all the same. Although in the aftermath of the Prime Minister’s decision, people from all sides of the political fence questioned the move, I just hope that it will go some way in healing this seemingly endless divide in this nation of ours. Dr Abela, has little political baggage and is a person who inspires trust irrespective of one’s political leanings. One hopes of course that this new-found ‘goodwill’ spills over into other areas in Malta’s political arena. That said allow me this small space to wish Eddie all the best and God’s speed, may he finally be able to enjoy his long retirement in peace after all these years serving (and saving) our country. God knows he’s earned it.

- Yes they did

Talking of all things presidential I just finished watching Barack Obama become America’s 44th President – what a fantastic speech that was – you could feel the emotion of the huge crowds there to cheer him on. Agree or disagree with his policies one cannot but be humbled by this man’s extraordinary journey and filled with hope for the future.

- Of New Laws…

Also very recently and following the agreement on the University lecturers’ collective agreement (also in the first 20 days of 2009) Education Minister Dolores Cristina announced plans to write a new law regulating higher education. This is much awaited news and one hopes that the new law will finally see Malta set up a national agency for quality assurance at our higher education institutions as well as continue to push student numbers at MCAST, ITS and University, promote student and lecturer mobility and ensure that everyone has the chance to continue their education irrespective of their socio-economic background or disability – only then will Malta truly become the centre of excellence it so richly deserves to be…
On a related note it’s also about time that University’s campus becomes fully accessible for people with reduced physical mobility and other disabilities, it’s a shame that in 2009 (!) people in wheelchairs still face problems going to their lectures…


- Of things bitter sweet

I entered into my third decade earlier this month. I can’t say that I experienced any of the issues sometimes associated with reaching the big 3-0. The day came and went without an early onset of a mid-life crisis but it did bring with it a sobering piece of news of sadness and reflection. I found out my nanna had passed away overnight. I know that I will miss her guidance and strength and I hope she knew the effect that she had on so many lives.

I would appreciate it if you would remember her in your prayers.