Monday, April 28, 2008

1234 = ZERO

This week is an interesting week for all us members of the working class. First of all 1 May is Worker’s Day. Secondly being a holiday and coincidentally this year falling on a Thursday, we have a beautiful 4-day long weekend to enjoy.

This weekend will also coincide with the annual ‘Notte Gozitana’ or better know this year as ‘Gozo1234’. It was such a good initiative taken last year by the Ministry for Gozo. But I differ to say this year as things are developing. After all do you have any idea what is going to happen during ‘Gozo1234’? Well if you don’t, then maybe it’s just your fault because you might not be seeing enough of TVM lately!

Word has it that the Ministry for Gozo has farmed out the event to third-parties. Now why do such a thing? We are all sure that there are many capable individuals in the Gozo Culture Department who can do a sterling job. They have done such a great job in the past. So why not now? Can a private body do it better?

We will find out in due time. But my fortune telling skills tell me that it is going to be an utter disaster. I am sorry to spoil the party, but does Gozo deserve this? And what about Gozo’s non-governmental bodies such as the Gozo Business Chamber and the Gozo Tourism Association? Don’t our business leaders have anything to say? Can they possibly be that blind that this year’s event is becoming a fiasco? Don’t we deserve better?

Some food for thought….

How do you expect to attract impressive numbers of foreign visitors at the last minute?

How can you attract foreigners when the video clip on the MTA website is in Maltese?

How can you promote such a massive event when even till this moment the full programme of events is still a work in progress?

Can ‘property open days’ be so tremendously exciting that people will flock over to Gozo?

Remove all the exhibitions, open days, demonstrations, etc… what is left?

Do we really think that people will cross over to Gozo because ‘Xarabank’ will be live from Gozo?

For God’s sake, where is the beef??!

Last year’s ‘Notte Gozitana’ was such a brilliant initiative. This year though it is hard earned tax money down the drain. Better else into the pockets of private entrepreneurs with the prime aim of making a handsome profit!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Is It All About Winning?

Not to rock the boat in any way but all this talk about winning the next election is getting on my nerves. Certainly everybody loves to be a winner. Be it a lottery, football game, and yes our beloved general election! But how important is it to win? Are we ready to sell out just for the sake of winning? Just how important is it?

Let us make one thing clear. It is a clear that the next leader of the Malta Labour Party MUST set his/her sights on winning the next general election. It is quite obvious. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to come up with such a conclusion. After all it is simply the bare minimum any individual supporting the MLP expects! But when you win once, does it end there? Or you start to ooze with confidence and finally get into that habit of winning back-to-back?

My preoccupation on this issue is that it just might not only be about winning. But probably about transforming oneself into something better. Something inspirational. Something unbeatable. After all what’s the benefit of winning when there is no sense of progress? Isn’t progress more important than the conventional win? Being it personally, professionally, socially, politically…. Progress is the only indicator that shows us that things are moving forward. That things are getting better. That we are achieving our expectations and surpassing them. That we are better off than where we started from.

So my message to you dear reader is that maybe it is not all about winning. But maybe it is also about getting better at what we do. By challenging our rationale. By approaching change as an opportunity that leads us to progress and new horizons. Then maybe it will not just be about the next win but many more wins to come.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Choosing a Good Bottle of Wine

For some reason I keep on comparing the choice of a new leader of the Malta Labour Party to that of choosing a good bottle of wine. I know this might sound strange but believe me that I am not trying to be some type of wine expert or connoisseur.

There are mainly two types of wines to choose from. Either you can go for a fresh white or a mature red. It is quite simple, ofcourse if you don’t want to complicate things and go for a rose. But let’s forget about the rose for now.

The basic truth is that choosing your preferred bottle of red or white certainly requires a different approach. The newer your bottle of white is, the better. But the older it is, the unfortunate risk is that the worst it can get. But a good bottle of red when preserved and taken care of over time can only get better. A bottle of red wine only has the potential to mature and challenge the test of time.

So now you might ask me what does this have to do with the MLP leadership contest. Well for some reason I compare most of the leadership contenders to bottles of white wine. They have the potential today. But can they get better over time? Speaking aloud I certainly believe that they are all valid individuals who certainly have the best interests of their party at heart. But can they beat the test of time and get better?

But then can there truly be a red bottle in the pack? Can there possibly be a good red bottle that can be preserved and taken care of to mature and get better and better over time? Afterall we are trying to choose a good bottle of wine. But we don't need to open it now. Actually it will be saved for a special occassion in the future. I guess you've got my point. And if you were to ask me, I think there can be one good bottle of red to choose from. I would prefer to leave that observation to me for now. But rest assured that we will all find out by June 5!