Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo, spjega li s-slogan magħżul mill-partit għal din l-elezzjoni huwa programm politiku miġbur f’kelma waħda, il-kelma Maltija “lkoll”, li tfisser “flimkien”, jew aħjar “lkoll flimkien”. Il-messaġġ ċar hu li nagħmlu aħjar meta naġixxu flimkien, meta nieħdu ħsieb lil xulxin.

Ilkoll, flimkien, hu distint b’mod ċar milli tkun waħdek. Li nkunu flimkien ifisser solidarjetà. Ifisser ukoll li, flimkien, infittxu l-ġid komuni.

Kif nistgħu nkunu lkoll f’dan flimkien jekk ma nieħdux ħsieb lil xulxin? Din mhix biss riflessjoni dwar solidarjetà bejn il-ġenerazzjonijiet tal-lum. Hi wkoll dwar solidarjetà mal-ġenerazzjonijiet  li ġejjin warajna.

Din hija t-tifsira vera tas-sostenibbiltà: li nkunu antenati tajbin. Jiġifieri li nassiguraw li ma nħarsux biss lejn il-preżent imma wkoll lejn il-futur. Dan jista’ jintlaħaq billi nieħdu deċiżjonijiet raġonevoli u responsabbli llum, u billi niżguraw li ma ninjorawx il-futur.

Fil-fatt, dan huwa eżattament dak li qed niffaċċjaw illum. Li jkollna dejn nazzjonali ta’ aktar minn €11-il biljun, u li qed jiżdied, mhix ċajta, anke jekk teknikament jinsab fil-limiti tal-parametri aċċettabbli tal-UE. Jista’ dan il-pajjiż ikompli jżid id-dejn nazzjonali b’weghdiet elettorali irresponsabbli li kontinwamewnt ifaqqsu?

Ilkoll flimkien ifisser ukoll li għandna d-dmir li nġorru l-piżijiet tal-lum flimkien. Ma nistgħux nibqgħu nibagħtu l-piż lejn il-futur u nistennew li jġorruh il-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Sandra Gauci, qalet li minkejja r-retorika, il-gvernijiet ma jagħtux biżżejjed importanza lill-iżvilupp sostenibbli għax dan mhux biss dwar il-lum. Hu aktar dwar kif l-attività tal-lum ma għandhiex tippreġudika lill-għada u lill-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri. L-interess tagħhom ġeneralment ma jmurx lilhinn mill-perjodu bejn żewġ elezzjonijiet ġenerali. Għandna bżonn naħsbu u nippjanaw ferm aktar fit-tul.

Kemm il-Partit Laburista kif ukoll il-Partit Nazzjonalista huma impenjati b’mod attiv f’kompetizzjoni dwar min iwiegħed li jnaqqas l-aktar taxxi, kif ukoll iqassam għotjiet, u sussidji bla limiti. Din hija tellieqa lejn l-agħar livell. Ilhom jagħmlu dan għal snin sħaħ u, bħala riżultat, qed jikkontribwixxu għal dejn nazzjonali dejjem jiżdied. Fiċ-ċirkostanzi attwali dan jaqdi skop wieħed: jittrasferixxi l-piż tat-taxxa mill-ġenerazzjonijiet preżenti għal dawk futuri. Ir-riżultat finali hu li qed ngħixu lil hinn mill-mezzi tagħna. Bħala nazzjon ma nistgħux inħallsu l-kontijiet tagħna u konsegwentement qed ngħabbew lill-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri b’dan il-piż.

Il-Partit Laburista fil-gvern ilu kontinwament jiddependi fuq il-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri biex jiffinanzjaw l-għotjiet, ir-rifużjonijiet tat-taxxa, it-tnaqqis fit-taxxi u s-sussidji tiegħu. B’riżultat ta’ dan, id-dejn nazzjonali tela’ b’rata qawwija minn €4.9 biljun fl-2012 għal kważi €10 biljun fl-2023, u bħalissa qed jersaq biex jaqbeż il-livell ta’ €12-il biljun.

Ma nistgħux nibqgħu nittrasferixxu l-piżijiet lejn il-futur permezz tal-mudelli ta’ konsum tal-lum, l-għotjiet, it-tnaqqis fit-taxxi u s-sussidji.

Jeħtieġ li nkunu lkoll flimkien. Meta naġixxu b’mod responsabbli fil-preżent inkunu qed nieħdu ħsieb il-futur ukoll. Ilkoll flimkien.

F’demokrazija li taħdem, il-parteċipazzjoni ma tfissirx biss vot kull 4 jew 5 snin. Tinkludi wkoll l-użu ta’ spazji li permezz tagħhom jinstemgħu l-ilħna tagħna. Dawn l-ispazji ġew iffurmati mis-soċjetà ċivili, minn individwi u minn partiti politiċi inkluż ADPD-The Green Party, sabiex jinstema’ leħen kollettiv. Jekk tħares lejn dawn l-ispazji, issib li kienu għajta wara l-oħra biex l-interessi dojoq tal-privileġġjati, ta’ dawk li jsibu triq miftuħa għax jersqu lejn il-poter, jitwessgħu biex jinkludu l-interessi komuni.

ADPD-The Green Party kontinwament qajjem leħnu dwar il-ħtieġa li l-ġid li jinħoloq jinqasam b’mod ġust. Li d-deċiżjonijiet ekonomiċi ma jħarsux biss lejn l-immedjat imma wkoll lejn il-futur. Li r-riżorsa umana nazzjonali tintuża kollha kemm hi, mhux nofsha skont min ikun fil-gvern. Li d-deċiżjonijiet tal-ippjanar iqisu l-ġid tal-komunità, mhux biss il-profitt. Li l-vot tagħna jgħodd bl-istess mod u mhux inqas minn dak ta’ dawk li għandhom lill-partiti parlamentari f’idejhom. Li ż-żgħażagħ tagħna għandhom id-dritt għal saqaf fuq rashom daqs kulħadd.

Fil-jiem li ġejjin, ADPD se tkompli tispjega l-proposti tagħha għal gvern li jfittex il-ġid komuni.

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What it means to be all together

ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo explained that the slogan chosen by the party for this election is a political programme encapsulated in one word, the Maltese word lkoll, meaning “together”, or better still “all of us together”. The clear message being that we do better when we act together, when we care for each other.

We are all in this together, clearly distinct from being on your own. Being together signifies solidarity. It also signifies seeking the common good. 

How can we be all in this together if we do not care for each other? It is not just about inter-generational solidarity. It is also about intra-generational solidarity, that is, about taking care of our descendants. 

This is the real significance of sustainability: being a good ancestor. That is, ensuring that we care not just about the present but also about the future. This can be achieved by taking reasonable and responsible decisions today. By ensuring that we do not discount the future. 

In fact, this is exactly what we are facing today. Having a national debt of over €11 billion, and rising, is no joke, even though it is technically within EU acceptable parameters. Can this country keep piling up the national debt with ever-increasing and irresponsible electoral commitments?

“We are in this together” also signifies that we also have the duty to shoulder today’s burdens together. We cannot keep sending the burden into the future expecting that it is shouldered by future generations. 

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said notwithstanding the rhetoric, governments do not give sufficient importance to sustainable development as this is not just about today. It is rather about how today’s activity should not prejudice tomorrow and future generations.Their interest, generally, does not span more than between two general elections. We need to think and plan far more into the future.

Both the Labour Party and the PN are actively engaged in a competition as to who promises to reduce the most taxes as well as dishing out never-ending handouts, tax reductions and subsidies. It is a race to the bottom. They have been at it for years, in the process, and as a result, contributing to an ever-increasing national debt. In the current circumstances this serves one purpose: shifting the tax burden from the present generations into the future. The end result is that we are living beyond our means. As a nation we cannot pay our bills and consequently we are shouldering future generations with this burden. 

The Labour Party in government has continuously relied on future generations to fund its handouts, tax refunds, tax reductions and subsidies. As a result, that national debt has skyrocketed from €4.9 billion in 2012, was just under €10 billion in 2023 and is currently on the way to surpass the €12 billion mark.

We cannot keep shifting the burdens onto the future, through present day consumption patterns, handouts, tax reductions and subsidies.

We need to be in this together. Acting responsibly in the present takes care of the future too. All of us, together.

In a functioning democracy, participation is not translated into a vote every 4 or 5 years. It includes the use of spaces through which our voices are heard. These spaces were shaped by civil society, individuals and political parties including ADPD-The Green Party, so that the collective voice could be heard. If you look at these spaces, you will find that they were a cry, one after the other, so that the narrow interests of the privileged, of those who find the path wide open because they lick power, are broadened to include common interests.

ADPD-The Green Party has continuously raised its voice on the need for the wealth generated to be shared equitably. That economic decisions do not only look to the immediate, but also to the future. That the national human resource is used in its entirety, not half of it depending on who is in government. That planning decisions consider the community good, not the profit motive. That our vote counts in the same way and no less than that of those who put the parties in parliament in their pockets. That our youth have the right to a roof over their heads just as much as anyone else.

In the coming days ADPD will continue to explain its proposals for a government which seeks the common good.