“To ensure that ethics in public life is always upheld, we will maintain our distance from the world of big business as we have always done”, said Carmel Cacopardo, ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson while addressing the last press conference of this year’s campaign in Independence Garden, Sliema.

Mario Mallia, Deputy Chairperson and candidate on the 2nd and 8th District said that the choice of a broom as our campaign’s symbol was a strong and clear message. It was very clear that some were offended by this message, a good sign that the message got through. The broom symbolises those who take the necessary action to clean. We also need to move from words to action in this sphere of ethical politics too.

Each and every politician, Mallia said, should be able to strive to be the clean sweeper of public life. Members of Parliament should be the political sweepers, determined to clean, safeguard the integrity of public life and ensure that the necessary decisions are taken on time, without undue delay.

Sandra Gauci, Deputy Secretary General and candidate on the 6th and 12th District spoke about the cost of living. She emphasised that each month this is bringing on a further burden on those who are already downtrodden and who can only meet their basic subsistence needs. Government cannot control what happens abroad but has a say on what happens here in Malta.

We therefore ask the Maltese government to respect us during these difficult times. While the salaried worker is barely making ends meet, friends and relatives of ministers earn phenomenal contracts, even multiple consultancies at one go! Instead of being careful how to spend our taxes, they are splurging money on their friends while the honest worker who has to make ends meet from month to month. ADPD proposes that the cost of living increase is awarded twice a year. We also call for a thorough overhaul of the way that the minimum wage is calculated. We demand a decent wage by right. We do not want the insulting, patronising Father Christmas government giving out cheques through the mail during an election campaign.

Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson and candidate on the 4th and 9th District, emphasised that ADPD has always promoted a consistent policy of an honest and clean public life. During this campaign we used reason and dialogue as opposed to the PLPN hollow confrontation. Reason over emotion. The ADPD electoral manifesto proposes quite a number of measures that have a direct positive impact on all citizens. It is not Father Christmas handing out gifts but presents our vision forward.

We demand an ethically sensitive Parliament: that appreciates ethical practices and does not tolerate abuses, of any type. Our agenda is one: that to be of service to all the community.

Cleanliness in politics is essential. Without it the country cannot improve. We want to be the tools for the political renewal of this country. The green broom that sweeps clean. With policies that serve today well while keeping an eye on their impact on the future.

If we want to make the thorough overhaul that this country badly needs we need to look at different solutions that are not based on the silence of the mafia connections between political parties and corrupt businessmen. To ensure that ethics in public life is always upheld, we will maintain our distance from the world of moneyed interests as we have always done. Real change will only happen in partnership with the people politics is meant to serve. All those who wants such a change must vote for it – and vote ADPD, concluded Cacopardo.

***

Inżommu d-distanza mid-dinja tal-interessi finanzjarji tal-ftit

“Kif għamilna dejjem ser nibqgħu nżommu d-distanza tagħna mid-dinja tan-negozju u dan biex nassiguraw l-indafa fil-ħajja pubblika.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party huwa u jindirizza l-aħħar konferenza stampa tal-kampanja elettorali fi Ġnien l-Indipendenza f’Tas-Sliema

Mario Mallia, Deputat Chairperson u kandidat fuq it-2 u t-8 Distrett qal li l-għażla tal-ixkupa bħala s-simbolu tal-kampanja tagħna kien messaġġ ċar u qawwi. Kien ċar tant li darras lil uħud għax iwassal messaġġ li jinftiehem minn kulħadd. L-ixkupa hi s-simbolu ta’ min jaġixxi biex inaddaf. Irridu anke f’dan il-qasam ta’ tmexxija nadifa ngħaddu mill-kliem għall-fatti.

Kull politiku, qal Mallia, għandu jkun kapaċi jmidd għonqu għax xogħol u jkun il-kennies tal-ħajja pubblika. Il-membri tal-parlament għandhom ikunu l-kenniesa tal-politika, determinati li jnaddfu, jħarsu l-integrità tal-ħajja pubblika u jassiguraw li jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet meħtieġa f’waqthom, mingħajr tkaxkir tas-saqajn.  

Sandra Gauci, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali u kandidat fuq is-6 u t-12-il Distrett tkellmet fuq l-għoli tal-ħajja. Hija emfasizzat li kull xahar dan il-piż qed jagħfas l-isfel lill-batut li l-uniku kapriċċ li baqgħalu hu li jitrejjaq. Il-gvern m għandux kontroll dwar x’ jiġri barra imma għandu kontroll dwar x’ jiġri Malta. 

Minn hawn nitolbuh rispett lejn il-poplu f’dan iż-żmien diffiċli għad-dinja u għal Malta. Meta l-ħaddiem bil-paga qed tara kif se jkampa, fl-istess ħin jkollok nies qrib il-ministri li jisolħu pagi fenomenali, jew inkella jieklu b’erbat iħluq! Flok ma juru galbu lejn il-flus tal-poplu qed jiffangaw filwaqt li l-ħaddiem onest li jaqlagħha u jiekolha qiegħed dejjem ikompli jitgħaffeġ. ADPD qed titolbu ż-żieda għall-għoli tal-ħajja darbtejn fis-sena kif ukoll reviżjoni mill-qiegħ dwar kif tkun ikkalkulata l-paga minima. Fuq kollox irridu paga diċenti bi dritt, u mhux il-manna mis-sema fil-forma taċ-ċekkijiet waqt kampanja elettorali. 

Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson u kandidat fuq ir-4 u d-9 Distrett emfasizza li l-ADPD mexxa ‘l quddiem politika ibbażata fuq il-konsistenza, l-onestà u l-indafa fil-ħajja pubblika. 

Kienet kampanja li fiha fittixna r-raġuni u d-djalogu flok il-konfront. Ir-raġuni flok l-emozzjoni. Il-manifest elettorali ta’ ADPD jittratta numru mhux żgħir ta’ proposti li għandhom impatt dirett fuq il-ħajja taċ-ċittadini tagħna. Mhux manifest ta’ Father Christmas iqassam ir-rigali imma hu preżentazzjoni ta’ viżjoni li rridu nimxu fuqha.

Irridu Parlament etikament sensittiv: li japprezza l-imġieba korretta u ma jittollerax l-abbuż, ta’ kull xorta. L-aġenda tagħna hi li nkunu ta’ servizz għall-komunità kollha.

L-indafa fil-politika hi essenzjali. Mingħajr l-indafa ma nistgħux naħdmu sewwa. Aħna irridu li nkunu l-għodda għat-tiġdid tal-politika fil-pajjiż. L-ixkupa ħadra li tnaddaf. B’politika li tagħti servizz illum waqt li tkun attenta dwar l-impatti fuq għada.

Jekk irridu nagħmlu l-bidla mill-qiegħ li għandu bżonn dan il-pajjiż jeħtieġ li nħarsu lejn soluzzjonijiet differenti li mhux mibnija fuq is-sħubija siekta bejn partiti politiċi u d-dinja tal-flus. Kif għamilna dejjem ser nibqgħu nżommu d-distanza tagħna mid-dinja tan-negozju u dan biex nassiguraw l-indafa fil-ħajja pubblika. Il-bidla vera tista’ isseħħ jekk inħarsu ‘l quddiem lejn sħubija man-nies li lilhom irridu nservu. Min irid il-bidla jeħtieġ li jivvota għaliha – jivvota ADPD, temm jgħid Cacopardo.