Editorial: The government’s advantage

A party in government always has an advantage when an election is approaching.

It can use the government propaganda machine in its favour and, when this is supported by the national media – in our case Public Broadcasting Services – it can flood homes with the right information to instil a feel-good factor among the electorate.

Apart from this, it can use government projects, initiatives and events – paid for by all of us – to push its agenda and attempt to influence voters. The target, of course, is the voters who say they are still undecided on what to do when voting day arrives.

It’s called the power of incumbency, and the Labour government has taken it to an unprecedented level, so much so that the Prime Minister, Robert Abela, goes as far as to boast about it.

In a recent address to his supporters, he told them he would not be surprised if the government is accused of buying votes when it sends additional COLA cheques to families. That statement makes it clear that the Prime Minister knows that he is using his power to sway the vote, and is openly bragging about it.

The COLA cheques were the latest attempt by the government in this respect. A few weeks ago we had the income tax refunds which, not by coincidence, were distributed in May this year instead of March, so that they arrived as close to the election as possible. Maybe the government was afraid that if they had been sent in March, the people would have forgotten that they had been given a “free” dinner or two with their own money.

But it’s not only with cash that the government tries to pull voters to its side. It does it, for example, when it decides to give a presidential pardon to hundreds of people who admitted to defrauding the country. Instead of using their crime to instil a sense of discipline, the government is forgiving them and sending out the message that people can do wrong.

It also does it by “timing” – yes, “timing” – completion of projects to coincide with the election. Over the past weeks, we had the inauguration of the Kalkara waterfront project, which had been dragging on for two years and which “miraculously” was concluded in time to be opened by Abela. We also had the opening of the concert area in Ta’ Qali, which then hosted its first major activity a few days later when the Labour Party candidates for the local council elections were introduced. We will probably have more in the coming two weeks.

The only plan that (so far) has not worked for Labour – and this happened only because it was not in full control of the situation – is coming to terms with the Malta Union of Teachers on a new collective agreement. The government, on this issue, is trying to garner support by leaking information about the “sumptuous” offer it is making, which the MUT is denying.