Value for money

In his monthly long essay for the Malta Independent, the head of the parliamentary opposition Alfred Sant questions the conventional views about Government 'interference' and suggests that politics can in fact be a catalyst for better management of Malta's public affairs. It deserves wider viewing:

The pool of talented people available to the government comes from only a half of the political spectrum. People believed to favour the other half are shunted aside, no matter how able they might be. To compound the problem, discrimination also prevails within the ruling party. Some people are excluded not because they are perceived as having a pro-Labour orientation, but because they are perceived as having a personal allegiance to this or that politico.

Political patronage generates unforeseen blockages in public decision-making. Little to no questioning of decisions and strategies takes place. New ways by which to achieve results are glossed over, at best. The people who should be making things shake and move are too bound by ties of friendship, tactical allegiance and political orthodoxy. They cannot go beyond policies that mean more of the same.

People ask: is there a way out? Yes, there is. We will need to turn upside-down certain assumptions that are usually considered to be self-evident. For instance, the claim that political “interference” in how the government runs must be curtailed needs to be revisited. It seems to me that politics can best be useful in our situation if it serves as a catalyst and coordinator of the top managerial roles within the public system. Is this just a paradox? Can it be done?

Read the full essay here.