Malta Today: Still living in a conservative country

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2008/12/10/letters.html
Letters | Wednesday, 10 December 2008 by Adrian Aquilina St John, Swieqi

Do we have any politicians that actually care about the people in this country? Definitely not in our government. While countries round the world are trying to help keep their economies going, even going as far as cutting their VAT rates, here our great government is making everything more expensive to the extent that bills are becoming too hard to pay and the elderly won’t be able to afford heating in winter.

Lawrence Gonzi cannot spend our money any way he wants without us agreeing with such actions. Add everything else to this and it’s obvious our government needs either to change the ministers, especially Austin Gatt who does not care about anyone; and George Pullicino who forgets that being environment minister means he is meant to protect it and protect animals and birds and the sea; and also Gonzi, who just can’t run a party or more importantly this country.
Most of us cannot afford to live anymore. The government should be doing all it can to help small businesses, keep the high street moving, make bills easier to pay while we are having this global slowdown.
After 20 years, and the last few in the EU, government has done nothing for the better that affects us. We still have no decent roads. The government is incapable of changing the mindset of drivers who are dangerous, but nothing is done by the government to change their attitude or getting the police on the roads to catch dangerous drivers.
Animal abuse is still a big problem but the government does nothing except lob useless fines. Female contraception should also be free (it’s too expensive) and as in all other countries, also provide the morning-after pill. Nothing has been done for alternative lifestyles, cohabiting couples, divorce, cremation, abortion, discrimination against freedom of expression in dress or body modification at work, for gay rights, to turn the police force into one that actually does something and has some sort of customer service.

This country has stopped being a democratic country with a government doing what it wants without taking into account what the people want. Strange, as it’s the people who are important and not the ministers who are servants to the people.

It is a country for Catholic conservatives, and society here is expected to act like sheep and shut up. This is unacceptable. Any government which aligns itself to a religion should not be allowed to govern. Countries run according to a religion are among the most undemocratic, intolerant and backward countries in the world.
I wish we had a decent party we could vote for. The only progressive MP I know of is Evarist Bartolo. If no new parties come up I hope Joseph Muscat or AD can become real progressive liberals because the PN does not have any. Malta needs to become a real country and we need to stop all the corruption going on. Under Gonzi we have regressed. We need a more progressive, liberal government and we need 100% separation of the church and state so we can have a real European country and not a Catholic state.
Governments only have power if you let them. Like religions and high street fashion shops, the PN want people who will just follow without questioning. Many people have their own brain and we have every right to question and fight for a better country for everyone.