Weird isn’t it. The Nationalists collected over Lm161,000 for their new headquarters and suddenly there is a new bounce in the Nationalist camp. Suddenly people start whispering that maybe they could win again especially as Labour collected less, much less.

So forget these barometers of popularity that we have on PBS’s two top television programmes, Xarabank and Bondiplus. The real barometers of a party’s popularity is how much they can raise funds.

Mind you, despite the irritations over some government policies of late (particularly the indiscriminate kerosene hike where government must listen to the problems some are facing), I do detect a begrudging swing of admiration towards Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, if not specifically towards the PN.

Those who just saw him in Eddie's shadow, those who spread the false rumour he was weak or indecisive, have seen something very different of late and eyes have been opened.

Let’s look at what’s happened in a few short months before we just follow the tanga fashion and slate anything and everything the Nationalists do.

PBS has been reformed and the huge losses stopped. The Drydocks, where everyone predicted disaster, has been trimmed down. And is functioning better. Gozo Channel is out of the deep red if not totally blue. The hospital mess has been largely sorted thanks in no small part to the efforts of those relatives of Dr Gonzi that the MLP were silly enough to deride in their usual hbieb tal-hbieb diatribes.

The Tourism Authority is being reformed and in fact just about everywhere reform is in the air. Those who moaned and said this government was more of the same have been caught out looking very silly indeed. In fact, the government may be trying to push through too many reforms too soon, but it is certainly not complacent about the problems we all have to face.

And in the last Bondiplus we had what’s on offer very clearly.

There was Harry, party leader, but not with Gonzi or Sant but with Joe and Jason. Who on earth is the equivalent of Joe and Jason on AD anyway? He or she needs a bit more exposure for sure, as AD look like a one man band.

So Harry kept on saying everything that’s wrong is because you have two strong parties. Well he would say that wouldn’t he? Joe Pirotta was logical and refused to rise to Jason's silly challenges.

Jason Micallef showed just how immature Labour still is. It was all smiles and no substance. He smirked and he grimaced but had no answers to tough questions. Josanne Cassar, from The Malta Independent, was the only woman and was relaxed, but as usual found it difficult to get word in amidst all that testosterone, and Lou the interrupter par excellence didn’t exactly help her either.

And Joe Saliba and Roger Degiorgio (ex-Net now Malta Today), who have known better days, agreed more than they differed actually. Roger, I think, represents that part of the PN which is totally disillusioned with the party. Middle class, successful, hardworking, take little from government, many English speaking who see the PN as totally alien to them.

It’s a segment that the PN should try to address better, both in their choice of candidates, as well as within the executive of the party which doesn’t speak their language anymore or doesn’t seem to at least!

There is no doubt in my mind that Roger Degiorgio and Joe Saliba represent the natural Nationalist majority in this country. It is of course only a natural majority because with people like Alfred Sant as leader and Jason Micallef Labour do not have a natural majority. They can only win by default and by the back door. They can win through Nationalist apathy but not real support from Labour.

For me, when Dr Sant snatched the Lm2 note from Dr Gonzi's hands on Xarabank I saw how easily the Nationalists could win again if they brought the Rogers, Harrys and Josannes back on board.

Dr Sant can’t keep up the veneer for long if he can lose it so easily when a Lm2 note is waved in front of him. Dr Gonzi is miles ahead of him. For the Nationalist Party to be ahead of the MLP again may be an uphill task but I no longer believe it’s impossible

Just as we all got together to get this country into the EU (and so many natural Labour voters did this too) we all have to get together to prevent Alfred Sant actually being at this country’s helm. If he flips when he has no power and he has a Lm2 note waved under his nose, how will he react when all this little country’s power is in his hands?

Luckily, although many of us don’t know it, this country does have an alternative. Not the same old, tired old, arrogant old, complacent old Nationalists but Dr Gonzi.

As long as he doesn’t burn himself out by the next election he is the new way.

I hope the PN doesn’t muck it up.