It’s August and the heat, the feasts and the industrial shutdown all contribute towards making this month slower than many others. Earlier this month, I had a nagging feeling the Government was on shutdown too.

Then we had the blackout and I was sure. Particularly because the Prime Minister was nowhere to be seen – not even after the lights came back on.

When Joseph Muscat reappeared, many days later, it was to have some fun. He popped up with none other than the Minister for Energy, Konrad Mizzi.

They both took the ALS ice bucket challenge and turned it into what they do best – a media and PR stunt.

Are we supposed to think that, because they love a bit of fun, then they had nothing to do with the long national blackout – which was no fun at all for any of us?

Muscat and Mizzi actually joked about the blackout because, for them, it’s funny.

It’s no laughing matter for households and the many businesses which suffered thousands of euros in damages. Minister Mizzi promised a token €25 to some households; but businesses will have to deal with the considerable losses to profits, equipment and reputation (as tourist attraction) by themselves.  

Still, Konrad Mizzi and Joseph Muscat find this funny. If you don’t, do not make the mistake of making the point in a protest outside Castille. The fun-loving police might find your lack of a sense of humour to warrant asking a psychiatrist whether you should be locked up in a mental institution.

 

Decide first, consult later

Muscat knows he needs to work on damage limitation, of course. It looks like he chose two ministers, Evarist Bartolo and Owen Bonnici, to give the impression that his Cabinet is not on holiday. Well, two out of 23 ain’t bad.

Both Bonnici and Bartolo have opted for what they think will be the most effective way to divert attention – public consultation. Except that they are embarking on public consultation long after they have already clearly signalled their decision.

By definition, public consultation is a process you embark on before you take a decision and not after.

But remember, this is the government that says it stands for European values and then is prepared to play with migrants’ lives; says it stands for transparency and then refuses to respond to freedom of information requests; says it stands for the national interest and then sells passports; says it stands for opportunity for all and then blatantly favours a clique.

So we shouldn’t be surprised that things are being stood on their head. On the contrary, in both cases we need to be vigilant to safeguard the democratic process.

It was Bartolo, the education minister, who came up with Legal Notice 76 (LN76), grabbing the power to learn all he wanted about anyone in any educational institution, even pre-school children, on the pretext that he wanted to help them on the job market.

Yeah, right – this from a government so far-sighted that its solution for unemployment has been to put almost 2,000 people on the public payroll in the last 18 months.

Bartolo was criticised from all quarters but went ahead with his plans. In the end, the opposition was so strong that he’s stopped in his tracks.  He’s decided on public consultation.

But he’s avoided answering two simple questions. When will he repeal, withdraw or revoke LN76? It’s still in effect.

Bartolo stated: “A legal notice has therefore been drafted to regulate processing in the whole educational sector.” He forgot to remind us that LN76 has been in force for the past several months.

Meanwhile, what kind of information has Bartolo obtained on the strength of LN76?

Games are being also played by Owen Bonnici, the justice and local councils minister.

Muscat had previously announced that there is election fatigue and that we are spending too much money on elections. The solution? Easy, Sherlock! Do away with local council elections for five years or so.

After some heavy hints of public unease, he’s asked Bonnici to clean things up. Bonnici is now emphasising the importance of public consultation – after making clear what Muscat thinks.

For once, the Government is being transparent. Do not be surprised if local council elections are cancelled – sorry, postponed for five years – because, we will be told, ‘the people’ want that.

Public response to Government proposals is usually muted, apart from the response from organisations with a direct interest in the topic. The Labour Party is an organisation with a direct interest in avoiding a reckoning with public opinion in local council elections. We know it is very able in the orchestration of ‘public response’.

You do the math. Don’t forget to have fun. The Government certainly is.

Claudette Buttigieg is a PN MP