I have to admit that my life as a Labour MP was fully charged and fraught with difficulties from day one. It so happened that my election into Malta's Parliament had coincided with an overhaul of the Labour Party leadership and structures, since failure at the polls then made a change in leadership an absolute necessity.

This, however, fortunately meant that the Labour Party I had been voted into as led by the new leader would be governing for the first time if ever elected.  

To me that meant that any baggage created by previous Labour governments under different leaderships could be framed and hung on the wall, and not   be entirely shouldered by the government I would eventually be part of.  Therefore, thankfully, a new PL government would have a clean slate on which to write its history.

It so happened that given the chance to have a hand in shaping the new political force that was being born at that time, I immediately made my choice of a potential leader that could heal the gaping wounds in MLP, dismantle the fortress and siege mentality that among other things had kept Labour in opposition for a very long time, and introduce the concept of national unity, transparency and open government that the country was pining for.

It was unfortunate that a motion enabling all party members to vote for the leadership, instead of just the incumbent party delegates, did not make it then, though a much altered version of that proposal was adopted later during party restructuring by the new, (party-delegate-only-elected) Leader Joseph Muscat.

As it turned out, my choice of leader George Abela went to prove his worth and uniting qualities as President of the Republic of Malta, while Joseph Muscat (the leader I did not choose but which I then supported fully), healed the gaping wounds in the party, built the right bridges, and went on to lead the Labour Movement he created to a historic victory at the polls, by ably convincing thousands of voters disenchanted by a decadent PN government, to give Labour a chance.

Being an opposition MP had not been easy. It entailed hard work on building credibility for the new PL while discrediting the Nationalist Party government which. though flooded by internal and external waves of problems, was intent on holding on to power for as long as possible.

Still the difficulties encountered then as a PL MP in opposition pale into insignificance when compared to the dilemmas I feel I'm facing now as an MP on the government benches, who has to answer to and is just as responsible for its government's ups and downs.

The easiest approach would have been to, sit quietly on my bench, warm it up as much as possible to make it seem like I'm doing something,  tell my brain to shut up and get lost, and bang on the table like mad when the leader speaks. That would have made me very popular with the party's top brass especially the untouchables that have replaced the PN untouchables. Had I done that I would still be a popular face on One TV and radio and all the other stuff obedient MPs are involved in. But I chose a different path, a harder one true, but a clear road ahead with a roadmap firmly in hand.

As it stands, and unfortunately for some (it seems from social media insult festas) but fortunately for thousands of others, (who communicate with me privately for fear of persecution!!!) , I chose from day one to represent the people who voted for me by standing by what my PL movement promised the electorate before it came to power. 

My PL government purports to be honest, transparent, accountable, socially just, meritocratic, efficient and the guardian of what is left of our natural, cultural and architectural environment. Those are but a few of the things that were supposed to characterise our way of governing, and I know that efforts are being made by many to take the government in the direction of its pledges.

Still, the new style of governing is leaving much to be desired. Ample proof is the fast deterioration with regard to environmental obligations, the ever increasing bureaucracy, the continuing failure of crucial institutions like the Police Force so clearly proven by the Malliagate, and last but most painful is the concealment by my government for 20 entire months of a damning report on our Detention Services.

Gross abuses and exploitation of the vulnerable has been allowed to take place under our watch, while we ostentatiously celebrate progressive liberalism and civil rights. If this is not utter hypocrisy, I do not know what is, and it is not excusable because the previous Nationalist Government did it too!

In any case, this is my last political article for 2014. 

I sincerely hope that all my articles in 2015 will be exaltations to a Labour political force that can reclaim the high moral ground, start afresh and use the next three years to give us the governance, and therefore the country, of our dreams!