After 13 hours of debate, during which 50 of the parliament's 69 members had asked to speak, the opposition motion of no confidence in the Government of Joseph Muscat was dismissed by 38 to 31.
The government is happy, the opposition are in good spirits and the public are sent to the fields to carry on picking fruit and shooting birds.
What was said to be a progressive movement has sent us back to the middle-ages, to a time when the Lord and Master could do as he pleases simply because he owned the land and the workers in the fields.
We have now a regressive labour party in government and the movement has sunk into the hole it dug itself into.
All the 38 labour members continue to ‘Like’ this government, to ignore all the comments against it and to try to open a new profile and page. Some members have been deleted, some have a new picture with a very nice hat and others still continue to provide the feed.
Such is the width and breadth of this government. No substance other than a fake profile and some silly comments. The tragedy is that some followers actually think that this is what a party should look like today. Maybe the meaning of the word party as in a political party has gone the way of the clubs and bars and some of its ministers, to now mean the kind of party of Lost and Found in Bugibba. At least there were some arrests made at that party, for possession of drugs and other felonies. In this particular party there are none.
For some reason, this vote of no confidence has led to the idea of a watershed, a point where one door is closed and another one opens. Why? It can only be a matter of days before some new revelation revives the episode and both the public and the media are still waiting for answers, such as, is this famous audit actually taking place? The reality is that the Minister of Energy would be hard put to find a decent company to agree to such an audit. Could this be why we have not been given the name of the company yet, as with so many other bits of information that remain floating in limbo?
Irrespective of such camouflage, the opposition were right to go for a vote against the government because it is not numbers or selective results which determine performance, but the fibre of the government and the trust that the electorate can have in it given the present issues and circumstances. This is evident again in the no free vote for labour MPs on the next motion of No Confidence in Konrad Mizzi alone.
The challenge is to conquer a fear of being beaten by a bigger power. Many, in particular from the younger generation, attach strength to numbers. So, if the party of Joseph Muscat gained a 36,000 majority at the election, the number of persons demonstrating in Castille Square could be less or equivalent to that number. Or if there are 38 members on the government side against 31 members in opposition, then the vote cannot pass so why bother at all to put forward the motion? Is this what Cardona’s axe comment was meant to imply? We have the numbers so if you come to us with your Castille square we raise you 2013 election result? Supporting such reasoning - Bashar al-Assad received a predictably implausible majority in the presidential elections in Syria last week. Put fear into people and you’ve won the game. Added to that people do not enjoy being humiliated or made to look weak.
But that depends on what importance you give to the numbers as opposed to the spirit. The spirit of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s was different from the spirit of the 1800’s full of adventurers, inventors and explorers. This century’s spirit seems to be bound by numbers and fear. The thousands of migrants reaching Europe are to be feared, the huge deficit in the global economy, the 2008 crises with the unprecedented figures of the banks’ failures. Everything is limited, bound and defined by numbers.
That is why Joseph Muscat cannot match Simon Busuttil. Muscat may have a closer understanding of the way people think today, in terms of fear and their dislike of a confrontational style. They like more negotiable positions, less dramatic, more consensual decision making. But Simon sticks his neck out and goes past fear. He strongly presents a new alternative, something far more tangible than fear and numbers. A new reality of forward thinking people, free and ready to call a spade a spade and expose weakness before it takes over indefinitely.
So what if 38 is more than 31? Does it mean we are still chained to the post? Take a look and see. Whatever chains were holding you back are fallen. You are free. Thanks to Simon and all the MPs that supported him, saying that this government is on the wrong track, we are able to see clearly and fundamentally change the course of affairs and determine our future.
The government still stands and it can gloat and make empty statements that contradict itself and the truth but it lacks the courage, capability and intellect to take this country out of the dreadful mire it is in. Moreover, who now holds the real power in Castille? Would that be Schembri, Mizzi or Muscat? That is precisely what the vote of no confidence illustrated – the essential lie and weakness beneath the numbers.
Courage is not found in everyone. It is the ability to do something that frightens one, it is defined as mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity meaning mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship. Courage implies firmness of mind and will, in the face of danger or extreme difficulty - the courage to support unpopular causes. In less lofty terms, it means putting yourself out there and persevering even when it looks like you are beaten.
People do not like to be tested or to be called to rock the boat. They are busy and have themselves to look after 24 hours a day. They are aware, nowadays, that the welfare state is no longer, that they must be able to defend and provide for themselves and their families and manage their own finances and career and make the most of what personal time they have. Governments are for interest groups, such as the construction industry, collectors of exotic animals, bird hunters and money grabbing cronies.
The two Panama Paper protagonists are an extreme version of this mentality. A corrupted 21st century mutation of this character. So, partly, people are put off by the naffness of it and the way Muscat stands still without doing anything, but on the other hand, they shrug their shoulders and have to move on because they, the people, cannot be stopped by these inept persons in going about their business and pleasure. Much is measured in economic terms and Muscat knows that his is a calculated provocation.
Will values change in the future? Are they changing? Can we and should we expect more from our government than a system of provocation and fear? Some say education is the key. But what is education without morals? Nothing more than numbers and fatter bank accounts.
Therefore, it is about more than education. It is about discernment, how to tell the good guys from the bad guys and when to give a damn about it.
Those who do care, who simply cannot allow regression, vanity, corruption and greed to rule unopposed, will support the 31. It is Busuttil’s job to inspire, to reason and to debate, especially with young people. A more conversational tone and a confident and steady voice will persuade and engage the fearful and the distracted to listen to him and trust that a different style of leadership really does exist and can provide the kind of government that people need. One that is fair, inclusive, smart and honest and that goes by value not by numbers alone.