Personalities from the LGBTIQ lobby have, rightly so, lauded Joseph Muscat for his overhaul of civil liberties in just four years. They sang the PM’s praises telling us how progressive the Labour Party is and how it changed their lives through the civil liberties it introduced.

There is no question about the latter. The PL ventured where PN governments had dared not step and brought about a revolution in the sector. The fact that conservative elements within Labour went along with gender equality goes to show how the PN misread the social barometer when it stood by and abstained on the introduction of civil unions and gay adoptions. The PN has learnt that lesson and is now proposing gay marriage in its manifesto.  

The gay community was justified in hailing Muscat as a hero three years ago, when civil unions were introduced.

But back then no one knew that people in Joseph Muscat’s liberal progressive government had already opened up secret companies in Panama and trusts in New Zealand. No one knew about the alleged kickbacks that flowed through Pilatus Bank – and the allegations that Michelle Muscat owns Egrant Inc had not yet surfaced.

Back then our financial services were not in the peril they find themselves in today, foreign banks were not shunning us, and people still had faith in the police. Back then no one spoke of FIAU reports on dubious and possibly criminal dealings by people high up in government – reports which were forgotten and left to gather dust on the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General’s desks.

Back then the country was not in the middle of an early election campaign, brought about by the serious allegations of corruption, misconduct and criminal dealings.

So while the gay community was justified in embracing Muscat’s labour movement three years ago, it should not jump to the PM’s support so quickly now.

It is often said that the Maltese are ready to close an eye to government corruption as long as their personal situation is going good. “As long as you have a few more pennies in your pocket,” the saying goes.

Well it seems, unfortunately, that these same gay people who are sticking their necks out for Joseph Muscat today are doing something similar. While it is positive that their personal situation has been ameliorated, this cannot come before the collective good, their country.

These people cannot act today in the same way they acted three years ago in St George’s Square, because the national scenario has changed so much since then.

People should not only think of their personal situation when voting, but also about their country, the bigger picture. Corruption affects us all, whether we are straight, gay, bisexual, and transsexual.

And Joseph Muscat should stop using the gay community for his political advantage. He played that card three years ago and cannot play it again now. The Labour Party has this week invited several people to speak at mass meetings and other events, most notably dancer Felix Busuttil in Sunday’s mass meeting in Naxxar. The PN had another liberal face, Pia Zammit who voiced the concerns of the arts community on the dangers of institutionalized corruption.

But perhaps the PL should also get some people from the financial services to tell us how that sector is doing, maybe add some accountants and bankers in the mix. Paul Bonello of Finco fame seems to have left the PL stage after his stint in 2013. Maybe at the next political event Joseph Muscat should also get some police officers to tell us about the high spirits within the force and the undying faith in the police commissioner. He can select one of the four police commissioners he had to replace during the past four years in office. Maybe he can also get someone from the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit and the Malta Financial Services Authority. That’s not very likely to happen, is it?

Billboards erected around the country proudly tell us that Muscat kept his promise with the LGBTIQ community. But then again, there were many other promises, most notably on good governance, transparency and meritocracy, which the PM did not keep.