There is a higher court than the courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. When saying this, the great Mahatma Gandhi must have assumed that all people have a conscience.

Recent events show that some people lack the basic rules of decency. It has become even more evident that some are so seriously obsessed with being gifted as ‘holier than thou’ that they will frantically tread upon everything that conscience means to the rest of humanity. They not only want to impose themselves on everyone else as supreme judge and jury, but dare go further all the way to cast doubt and suspicion on whatever has been amply proven for the simple reason that it goes against their personal opinion or diktat.

 

Gandhi proved wrong

It transpires – if there was ever a need to establish it – that some people in this country are masters of deceit when it comes to giving eloquent sermons on the rule of law, but defy it outrageously whenever it doesn’t suit their purpose.

The meticulous and factual inquiry report on the most blatant lie ever in local political history has been widely acknowledged as an outright declaration that condemns its originators and perpetrators as shameless liars of international repute. Fraudulent and falsified documents, perjury, forgery and endless inconsistencies, sadly but clearly prove the Mahatma wrong. It is either that some people do not have a conscience at all, or else it has long been eroded.

Fully evidenced findings prove beyond any doubt that it was a deliberate and elaborate attempt to slander and frame the Prime Minister’s family without worrying about the trauma this could create for their two young children. Those who promptly put up posters of Mrs Muscat and her husband behind bars have now gone silent. Those who were quick to enjoy imagining the Prime Minister’s two daughters locked up in some institution have now lost their voice. They have now chosen to bury their malicious coup beneath their habitual tactics of casting doubts while resorting to a not-so-stealthy denigration of members of our respectable judiciary – whom they usually revere, when it is convenient.

 

Adding insult to injury

I am personally intrigued by the issue of what Dr Muscat’s family have been through, and specifically their twin daughters, as a result of this debacle. Revelations about the ostracising of their children, even at school level, are indications that the political culture of some local elitist sections amounts to having dark strategists who systematically strike where it hurts most.

It is the ultimate blow that adds insult to injury by extending political rivalry to fierce hate ad persona. But alas – isn’t this the kind of strategy adopted all along by the Opposition since Labour was elected to office in March 2013? We have more than sufficient proof that hate language and behaviour are still a speciality for some, notwithstanding the thrashing such hatred had led them to until very recently.

It is beyond doubt that, for these people, having a different partisan opinion is licence to indiscriminately attack everyone close to your target. Some people know no boundaries of fairness and ethics when desperately assaulting the person and not his message – indeed his long list of successes with which this country has been so deservedly blessed.

 

An eye-opener for the nation

I happen to be the proud mother of two precious children, and I never hide my sense of belonging to my family, fully aware that all those who follow me know well that I take pride in being a mother and a people’s representative. Yes, together with my husband I do protect my children from the kind of bullying instigated by those who preach fairness and good governance whilst disseminating class and partisan hatred.

Let us not delude ourselves. The Egrant inquiry report, however strong and definite cannot, and indeed should not, be seen as any cause for celebration, except that it vindicates Dr and Mrs Muscat’s stand as from day one. It should serve as an eye-opener for the whole nation about the vicious tactics constantly adopted by a malicious group who – as we have already experienced for the last few decades – would dare anything under the sun or moon and stars to seize power. The magisterial inquiry has found them guilty of ratcheting up the corruption allegations for partisan reasons, based on the allegations and speculations of someone who had waged a campaign of mud-slinging against everything that is Labour.

 

A national concern

In our young but healthy democracy, our nation should never have been exposed to such a venomous blow. We have strong constitutional safeguards to have a decent and alert Opposition that should never ever resort to slander the country’s supreme institutions. It cannot proceed in total disregard for establishing the truth and, worse still, extend gross political misjudgement – consequently stoking international harm against the nation.

This is creating an underlying concern for hard-working Maltese and Gozitan families. They expect to have a unified Opposition and know clearly what it stands for. It should be seen as the government-in-waiting and, unless the electorate regards it in that way, it is failing its purpose all along.

In the current scenario, it may be that some holy men may wake up one day and remind us that forgiveness is a great virtue, but they will never delete the scars inflicted by a lie of such high proportions. As a mother myself, it would be hard to forget and forgive the blatant lie that would have caused my family and my children such a trauma. To the wider family of Maltese and Gozitans, the irony is that such blatant lies and envy can only reinforce the nation’s admiration for Joseph – the second-time Prime Minister and serial winner – and his family.

 

Positive news for Gozo

The Barts Medical School project in Gozo will soon become a reality. The Queen Mary University of London has announced this week that a new Anatomy Centre next to the Gozo General Hospital in Victoria is scheduled to be completed this September. The building, which is already at an advanced stage, will be equipped with the most up-to-date facilities to support the teaching of anatomy and clinical skills.

This unique facility will be the focus of teaching activity from September, in time for Year 2 medical students to continue their anatomy studies and for the new intake of first year students. This is part of the ongoing construction work for a new medical school at Gozo General Hospital, which is due to be completed next Spring. The multi-million investment will see Steward Malta and Barts working together to further improve the quality of care provided to patients in Gozo and Malta.

 

Santa Marija in Gozo

The Gozo Ministry, hand-in-hand with all stakeholders, has been bracing itself for the traditional influx of visitors this coming week for the Santa Marija festivities. The long-established agricultural and industrial exhibition will be held in the Villa Rundle Gardens – a major venue that attracts thousands of visitors every year.

The annual show has been held in Gozo since 1855 and this year will have more than 4,000 exhibits. These include local fruit and vegetables and a vast range of livestock, poultry, song birds and farm machinery. The best of Gozo’s artisan work and crafts, locally produced wines, oil and honey are also showcased during the exhibition. It is a two-day event with competitions among exhibitors and family entertainment of traditional folklore.

While welcoming you all to Gozo for Santa Marija, our hospitality outlets and accommodation providers will ensure that visitors enjoy a holiday they will always remember.