My attention was drawn recently to a speech delivered by Joseph Muscat prior to the 2017 election. I had not heard nor read the particular speech as at that time I was in hospital and was not following. Three sentences struck me in a particular way. Muscat told his audience “Judge me by the results obtained by the Labour Party during the last four years. Judge me by what I did and promise to continue doing for you. Ignore what our adversaries say about us”.
The Maltese should muse on these words and see what Muscat and the Labour Party in government promised but failed to do during the last six years. The nation should take Muscat on his words and judge him and his government on what they did not do since 2013.
The people shall not forget how much, prior to the elections of 2013 and 2017, Muscat promised that the Government he leads will be the best our country ever had. He promised his government to be of the highest standards in meritocracy, transparency and administration amongst others. Muscat promised a government of the highest standards in accountability and in the fight against corruption. “Who does not fight corruption when in power, is corrupt himself,” he exclaimed. Can one believe him? Muscat promised and still declares he leads the best Cabinet.
Labour: worse than in the 70s and the 80s
Six years down the line and the Maltese realise that it has one of the worst administrations in history. “Vote Labour, get Labour”. This administration is worse than Labour of the seventies and the eighties which, in 1998 in writing, Muscat referred to as “the most morally, physically and ideologically corrupt one our country ever had”. At that time Muscat was a member of the Labour Party’s executive committee and could point his finger. Muscat is used to pointing his finger. Many times he did this at past PN administrations. Muscat, however, should realise that whoever points a finger, has another four pointing at him.
Muscat is leader of the Labour Party and, above all, has been leading the Government for over six years. He should therefore point his finger at himself and at no one else. Muscat is responsible, amongst other things, for the lack of transparency, meritocracy and accountability and for the allegations of scandals we hear about. Muscat and his Government are responsible for those tens of thousands of our brethren – workers, their families and pensioners – who cannot make both ends meet due to the ever increasing cost of essential items, recently being bread, milk, postage rates, petrol, diesel and certain medicines.
Since March 2013, the Nation has been infested with allegations of scandals which increased after the 2017 election. The Maltese realise that the transparency promised by Muscat is so transparent that it cannot be seen. Muscat and his Government have corrupted the meaning of some promises made by Muscat himself such as that of meritocracy, transparency, accountability, a just society and good governance. Muscat is delivering the opposite.
Losing trust in Muscat
No wonder one meets people and is told – as I have been told by two people, one of them an ex-staunch Labourite – that they have lost trust in Muscat and his government. Many people are realising how prophetic were the PN’s warnings prior to the last two general elections: “It is you who suffer and pay for the mistakes of Muscat” and “for corruption the people pay”.
Voters in either the last election or the last two decided to shift their vote to Labour because they were deceived by Muscat’s promises and are regretting it. We also hear complaints from genuine ex-Labourites who always voted Labour. In both cases, because of their love for their families and country, they swear they will never vote Labour again. They believe that in many cases not only were Muscat’s promises not kept, but in certain cases the opposite happened. They feel betrayed. Malta is being harmed, even internationally.
A show of distrust in Muscat are two cases I came across recently. The first concerns a man who always voted Labour except in 2013 although he considered himself as a Labourite of steel. In 2017 he decided to return to his roots and vote Labour again. He believed Muscat’s promises, amongst them that he wanted politics of a just society for everyone and that the time of arrogance and partisanship was over.
This gentleman is now expressing his regrets and disappointment that he trusted Muscat. He feels deceived – not because he or his family need anything from anyone but because of the way the country is being administered. With stronger conviction than in 2013, the only time he voted PN, this man has no more doubts and is strongly convinced that in the interest of his family and country, it is necessary to have a visionary party in Government – the PN.
The other case is a 35 year old who always voted PN and comes from a Nationalist background. In 2017 friends persuaded him about Muscat’s declarations and – against the advice of his family – voted Labour. This person is now convinced – more than ever before – that he will never again trust Labour. In fact he is back to his roots within the PN. He is doing his utmost to see the PN once again become the party from which Malta benefitted when in Government.
Malta not a stupid Nation
Whoever lies to the people and does not keep his word, does not respect the people’s intelligence. Such person thinks that the people are stupid enough that they will keep trusting him blindfoldedly. We are not a stupid Nation. The majority was deceived twice by Muscat’s honeyed words. Sooner or later a general election will come and the electorate will give its verdict and judge Muscat by what he did or did not do.