I am referring to J. G. Vassallo’s Opinion Where is the silver lining? (TMID 22 January).

Mr Vassallo has become far too predictable, in his one-sided, biased criticism, to be taken seriously.

He is forever reluctant to concede that the PN, for all its manifold and manifest faults, has been responsible for most of the momentous achievements in our history. Need I remind Mr Vassallo that the Maltese did not have to fight the British government for the acquisition of our independence, but had to fight the Malta Labour Party alternative of integration based on the Ulster model.

I will not go on to explain the blood that was spilled in Northern Island, thanks to the repercussions of the infamous Ulster Constitution, preferred by the then Labour Party.

I will simply say, that the Malta Labour Party proposal was madness, pure and simple.

Then we had the EU membership issue. The PN had to exhaust too much of its energy to thwart the continuing folly of the Malta Labour Party who, true to form, felt it was their duty to perform like a veritable wet blanket. They wanted something that was reminiscent of the Dominion Status that the late Dr George Borg Olivier started off with before asking for independence.

In Labour’s case their policy changed from “Switzerland in the Mediterranean” to “Partnership”, always with the tacit approval of J.G. Vassallo. Mr Vassallo had no comment to make when the MLP sat on the fence, while negotiations with the EU were taking place, opting instead to make a nuisance of themselves.

He had no comment to make, either, about the farce of trying to make fiscal policy on the hoof, so evident with the VAT-TAV-CET debacle. He had no comment to make when we were lied to about the tax that Dr Sant wanted to introduce in relation to sewerage, which he claimed we had to introduce because of a binding agreement with the EU. Nor did Mr.Vassallo comment on the “Door Tax”.

I wonder what the poor souls who went out to protest against the government would have done if they were faced with the water and electricity hikes that Dr Sant wanted to introduce on top of the Door Tax. As far as Mr Vassallo goes, it would have been “ No Comment”. It helps one’s credibility if issues are treated on their merit, keeping bias firmly under check.

Therefore, instead of getting on his high horse to lecture us lesser mortals on how to be more effective in the media, Mr Vassallo will do well to reflect on The Gospel of St Luke, Chapter 6 – “and why look at the straw in your brother’s eye but ignore the beam that is in your own eye.”

Victor Spiteri

Attard