My attention this week goes to the many letters, in my opinion, far too many, written by British citizens, who tend to pontificate on Malta’s needs, whether touristic or not, and take the liberty to use our own newspapers to hurt us.

I just wonder if the London Times would allow such a quantity of letters, in such tones, to be published daily on their newspapers. We seem to be getting the colonial feeling again, that hurts us readers. Democracy is liberty, but limits must be drawn on outsiders just hitting us at lib.

Last week, we had a special sitting in parliament on Thursday. A 10-hour marathon, plus the time on voting took us to nearly 10-and-a-half hours of attendance. There was a full house voting on this motion. Not that I mind attending these kind of marathons, some people see MPs in a different light, but to hear out speeches of no intelligent content by the opposition is an arduous task. The tone of speeches was pathetic. It is a real pity that no TV station aired this sitting live. The Maltese people would have had a taste of what an alternative Labour government has in store. Firstly, the dress code when not on air or at a regular press conference is much different. Secondly, the words spoken, the tones, the content would have reminded one and all of the black days of Labour government. Had it been screened, labour would have certainly lost a few thousand votes of their own, and more from those floating voters who might have thought of voting labour next time.

Their point was the 11-letter sentence stating that this government has a five-seat majority. This hurts so much, in as much as it was labour’s inability to govern on a one-seat majority.

They could not govern because of their internal strife, factions, and people jostling for power. They see that this scenario can repeat itself again. Should voters choose labour, and get a one-seat majority government, which is as easy permutation, then once again you would have elected a weak government, led by the same leader, who faltered in 1996/98.

There is a big risk in voting Labour, not only on the policies and lack of vision, or lack of solutions to the progress of Malta, but also, in the running of a stable government.

Again, it shows its true colours when talking about the Gozo district issue. The same vein is there. They fear this one-seat majority syndrome. They want it, but vote against. They say yes, but vote no. Sitting on fences, hoping to please both lines of thought.

A pity really when somebody who aspires to lead this country has no direction. One example of solutions offered is that of the pension updating. Simple – Labour suggests that it freezes all discussions till 2009, conveniently after an election is called. Not the first time that things were put into the freezer by Labour, only to be told by the electorate that they got it all wrong. Another time, another mistake. By such stands, they have given one clear message to the people aged under 46: Labour does not care if you will be able or not to get your pension at retirement.

Can you freeze your age? Likewise, you cannot freeze actions on an updating of the pension scheme.

While Labour goes round in circles, this Nationalist government takes a straight line of vision, looking forward, confronting any problem, coming out with a solution after consultation with the broadest of entities – Some difference.

Robert Arrigo is a Nationalist MP