Strange things happen in Maltese politics.

While the government seems to have a God-given license to steamroll over taxpayers’ heads, renege on pre-electoral promises, resort to the most glaring U-turns, spin facts to accommodate real-time unpopular action and combine unforgivable tales with reality, the opposition – in the minds of the usual fat cats disguised as independent observers – cannot criticise or oppose government unless it wants to come out as negative and uncompromising.

Now just imagine for one minute that the Labour party was returned to power at the last general elections with the slimmest of majorities. And instead of cutting the utilities surcharge by half, as it had promised to do, it would propose and implement a plan that removes the surcharge for a tariffs regime that would see bills skyrocket to an equivalent 194 per cent surcharge.

I have been a realist all my life. And although I will not say that in that scenario Malta would look like Babel or Armageddon, I am equally uncomfortable with the thought that the opposition, spearheaded by a defeated Dr Gonzi, would sit pretty like a pocket dog and sing the praises for the Labour government for ridding the energy corporation of state subsidies and inefficiencies.

I think we would now be experiencing the surreal atmosphere of 1997 when the UHM had threatened and indeed took the nation to the streets to the delight of the nationalist party’s Il-Mument which then had proudly paraded the motto – “Kulhadd kontra l-gvern” (Everyone against the government) – on its headlines.

No talk of a negative opposition, most probably, but rather of a calamitous administration devoid of a social conscience and incompetently unable to steer the economy into safe economic waters.

Lest you forget! The nationalists have not promised to half the surcharge. But neither did they promise to remove subsidies and raise tariffs. Now they want to do so at a time when oil prices are falling and when families decently expect to be relieved of some of the burdens they were made to carry these last three years. To add insult to injury, Minister Austin Gatt made a commitment a few weeks ago that he would happily cut the surcharge to moderate levels if oil prices plunged to $80 a barrel. They are now cheaper!

The truth is that there is a cultural prejudice against the Labour party rooted in the psyche of a selected few who have for years been strategically planted in influential fora with the specific mission to churn phobia at anything or anyone seemingly Labour and to sprinkle perfume on fresh Nationalist manure.

The cheek of Nationalist leaning opinionists, or rather illusionists, is that, in order to control damage, they harp on the premise that Labour had increased the tariffs at a time when oil prices were cheaper.

Now the new tariffs have absolutely nothing to do with rising international oil prices. On the contrary they have just plummeted from a high of $147 to a moderate $65 a barrel. And with the international banking crises softening demand, oil prices are set to plummet even further.

Indeed both ministers Austin Gatt and Tonio Fenech are on record in stating that they would like to see subsidies removed and that oil prices are not directly responsible for government policy.

What is really happening is that the chickens are coming home to roost and history is already rewarding ‘beelzebub’ Alfred Sant who was bullseye on the nation’s dart board ten years ago. The irony is that the Nationalists are doing ‘worse’ than Labour ever did and that they are far more grossly incompetent than Labour was ever perceived to be.

In the next bill you will have Enemalta’s inefficiencies, capital expenditure as well as the 5 per cent VAT it used to absorb to your benefit, all neatly tucked into your letterbox.

Of course, the Nationalists won’t admit it – they’re too fickle and think they have a divine right to consolidate executive power in their clutches.

Conceding that Labour was right and far less brutal would be tantamount to admitting that the Nationalists are 20 years late and that families will now be made to pay with interest for Nationalist lethargy, opportunism and over zeal.

Dr Gulia is the opposition’s main spokesman on the Economy and the Self-Employed.