Most film directors have wisely used various techniques to create optical illusions to add more thrill and wild imagination to their films. Human imagination seems to have no limits and in this sense deceit has become an art. With the right techniques optical illusions can be created that lead to deceive the observer into believing that they are seeing something they are not.

Such a principle seems to have thrilled particular politicians and political parties to employ techniques that give the right optical illusion so as the electorate will be led to believe there is a particular scenario when in fact there isn’t. During the last two decades we have experienced quite a good number of such political illusions. Particular episodes have become a classic of local politics.

We cannot forget the solemn declaration by GonziPN just days before the last general election, that the country’s finances are in a healthy state and we should achieve a surplus budget in the next few years.

One would now expect to start reaping the fruits of past sowing. That’s what the people were led to believe by the previous Gonzi administration. The experience of many after this budget is surely far from this! To the contrary they are not the ones who feel that they are not reaping any fruits at all! Definitely, that their finances are eroding fast away and that another hole in their pockets has affected negatively their purchasing power.

Mid-way through the 1990s is still vivid in our memory – the Nationalist Party’s fervent negation regarding the structural deficit and the eventual escalating national debt during their first two terms in office. Whoever, during that time, referred to the poor state of the country’s finances and the increase in the national debt, was a liar! They used to ridicule such statements and counter react by saying that this was simply a fable. Everyone remembers their slogan ‘il-Hofra Hrafa’! Nowadays, beyond any doubt everyone knows the crude facts about this!

Last year I described the Prime Minister’s budget speech as similar to the special edition of the ‘local’ Guinness book of records, featuring all the achievements of his administration. Included were also projects that have been dragging on for ages and others that never kick started, like the Crafts Village at Ta’ Qali.

This year’s budget speech ignores the interminable list of promised infrastructural projects with their completion date being endlessly postponed. It is simply inconceivable how such gross deficiencies and incompetence are ignored and repeated as if now it is the rule! And life goes on as if all is fine and in a clockwork state.

More than 20 years in power might tantalise those at the helm of ministries and departments to think that everything is now permanent, permissible and there is no need to justify anything to anyone.

The latest scandal is the PN secretary general’s request to government ministers to send the Nationalist Party confidential information about citizens approaching their ministries with complaints. I think this is an act against data protection rights to divulge individuals’ private data to third parties without their express consent.

A clear distinction should be made between the interest of the state, the government and the political party. After this latest scandal it seems that for the Nationalist Party it is still business as usual. Arrogance has become a trait. For those who never had it so good, arrogant are those who are questioning their modus operandi! What cheek!

is MLP spokesman on planning and housing