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

It was a strategy used against Alfred Sant. But it was not a personal affair. It recurs nauseatingly in regard to any Labour leader because of a structural prejudice planted throughout the years. The Euro Parliamentary elections are back and now we are being served with the usual spate of doom and gloom ads about Labour mastered by the politically sick minds at tal-Pietà.

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 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 be experiencing the surreal atmosphere of 1997 when the UHM 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 – 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 halve the surcharge. But they had promised not to remove subsidies and not to raise tariffs. Now they want to do so at a time when oil prices have definitely fallen and at a time when families decently expect to be relieved of some of the burdens they were made to carry these last three years. And with the cost of living spiralling out of control, according to the latest NSO stats published this week, consumers are walking a Calvary.

To add insult to injury last November minister Gatt made a commitment that he would happily cut the surcharge to moderate levels if oil prices plunged to 80 dollars a barrel. They have been cheaper by half for more than six months now but in spite of glaring inaccuracies in the way Enemalta had computed the energy tariffs then the small chop the government has announced – and which has yet to come into effect – will not be backdated to October 2008. Now can you imagine what this country would be like if the Labour Party had been the maestro of all these gaffes?

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.

Now the new tariffs have absolutely nothing to do with rising international oil prices. On the contrary it has plummeted from a high of 147 dollars to 40 dollars a barrel. And with the international banking crises softening demand, oil prices have stabilised at that level. Yet the government keeps a straight face as it steamrolls over consumers’ heads denying them justified massive relief and pushing families further down the poverty line.

History is already rewarding Alfred Sant who was bullseye on the nation’s dart board 10 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 your bills you have Enemalta’s inefficiencies, capital expenditure as well as the five 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 govern. They have been running and hiding for too long. But that will have to come to an end.

Dr Gulia is the Opposition’s Main Spokesman on the Economy and the Self-Employed