These past two weeks have been quite rowdy. The dockyard changed hands to a private enterprise and the Delimara power station extension was approved amid all the hullabaloo of what happened and what was said and not said. The public accounts committee concluded its long winded Fairmount investigation saga that took us nowhere very fast, the when and how to vote in laws and amendments in Parliament and, finally, non plus ultra, the Mepa public hearing. All this happened in a matter of two weeks.

There is a common factor in all this: the rowdiness and the disturbance caused, coupled by the chosen words and adjectives, that were said by the opposition members and its supporters.

Not only the words used, but in what context, in the tone of the voice, coupled with the body language and gestures that make it unbelievable, coming from those who describe themselves as a moderate and progressive party.

Their actions contradict the moderation that they say has settled in. It’s a pity to see such things as through them one can kiss goodbye to all the good intentions.

I really had 15 days of appearing on TV, committees and debates, mainly related to the dockyard issue. It is changing hands and fortunes, from one thousand million euro plus loss, to a hopefully private enterprise that puts it into its own pocket.

I really hope Palumbo succeeds not only as an enterprise that aims to expand on its own speed and money, but also for the sake of the fellow Maltese workers who aim to get a job there.

I do presume that Opposition MPs will lobby with Palumbo too, in order to engage Labourites within the new structure. This notwithstanding their voting, their attitude and their belittling the company. What cheek!

The dockyard was kept open by a Nationalist government, and the prime minister tried all sorts of commercial systems to change the company’s direction. He was convinced that one of the systems would succeed. He was let down. In a private sector environment, such losses have merited its closure long before, saving a pretty penny to the Maltese people.

Again, the contradictions arise. The opposition criticises the government on spending too much uselessly; then when it takes action, and does something to save money, we get criticised again. We can never win with them, or so they think. The same will happen with the Delimara project. Nothing is said on the closure of the Marsa power station, by far the largest polluter we have on the island. They only criticise the Delimara station which pollutes less and which is needed to push the economy. Just see SmartCity coming up. It can operate under different fuels and gas, and is ultimately far better than the 60-year-old boilers bought second hand for the Marsa plant. We have heard of so much alleged corruption, but in the longest ever investigation carried out, nobody ever accused anybody of being corrupt. All were very careful not to mention names because, I suppose, there is none to mention. A small walk to the police commissioner by one of them would have ensured a police investigation. None happened so far. Instead we had the mud slinging operation, the maybes, the possibles and the probables with no certain facts.

Well, I augur a good summer to all, with less heat in the Parliament.

Robert Arrigo is parliamentary

assistant in the Finance Ministry