Happy New Year to all your readers, and as the year’s beginning was greeted by fireworks in many parts of the world, we, here in Malta, have made our own homemade fireworks.

January should have been a quiet month; hibernating from the cold weather and staying indoors watching TV. We are, these days, watching a lot of local TV as the ping-pong battle of words has not had its last word.

They are so colourful, that penning an article to appear in Friday’s paper is an arduous task, as events are always unfolding, superseded and placed into history in a very fast sequence. Therefore, pardon me if some things may sound stale.

I wish to draw some points that might have skipped the media’s nose, as obviously the main stories all lie within the government stability or otherwise.

Firstly, it’s only when an MP votes that we will really know the final result. Until such time that the battle is fought on the air waves and in the printed media, then this is all probable, possible but not actual. Until such time, I for one will never burn bridges with anyone, and you continue to dialogue until the very end.

It is unfortunate that all this has blown up in such a way that arguments could no longer stay within walls. Arguments happen everywhere and will continue to take place, and it is up to us to see that these get solved within the walls of privacy, decency and decor.

I must also condemn the various writings of media contributors who have chosen to attack Franco Debono personally. It has never been correct to do so, and the spirit of what was said should boomerang on the writer.

If any, let’s criticise the arguments put forward, and discuss proposals and solutions. This is the intelligent way forward.

This reshuffle business has seen two parliamentary secretaries getting promoted to ministers, retaining their portfolios, their offices and their staff. Promotions they richly deserve, and for which they worked hard by producing results by keeping their feet on the ground, and showing no arrogance. They were always available, listened to what was being said and acted correctly.

Then there is Chris Said who really got some new jobs on board, what with justice that shifted out of Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici’s remit and the huge social affairs ministry going to Gozo’s second minister. I believe it’s a first that Gozo has two ministers at the same time.

It obviously left some parts of Malta without a minister. Dolores Cristina has now been given the education sector on its own, which is more like home to the veteran minister. There were many instances of disagreement about the ideology used over the past two years in the social affairs ministry. For one thing, in some instances the government seemed to be absent, and worse, some of my emails on behalf of aggrieved parties took months to get some sort of answer, if any.

The Prime Minister wanted to clear his desk but only hours passed by and his desk was overflowing again with the wrong files and situations. Days have gone by with non-productive government business because of the prevailing situation.

Some good news made its way as the EU looked kindly on the €40 million cuts in expenditure. It now depends on where these cuts will bite. I understand some sectors will not see any cuts, but others will, and these must be made known. Some ministries who have overspent and probably over budgeted must come into line. They must do so, even if it means that their promises will not be maintained.

A full circle of events that will keep Malta busy watching, with each new day giving us a further episode of this drama.

Once a sensible ending is not on the cards, or at least I am not seeing it, I do hope that when the battle comes there will not be many victims. For most of us, its reliving the 1996-1998 years, where the management of a one-seat majority was not properly handled, and where public gatherings spelt the end of the Sant government.

Voters could be asked to soon cast their vote in favour of one party or another. Events over the next few days, but even hours, may change the course of Malta’s 2012 calendar year.

Today, voters are well informed and will no doubt cast an informed vote.

Robert Arrigo is a parliamentary assistant in the Finance Ministry