It was bound to happen. Appointing a police commissioner who had been so close to the Labour Party was a bad move. Irrespective of the man’s credentials, experience and capabilities, if he is not perceived to be independent and free from any political pressure, then it’s a case of: ‘Houston, we have a problem’.

It’s a question of trust. A person in this position needs to be trusted by everyone, not just by the government. He is the first person to be approached by anyone in possession of information on corruption, for example. Experience has shown that even individuals, who everyone perceives as non-corruptible, may ultimately be prone to criminal behaviour. So, a police commissioner needs to be free of any political interference to be able to take action against whoever breaks the law.

Two instances that have taken place since March 2013 have definitely dented the current commissioner’s credibility. We first had the John Dalli case. The Opposition accused the Commissioner of succumbing to government pressure not to take the former EU commissioner to court. Although the government decided to raise a breach of privilege case in Parliament against the Opposition leader, it did not take any legal action against him for saying the same things outside Parliament. Why, may I ask?

And then, this week we had a prosecuting officer admitting in court that the police did not question persons who allegedly forked out money to have their smart metre tampered with simply because a political decision had been taken not to take such people to court. And what about the Police Corps’ independence? Since when has this very important institution started being remote-controlled from Castille? And how come Labour’s media have fallen into complete silence about these matters? Have they forgotten the big fuss they created simply because the former prime minister’s personal assistant had a conversation with the previous police commissioner on an ongoing case? What would they have said if the things that are happening today took place under the previous administration?

But then, what can I expect from an administration which, from day one, removed all the permanent secretaries, installed a staunch labourite at the helm of the civil service, tried to remove constitutionally-appointed members of the broadcasting authority, put their Members of Parliament in charge of authorities, and wiped out a number of experienced public officers to replace them with Malta Taghna Lkoll appointees?

All this happened within less than a year into this administration. Can you imagine what this government’s frame of mind will be like in a few years’ time? Labour tried so hard in the past few years to make people forget what Labour was like before May 1987. Unfortunately, they managed to do just that. People forgot and some forgave them for the sins committed in one of the darkest eras of our country. But then, look what we have today. Maybe Labour has learned to be a little more subtle than they used to be in the 70s and 80s, however the end result is almost the same – the government controls everything.

I find one particular aspect of this administration alarming: the philosophy that everything can be sold and everything can be bought. The thought itself does not allow me, not even for one minute, to trust this government. But this is the least of my problems. The biggest issue is the bad example Labour has set particularly to the younger generation. Can you imagine what a 17-year-old thinks when he notices how this government manages to buy silence and support by appointing people to key positions? If the government can do it, I can do it, he’ll say! Can you imagine what a 19-year-old girl understands on hearing the leader of this country speak of “Talent” that can be exchanged for hard cash?

Yes, it’s a matter of trust. Unfortunately, the trust is long gone.

Charlo Bonnici is the shadow minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change