Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, as decreed by the Lord. Yet for decades we have been submitted to political sermons by party leaders, disrupting our peace and tranquillity, and, indeed, our family life. For many Sunday is the only day when working parents can enjoy time with their children. Those who attend Sunday mass are subjected to a sermon too. All well and good if they are happy with it; thought most sermons are unfortunately heavy, tedious and too long. Families will then go home for a family meal or go out for one. Weather permitting they will enjoy going out for a walk or a picnic together with children and even members of the extended family. In summer they can go to the beach and enjoy a meal and a swim. What right have our politicians, Sunday after Sunday, to disrupt or family life, our day of rest and our leisure, pontificating under tents, on radio and in the open air? We then have to listen to the same boring, repeated stuff on the news channels in the evening. Please leave us alone! Quite frankly, we are sick of politics and politicians, who think they only exist (me, me and me), and give two hoots about the wellbeing and unity of families until it comes to votes.

That is why Simon Busuttil’s decision to abandon the Sunday sermons will be welcomed by many. He has scored a lot of brownie points on this one. He has also drawn the Labour Party to possibly agree with him, although, to be fair, Joseph Muscat had already complained about electoral fatigue – but he continued with his sermons nonetheless. In any case, a close examination of newsreel Sunday after Sundayshows the same faces in attendance. I could not agree more with The Times of Malta editorial of yesterday which pleaded for the return of cut and thrust politics. It also advocated putting journalists in the front seat, interviewing all politicians (not just leaders, who have rendered us a country of one man parties in what has become a presidential system), asking incisive questions which they will not allow to be avoided. There will be no escape route for leaders and other politicians, which they all seek so eagerly. The fourth estate can no longer be ignored. What has happened to all the other politicians, right across the board? OK, Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami are always around, but that’s it.

This country needs serious depoliticising. And the broadcast media have a crucial role to play in this exercise. For the umpteenth time I will repeat and recall that I was always against the granting of broadcasting licences to political parties, and this from the very start when I was a member of the Broadcasting Authority and we were vetting the Broadcasting Bill (so-called “pluralism in broadcasting” (sic)) before it went to Parliament. It was crystal clear to those without blinkers that things would get out of hand from day one. Yet we went ahead with much fanfare. Partisan broadcasting coupled with a toothless Broadcasting Authority has been an insult to our intelligence and eroded our moral and political fibre. Truly, they no longer incite physical violence and hatred, but their relentless brainwashing has a numbing effect on our grey matter, which basically amounts to psychological violence.

Butthe biggest culprit is PBS. Why? Because PBS, as an independent, national broadcaster (and, contrary to what has been stated, I feel that it is balanced and impartial in the areas of news and current affairs) should try to give a lead – although goats do not tend to follow. PBS should have the courage to ignore sermons and  statements that have no news value. Why should we, Sunday after Sunday, on our national station, have to have an extensive summary of what the party leaders said that morning, being a repetition of what they said the Sunday before. To the credit of the newsroom, the PBS news has become much more interesting, with a variety of items – cultural, historical and others – and these sermons are not given priority as they always used to; but quite frankly we are not interested. Who is going to take the plunge: PBS Editorial Board, Head of News where are you?

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the increased arrogance among high Government officials and other people earning the favour of Ministers. This is ominous and I fear will develop into general physical violence. I get nightmares about going back to the seventies and eighties, the days of Dom Mintoff, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, Lorry Sant, Danny Cremona and many others. A number of stories and photographs I have seen on blogs are very worrying. Further, the people involved seem to be immune from prosecution and criminal prosecution just because they are friends of friends (how ironic!), although holding public office (police, armed forces) and even the Head of a Ministerial Secretariat. Genuinely, I advise the Prime Minister: watch it! And watch your Minister for the Police and the Armed Forces.