Last Monday, the Leader of the Opposition - and the Prime Minister on the following day - attracted large audiences. Many have followed from the comfort of their homes the speeches in the House.
Both honourable members are former MEPs, with one currently holding the post of Prime Minister and the other that of Leader of the Opposition. Yet, here the similarities stop.
Dr Joseph Muscat was elected MEP out of convenience, while Dr Simon Busuttil was elected MEP on the strength of his EU convictions. Whatever the case, both have gained significant expertise and experience which is of benefit to the local community when used appositely. Having two leaders with a broader vision of politics is an added value to combat the insularity of the Maltese political community and society. Altruistically, when they were called to shepherd their respective grouping, both returned to the local political arena.
Going back to their speeches, as was expected, the Leader of the Opposition focused on issues which were merely referred to in passing or omitted completely from the 2016 Budget speech. An upbeat Prime Minister highlighted Malta's positive current economic performance and prospects for the next twelve months.
The Prime Minister labelled the speech delivered by the Leader of the Opposition "bitter." On his part, Dr Busuttil branded the Prime Minister's speech as "bluff."
For the most obvious reasons, the hard core of both political parties found nothing relevant in the speech of their political opponent. But luckily, a growing non-aligned stream of people, detached from the political bickering, are raising more issues which are worth noting. People are becoming more interested in the content of the speeches rather than in rehearsed punch-lines worth close to nothing.
Both leaders had highs and lows in their speeches. This was merely done for effect rather than substance. In this regard, the Prime Minister excelled.
On Monday, Dr Busuttil was incisive and did not stop short from making a political commitment on an issue which has been on the national agenda for decades. He pledged that a future PN government would purchase electricity from wherever it is cheapest. This must have sent a positive vibe to consumers and the business community. Concurrently, this promise is an eye-opener to ElectroGas, the private company undertaking the new power-station project, to seek further watertight securities and penalties from the current administration in the event of a change in government in the light of the statement by Dr Busuttil. The €360 million bank guarantee to ElectroGas is still an issue which has not been ironed out.
In his critique of the budget speech, Dr Busuttil did not stop short from hitting the nail on the head on issues which are of national interest. In his clinical style, he did not shy away from mentioning a long list of persons who have been generously entertained, from the public coffers, by the PL for their political allegiance. This has brought uproar from the government side.
In his reply on Tuesday, Dr Muscat came across as rather aggressive, using a high-pitched authoritative voice and a body language to boot. The Prime Minister tried on various occasions during his speech to justify his government's shortcomings by bringing past-doings of the former administration. He was constantly in search of support from his colleagues. Whoever counselled the Prime Minister to adopt an abrasive style in replying to the Leader of the Opposition did him no favour. The House should not be used as a theatre for tragi-comedy performances. If anything, such performances are best left to actors and performed in the next door, open-air building.
Notwithstanding, both esteemed gentlemen made remarkable speeches although their views differed and their political perspectives were miles apart. Although, astonishingly, official figures and statistics were interpreted differently, leaving viewers and listeners wondering as to who was saying the truth.
In defending the €360 million bank guarantee to ElectroGas, Dr Muscat made a strong argument and claimed that Malta Enterprise had granted €8 million to a gaming company with links to criminal activity during the previous administration. However, this claim was short-lived as former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech categorically denied Muscat's allegations and insisted that the money invested by Malta Enterprise was directly linked to salaries paid to employees of the company.
This is a serious allegation and should not be swept under the carpet. The Prime Minister is duty bound to provide all documentation to substantiate his stand. In the absence of this, his credibility will be on line.
Whatever one may think on the performances by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, the article penned by former PL Prime Minister Dr Alfred Sant in this newspaper last Thursday under the heading 'Critique', provides constructive counsel - even if it is between the lines - to the current PL leadership.
It is obvious the Prime Minister will not listen to the counsel of the Leader of the Opposition but perhaps it would do well to take heed of Dr Sant's advice.