I have to admit that I do not have much faith in PN's Conventions. I was invited to the first convention and refused. I ended up lambasting that Convention, calling the PN a weird party.

The PN has now decided to organise its second convention. This time it was about the environment and MEPA. I was invited to attend but once again refused. I will not debate the context of the conference but it has confirmed a new style of politics. The PN has succeeded in turning the whole political process into a charade. This convention has served the politically corrupt extremely well. They have continued to consolidate their power within the PN. And here is why.

To start with, the person chosen to lead this Convention was Architect Simone Vella Lenicker. The general secretary had the gall to present this young architect as a 'neutral' newcomer to the scene. At the same time, through this Convention, the PN wants us to believe, as stated on Saturday, that MEPA is at the service of corrupt developers! And lo and behold, the party invites the daughter of the head of this supposedly corrupt institution to lead it. To add insult to injury, she is one of the trusted persons of Dr Joseph Muscat to the extent that he appointed her on one of his boards. Sorry, Dr Simon Busuttil but not all Nationalists are a bunch of fools.

Ms Simone Vella Lenicker is the daughter of the current MEPA Chairman, architect Vince Cassar. Cassar was the Permanent Secretary of the disgraced Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett and before that served under the ex-Nationalist Minister Michael Falzon, dubbed by the Malta Independent as one of our surviving corrupt politicians after revealing his secret funds in Switzerland. Moreover, Cassar’s friends, Mugliett and Falzon overtly supported Muscat’s bid in the last election.

I have nothing against these gentlemen for supporting Muscat, but choosing the daughter of the Chairman of MEPA to lead this conference is an insult to all Nationalists but especially those who suffered discrimination during the PN tenure of office. For making such a choice alone, the PN deserves to remain in opposition ad aeternum. 

The trust rating, carried out by James Debono for Malta Today, of our two main political leaders, is a true reflection of what I am stating here. The trust in Muscat may be going down but Busuttil is failing to make any gains. This is a clear indication that the people are fed up of the corruption and scandals that have riddled the Labour Government but have no faith either that Busuttil can offer anything better. In these circumstances, PL will be the natural winner in two years' time and it will win by default.

This survey confirmed that the public has had enough of this political game where the two big political parties have been hijacked by the same clique of families. Irrespective of her position and allegiance, Vella Lenicker was chosen specifically by the PN because of her father’s connections and deeds. The message that is being conveyed by the Party is that Malta is now led by a group of happy families, who irrespective of who is in government, will always be on the winning side.

Vince Cassar's family is one of them. He switched to Labour when he realized who was the most likely victor in the 2013 election. Now his daughter is paving the way so that should there be a PN victory in two or 8 years' time, the family is assured its survival and power in this political web.

The real idiots are the diehards who still believe that they are fighting for principles and ideals. None are left and the PN's party machine is clearly showing that it does not care either. All the PN cares about are cliques and comfortable family ties.

How ridiculous to have this architect asking those attending the conference to offer new solutions for the environment. I expect these new solutions to come from her father who is chairing MEPA. The choice may please the developers but it will recall bad memories to PN supporters who suffered at MEPA’s hands.

Incidentally, what has happened to the Commission for the Environment set up within the PN’s fold? If memory does not fail me, this was chaired by someone else. Is this a signal that this unit too has failed its brief?

In the past, Labour used to accuse Ms Vella Lenicker's uncle, Godwin Cassar, for the wrong decisions taken at MEPA. This conference is acknowledging that the PN took wrong decisions at MEPA, thus confirming that Labour was right in its criticism. Yet we now have Vince Cassar, Godwin's brother and father of Simone, Chairman of this institution!

For once, I am starting to admire Dr Joseph Muscat. The PN was misleading the people by stating that Muscat had made bad choices. In fact his choices were so good, that now even the NP is convinced to the extent that it has appointed one of the LP's family members to lead its environment convention. Clearly, there is no place for honesty and ethics within the NP.

The PN cannot put forth the excuse that it did not know the identity of Simone Vella Linicker for it would indicate that it does not do its homework well! Moreover, she was even the subject of one of Ms. Daphne Caruana Galizia’s blog, where the latter criticized the appointment of Simone Vella Lenicker and Sandro Chetcuti by Joseph Muscat on the Building Regulation Board.

http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/08/government-appoints-rogue-developer-and-labour-party-donor-sandro-chetcuti-to-building-regulation-board/