The velvety flowers come in all the arresting shades of pink , red, and burnt orange you can possibly imagine, apart from the popular milky white , of course.

As for the  fragrance, it is simply sublime, uplifting,  truly revitalising. 

The peculiar properties of this magic flower with the fanshaped luscious  foliage have been appreciated and put to good use for centuries, not least by our forefathers who more often than not had rows of geranium gracing their gardens or even the odd window sill.

 These days geranium essential oil is widely recommended for preventing the onset of depression or even treating it , leaving no doubt as to why the power of this enchanting flowering plant knows no bounds, to the extent that its popularity has even spilled over in abundance onto the roundabouts which pepper our tiny road network.

Desire for this amazing creation is definitely a contagious sort of affliction. For when I had lost a garden full  of lovely geraniums to a deadly insect, a couple of years ago, I had sworn never to plant geraniums again for fear  of losing my sensational , lively, heavenly scented friends a second time. But no sooner had I set foot in the garden shop down the road, I was spellbound by the familiar bewitching fragrance. Needless to say the trail ultimately led to a blissful session of geranium planting on a Sunday morning under a dazzling blue sky in a patch of paradise .

It was a gorgeous Sunday morning in all ways.  But I am ADHD so I thought to stimulate my mind a bit more while keeping busy and enjoying the heavenly surroundings.

So I switched on a radio and I heard excerpts. 

I realised my Labour colleagues  were delivering a sermon in my village of Zurrieq.

It was interesting to put it mildly.

Someone was saying that in 2013 Labour inherited a broken economy, empty coffers or something to that end.

That same voice also admonished the people of Zurrieq and those present to stop complaining and questioning the powers that be and concentrate on praising the government.

Then the voice changed, and some kind of orator gave the listeners a list of things their Labour government had 'given 'them. The 4000k he thinks they save on ' free'childcare, the 300 euros annual increment to our elderly and other good  father Christmas stuff.

I could just imagine what a couple of those present were thinking but certainly not saying. Yes. you read me right. thinking but not saying. Because village democracy is not what you think. It is wiser to shut up , clap , conform and let live. Then when the time comes, you make your statement with your vote. I come from that village too and I would have had a great two years had I conformed, and showered praises on the government's ongoing malpractices. But I am a public figure not a private voter so it is my duty to say it as it is to my constituents and compatriots, because I took a vow to do precisely that when they elected me to Parliament.

Therefore, from my beds of geraniums, I was thinking what a deceptive machine our Labour has become. 

It keeps  telling people it’s lining their pockets when in reality it’s fleecing them off their fuel and utility expense on a minute by minute , day by day basis!

It tells people it has worked wonders on the economy when it has only managed to consolidate what the Nationalists salvaged in their worst legislature in the middle of a financial crisis, weakened by decadent party structures,  and constantly teetering and tottering on the brink of collapse because of their skimpy majority.

This government has not introduced anything innovative into our economy. It has only 'struck gold 'by spending the EU funds  secured by Gonzi in the last legislature, by selling the people's National Assets in shady deals like Enemalta, and soon Air Malta, by letting construction run rife to the detriment of the beauty of our islands, our historical patrimony, our health and natural environment.  It has also struck gold by selling our citizenship, the proceeds of which we hope will be transparently disposed of in an accountable fruitful manner.

Next on the block is our health system and hospitals for which the people paid  dearly through their teeth over many years.  When these are sold, once again this government would  have nationalised the burden and privatised the profits. 

A decent government, with a genuine roadmap, confident in its ability to administer  properly would have first tried its hand at putting the sector on a sound footing by eliminating the huge abuses which plague this sector, then introduced a transparent , measured private element when the odds for a profitable investment by the people improved.

As things stand,  it’s sell sell sell as fast as we can to ensure liquidity. In the meantime, our National Debt is going up in spite of the fact that no notable infrastructural investment was started and completed by our Labour to date.

Then there is the question if what was promised to the South.

Marsa could be closed down only because Nationalist's interconnector was finally commissioned. For the rest, three years down the line, the cancer factory is still going strong and LNG grand entrance anytime now. 

Zonqor point spoilt by an AUM that could have been elsewhere.

Closed landfills like Wied Fulija in action again.

Wied Moqbol struggling to hold on to a vestige of life.

Quarries and other landfills might be turned into solar farm eye sores.

What's left of our countryside might be turned into a racetrack and back up buildings.

Not a single minister was chosen from the 5th district so that the great leader and a couple of party machines take the seats  of representatives from the locality  come next election, and so on and so forth!

No wonder for this particular Sunday sermon  my colleague JDGrech was selected to address the loyal but  grossly disenchanted crowd.  He is the one with the full backing of the entire Labour Parliamentary group to publicly warn dissidents and if they as much  as react to his insults they would all go all the way and support him to tell each and everyone of those present ' nigi ghalik u nifqak!'

I know it sounds hilarious but it isn't. 

It is tragic how the Labour Party in government has deceived and is deceiving the people.

Thank God for the uplifting geraniums , and blessed is the mind that planted them in our roundabouts!

Our sanity might be in more danger than we realise.