These are supposed to be the party and people who love their country above all else.  The same ones who wanted to promote the rights of every citizen to a share of opportunity and the wealth and benefits that come with a modern pro-business labour government. 

Today we see a very different story.  The opportunity is going one way only and that is in the direction of those who enjoy the protection of Joseph Muscat, away from the people and towards offshore companies.

Konrad Mizzi can argue and make vapid statements about not having done anything wrong.  Others say the same.  Others avoid the subject.  All the while Joseph Muscat stands stiffly behind him and alongside his Chief of Staff, like a patron saint on Festa day.  Dutifully,  the band plays, the paper is tossed from the balconies and the Kazin is open for all the villagers to come and celebrate.   The statue is carried high and people clap and cheer their ‘Qaddis’.  This year the contributions received for the Festa have been especially good.  Activities were organised and many fundraising events brought in so much cash that arrangements had to be made to store the money in some hidden place so that the Kappillan could not get to it and it could be spent on parties and fireworks, whilst leaving a good portion for the personal use of the administrator.

But this feast is no ordinary one.  It may look like one and make the same noise but a closer look will tell you that those people making merry in the piazza are all faking it and paid to do so.   Now that they have been bought with positions of trust, consultancies, chairmanships, inflated salaries and bogus appointments, they follow the saint wherever he goes and do as they are told and pat each other on the back. 

Sadly, this is the new labour, the ‘Moviment’ that turned 25 years of Nationalist government into 3 years of revelry at the expense of the country.  What we see happening today is the very opposite of patriotism.  It is egoism in its very essence.  Unfortunately this mentality can become quite prevalent.  It is up to each and every person to decide whether they will buy into it or not, whether they will disassociate themselves from it or not. 

To persist in the charade of non-culpability is to continue turning their back on the country and its people, without concern or responsibility for the consequences of their actions on the economy, the reputation and the future of Malta.  Can Beddingfield now point a finger of accusation at the Archbishop when his own master is satisfied that nothing is amiss and simply moves people aside and on to Europe or other lofty places when it suits him whilst keeping others under his wing?  Is it possible that they do not see the serious lack of honesty in pursuing this state of affairs?   What has happened around this administration is not just a personal misjudgement or an ill-advised decision.  By consciously setting up a system of trade and influence, using the power of high position in the government of the country, outside and apart from the interest of the country, is nothing short of betrayal.  For that reason alone, the man should go.  And with him all others who support and enable him.

The problem for Muscat is that the projects currently falling under Konrad Mizzi’s responsibility are not actually national projects but more like several private concerns and in addition he fails to observe the separation of state and party.  You would think that Labour who fought so strongly for the separation of state and church would know where the line should be drawn between party and state and between national interest and private interest.  Under such circumstances, it is quite obvious and natural to conclude that Muscat is seriously lacking in the skills required to be a Prime Minister and has not been able to make the transition from middle management to leader, not morally and not practically. 

What may appear permissible in the private interest does not always amount to the same thing in the national interest.  It is the mark of a good politician to see the difference and sense the threat.  A leader may have their own personal agenda, thinking that their beliefs will be good but when entrusted with the leadership of the country, those same ideas will have to be submissive to Parliament, the will of the people and the best interest of the nation.  In a democracy, all opinions are considered and not just those of the privileged circle around the leader.  Anything else is leading to tyranny or dictatorship for which we had thought there would be no return.  The grandiose monuments have returned, the aggressive behaviour, the corruption, the lies and the most unpatriotic of governments ever.  Not to mention the squandering of money and the current company kept, up there amongst the most criminal, the most notorious and corrupt of names and regimes.  This is where we have been brought by the best Cabinet that Malta will have.

Can anyone check whether that 150 million being mentioned, for the repair of the dodgy cement at Mater Dei is actually real?  Or is this another great opportunity to make a contract to get it fixed – a contract that we will never see, just like all the others?  After all, this government’s expertise seems to be in the area of real estate.  Cement and land, permits and contracts. 

What the Panama Papers will reveal in the next months or weeks, about the other companies or persons in Malta that may be on the list, is not for comfort or pleasure, or for saying Konrad is not alone in having a secret company.  It could, in fact, provide some leads in the many unsolved cases of murder, graft, smuggling and drug trade on the island.  As such, you would expect the PM to take a firm and cool headed position and set about forming a special investigative committee to see what they can do to assist the police and consult with the PM in the light of the information to deal quickly and effectively with the problem and what measures need to be taken rather than gloating.

Which brings us to this fierce battle raging in the country about whose sins stink the most.  The honest thief versus the fake saint.  All meant as a distraction from the real issue of national betrayal, corruption and maladministration on a mega-scale.  At the end of the day, we hope, at the least, that this shameful saga will provide some light on what is and what is not ‘doable’.  The chickens have come home to roost and the actions or lack of them speak for themselves. 

The panic and confusion is all around them.  The rejections at the EU, the gerrymandering of deputy leaders on and off the Cabinet and payroll, magistrates who are shrouded in doubt, the interference in the media and the billboard affair, the hedging of clear answers, disappearing without notice, amateur press conferences for ulterior motives, unpaid CHOGM workers and a failure to convince even their own party that this is the right path for the Labour party in power.

No one can stand up for our country but us.  Let it be known that anyone who really wants what is best for this country does not operate in the dark or behind trusts and companies in discredited ways thereby jeopardising the jobs of 9,000 persons.

As the circle begins to close around Joseph Muscat and his disciples, time will ensure their fate and legacy.