Truth telling is not a reflex of this government. One headline after another reveals the pitiful state to which we’ve been reduced - begging government to tell us the facts. Each headline exposes Labour’s gratuitous contempt for basic tenets of democracy and its total disdain for the people.
“Government chooses not to publish contracts of person who has two CEO positions”. “Energy Minister dodges questions about power cut during storm”. “Robert Abela rejects call for public inquiry into construction site death of Jean Paul Sofia”. “Valletta cultural agency does not disclose budget for Mary Spiteri do”. “Super CEO confirmed but minister refuses to reveal his two salaries”. “Education minister evades AUM criteria questions now three times in a row”. “Lands minister withholds explanation on Little Armier beach takeover”. “Finance minister conceals 157,000 euro-a-year airline consultant’s name”. “Identity Malta inundated with AFM part-timers but minister evades giving details”.
If the facts are so simple why is it so hard for Abela’s government to reveal them? If Labour’s governance is so clean why the secrecy?
Labour rendered us beggars for information. It hoards the facts and the truth. But those facts must be compelled into the open to protect the interest of the nation and its citizens. As long as the truth is concealed, only the interests of corrupt dishonest politicians and collaborators are served.
The nation is kept in the dark about everything and anything.
We don’t have a clue about Joseph Muscat’s severance package. We know nothing about the deal Abela struck with him. Nothing about the 120,000 euro or the free use of government offices for his private purposes Muscat was given.
We still know nothing about the millions Enemalta paid for the Mozura windfarm - and how 4.6 million euro of it went into Yorgen Fenech’s 17-Black. When Times of Malta requested access to the Mozura windfarm report, Enemalta called their request “obtuse” - and simply denied access.
Labour hasn’t bothered explaining why Konrad Mizzi signed a side agreement that entitles the concessionaire to 100 million euro if the concession were terminated. Neither has Robert Abela explained why he derailed an Opposition parliamentary motion to cancel that obscene 100 million euro stitch up. Or why he allowed Joseph Muscat who was paid tens of thousands of euro by Accutor AG, which received millions of euro from Steward, to participate in talks between Robert Abela and Steward Healthcare.
Abela’s government is obstinately fighting 40 separate cases in court to avoid revealing how much money Saviour Balzan was paid by government ministries and entities. Abela is squandering tens of thousands of euros to stop us finding out what he’s doing with the rest of our money. Finally two of those cases have been decided in favour of the Shift - the truth will be forced out of Labour. But we will pay court expenses.
Abela thinks that the supreme authority for judging politicians is the ballot box. Winning votes doesn’t mean you’re right. It doesn’t exonerate you of wrongdoing. Electoral victory doesn’t pardon your corruption and abuse of power.
Abela thinks that his appeal in the public arena overrides serious questions about his integrity. It doesn’t. His moral choices are deeply suspect. He entered into a dodgy business deal with an alleged kidnapper, money launderer and drug smuggler worth 40,000 euro. He appointed Joseph Portelli’s architect as chair of the regulatory body, the Building and Construction Authority. He rented out his uninhabitable Zejtun property to wealthy Russian prospective passport buyers to provide them with a false link to the country. He purchased that property for a pittance, just days after rampant illegalities were sanctioned by the Planning authority which paid him over 17,000 euro per month.
For years Abela diligently evaded interviews, except with his own party station. His hostility towards reporters, his refusal to answer questions about his dodgy small Zabbar plot deal, his intransigent denial of freedom of information requests constitute a regular pattern of dissimulation and disregard for basic decency.
Abela might have gained electoral victory but that’s not the only metric by which prime ministers are judged. He has his immediate predecessor as an example. Muscat, the self-styled Invictus, scored huge electoral triumphs. But look at him now. He’s held in contempt by international organisations, his former allies in the European parliament and by the Council of Europe. He was declared OCCRP’s 2019 most corrupt politician of the year.
No self-respecting entity would touch him with a barge pole. His name, his mere presence contaminates the brand of any company which dares associate itself with him. Who’s still linked with Joseph Muscat? Michael Stivala, the president of the Malta developers association. Keith Schembri, who faces money laundering charges and is banned from the USA. The Nizami Ganjavi International centre, an organisation funded by the Azerbaijani government. Not even his own party would let him officially campaign on its behalf.
Abela should learn the lessons of Muscat. He may have won elections. But he’s an outcast, shunned like a shameful blast from the past.
Honesty and transparency matter in public life - even in Malta where dishonesty, deviousness and secrecy dominate politics. Debts to the truth can be deferred but they must eventually be paid. Those court victories for the Shift are small victories for the truth. They are huge triumphs for the nation.