I want to discuss five topics this Sunday.

1.       Owen Bonnici and the Maltese Language Centre

Whichever ministry is entrusted to him, Owen Bonnici unfailingly demonstrates he is incompetent. Dr Bonnici is the antithesis of the technocrat. The technocrat is a member of a technically skilled elite – when Prime Ministers entrust ministries to technocrats, it’s so that the top man can adopt a hands-on approach, in the hope that the results justify the exception to democracy.

But Dr Bonnici is the exact opposite. He is a technically unskilled politician whose only asset is the ability to ingratiate himself. The man’s skillset is non-existent. The problem is that he is very popular with a certain segment of the electorate. But here it’s the Prime Minister who errs, not the electorate. Members of Parliament are elected to the legislative organ of the State. We elect law-makers, not potential ministers. In other words, if an MP is patently an incompetent administrator, the Prime Minister should not hire that MP as Minister. Or if it becomes clear only late in the day that the MP is incompetent, the MP should immediately be fired from Cabinet. Ultimately, the electorate elects MPs to serve as legislators. MPs then unite to choose the primus inter pares, the Premier, who then hires (and fires) MPs to serve in his Cabinet.

Owen Bonnici has a track record of failures, in each and every ministry he has been entrusted with. So why does the Prime Minister persist in trusting Dr Bonnici with new ministries to mismanage? It’s abundantly clear that Dr Bonnici is not good at public administration. He should be left to carry out the job he was elected to: law-making. Not public administration.

The abysmal level of constitutional education in this country is terrifying. People elect legislators. The Prime Minister hires Ministers. The Prime Minister has a sacrosanct duty toward the country to hire the best people to head ministries. Incompetent people like Dr Bonnici – despite the fact they are probably well-meaning – should be left out of the Cabinet. This is so basic; it does not need to be said explicitly.

The latest case in which Dr Bonnici has shown his ineptitude at public administration should seal his political destiny.

He seems to have imposed somebody (Norma Saliba) on the Maltese Language Council, without first discussing it with them. One could suspect the Minister did it on purpose, either to frustrate Mrs Saliba or to belittle Olvin Vella, the Council’s President. But I don’t think the Minister can really be accused of malice. I think it’s more a question of stupidity and incompetence. The Minister is simply stupid and incompetent. Only a novice would think he could pull this one off and get away with it. Since Owen Bonnici is not a novice (he’s actually the senior minister, if you please!), then it must be stupidity and incompetence. Which makes me repeat that the Prime Minister should not hire stupid and incompetent people as Ministers.

We should all follow this case as it unfolds – particularly after a certain Mark Amaira has started legal action against the Minister (and others) in relation to Mrs Saliba’s appointment.

I will be keeping a watchful eye on one particular detail. The Maltese (that is to say, the constitutionally authentic) version of the law has a mismatch which might be interesting. The main legislation (Chapter 470) speaks of a “Ċentru Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti”, which is to serve as the seat of the Maltese Language Council and offer printed and audiovisual resources. Subsidiary legislation 470.01 refers to a “Ċentru tal-Ilsien Malti”, the functions of which are wider than those of the Ċentru Nazzjonali tal-Ilsien Malti. I’m really curious to see if this mismatch is just another example of Dr Bonnici’s incompetence, or whether it turns out to be some sort of “Baldrick’s cunning plan”.

Let’s wait and see.

2.       Anxiety and depression

It seems that there has been an increase in suicides. If this increase is not just a perception but really reflects what is going on, then we have to ask ourselves why people (men and women) are giving up.

There are probably many causes for suicides. Most are probably related to money issues and psychoses. But I would think that there are people who decide to end their lives because the burden of living becomes unbearable.

The liberal wing of the political spectrum has insisted for quite some time now that not accepting non-heterosexual people has led to high suicide rates among this part of the population. Advocating for the acceptance of non-heterosexual people is obviously a good thing. (Even though, I believe that in Malta we have imported the British, puritan narrative without questioning whether it really applied to our Catholic culture.)

But as someone who self-identifies as a conservative/traditionalist/communitarian (yeah, it’s a fluid identity), I have to ask whether the brutal attacks on heterosexual men (“toxic masculinity”, free rein given to vindictive mothers who don’t want fathers to see their children, etc) contribute to suicides. I also have to ask whether the relentless attacks on motherhood (the promotion of abortion as if it were “healthcare” and its normalisation, precedence given to career over family, etc) contribute to suicides.

Lastly, I have to ask whether the remorseless destruction of our urban and natural environment is contributing to suicides. When nothing is sacred any more (some cowboy wants to build some horrendous building next to Ġgantija and another one next to the Birkirkara parish church), the individual feels insecure and isolated. When we also ridicule organised religion (and the Church itself is doing pretty little to stop the onslaught), people lose all hope. Constant changes in the environment and no source or sign of hope give rise to anxiety and depression.

The sneering cynics should remember that Alcoholics Anonymous, say, invite the people they’re helping to accept the existence of a Supreme Being in order to find their way out of the dark forest. Belief in the existence of a Supreme Bring restores hope. And helps to preserve Life.

3.       Drug-driving

In my last article, I wrote that I was not aware of any local study on the effect of smoking weed on driving. A reader messaged me and drew my attention to a report published by the President’s Foundation for the Well-being of Society in 2016, and presented to Mr Speaker and other representatives of the institutions.

In its Conclusions, the report states unequivocally that: “driving under the influence of any psychoactive substance is a major road accident risk and needs to be addressed... The recommendations provided for Malta in the different sections of this review need to be discussed in the right fora, bringing together all relevant contributors. This debate needs to begin as soon as possible, given the road safety risk posed by drug-drivers, and the recent depenalisation of drug possession for personal use. It is important that the Maltese government sends out the right message, and does so in a timely manner, i.e. ‘simple possession of illicit drugs may be depenalised but getting on the roads and risking the lives of others is a road safety matter, and measures will be taken to punish anyone engaging in that behaviour’. This message, as well as information about drug-driving in general needs to reach the general public through a mix of approaches, including media and educational campaigns. The best way for people’s perceptions to change is to actually increase the presence of traffic police on Maltese roads, and breathe new life into the existing drug-driving legislation.”

This was published in 2016, six years ago.

What has happened during these six years?

4.       Public works

In my last article, I remarked that it’s a disgrace that in Malta we don’t have signs showing when public works will be completed. I even published a photo I myself took in Mosta, where works are being carried out (at a snail’s pace) and there’s no indication of when they’ll be ready.

I don’t know if my article served as a wake-up call. But fact is that a few days later, we got this news: “Another Transport Malta rule will require all roadworks to have notice boards identifying the entity responsible for works, the contractor’s name, the date when works began and when works should finish.”

If it was thanks to my article, then I get some satisfaction that my little contributions help the common good. If it was just a coincidence, still, it’s a nice coincidence.

Bottom line: shame on the Best-in-Europe Government that they’re implementing such a basic act of decency, courtesy, and consideration after ten years of being in power!

5.       Stabile

Now I must state that I find this Isabel Stabile to be quite a disgusting person. She promotes the killing of unborn babies as if it were some great contribution to the common good. I speak to liberals on the Continent: their attitude toward abortion is always inspired by sadness as they consider it a necessary evil. Dr Stabile seems to consider it a noble, cheerful crusade. She reminds me of those loonies who consider abortion as a way to free women from the patriarchy. I always try (and fail) to understand their logic: these women freely engage in coitus but then if the natural outcome results, keeping the baby means giving in to male power. If you freely engage in intercourse, how can you argue that the resultant pregnancy is a manifestation of Patriarchy?

Frankly, there’s a line (thin or otherwise) between Sober liberal and Hippy liberal. I can have a “mature conversation” with the Sober liberals. But I don’t think the Hippy Liberals should have a seat at the table. And the same applies to the Fascist Liberals, who are the worst among the three – as they are not only intolerant toward conservatives, but they also want to browbeat conservatives and, at times, do things to them that are even worse. I have had to endure Fascist Liberals shouting at me, on the phone. To be fair, nobody has – so far – decided to shout to my face.

I dislike all Fascists, be they Liberal or Conservative. And I hope I’m not the only one.

In the meantime, this Dr Stabile wrote in last Friday’s Times of Malta: “allow me to proudly admit that not only do I show women in Malta how to take abortion pills but I also provide advice and support before, during and after their self-managed abortions. I do this together with my colleagues in Doctors for Choice.”

I think it’s high time the Police took action. In my view, this is nothing short of a public confession. Now, it’s either article 33 or articles 241 et seq of Chapter 9 of the Laws of Malta.