On Monday 28 October, the court ordered PBS to stop broadcasting unconstitutional and politically partisan spots in connection with Budget 2025. PBS ignored the court and continued broadcasting Labour's propaganda. On Thursday 31 October the Opposition party alerted the court that PBS was violating its order.

Minister Owen Bonnici was outraged. "I fully condemn this behaviour," he fumed. "This is unacceptable behavior," Bonnici protested, "this is serious and is worrying in a democracy".  But the Minister wasn't referring to the national broadcaster contemptuously defying the court's order and continuing to spew Labour propaganda.  The Minister wasn't enraged because a national institution was defiantly breaking the law. Bonnici was furious because the PN Opposition had pointed it out.

Despite the court's clear order to PBS to desist from broadcasting Robert Abela's politically partisan message, PBS kept doing so.

Owen Bonnici castigated the Opposition for highlighting PBS' wrongdoing, flagrant abuse and despicable defiance of the court's order. He tried to inflame Labour's base against the PN by accusing the Opposition of wanting "to send PBS workers to jail". Owen Bonnici is beyond pathetic.

"They also want to take court action with the intention of finding PBS workers guilty of contempt of court," he yelled. In Owen's perverted logic the problem isn't that PBS defied the court. The problem for him is that the Opposition pointed it out.  He wouldn't be fussed about somebody committing murder, he'd just be furious at witnesses for coming forward to report the crime and for expecting the murderer to face justice.

"Everyone who knows the law knows what that means," Bonnici blundered, "and knows that the consequences may even be a jail term - I fully condemn this behaviour". This is just unbelievably absurd. His distorted argument is that since defying the court order could land PBS officials in jail, the PN should just keep silent and cover up PBS' contempt of court.

Spitefully, Bonnici commented that this "unacceptable behaviour" meant that the PN is "destined to remain in opposition".  "People do not want this type of behavior," Bonnici insisted.  Who are these "people" who want breaches of court orders to be covered up?

What 'people' want is a normal country where court orders are respected and implemented.  What the people want is a state where the rule of law is sacrosanct.  What the people want is a European country that respects its constitution and which prides itself on fairness and decency. 

Who are Bonnici's "people" who want to close their eyes to a Cabinet Minister defending PBS' defiance of the court? Which "people" want a government that blatantly abuses its power by hijacking the national broadcaster and transforming it into the mouthpiece of the ruling party?

Owen Bonnici is using Robert Abela's tactics.  Who can forget Abela's ridiculous press conference, with his whole cabinet behind him, accusing Reppublika of wanting to throw him in jail? That tactic didn't work the first time when Abela wielded it.  And it won't work the second time when Bonnici deployed it. 

"They file court applications to throw PBS workers into prison - it's completely unacceptable," Owen Bonnici ranted. "This is serious and worrying in a democracy".

What's serious and worrying in a democracy is having Owen Bonnici as cabinet minister making a fool of himself with his puerile attempts to incite Labour supporters against the Opposition for defending the rule of law. "They want to throw PBS workers into prison," is his tired battle cry.  That sounds more Trumpian than Trump himself - "They want to put me in prison. You know, just so you understand... It's never happened before in the history of our country."

"This is the first time that the PN has taken court action that would risk PBS workers going to prison - I fully condemn such action," Bonnici echoed.

Owen Bonnici is the real threat to our democracy.  He's openly defending PBS' violation of the court's order and condemning the PN for standing up for its rights.  He's sending PBS a clear message - just ignore the court, they have no real power anyway - we do.  Didn't the court declare Ian Borg's pool illegal? But it's still there.  Didn't the court rule Joseph Portelli's Sannat penthouses illegal? They haven't been demolished and they've even been provided with water and power.  Didn't the court order the investigation of former Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar?  But has he been charged?

Bonnici is proving the court has no power under Labour.  Court orders aren't worth the paper they're printed on. The court can issue as many orders as they like but Labour will just ignore them. And Owen Bonnici will protect Labour stooges who defy the court to pander to Labour's whims.

Bonnici is protecting his government's abusive manipulation of the state broadcaster for political partisan advantage and feigning outrage because the PN is resisting. He's pumping millions of our money to monopolise the national broadcaster for Labour's partisan objectives. Bonnici has only one aim - to secure his own power and that of his leader and his party. And if that means undermining the courts and the rule of law, so be it.

Nobody's surprised.  Owen Bonnici was convicted of breaching fundamental human rights before.  The court ruled he'd breached the most basic right, freedom of expression, by repeatedly clearing Daphne's memorial. He was condemned to pay compensation for the breach and all court expenses. The court was absolutely right - it called Bonnici's actions "absurd" and "surreal".

Owen Bonnici would have resigned instantly if this were a functioning democracy with respect for fundamental human rights. When he didn't, he should have been sacked.  That didn't happen because the man who should have kicked him out was Robert Abela, the very man who now appears on those partisan clips.

Owen Bonnici is right - "This is serious and is worrying in a democracy".