Our name is Red

A fine lot we are. Everybody is doing it. The government. The political parties. And now, the Curia as well. A fine mess we are in. Nobody seems to be able to measure twice and cut once according to the cloth. To spend no more than is or will be available. Our highest credited institutions are rapidly becoming entities no serious small branch bank manager would give credit to.

Rumours have been rife since the election that the parties have run up massive debts, the MLP some Lm3 million and the Nationalist Party not far behind. That the banks have been very tolerant. Elections are expensive one-night stands, but the parties seem to be at it all the time.

They regularly appeal for donations to their supporters, who respond with great generosity. Despite sanctimonious claims that they depend mainly on the little fella, the parties also approach businesspeople with straightforward demands. These dip into their bank accounts or cash piles judiciously, taking two-way precautions, though not necessarily with equal stakes.

The political leaders who, among other little things, should seek to persuade voters with their ability to manage the nation's finances properly, have a clear difficulty with keeping their own party coffers in order. Confronted with the huge deficit his party carried forward after April's general election, the rumour mill is grinding out, one major personality said he was unaware that things were that bad.

The ugly and worsening face of the public finances is now known to every taxpayer and evader, even if the prime minister uses Nelson's telescope rather than recognise the phantom of the drama. The public debt, mostly owed to the banks and the good citizenry, who like Sting's Russians love their children too, is a Maltese missile thrusting relentlessly towards the stratosphere. The government and the political parties now find they can share the bad publicity with the Curia, no less.

The frightening update of the public finances as at the end of August vied for attention over the weekend with the simultaneous release of the financial outturn of the Curia's operations during 2000. The Archdiocese, reported The Times on Saturday, was over Lm555,000 in the red.

"My Name is Red" - a masterpiece by Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk - might well be the favourite title on the bedside table of our political and Church leaders. Interesting convergence of predilection that, but what - in the name of all that's holy - is happening? To which unholy end are we heading?

At the root of it all there seems to be a pathological inability to keep balance. Among other things a Curia spokescleric revealed with great precision on Friday that the parishes had spent Lm178,465 on their festa - but only generated an income for this purpose of Lm157,436. Festa-deficit-running parish priests might be slapped gently with a reminder that there is such a thing as budgeting and budget control. But then, who would blame them if those parish priests protected the other cheek with a blunt reference to how the political top brass budget for their parties as well as for the nation.

In the final analysis, the burden from such remarkable lack of financial discipline is borne by the masses. Taxpayers dread the coming budget and wonder how harder the pips will be squeezed. Party faithful will continue to respond to repeated appeals for donations out of the bigness of their heart, whatever the size of their purse. In the archdiocese, those who remember to be also materially faithful to the Church contributed Lm215,586 less in 2002 than they did in 2001, but may be expected to recognise the dire need to provide a little bit more in the revealed circumstances.

Yes indeed, the good Maltese people will respond, enthusiastically (to church and party) or otherwise (to the state).

But that will not be the end of it if red remains the bottom line of the financial game. Further deficits will follow.

Perhaps the prime minister, leader of the opposition and the bishops, apart from finding mutual consolation in their common plight, might do worse than meet to trash out how they can manage Mammon's territory somewhat better. It certainly would not be out of place to start the meeting with a fervent prayer for divine assistance.