So Labour strikes again!

It is so very sad when the opposition finds fault with each and every decision the government takes but it is doubly depressing when it carries this negativism beyond our shores. We all know that three of our members of the European Parliament refrained from voting to support or reject the first-ever EU Constitution (another was not present).

It would have been painful enough had they voted against but, no, to our national shame, they chose not to commit themselves either way! One of them did not even find the time to attend and chose to stay at home.

Our democratically elected EU parliamentary members have a responsibility towards the whole of Malta and not a faction, which has "still to adopt an official stand on the European Constitution". Ironically, their European Socialist colleagues voted hands down in favour of the new Constitution!

We had been warned that the candidates fielded by the Malta Labour Party were not to be trusted to represent us in the European Parliament. We all remember the negative stand the MLP had adopted against joining the EU and its leader's eye-opening statement that EU members of Parliament would simply warm their seats! Perhaps Alfred Sant is psychic because that is exactly what his protégés just did.

Malta's European Union membership is a reality. Our five national representatives must have the courage to shoulder their political responsibilities and no excuse on earth will ever justify the three of shirking them by snubbing "an overwhelming result that went beyond everyone's dreams" or playing truant on "this historic day for Europe".

Decisions are either taken through commitment or through omission. Choosing not to choose is a choice. Deciding not to decide is a decision and the MLP has decided not to decide!

Inactions scream volumes. The MLP has either been dozing away on its seat or it has totally lost the plot. It is absolutely disgraceful that after three years of ongoing and intense debate on the EU Constitution, the MLP has not yet "taken an official stand" on the matter.

It is even more scandalous when one considers that its leader, Dr Sant himself, as well as Labour's European affairs spokesman George Vella, his understudy, were members of the European Convention that drafted this very European Constitution. Pray may I ask: what were they doing there? Warming their seat there, too?

"This is not solely a missed opportunity for the Labour Party and the gains that it will make through the Constitution", as one of the papers reported, it is a missed golden opportunity for us all. The MLP, by its gross omission, has chosen to forfeit the sixth seat for Malta in the European Parliament that the new Constitution guarantees. Is this a party with vision? Is this a party with the national interest at heart?

Dr Sant stubbornly refuses to contribute an iota towards our country's vitally imminent reforms.

Neither is a national social pact on his agenda although pacts are not alien to him. I still remember Dr Sant admitting he would be prepared to sign a pact with the devil to gain votes and, prior to the EU referendum, gesticulating with a piece of paper, supposedly his personal pact with the people!

Every time Dr Sant is implored to change course and join forces with the social partners he persistently repeats the monotonous refrain that until the government admits there is a crisis he will not play ball. Oh yes, Dr Sant, I agree, we do have a crisis, a contaminant that is poisoning our country and has now, unfortunately, polluted our otherwise healthy environment in the European Union!