Rubbishing professionals

The systematic rubbishing of Dr Gordon Cordina by the Labour Party achieved its aim. Dr Cordina had to resign while the credibility of the National Statistics Office was dented. The ferocity and frequency of the attacks cannot be described as just technical comments on a technical matter.

The strategy was used with many other persons, though not always with the same success.

The work and adjustments made by the NSO under the direction of Dr Cordina have now been blessed even by Eurostat, the European Union's statistical arm.

We guess that no one - except perhaps some fanatic - doubts that Eurostat would not have given Dr Cordina a clean bill of health unless the health status was really clean. We now know that the hullabaloo made by the Labour Party was not justified and that their criticism does not hold water.

Are they ready to admit their mistake and try to clear Dr Cordina's name with their followers?

It is a shame that good people are rubbished in such a way only because they could have done something in the past which would have displeased the attackers.

This country is blessed with effective professionals but such attacks would make them think twice before agreeing to give their services to the country.

Like the Malta Employers Association, we say that those who vilified Dr Cordina in public should feel bound to apologise publicly.