Iwas one of those who welcomed the Labour Party's (PL, now, I believe - which usually means Prokuratur Legali, at least in my circles) formulation of a code of ethics for its broadcasting wing. This was drawn up by a group of people that was balanced, its members being from diverse sectors and of diverse opinions, and all qualified. I said well done; it is time Net took a cue from this (although, in fairness sake, it is One that took broadcasting in Malta to the dregs of the dregs in the first place). But the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

We still have to see whether the Simone Cini and Charlon Gouder breed of hound will continue to stick microphones into others' noses when they deem it opportune. But, anyway, it was a good initiative, among some of the good initiatives taken by our new PL leader - he is one of our leaders, being one of Malta's leaders, whether we like it or not. I'm not shaken by any of his "earthquakes", however. His party reform is what should have been done 30 years ago when this exercise was undertaken by the PN, and also smacks of appeasing some of his inside opponents/contestants after the contest, when the going is safe. I'm not impressed.

But back to ethics. Code of ethics notwithstanding, it was somewhat baffling (though still expected) to hear on One TV news that embroiled in the midst of the controversial, if not popular, "espionage ring", headed by Paul Borg Olivier, we find the involvement of the famous and, indeed, heroic (I mean it, I know it, I saw it) Tal-Ġakketta Blu.

The PL news station described this patriotic group as being "paramilitary". And patriotic it was. It was a group led by no other than Austin Gatt (who else), then head of Elcom (the PN - not PL - electoral office), and he did the best job of that, that any party official has done in history. It was created to counteract not the PL electoral agents but the police state prevailing in 1981. It was there to give moral support to the PN electoral agents who were trying to survey the count at the Ħal- Far hall, as democracy demands, with SMU (Special Mobile Unit) fascist police pointing submachine guns at their back.

Tal-Ġakketta Blu, as we fondly referred to them, were nothing other than courageous men dedicated to defending democracy. They were not paramilitary and they were not armed. Their blue and black jacket was meant for identification purposes between themselves. It was heavy because it was December - cold weather normally, ay?

I have vivid and proud memories of seeing those men leave for Ħal-Far on that cold December night to spend a night of misery and terrorism. At the end of it all they were forced out of the counting hall by armed Mintoffian police. The democratic process of surveying the counting of votes was inexistent. Everyone was terrified.

This had also happened under Dom Mintoff in 1976 at the Polytechnic, now Junior College, of course, when Labour's private "police" (that is, criminal thugs, led by the most notorious gangster ever) disrupted the vote-counting process completely. It was meant to happen in the 1987 election, when counting was carried out at Ta' Qali, but Lorry Sant's troupes didn't quite manage it. I remember clearly being prodded in the back by an SMU submachine gun because I objected to Mr Sant's persistent hammering on the Perspex dividing vigilantes from counters. I sought refuge between a group of friends after being followed out of the hall by the paramilitary boys.

Back to One TV; these boys were referring to Charles Demicoli and my good friend Ivan Falzon being involved in some sort of espionage operation on behalf of the PN. Mr Demicoli was described as one forming part of Tal-Ġakketta Blu, "a paramilitary organisation".

This courageous group (it was no joke facing the might and ruthlessness of Mr Mintoff's police boys) faced criminal charges and were acquitted. If I remember rightly, judgment was delivered on the feast of St Paul's Shipwreck, or at least a sitting was held on that day - that is when this particular feast day had been abolished by the regime.

So where are the ethics commissioned and enacted by Joseph Muscat? Try again!