The oh-so-enlightened Labour leadership

According to Mario Vella (June 6), the Nationalist Party and its present and past leaders are not enlightened because they do not agree with the introduction of divorce.

Let’s go back a few years when these unenlightened leaders and a multitude of others were farsighted enough to work hard so that Malta could one day be a member of the European Union. At the same time we had the previous enlightened leaders of the Labour Party, with the help of the present leader, working full blast against the government headed by Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, who spearheaded the proposal for Malta to take its rightful place as a member of the European Union.

We all remember Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici telling us that with EU membership, Malta will be infested with AIDS. On the other hand Alfred Sant told us the Sicilians would take our jobs. Then we had the General Workers’ Union leadership in total agreement with the enlightened MLP leader working and using its funds against EU membership.

To cap it all we had the present enlightened PL leader who used to regale us poor souls with his daily anti-EU radio talks Direct From Brussels. He also advised the people of Iceland to follow Maltese voters in their sacred fight against EU membership. We all know what happened to Iceland two years ago when it went bankrupt. Not so Malta, because the unenlightened PN leaders weathered the storm and continued to attract more investment from all parts of the world.

We also all remember the enlightened opposition leader, after the publication of the EU referendum result, telling his supporters at a mass meeting held near Marsa Shipbuilding that there was an overwhelming majority for his partnership proposal because he added the no votes to those who abstained. Now we have the new leader, Joseph Muscat, telling us that he is no longer against EU membership. Shall we call this enlightenment or immaturity?

Finally, may I ask whether Dr Vella was enlightened years back when he formed part of the now defunct Communist Party? He might wish to regale us with another enlightened essay on this subject.