Who’s leading the Opposition? I thought I’d ask because events in Parliament throughout the last 10 months beg the question.

Joseph Muscat will keep leaping to someone else’s bidding when he really should be singing- Eddie Aquilina

Let’s be honest. Since January, we’ve had Joseph Muscat repeatedly dancing to Franco Debono’s tune. That’s what he did in the no confidence motion in the government he lodged last January after Debono was not promoted to Cabinet when several others were.

A competent Opposition Leader would not have risked such a vote without being certain of Debono’s vote. Had Muscat listened carefully to what he was saying throughout January, he would have got the clue that Debono would abstain. Many did. But Muscat didn’t get it.

Muscat is certainly inexperienced. Many who know him well admit he’s superficial. But he should certainly learn from his own mistakes. Did he?

He kept prancing to Debono’s tune throughout the year. The country lost the services of gentlemanly Carm Mifsud-Bonnici with Muscat again cavorting to Debono’s tune. The vindictiveness in the tune was clear.

The latest tune is health, a matter of priority for most of us. Muscat has come out spinning to Debono’s motion aimed at stopping the government from leasing St Philip’s Hospital. Debono is targeting Health Minister Joe Cassar, Muscat will be tripping around but patients – who can benefit from the space and rehabilitation that can be offered at St Philip’s, won’t be amused.

Austin Gatt is another target of Debono’s. We’ve already had a motion of no confidence in Gatt defeated in Parliament. The tune has now changed somewhat. Muscat will willingly dance.

And on it goes...

The Maltese have always had high expectations of a pre-election Budget. The government can certainly allow itself a pat on the back for its good economic stewardship and jobs created throughout this term despite the financial collapse of many of our trading partners.

Debono seems intent on pushing the country to an election without a Budget being presented or approved. Not a tune that amuses any business, any investor, any family or any individual. Imagine what kind of Budget we would have in January if Muscat is safely set up in Castille by then.

But Muscat will keep leaping to someone else’s bidding, even on a pre-election Budget. When he really should be singing.

What we expected this year was Muscat supplying at least some detail to all the vacuous phrases he dresses up as electoral pledges. Telling us how he will finance expensive pledges in what will certainly be financially stringent times would have been music to our ears.

And they have to be expensive pledges if they are to significantly affect people’s lives. Yet, Muscat keeps his pledges and their workings firmly beyond our hearing, the people who will finance them through the taxes we pay.

Is Muscat really up to the job of leading, rather than being led? Who will lead Muscat if he’s installed in Castille?

Will it be Anġlu Farrugia and the rest of the old brigade he brought back in after former Prime Minister Alfred Sant got rid of them?

We know Muscat has been dancing to someone else’s tune these last few months. Do we really want to experience the tune he will be dancing to in the next few years if he’s ensconced in Castille?