Opposition leader Joseph Muscat talks cartoons, IVF and environment with Ariadne Massa on the day he unveils his party’s electoral manifesto.
The TV is tuned in to Disney Junior as Joseph Muscat helps one twin daughter, Etoile, put on her shoes while his wife Michelle brushes the hair of the other, Soleil, whose gaze is fixated on the cartoons.
We didn’t want to personalise the IVF debate by speaking about our experience
“We time ourselves to Winnie the Pooh, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates in the morning. We have no chance of watching any breakfast shows, which is a blessing in disguise,” Dr Muscat says, as his five-year-old twins bounce on the sofa.
The alarm in the Muscat household goes off at 6.45am and Dr Muscat’s job is to get the twins ready – the morning is his time to bond with the girls because with the campaign in full swing they are often fast asleep by the time he returns home.
His wife would have carefully laid out his suit and matching tie; a vital part of Dr Muscat’s daily routine as the 39-year-old Opposition leader is colour blind and unable to distinguish between certain colours.
His events coordinator Glenn Bedingfield laughs as he recalls the time he travelled with Dr Muscat to London and realised that all his clothes were labelled to avoid a “style calamity”.
Unable to resist playing a joke on his friend, Mr Bedingfield swapped the labels and then waited in the hotel lobby. The outcome was highly amusing, but he felt too guilty to let him go out dressed like that, he recalls as the two of them laugh heartily at the memory.
Pouring himself an orange juice, Dr Muscat helps his girls with their haversacks and in return gets a hug and a kiss before they climb into the their mother’s car headed for San Anton School.
The twins were born through in-vitro fertilisation, and he admits that he and his wife struggled to remain quiet about what they went through when the debate on the controversial IVF legislation was raging last year.
“We didn’t want to personalise the debate by talking about our experience. We wanted to approach the situation with candour. It was hard not to speak out, but we felt it was the best decision,” he says, adjusting his tie and preparing to leave his Burmarrad home.
It is 8.35am and Dr Muscat gets into the front seat of the car – he feels queasy sitting at the back – driven by his long-standing friend Philip Camilleri.
The first event is a press conference in Lija at 9am where a biting wind threatens to scatter his speech about the Constitution.
It is 30 days into the nine-week long campaign. Does he feel the electorate is switching off?
“Well, elections are a bit like Eurovision – everybody loves to hate it, but nearly everybody follows it... but I’m confident the message is getting across; every day we have to explain and explain,” he says, adding how people these days were more engaged and questioned more.
Voters, he felt, wanted a common-sense approach towards politics. “People don’t want auction politics, so it didn’t help that both parties came out with the tablets’ proposal for schoolchildren on the same day,” he adds.
Labour, he insists, purposely delayed their electoral programme so that they would have time to clearly explain their energy proposals.
“In the past week there was pressure on us to up the game, but we’re not in a casino,” he says, explaining how the manifesto – coordinated by Karmenu Vella and party CEO James Piscopo over the past three years – had grown or shrunk over that time depending on budget and priorities.
Throughout the journey, Dr Muscat checks his Blackberry and attempts to clear his e-mails, at times expressing frustration that the more he replied, the more people came to expect a quick response.
As they approach the party headquarters in Ħamrun, his personal assistant Ray Barbara informs Dr Muscat of a woman’s wish for him to visit her sick husband. He gets several similar requests and Dr Muscat does his utmost to listen to these people’s concerns, often leaving their homes drained and with a heavy heart.
“Listening is key in these situations; there are few words that can give these families courage,” he says.
At 9.30am, Dr Muscat arrives at the headquarters and takes the lift to his office on the third floor. The gold plaque, engraved with the word Mexxej (leader) that adorned the arched wooden doors during his predecessor’s days, has since been removed. Dr Muscat quips: “Otherwise they’ll know where and who to shoot!”
Switching on his computer as Mr Camilleri walks in with an orange juice, Dr Muscat starts checking his e-mails. He gets an average of 70 an hour – most are from people sharing their stories, others complain about Arriva, while some write in to say they welcomed his unifying message.
“Unity is important. The challenges we face if elected are the country’s economic revival and energy and we will approach key areas in a bi-partisan manner,” he says.
“We want the best brains with us, so if we’re preparing for Malta’s EU Presidency [in 2017] I want to rope in the best elements on the island, irrespective of their political allegiances, to ensure it’s a success.”
As the phone rings, Dr Muscat encourages The Times’ team to visit the fourth floor, which made news after the Nationalist Party questioned whether this was where Labour met contractors and businessmen for ‘shady’ dealings.
The fourth floor is where the campaign team is running the show, from volunteers, to advisers and press spokesmen. They jokingly introduce themselves by contractors’ name, and in jest one office has even been christened Permessi, ODZ.
The interview which former deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia had with The Sunday Times, where he alleged that “big contractors” were getting close, has cast doubt on Labour’s environmental credentials, especially after the party proposed splitting the planning and environmental roles within Mepa.
Dr Muscat denies that Labour is a party of contractors and says: “No one person has a hold on us. We’re pro-business, but it’s not true that we’re promising permits to people once we’re elected.”
How important is the environment to him? Are outside development zones (ODZ) sacred?
“We don’t see the need to amplify the boundaries. There may be exceptions, as there are today... but as a rule of thumb I don’t see the need for expansion,” he says.
Dr Muscat has been very cautious about replying to journalists’ prodding questions after Dr Farrugia’s interview, at times preferring to reply with a “no comment”. Does he have any regrets at the way the situation played out?
“I still have a lot of respect for him and I wish there will be an opportunity to work together in the future. I mean that,” he says, carefully weighing every word.
Asked if he was refusing to comment for fear of making matters worse, Dr Muscat replies: “Your assessment is correct. There’s hurt involved. I still consider as a friend somebody who’s been very loyal.”
How can he say he is willing to have Dr Farrugia back when many believed he was a liability? And how can he consider Dr Farrugia to be a friend when he has accused him of “political murder”?
“I never felt he was a liability. And I’m not taking it against him for what he said, because I think he’s hurt. I’d like to think things haven’t ended up this way,” he says, slipping on his suit jacket.
The next appointment is at 10.30am at One Studios where he will be interviewed by Jackie Mercieca. As he leaves the headquarters, he stops to speak to three youngsters – their eyes shine with incredulity at their luck of having spoken to the party leader.
In the car he is back on his Blackberry, preferring to clear his e-mails than read the day’s headlines. If there is something important, his team will alert him.
Several people are waiting outside the studios, eager to get their copy of the book Joseph – Malta Li Rrid Ngħix Fiha signed.
He smiles and shares a joke before Mr Bedingfield leads him to the studios, and arranges his tie.
The gym helps me to empty my mind and re-energises me to face the rest of the day
Another interview is lined up immediately after, this time with Andrew Azzopardi on radio at PBS Studios.
Does his journalistic background help in such situations?
“I know the game and I understand that journalists have to do their job,” he says.
At 12.15pm, Dr Muscat gets a break from political engagements and his driver heads to the Spinach Fitness Club in Pembroke for the part of the day he looks forward to most – an hour at the gym.
“The gym helps me to empty my mind and re-energises me to face the rest of the day,” he says, grabbing the haversack from the car boot and heading for the changing rooms.
His trainer, Alan Pace, has changed his workout during the campaign to focus on high-intensity targets, and Dr Muscat jokes that his “tummy workout is on the back burner till then”.
At about 1.10pm he winds down and heads for a shower. Glowing and running on a high, Dr Muscat intends to put his energy to good use – finalising his 2,600-word speech for the night’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
“I can’t read what others write or I’ll cannibalise it,” he smiles.
He does not have any lunch, except for two tangerines and a handful of nuts – “I get sleepy otherwise” – and he never reaches for caffeine. He is disciplined with food and this, together with a five-day workout, has helped him drop down two sizes.
Does being young work in his favour?
“It depends who you ask that question to. Some find it a stumbling block, but others accept that younger people can take the lead,” he says, getting ready to lock himself in the office for a four-hour marathon of back-to-back meetings.
His team utilise this time to catch up on the paperwork and Mr Barbara starts shifting through the mail.
It is not the first time that he has opened a threatening letter, but he bins these without showing them to Dr Muscat. If the threat is serious, however, it is immediately forwarded to the police. Last January there were two such menacing letters.
At 6.30pm Dr Muscat finally opens his office, and his team start scurrying around to finalise last-minute details before the entourage leaves the headquarters for the EGM at Eden Arena in St George’s Bay – Dr Muscat remains composed throughout.
“See, I’m the one who’s always on time,” he says.
His wife arrives with a change of clothes and at 6.50pm everybody is ready to go. Just outside, he gets a bonus hug from his daughters, who are in their tutus after ballet classes, and then hops into the car.
At 7.08pm, Dr Muscat arrives at Intercontinental Hotel where he is greeted by owner Kevin Decesare and accompanied to the Interconti Club Lounge for a drink, until the event starts.
The important moment arrives and at 7.30pm, Dr Muscat holds his wife’s hand tight and they walk on stage to thunderous applause from some 800 delegates, chanting “Joseph, Joseph”.
The conference overruns by an hour and the couple arrive home just before 11pm. By now, Dr Muscat is ravenous and his eyes light up when he peeks inside the oven to find baked rice, which his wife had prepared earlier using his grandmother’s favourite recipe.
Ms Muscat lights the fire and switches on the TV. The battle for the remote control is about to start as Dr Muscat will want to catch up on the football results – he is an avid Milan fan – and his wife will be keen to hear the headlines.
“Football helps me unwind. After I eat, I’ll have a shower and go to bed – the second my head hits the pillow I’m fast asleep.”