Joseph Muscat’s assertion on national television of being “against illegal hunting” bears contemplation. Upon reflection, this statement sheds light on how he perceives himself vis-à-vis the law. I’ll start with what should be obvious. No one is above the law and what the law deems illegal is in fact just that - illegal.

Joseph Muscat’s à la carte attitude towards laws is obvious

Declaring oneself to be against something illegal is not just another media-friendly sound bite. It portends a personality demonstrating a penchant for cherry-picking the law.

Someone aspiring to be a Prime Minister this week has every right to propose changes to the law but not to be in favour or against what is already established by law.

Or is he perhaps considering himself to be already possessed of a royal authority?

This truism, spewed out by Muscat, is exacerbated by his cavalier stance in other legal matters. When getting a whiff of blatantly illegal activities, the onus of investigating whether the misdeeds did indeed happen lies solely with the police and with nobody else!

The responsible and accountable person, unlike Muscat, is bound by duty, not to mention elementary ethics, to pass on the information to the police, possibly in a confidential manner.

In the case of the alleged drug trafficking occurring in one of his party’s clubs, Muscat absconded, as did his deputy, Toni Abela. They became self-appointed investigators, prosecutors and judges rolled into one. They even ruled in favour of their party interests and against the interest of the community.

In an interview subsequently given to The Sunday Times, he owned up to his mistake. Asked squarely whether he had any knowledge about the drug incident in one of his clubs, in close proximity to a school, by the way, the great leader Joseph answers “Yes”.

Did he do anything about it? But of course not.

He then insists that he had let the ‘ice’ euphemism slip out. He boats he has no problem admitting having been in the wrong. There’s nothing like hindsight, right, especially when he was exposed through no action on his own part.

You cannot expect to be trusted in the driving seat if you have to keep checking your rear-view mirror for any havoc you created in the wake of your passing.

Soon enough he tried to exonerate himself by pointing a finger at the Mosta Nationalist Party club. The difference lies in the fact that, in that case, as everybody knows, unlike Labour, no one swept any dust or powder under the carpet.

He has also subscribed to the flouting of the Public Service Management Code, literally flaunting this transgression in broad daylight with impunity, openly undermining the credibility and impartiality of the public service, while being prepared to cry foul and allege discrimination should the rules be invoked.

I am referring to the fact that public officers are bound by specific rules of conduct where it relates to involvement in political activities, with a specific provision [7.5.1.1 (a)] that clearly considers inappropriate “the implication that the public comment, although made in a private capacity, is in some way an official comment of Government or of the public officer’s employing directorate”.

And, yet, he condones a billboard showing an individual, signing herself off as a Mepa official while casting doubts on environment policies in place. Will this form the basis for the new meritocracy, one asks.

Muscat’s à la carte attitude towards laws is obvious. In the case of illegal hunting, he gives his blessing to its implementation. In the case of suspicion of drug trafficking in one of his clubs next to a school, he turns a Nelsonian eye. In the case of the public service code, he arrogantly flouts it.

All this beggars the question whether we want a Prime Minister who plays with the provisions of laws and rules as it suits him. Laws and codes of conduct are above the whims and convenience of any one person. Maybe it is about time that Muscat starts to accept that the law is not just tagħna lkoll (for us all) but għalih ukoll (applies to him too).

Victor Scerri is a PN electoral candidate.