You don’t have to be a brilliant political pundit to detect that the Labour Party campaign for the European Parliament election due in May is being run through government-sponsored billboards throughout the island, government adverts in the local press and political spots on national TV produced by the Office of the Prime Minister.
These spots, entitled Issa Nista’ (‘Now I can’) are laden with political rhetoric which emphasise a number of measures announced in this year’s Budget which was presented and duly approved last December.
The PN made a formal complaint to PBS and the Broadcasting Authority asking for a remedy. In the absence of such a remedy I would like to suggest to whoever is responsible for producing these spots a number of issues which might be considered under the same heading ‘Now I can’.
Now I can be a lifetime militant of the Labour Party, write and produce party political publications and go to Labour Party headquarters on a daily basis, and all of a sudden, I am appointed the Principal Permanent Secretary to head the civil service.
Now I can be the Labour Party’s Legal Procurator and in a matter of a few hours be installed as the Commissioner of Police, over the heads of all senior police officials with long years of experience.
Now I can be a family friend of the Prime Minister, given three promotions in as many weeks and appointed Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta with a considerable number of army officers feeling they have all been cheated.
Now I can be a family friend of the Prime Minister and without any call for applications and without any experience, be chosen as Malta’s Malta Tourism Authority representative in New York and paid €60,000 per annum.
Now I can be a family friend of Joseph Muscat and without any call for applications and without any experience be chosen as the chief organiser for the Commonwealth Summit (CHOGM) to be held in Malta.
Now I can be a minister’s wife and be handpicked as a Maltese trade representative in China – also without any call for applications – and, in the process be paid to the tune of €13,000 per month.
Now I can be a minister in a Cabinet whose declaration of assets resemble more a Richie Poweri tune than a decent exercise, and which were received by incredulous reactions by the people of Malta.
Now I can be an MP (obviously on the government side) and, contrary to what was the practice for the last 26 years, be given the headship of a government entity or authority and receive thousands of euros over and above the honoraria.
Now I can be a former Malta Labour Party official and be appointed to head a government cultural entity or given a number of government appointments without revealing what the level of remuneration is.
Now I can be an editor of a Labour-leaning newspaper and, without any call for applications, I am given a highly rewarding appointment with Malta Enterprise.
Now I can understand much better what Joseph Muscat and his party really meant when, before the general election, they chanted Malta Tagħna Lkoll
Now I can be a former chairman of a State-owned company who was replaced after committing a very public mistake and, then, after a change of government, be reinstated in some organisation.
Now I can be one of those people from all walks of life who put their face up on Labour billboards prior to the last election and, immediately after the result, go to ‘cash in’ on their gamble.
Now I can contact someone at specific government entities so as to receive, directly addressed to me, medicines that are officially ‘out of stock’ from the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme.
Now I can agree with an Enemalta employee to have my smart meter tampered with so as to gain a hefty discount on my electricity bill, and if I get caught I will not face court proceedings.
And, finally, now I can understand much better what Muscat and his party really meant when, before the general election, they chanted Malta Tagħna Lkoll.
In one of my recent articles I referred to what I called “the style over substance dichotomy” – that is for all to see and observe.
But in all cases mentioned above, Muscat and the Labour Party made exceptions to the rule by throwing the ‘style’ out of the window, leaving us with the ‘substance’ which reminded thousands of Maltese and Gozitans of former Labour governments, particularly those led by Dom Mintoff and his successor way back in the 1970s and 1980s.
On a separate note I would like to conclude by wishing a Happy Easter to the editor, the team of Times of Malta andThe Sunday Times of Malta, and readers.
Kristy Debono is the Nationalist Party’s spokeswoman on competitiveness and economic growth.