The fiction created by the Labour Party about the supposed negativity of the Nationalist Party reminds me of those Facebook hoaxes automatically shared by people who do not even check whether they are true.
In this way, the hoax of “PN negativity” was picked up and parroted by many, including those who genuinely consider themselves independent and balanced in their views.
Fortunately, this myth is gradually being exposed, as more and more people come face to face, not with the negativity of the Opposition but, rather, with that of the government. And this is real negativity that impacts their way of life.
Consider the following actions and decisions taken by the government: the LNG tanker inside Marsaxlokk Bay; the secret contract with Henley & Partners; the scandalous promotions and transfers given in the armed forces; the €100 million ‘missing’ from the 2014 Budget, which the EU is asking about; the partial privatisation of Enemalta; the hundreds of iced buns flagrantly given to members of the ruling clique; the rising national debt; the mystery surrounding the contract with Electrogas; the politicisation of the police force; the sale of citizenship; the continued use of heavy fuel oil, in spite of pre-electoral scaremongering;
The lack of transparency in declaring ministers’ income; the bloated consultancy contracts given to certain handpicked MPs; the pushback policy and the strident anti-immigrant rhetoric; the Prime Minister’s private car leased to the... Prime Minister; the total chaos in public transport that makes one nostalgic even for Arriva;
The out-of-stock medicine products; the rising unemployment; the mysterious dealings with John Dalli; the even more mysterious dealings with China; the worsening work conditions of Enemalta employees;
the evident collusion with developers and speculators; the numerous politically-motivated transfers in all departments; the waiving of the code of conduct for Franco Mercieca; the ridiculous pomposity to announce a 2c reduction in petrol and a €1.3 monthly increase in student stipends; the ‘canonisation’ of Cyrus Engerer; the persistent use of illegal billboards; the implicit refusal to impeach a sitting judge; the use of Gozo Channel ferries and military helicopters as a private taxi service for the ruling class; the waiving of court proceedings against those who bribed public officers in the tampered electricity meters case; and the dropping of the court case regarding Australia Hall.
Which of these actions can be described as positive? Some of them are much more serious than others but all are prime examples of government negativity.
I have purposely included hard facts and left out subjective judgments, such as the constant lying, the Prime Minister’s insufferable insolence, the trickery regarding the true amount of the utility rates reduction and the rumours about Labour funding by Henley & Partners or evenby the Chinese. Those points are debatable, so I did not include them but there is no denying that the items listed above have actually occurred.
The muddy stream of government negativity has now swelled to a river of muck
The muddy stream of government negativity that started oozing in March last year has now swelled to a river of muck.
On the other hand, the PN has not criticised the good results in tourism, the opening of a new Mcast campus (started by the previous administration, but never mind), the centre for biomedical sciences (again, started by... never mind), civil unions, the half-kept promise of VAT refunds on imported cars, the opening of childcare centres and other achievements, few as they have been.
The Opposition also voted in favour of the partisan choice of President and agreed with and cooperated on dozens of laws.
So, please, let us stop being negative about the Opposition, which is doing its duty and making itself heard in spite of the government’s best efforts to hinder the democratic parliamentary process (vide the recent antics in the Public Accounts Committee, which refused to even discuss the contract with Henley & Partners).