Recently one evening a Labour politician knocked on my door. I invited him into my residence and he sat down.

He said: “I’m here to get to know you and to hear your views on our record in government.” He went on: “What do you think of our record on the economy and on falling prices? The country’s economy is doing very well, isn’t it?”

I felt I was being ‘directed’ into areas considered favourable to the government. But I was eager to take this rare opportunity to be listened to by a politician. So I replied: “That may be so but I’m very concerned about the blatant corruption and bending of rules one reads about in the newspapers on a daily basis.”

He replied: “But I myself am not corrupt.” To which I replied: “I did not accuse you personally but the government is a corporate body and its members must accept joint responsibility. If they don’t speak up against it, then they inevitably get tainted by it.” His response was simply to repeat that he was not corrupt.

I saw this was getting nowhere, so I changed the subject to trapping. I asked him about the proceedings in the EU against Malta for the reintroduction of trapping. If found guilty and heavy fines are imposed, who would pay them – the trappers or taxpayers?

Again he evaded the question saying: “We won’t be found guilty.” I said: “But what if we are?” He replied: “We won’t because we have ‘right’ on our side.” I replied: “The EU doesn’t think so.” He repeated: “We do.” I said: “You don’t until the court says so.” I got the same reply: “We do.”

We were getting nowhere and without another word he literally leapt out of his chair and without so much as a thank you, he headed for the door as if the house was on fire.

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