These days there’s a lot of handwringing because the public doesn’t trust politicians. We are told repeatedly that the public doesn’t appreciate the pressures, the long hours, the responsibilities and the goldfish bowl existence that’s part and parcel of being a politician.

All true of course. Theirs is a very onerous role. But it’s not just that the public doesn’t appreciate politicians, it’s that it actually disbelieves practically everything they say. Any statement made by a politician is greeted with extreme scepticism. In polls and surveys, the trust rating of politicians invariably flounders in the lower figures.

One of the reasons for this distrust is the great divide between their words and their actions. Take Nationalist MP Toni Bezzina. He has been outed as having applied to build a three-bedroom villa complete with a swimming pool, garages, a wine cellar and driveway in an ODZ area outside Mdina in an area of high landscape value.

The application was filed in the name of Bezzina’s wife. Ostensibly it was for the “rehabilitation and restoration of existing almond grove and World War II living quarters and observation room”. The pool and new access proposed were slipped in, seemingly as an afterthought. There was no mention of the fact that the “World War II living quarters” were small, roofless huts and hardly the grand officers’ residences suggested by the reference to the last war.

The almond grove was an especially cute touch, conjuring up images of almond blossoms and not the vast stretch of hard paving for the driveway and the deck area.

The Environment Resources Authority objected, citing “the substantial increase in the structure’s footprint and additional land take-up from other commitment”. It also said that the “approval of the application may also create an undesirable precedent for similar future proposals within the area and other ODZ land which cumulatively would result in further uptake of undeveloped land for unjustified uses”.

Later, the Labour media twigged on to the fact that Bezzina was behind the application and naturally went to town about it. Bezzina said he would be withdrawing the application “out of loyalty to the PN” and hoped that would be that.

Unfortunately it isn’t. Bezzina was one of the co-authors of the PN’s environmental policy. It is a well-researched document with some excellent proposals – among which we find increased scrutiny and control of buildings in ODZ areas. It is supremely ironic that one of the authors of one of the best Nationalist policy documents had to go and act in a way that totally undermines the proposed policy.

There are many forms of behaviour that are not strictly illegal but which are not commendable or admirable

Many will claim that he did nothing illegal by submitting an application under a policy that has been abused by many to transform a pile of stones into ostentatious and vulgar buildings in the countryside. That’s true. But it is not the point. The point is that there are many forms of behaviour that are not strictly illegal but which are not commendable or admirable.

So, for example, to date, no breach of the law has been established in Konrad Mizzi’s holding of an account in Panama. But the public feels uneasy as no minister should be associated with a dodgy tax paradise such as Panama.

Similarly, the system may have allowed for the issuing of a disabled parking permit for the wife of Labour MP Luciano Busuttil, but we find it insensitive of her to retain the permit when she is fit enough to play tennis and to wear high heels.

All of these are cases of varying gravity but they all serve to highlight politicians’ credibility gaps – speaking in one way and acting in a completely different manner.

An analogous scandal was the expenses scandal in the UK a few years ago where MPs were milking the system – albeit in a perfectly legal manner – to claim expenses on the public dime.

Some of these expenses were extravagant and totally unnecessary – such as the £1,645 duck house claimed by Sir Peter Viggers. It was legal, but reprehensible.

The expenses scandal caused an even greater disconnect between the public and its elected representatives. However, it also resulted in several resignations of erring MPs.

This is an utterly alien concept here – which is why local politicians shouldn’t be surprised that the credibility gap is widening into a huge chasm.

drcbonello@gmail.com