When Labour came to power in March 2013, they did so on the back of a number of pledges. Chief among them was the pledge that Malta would have a clean and transparent administration, where things would be done fairly and through real meritocracy and where there would be zero tolerance for corruption. We are slowly approaching the fourth anniversary of Labour’s massive electoral victory and yet seem no closer to seeing any of those beautiful words turning into concrete decisions.
What we are seeing instead is Labour, through its politicians and media, arguing that indeed we live in a world where two wrongs make a right. Each time Labour is confronted with uncomfortable questions relating to potential cases of massive corruption within its ranks, the instinctive reaction is not that of verifying whether the claims are actually true or not, but rather to go dig into the files from the past in the hope of unearthing anything that can be spun into something that seems like a scandal of equal proportions and that can be pinned on the Opposition.
That Labour’s latest spin against Jason Azzopardi and Beppe Fenech Adami, among others, lacks credibility is putting it mildly. Even if, for the sake of argument, one were to entertain Labour’s spin as something more, the question still remains as to whether Labour truly expects people to accept its message that two wrongs make a right or that they are justified in doing what they do simply because the Opposition did it first.
Labour’s pledge was a fresh way of doing politics. To argue that two wrongs make a right and that the Nationalists did it first is to directly contradict that pledge. It is the single greatest piece of evidence that Labour does not truly hold to heart its own electoral pledges and is inversely still stuck in the old ruts of the past.
Dismissing the political process altogether only plays into the hands of those who want to use power for the most questionable of ends
It is hardly surprising that Labour is seeing even traditionally diehard supporters abandon its ranks in a feeling of massive disillusionment with politics. Even less surprising is the ever-increasing number of people who are realising that the only hope our country has of getting rid of the stench of Labour’s corruption and its passive attitude in the face of such corruption, is a Nationalist government under the leadership of Simon Busuttil.
The PN could have easily offered itself as simply the only alternative to Labour. But it has chosen to do much more and has put ink to paper on a specific programme of good governance, going beyond mere catchy slogans on billboards and offering a crystal clear glimpse into what a Nationalist government would be like.
Some might perhaps be tempted to dismiss the political process altogether, arguing that once Labour disappointed in 2013, there can be little hope that things will ever change. Reality is however different, in that unlike Joseph Muscat, Simon Busuttil has stepped away from the glitz and glamour of the campaign stage and has instead chosen the politically riskier business of specifics in the best possible demonstration of political integrity and courage.
Ultimately dismissing the political process altogether only plays into the hands of those who want to use power for the most questionable of ends. In the US the feeling of bitterness towards the political process allowed Donald Trump to pull off a most unexpected victory, against all odds.
It is clear that Labour does not intend to clean up its act, since it keeps defending its actions with the same old excuses. Simply shrugging and saying that nothing can be done will only play into the hands of Labour to get the green light to keep heading down this slippery slope. It is clear that the sensible alternative is a Nationalist government once it is time to head to the polls.
Angelo Micallef is a Nationalist Party election candidate on the second and eighth electoral districts.