In the last four years, during which I had the privilege to represent the residents of the 9th district in Parliament, I came to know better Godfrey Farrugia, a Labour MP and former health minister.

I had already an inkling of the man because, like my husband Jean Pierre, he hails from Żebbuġ. Jean Pierre used to tell me how much Farrugia was respected by the Żebbuġ community and about his sincere dedication to the welfare of his fellow citizens.

As for myself, from the ‘other side’ of the House, though disagreeing with some of his political decisions, I could, however, detect that Farrugia is undoubtedly a person of total integrity who always tried to put forward his arguments in an honest way without hurting anyone.

It was against this background that I read his letter to the Prime Minister in which he resigned as whip of the Labour Parliamentary Group.  A letter which was very much in line with what he always reiterated both in the House and outside.

The letter goes beyond explaining Farrugia’s raison d’etre in politics. It hits directly at the very heart of a Labour government which lost its ways not over a four-year period, but way back, some few days after attaining power.

This is a letter which the electorate should examine not only because of its precious conclusions but also because it comes from an honest eyewitness from an incredibly close vantage point.

The letter may be described as a postmortem on Joseph Muscat’s government.  These are the most operative quotes:

“Against my wishes I resigned (from a minister) and refused other ministries. I had smelt a hidden agenda of people who were close to you, persons in whom you have trust.”

“When we started to justify our mistakes and reiterate that inappropriate acts were good, then it became a different story.”

“The OPM gradually took on more power even when it became embroiled in the shadowy international Panama scandal.”

“The political game of illusions was never to my liking and, even worse, post-truth politics, hypocrisy and anti-truth.”

“In some reforms leading to the setting-up of authorities, I expected politicians to be removed from the centre and distance themselves. We did the opposite. We strengthened politicians when it was the opportune time to spread the power base.”

“Wrongful behaviour was not checked in time and this had its repercussions that brought us with our backs against the wall. We lost our moral fibre. We failed to unite the people.”

Godfrey Farrugia’s last act as an MP was a veritable indictment on Muscat’s government

“We arrived at a point where we are giving Malta a bad name on an international level and this at a time when Malta is presiding the EU Council.”

“The most recent allegations hurt me and this is because I treasure my country.”

“I voted in Parliament as a whip, even when I was asked to do so against my conscience.”

“With responsibility and respect, I am informing you that I am resigning from government whip... in the hope that I will bring the leadership to its senses and stop using the people for the protection of its power.”

“People’s confidence in Labour’s ideal should have never been betrayed and used to push the agenda of the few who, it is so evident, do not have the national interest at heart.”

Farrugia’s last act as an MP was a veritable indictment on Muscat’s government.   Not a theoretical abstract excercise but an authentic testimony of what a man saw with his very eyes and arriving to factual and logical conclusions.

We can also draw our own conclusions from the letter. These are my main rational conclusions.

The people closest to Muscat have hidden agendas; this government was characterised by a conduct which translated itself in ‘the bad becomes good’ and vice-versa; with the advent of the Panama scandal, Muscat and his cronies bestowed upon themselves more and more power; the hallmarks of this administration were illusions, hypocrisy and anti-truth;

The Labour Party totally lost its social fibre in the last four years; Labour was instrumental in instigating conflict within the population; government actions are causing irreparable damage to Malta’s image and this while our country is presiding the EU Council;

Recent allegations are most hurtful to our national interests; Labour pressurises its members in Parliament to vote against their conscience;

Muscat and his influential Castille friends betrayed people’s confidence; those few around him do not have national interest at heart.

Farrugia’s ‘political testament’ will definitely help those who are still examining the situation before heading to the polls.   The letter is of particular interest to all those who consider themselves as ‘moderate’ and who truly have Malta’s future dear to their hearts.

We should all be grateful to Farrugia who would not have made this courageous decision ‘behind closed doors’. He wanted to relate his bitter experience in Muscat’s Labour Party so the electorate would have a rare insight to what was going on among the top echelons of the Muscat government.

We had quite a similar experience before the last general election when former Labour deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia spilled the beans on what was going on in Muscat’s party behind everybody’s back. Many of us discarded Farrugia’s admonition.

Let us, with our experience, and with the help of Godfrey’s heartfelt sincere eye-opener, do what it takes to unleash our country from this awkward and dangerous situation.

I choose Malta.

Kristy Debono is the Nationalist Party’s spokeswoman for financial services, IT and gaming.

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