Opposition leader Simon Busuttil is clearly trying to raise a buzz about Air Malta, building perceptions on the possibility that the Government would privatise the national airline. He did so several times in the last few days, pinning his probing on two points: the state of the restructuring programme for Air Malta and the question whether privatisation is anywhere in sight.

In essence this was Labour’s approach to the issue when it was in opposition, bearing out my theory that if you close your eyes to who is saying it, all too often it is hard to distinguish who is actually who. Just as much as the Nationalist government used to do, Labour denies any move towards privatisation, in whole or in part.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat declared that early on. Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella, whose portfolio includes the national carrier, did so too. In fact they did not deny – they stated the Government’s intention before the opposition raised the issue.

There is nothing to suggest that privatisation is in the offing. The background to that prospect is hardly what Dr Busuttil is making it out to be. It is that the whole political class speaks against privatisation, but the knowledgeable private sector sees it as the only way of having a decent try to move forward. I am sure that the Nationalist government was told as much, in an unofficial capacity, by those appointed to the board of directors under the chairmanship of Louis Farrugia.

Time will tell who’s right. Meanwhile the programme to restructure Air Malta is ongoing, with some visible signs of success, albeit not necessarily enough of that. In this regard the ball remains very much in the Nationalist court. Which explains why Busuttil is attempting to kick it away.

The position has been coldly and boldly stated by Minister Vella. He has said that the Government was giving full space to those hired by the previous board of directors to implement the plans drawn up by them and approved by the outgoing Nationalist government.

There is nothing to suggest that privatisation is in the offing

The modus operandi, the Minister clearly implied, was exactly as left by his Nationalist predecessors. If the measures succeed, the Nationalists deserve merit. If they fail, they remain the authors of the attempt.

This is political stancing at its shrewdest. Students of politics might do much worse than follow it in detail as material for a case study in how to be political without politicising the issue. Few among the public are students of politics. Most of us are not interested in working out the naïveté of the opposition leader and throwing fresh boomerangs into the air, unmindful that they will hit his side hardest. Nor in appreciating the coolness of Minister Vella in ensuring that.

What we need to know is how things are getting on. Is the progress being achieved by Air Malta under the restructuring programme enough to bring about the turnaround demanded by the rest of the European Union? Whoever is in office, this was always going to be the airline’s Last Chance Saloon.

Those responsible for the restructuring must be presumed to be on top of things, and that they are keeping the new board of directors fully on board of their efforts. Initially there were rumours of brittleness and fresh dissent, which may have been one reason for the way the management team were given full space to operate as they thought best.

That phase seems to have passed. Whatever is going on behind the scenes is not spilling out in public. Perhaps that is why the Opposition Leader is trying to stir up fresh controversy by implicitly suggesting privatisation might be in the air – a likelihood which might not have been excluded had the Nationalists won.

And also, a possibility to be bookmarked on the reality manual just in case the restructuring programme does not achieve the set and required targets.