I wonder why Austin Bencini must always take up the cudgels for the Nationalist Party. In this instance (July 15), he makes himself look ridiculous.

I refer to the penultimate paragraph of his contribution: Lawrence Gonzi, Dr Bencini writes, ascertained that the vote on the second reading of the divorce Bill would be favourable, and then went on to vote (“no”) according to his personal conscience.

And, I ask, had it looked like the vote would be unfavourable, would Dr Gonzi have voted “yes”? Or would he have twisted a few arms to ensure a favourable vote, and then go on, himself, to vote “no”? What kind of man is Dr Bencini painting Dr Gonzi to be? As for Dr Gonzi’s conscience – where was that conscience when he wrote to Air Malta’s workers promising them security in their job, or when, a few weeks later, he awarded himself and his ministers a €500 weekly increase, and kept it secret, to boot? Where was it when he voted “wholeheartedly”, as Dr Gonzi himself put it, for the sharp energy tariff increases that have broken so many households? I wonder if that conscience is still alive.

The divorce Bill is Labour’s Trojan horse for the next elections, Dr Bencini writes. I wonder, however, if the outdated identity cards will be the Nationalist Party’s weapon at the election. The PN will want to win this election at all costs, to be in government when it is Malta’s turn at the EU rotating presidency. We shall see to what levels of machiavellianism the PN will sink, to try to achieve that. The writer starts off his piece by saying that “the truth must be said and the facts brought out in the open”. He could have written, at least, “my truth”, and “some of the facts”. His truth is rather lopsided, at times, and his memory as bad as his logic, because he left out quite a few facts.

Such as the fact of the PN coming out against divorce legislation, but allowing a free vote to its MPs. Was anything ever so contradictory? Such as Dr Gonzi insisting on a referendum and then, aping Eddie Fenech Adami, refusing to accept its result. But Dr Fenech Adami did not have a vote to cast. Dr Gonzi did, and he went on to defy the people’s will.