If Labour is still all so gloom and doom, as the PN leaders and media emphasise on a daily basis, than voters’ primary objective on March 9 should be to steer Malta away from such potential disaster.

The polls have consistently indicated that Labour is very likely to garner more first preference votes than the PN. This would imply that we are facing a Labour absolute government with Joseph Muscat as Prime Minster by default, unless a third party makes it to Parliament – in which case there will be the possibility of a coalition of parliamentary seats and/or (legitimately) first preference votes.

If AD is elected, it is improbable that the PN would have won more seats than the PL, and it would be more likely to have a scenario of 32,32,1, or 33,31,1 or even 34,30,1 – with no extra seats allocated to the PL.

This will represent an opportunity for a PN+AD coalition on the basis of parliamentary seats (32,32,1) or possibly first preference votes, if Labour falls short of an absolute majority. One obviously cannot dismiss a PL+AD coalition, or an ultimate PL+PN grand coalition, but at least a Labour absolute government would have been averted.

Thus, anyone who believes or claims that Labour will ruin our lives may well consider giving their first preference to the PN (for either the top candidate or the one who is likely to garner the least votes), and then give their second preference to AD.

Such a strategy would maximise the PN’s first preference votes while also increasing the odds of AD being elected, and thus increasing the possibility of averting a Labour absolute government.