Following the appointment of the multi-millionairess, Yana Mintoff Bland, as the government’s official poverty consultant, a number of other well-heeled Maltese are jumping on the paucity bandwagon, eager and willing to do ‘good works’ in a concerted effort to raise the standard of living of those at the bottom of society’s manure heap.
One such is Graziella Spampinato Degiorgio: aged... well she admits to 46..., ahem. A resident of the better part of St Julian’s, where she resides in a detached villa with pool and sauna – naturally. She is married to Ignazio Spampinato Degorgio, 58, who controls an electrical goods importing business – and who dabbles in property development on the side.
Mrs Spampinato Degorgio graciously granted our reporter an interview, in which she explains her reasons for hitching her wagon to the poverty cause... and here it is in full:
“Oh yes, I know what you’re thinking: ‘What on earth does she, a multi-millionairess, who can spend thousands for fun know about being poor? After all, she is someone who has never known what it’s like to not know where your next Rolex or Prada handbag is coming from.’
“I want to associate myself with the good works of that lady who – almost as selflessly as me – wants to help the down-and-outs of Malta. And I admire her for it. Why should she just be remembered as some dilettante, over-privileged champagne socialist and turd-tosser, whose only contribution towards alleviating world poverty is a frankly rather embarrassingly unsuccessful electoral campaign.
Real poverty is what people experience when they don’t have enough of the readies to book a flight – first class – to Hawaii for a dirty week
“So, I hear you cry, what practical measures are you scheduling to help her to implement, to stem the tide of national deprivation? I’ll tell you: I shall strive day and night to alter the course of, what has become, a national – or should that be a Nationalist – mega-scandal.
“For heaven’s sake, how can anyone, trying to raise a family in present-day Malta, get by – or even exist – on an income of just €10,000 a month? Answer me that? How can they? Of course I wouldn’t know, since I’ve never been obliged to do so. But it’s a thought, isn’t it... but?
“In my book, real poverty goes way beyond not having enough money to pay for that extra top-of-the range BMW or Tiffany’s trinket. Real poverty is what people experience when they don’t have enough of the readies to book a flight – first class – to Hawaii for a dirty weekend, or put down a deposit on a bijou little penthouse in Belgravia.
“But what about real poverty right here in Malta? I’ve heard people say that deprivation hereabouts is non-existent. Rubbish! There are plenty of paupers here, and I can personally vouch for that fact. Indeed, I have observed people from the more disadvantaged parts of my... er... our islands struggling to make ends meet, while the fat cats of the corrupt Nat – er capitalist society trample them into the mud.
“Believe me when I tell you that in Cottonera and the less salubrious parts of Valletta, some inhabitants have no more than two, yes two, flat-screen TVs per household. And I have personal experience of this... well, OK, not personal, but so my maids tell me – and that’s almost personal, right?
“Believe me, I have been told of scenes of utter deprivation – and what really gets to me are the looks on the children’s faces. Those poor little underprivileged mites, having to make do with last year’s PlayStation and a stolen tablet computer.
“I beg of you... spare a thought for them and then ask yourself: Is this the legacy we want our children to inherit?
“No it isn’t, we want change. How does it go? Malta tagħna lkoll!
“End poverty now!
“Or maybe later.”