Even though many tend to take surveys and polls with a pinch of salt, it would be foolish to ignore them altogether, particularly if they are done by reputable organisations. Politicians usually use the results of surveys according to whether they are favourable to them or not.

There were two points that particularly stood out in two different surveys published recently, one about the direction the country is taking and the other about perceived corruption. Both are of immediate public interest.

When asked how the country was being managed, the majority of respondents, 43 per cent, said that "things are going in the wrong direction" and 29 per cent felt the situation was "neither good nor bad". Only 25 per cent said that Malta was moving in the right direction.

If respondents were strictly measuring performance, well, clearly, the country has not been doing so well, as facts and figures show only too well. Going by the government's own calculations, it will take some time before the economy is back on track. If, on the other hand, they had in mind the quality of administration, that is, whether the government is administering well or not in the circumstances that developed following the economic slowdown, the answers take a different dimension.

Has the government been acting correctly? As usual, Labour have been finding fault with practically every measure the government takes. They rarely strike a balance in criticism, arguing, for instance, that it has failed to meet projections when, in truth, few governments, if any, have managed to do so in the wake of so many financial difficulties spawned by the credit crunch. The Nationalists can be blamed for a string of badly-handled situations in this legislature, starting with the way they tackled the privatisation of the shipyards and the rise in the utility tariffs last year and, again, this year, but, in insofar as dealing with the impact of the recession is concerned, they have not done all that bad. A programme to assist firms finding themselves in difficulties appears to have worked well, as none of those hit has closed down.

Another survey result that has generated much political heat is that showing an increased perception of corruption. The difficulty here lies in the fact that perception may not necessarily reflect reality, or so many may be tempted to argue. This is very true but, on the other hand, perception is not built on thin air either and there are usually good grounds for perception to take root. There have been a number of cases that have helped raise the level of perception of corruption, including those of a former Chief Justice and a Judge and the substantial fraud that took place at the VAT Department.

Controversies about corruption claims, including those over a power station contract, give further strength to perceptions. Labour are claiming that the government is not coming down hard enough on corruption, holding that its "blinkered approach" gave the impression that corruption was permissible. The government has strongly refuted the claim, arguing that a parliamentary select committee had been appointed to discuss and propose initiatives to strengthen the Permanent Commission Against Corruption and the Ombudsman's Office. These and other anti-corruption measures are steps in the direct direction but it would be wise if the government is seen to be acting with greater speed and conviction whenever corruption claims are made.