Thanks to the fact that in the early 21st century, time is flexible, I’m watching Dissett, as I write this.

Simon Busuttil was excellent, it need hardly be said. It was as clear that the national station seems to be run by someone who has something of a unique grasp of journalism, not to say language.

Reno Bugeja’s take on, for instance, appropriate standards of political behaviour, seems to revolve around a concept of “political correctedness”, whatever that latter word means, given that it does not exist. What I think he meant, though far be it from me to be categoric, is that politicians are expected to act correctly, with integrity, not just within the letter of the law.

“Political correctness”, as most of us use the phrase, means something entirely different.

In what can only be seen as an effort to deflect attention from Premier Muscat’s obligation, now highlighted starkly, to act correctly in respect of his Parliamentary Secretary’s own actions in connection with Gaffarena, we got a veritable gushing stream of innuendos about Busuttil “dragging his feet” in respect of Joe Cassar.

The problem for Bugeja, and for Premier Muscat, is that those of us who understand how these things work (maybe because we have an “English” sense of humour) know that Busuttil did not drag his feet, while Premier Muscat’s feet seem to be super-glued to the floor.

We then went on to the somewhat peculiar sight and sound of Bugeja challenging Busuttil to publish his “legal advice” about the Electrogas contract that Premier Muscat has entered into. The fact that no-one (except presumably Premier Muscat) has actually seen the darned contract seems to have escaped Bugeja, who equally seems to have ignored the fact that Busuttil was making a political, not a legal, argument.

How, pray, could Busuttil have taken “legal advice” when the contract has been kept in Premier Muscat’s top-secret drawer?

The programme trundled on, with Busuttil shooting down, in flames and completely, every question that sallied forth from Bugeja.

Busuttil shot down in flames and completely, every question that sallied forth from Bugeja

The Algerian visas scandal that is brewing, with something of a familial connection with Premier Muscat to boot, was played down by Bugeja by the fact that 50 per cent of visas were rejected, because, you know, it’s OK if you don’t approve the majority of applications. And the fact that Hollande is coming to Malta was interpreted, by Bugeja, as some form of absolution for Premier Muscat’s cousin’s largesse.

You really would be forgiven if you came to the conclusion that Bugeja has missed his real calling: he is an excellent barrack-room lawyer putting up superb smokescreens to sway the jury. The thing is, lawyers have clients, and Bugeja doesn’t.

There was an interesting discussion about the “American University”, with Busuttil emphasising that it’s actually the “American University of Malta”, despite Bugeja’s insistence on leaving out the “Malta” bit. It’s not even a University yet, we’re still waiting on Martin Scicluna’s Commission to take a stance (not actually holding my breath, but anyway)

Predictably, the upcoming debate about embryo-freezing was chucked into the mix, this being a debate that might, or at least so Premier Muscat hopes, get the PN’s knickers into a twist the way they got about divorce. It’s a debate that should be informed by science and an appreciation of ethical good practices, and we’ve not ventilated the issues properly yet.

Notwithstanding, Busuttil was pressed to take a position and he handled it masterfully, even in the face of the emotionally charged “there are couples who need it” sob-crack that Bugeja chucked into the mix. Busuttil steered the debate about vilification of religion, another favourite hunting ground for those who wish to portray the PN as a hide-bound reactionary tribe, in exactly the right direction. He could have put it even more succinctly, with a “calm down, dear”, but he was more polite than I would have been.

There was plenty more, of course, and you can judge for yourself. All in all, it was an excellent programme and its participants came out with their true qualities showing strongly.