Since decades ago, I can still remember that whenever an election approaches, the Nationalist Party would start alleging that the Labour Party intends to introduce abortion. This canard dates back to the ‘Integration with Britain’ referendum campaign in 1956-7 and the politico-religious feud of the 1960s. It continued in late 1970s when Eddie Fenech Adami took over the leadership of the PN and the matter was mentioned at each electoral campaign since, if not by the leader by the PN media.

The PN’s embattled leader, Adrian Delia, on December 30 referred to a story published by his own party newspaper, Il-Mument, alleging that the government intends to introduce abortion legislation. While saying he hoped the story in his own party’s newspaper “is not true”, he declared he “feared the story is correct”.

I can still remember Dom Mintoff categorically dismissing such allegations decades ago. The same had been done by Karmenu Miscued Bonnici, Alfred Sant and, now, by Joseph Muscat. But as the PN will never change, despite the fact that each leader promises “a new way of doing politics”, we have again been regaled the same old story by Il-Mument.

One can’t expect anything better from politically desperate-politicians.