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There is this big scare about having Alfred Sant as a Prime Minister next time round. It sounds like the end of the world to some.
Should it be? Should we care? Should a change of government mean so much to us. Is this not what the European Union was all about?
Some people become all worried about change if they happen to be one of the few blue eyed boys or girls who depend on a political party for their future or for their livelihood.
I personally do not think much of Alfred Sant, not a very warm person, a political eccentric and lacking in political vision.
He has survived because Malta’s political parties are more concerned about themselves than about the future.
I sincerely believe that the Labour Party lacks a visionary.
But then again, the same applies to the PN. And the Greens they deserve our respect, but they must stop talking about themselves and move on.
There is a dearth of politicos across the board.
The other day, a reader asked me if a new party was about to be launched. My answer was I did not think so, but surely prayed for someone with the charisma to shake the system. And I told her, that this country was up for grabs and if someone had the money and the brains then yes it could really happen.
Back to Sant and the opposition. I think that it is a serious mistake to defranchise half the population for seventeen years. In four years time it will be 21 years of PN government.
Just look at all the appointments in our institutions, the direct orders, consultants, preferred clients and the endless appointments to Nationalist cronies.
The DOI who serve the administration and not the media will not divulge the names of the 50 odd people at the Brussels embassy. But if we had that list I would ask everyone who reads this column to pick out the Labourites. They will find it very difficult to.
It follows that a country smaller than the city of London has a super embassy that will cost Lm9.5 million with permanent staff that are selected from only half of the population who happen to be Nationalist.
Once again back to Sant. If he does get elected next time round it will not be thanks to his policies, neither to this newspaper. It will be the failure of Lawrence Gonzi to turn the economy around and the simple fact that people are simply tired of the PN and its arrogance. And that is rather normal in a democracy.
If Gonzi does succeed in giving the kiss of life to the economy then his chances of reinstalling the PN could be assured. Should we give Gonzi the chance, yes we should, but then we are not talking of a new government but of a new leader with an old wardrobe. That is the problem.
The Nokia tune rang and behold Richard Cachia Caruana was on the line. This was a week ago, “Tell me … Richard,” I said. I had been expecting the phone call, it had been four months since we last talked. The conversation continued for 45 minutes.
Now, I am committed not to repeat what RCC said on the phone. Though I am not quite sure if he reciprocated this oath of confidentiality. All I can say is those 45 minutes were very telling.
It was obvious, was it not, that his telephone call was meant to …
Richard probably thinks that he can charm people and control ‘nasty’ pens.
If I were a government or party functionary, he would probably be screaming and shouting.
If I were truly a government apparatchik he would have called me in to Castille, let me wait for an hour in a big room and then suddenly walk in and shower me with ‘praise!’
RCC has probably not quite realised that this is the independent press. And when I say independent press I do not only mean that we have our own minds, but yes we have no big business behind us, no political patronage, nothing whatsoever.
In the last PN leadership campaign MaltaToday newsroom ensured a fair reportage to all the candidates. And I challenge anyone to point out where this was not the case.
Yes, one can have editorial preferences but it stops there. Our inimitable hysterical ‘Olive’ of Popeye fame can vent her frustrations and insinuate what she likes because she is simply reacting to the fact that I have dared query her sacred cow, the one and only RCC and probably that her husband was pointed out as being the legal advisor in the Brussels property acquisition. A fact that was raised in It-Torca before we even mentioned it.
Good for me but unlucky for my finances, I have never represented Alterra (the failed bidder for MIA’s privatisation) or worked for a first class con man such as Dr Patrick Spiteri. Neither have I billed the government 30 quid an hour for my services.
After 45 minutes on the phone RCC finally decided it was time to call it a day and he decided to say adieu.
The media have a right to focus on people like RCC and myself but and what has been written so far is not part of a vendetta.
He probably reads it like this, but that mindset is fuelled by a fixation that everyone wants to get him. It is not the case.
I care not what RCC does with his personal life. But Brussels and tax-payers’ money is another
matter.
MaltaToday like other independent media are monuments to free spirit. A confirmation that no big daddy will control them, we pledge that public officials will be fairly scrutinised and no vexatious libel actions and menopausal outbursts will stop this free spirit from reporting and commenting about the truth.
The resurrection of Andrew Borg Cardona as I M Beck and his diatribes against
MaltaToday is not surprising. Only some weeks ago when he was supporting Ian Spiteri Bailey’s bid for MEP, I did not remind anyone that he was a part of Dr Borg Cardona’s legal firm. Indeed I praised Dr Spiteri Bailey.
Until a few weeks ago Beck was praising MaltaToday for being his favourite newspaper, that is until his firm was mentioned as being responsible for the Brussels purchase. Three years before that, MaltaToday was a rag.
I have no bones to pick with Borg Cardona, but I would suggest that we declare all our interests before we open our big fat mouths. And by our interests I mean financial interests.
Then perhaps we can see things as they truly are. If Borg Cardona wants to go further than simply announce to the world his financial interests, then we could decide to talk about our fetishes.
And we could agree to agree on this.
Correction:
Dr Ian Spiteri Bailey is not part of Dr Andrew Borg Cardona's legal firm. I was under the false impression that he was a member of the BCGL team as a result of Dr Borg Cardona's active support for Dr Spiteri Bailey's bid for the EU parliament. Apologies.
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