The press conference given by the Prime Minister last Thursday was a dignified gesture. It showed that doing what is right is always the best policy. It also showed that problems of whatever nature need to be address and cleared not allowed to fester.
Armed with all the facts that showed clearly that all the insinuations levelled against me 41 months ago were false, the Prime Minister made an unequivocal statement that removes all doubts that could linger in people’s minds about my integrity and that could be spun by unscrupulous journalists and politicians with self-gratifying agendas.

The Past
For my family and me this closes a dark chapter. The burden of unfounded accusations which destroy a reputation is arduous indeed. The banishment into oblivion can be shattering and dreadful. It needs strength of character and continuous support by those around you to sustain you to survive and keep moving on.
I am thankful to my family who have given me their full support during this time of tribulations. I also thank all those who kept showing their trust and confidence in me and who also shared with me their warmth and advice.

An enriching experience
Undoubtedly, this was at the same time an experience which has greatly enriched me.
It gave me a deeper insight into human nature. The abrupt change in a person’s circumstances is a thin sieve that separates the genuine friends from the opportunists. The opportunists who would have played up to you over many years and who avoid you as if you are a leper when your fortunes change.
The depressive push of the opportunists is more than made up by the genuine friends who keep close to you and who keep giving you support. I found these genuine friends from both sides of the political spectrum and from all walks of life. These are the people who through their words and their actions extend to you a life line that keeps you well nourished in the faith in human nature.

Not a punching bag
A lesson which should be learnt by all is that politicians are not punching bags that present themselves for indiscriminate and often irresponsible beatings. They are human beings with feelings and are surrounded by families whose every member, young and old, have feelings. Let us be open to scrutiny but let us not be subject to abuse.
The manipulative forces who have their own agendas do not have any scruples and do not show any sensitivity to the consequences which their actions could cause. They may also not be intelligent enough to envision and understand such consequences.
All they are interested in is to advance their own self interest, be it commissions from contracts that could be won by being pushed in the media, or power that could be grasped by demolishing an opponent. When accusing others of corruption they will be indulging in a corrupt practice. When seeking transparency they are totally opaque as what are their motives or who are their pay masters, hiding under the guise of secrecy.

The People
A big lesson which I have learnt in what I also came to consider as a sabbatical is a much more intimate and better understanding of the people. I also had the benefit of analysing my own actions over 16 years of policy making and could experience at first hand their effects on the population, good and bad. Most of all I could see how the bureaucratic interpretation of laws and procedures, the inflexible way in which regulations are applied, the disregard of streamlining actions with the process in other departments, are negatively affecting people and business. This can be changed. This must be changed.

The Future
Looking ahead we have a major task to accomplish. We must ensure that this country continues to build on the successes of the past, exploiting the opportunities that are continuously presenting themselves because of our present reality of EU membership, and reforming our systems to make them more user friendly.
We can only ensure this if we have the right people at the helm, taking the decisions, taking the correct decisions most of the time. The Nationalist Party presents the best team to achieve this. We have our defects, but we measure very well.