Talking to Kurt Sansone on Sunday, Lawrence Gonzi was as usual very good at evading the key question.
When asked about party financing, he said that he would agree to be transparent if the others would do the same. It reminded me of my days as a shy boy when my school pal would only offer me as many sweets as I had offered him the day before. Tit for tat, the prat would say.
Dr Gonzi is suffering from the same problem. He talks well, he probably means well, but when it comes to the crunch, I am not too impressed.
He says he gave us Mater Dei. Come on, we have been waiting 15 years. It was about time someone finished it for us. And are we sure we will have it before the election?
He has not realised that the biggest malaise to Maltese politics and politicians are the bankers who bank with the parties for something in return. He knows we know who the financiers of the parties are, and he knows that we cannot mention them by name.
Little do people know that the biggest financiers are not the contractors but other big businesses. The question of financing is central to solving the way politicians think and act in this country. If we want to move ahead we have to change the system of patronage.
Answering questions to this newspaper, junior minister Tonio Fenech was unperturbed about the tax aspect in the financing of political parties. He said that there was nothing to worry about, because there was nothing wrong with giving money from one’s savings to parties.
How does Tonio know where the money is coming from? And how does he know that the money has been declared to the taxman? The way things take place in Malta is similar to the way tangentopoli took place in Italy, France and other countries. These were never kickbacks but thank you cheques.
No one gives anything for nothing, and until the political parties define in very clear terms who is giving them what, when and how, then the problem is serious.
The PM embraced the idea or rather the impression that he is a fresh new leader heading a new party, and until now yes, younger than his counterpart. I could mention one or two Nationalist parliamentarians who dye their hair to look younger, but why has age become such an important issue to the diehards?
And just because he dumps Francis Zammit Dimech and meets the MHRA flanked by Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Robert Musumeci and Chris Said, it does not follow that he is a rejuvenated PM. Rejuvenation comes about with walking the walk, not talking the talk. What we need, and I have said this a hundred times, is for the government to dump nepotism and cuddle meritocracy.
My last comment is reserved for John Rizzo, or rather Joe Saliba on John Rizzo. To rebut criticism that the PN only appoints Nationalists, Saliba mentioned of all names the appointment of Rizzo as Commissioner of Police, the man everyone remembers as being close to Lawrence Pullicino and leaning to Labour. The only Nationalist I have ever heard praising John Rizzo to me is Tonio Borg.
Of course, Joe Saliba did not say that it was not he who appointed him but Eddie Fenech Adami against the better judgement of many in the Cabinet and against many in the party who did not quite fancy Rizzo. Rizzo got to the top thanks to the saga of the former Commissioner of Police George Grech.
But like all good political animals, Joe Saliba changed a minus and made it a plus. Of late he has become a professional in turning minuses into pluses. The very last mathematical declaration being his hilarious declaration that the PN is leading with 1 per cent in the polls.