It was a neat political trick to have Labour share the spoils on Independence Day, a day of note usually reserved for the expensive festivities and fanfare organised by the Nationalist Party at the Floriana granaries. Alas, it was not to be. Alfred Sant’s poor delivery gave the PN more fodder to portray Sant as a risky option for pale blue voters who might have considered going pink. While Gonzi appeared composed, fluent and inspiring, Sant seemed intent to make a fool of himself when suddenly, without any warning that he was about to approach a comical crescendo, he started to resort to unnecessary theatrics by altering his voice’s timbre in lugubrious and mocking tones when referring to Prime Minister Gonzi. Hearing Sant repeat the unfunny, moaning taunt of “Goooonzi” seemed out of touch for someone touted as the prime minister in waiting. He did get a few laughs from his supporters – the kind of laugh someone makes when hearing the unexpected. And ignoring the fact that the media spotlight was on him, with Nationalist party cameras clocking his every word and move, Sant waved aimlessly to the crowd and then started his speech by chanting “Viva l-Labour”. It was a quirky, surreal moment. While Gonzi failed to mention Alfred Sant by name in his hour-long speech, referring to him as the Leader of the Opposition when it was really necessary to mention him, Sant chose to alter his voice to mention Gonzi a splendid six times. Certainly, when it came to content Sant did address the pain felt by workers who felt the pinch of four years of austerity. Criticising Gonzi for saying that the cost of living is the lowest in Europe and that there is no VAT on education, Sant hit a chord when he asked: “Go ask the mothers and fathers who have to buy school uniforms to know whether this is true or not.” Laudably, despite being surrounded by a Labour crowd, Sant reiterated the pre-1996 commitment that “whoever is deserving will receive recognition based on his or her merits.” But once again, Sant still failed to show leadership to his supporters by ignoring socially divisive issues like immigration – the kind of content which would have really proved a party leader’s worth by facing those hot issues which many are keen to avoid. Gonzi instead called on his supporters to respect the dignity of illegal immigrants. “This is a challenge we have to face with courage… We have to be strong with Europe because solidarity means that the burden has to be shared… But do not forget that we belong to the Nationalist Party because we are guided by values which respect every human being. Always remember, that many of these persons are innocent victims of crime.” He also reminded his audience that “the sailor shows his worth during a storm”, and that values “of solidarity must be shown in difficult circumstances. Gonzi constantly referred to the past three years and boasted of his accomplishments. And still, the PN leader can never enjoy the clout he may think he deserves: it took just one mention of his predecessor Eddie Fenech Adami for the crowd to erupt in chants of “Eddie, Eddie”. The European Union as a source of funding was a salient theme in Gonzi’s speech. The stark absence of Europe from Sant’s speech instead amplified the ambivalence of the MLP towards a project which it accepts reluctantly, rather than enthusiastically. Without ever mentioning Sant by name Gonzi reminded his audience that just four years ago the MLP wanted Malta to become a Switzerland in the Mediterranean. But Gonzi was too evasive on the scandals which faced a number of authorities during the past months. Referring to the opposition’s harking on corruption, the Prime Minister simply said: “They throw mud while we talk about our children and education.” Intelligently, Gonzi warned that Malta now needs a safe pair of hands to deal with the increase in the price of oil and the surcharge, but he did not address one major issue which could ultimately determine his demise – the drop in people’s purchasing power. Because ultimately, although style counts, money talks. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt