A political demagogue

Anyone watching the recent parliamentary debate on the motion regarding the recent COVID-19 restrictions announced by the prime minister, the health minister and Charmaine Gauci couldn’t have missed the great difference that exists bet­ween Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech.

While the prime minister explained calmly and in detail how the situation regarding COVID-19 has evolved, while also appealing for unity during this most difficult period, the like of which the whole world has not seen for many decades, on the other hand, we witnessed the so-called leader of the opposition lost in an orgy of hysterics, blaming the prime minister for the present hike in the number of infections, mainly caused by the UK variant of coronavirus as if Abela had created this variant.

Grech continues to convince that he is raising the decibels of his speeches to Simon Busuttil and Adran Delia’s level to give the impression that he is the one who is calling the shots. And believes that such hysterical speeches influence voters more than calm, valid arguments. But what is worse is that Grech keeps politicising the COVID-19 pandemic.

We saw this when he politicised the unfortunate death of the pandemic victims. We are witnessing it whenever the government, together with the health authorities, announce new measures, such as when the latest, much-stricter measures were announced. When, a few days earlier, less restrictive measures were introduced, he had first welcomed them but, just three days later, he had called them “rushed”.

Now that stricter measures have been introduced, and were welcomed by all the social partners, Grech said that these measures “should have been introduced earlier”.

But perhaps the most irresponsible, insensitive and utterly shameful statement that this supposed alternative prime minister has made is when he called the many millions of euros the government is spending to keep countless thousands in employment and businesses from closing down for good as a waste of money.

When will Grech realise that political demagogues have no place in today’s Malta?

Eddy Privitera – Mosta

Construction noise

I used to love sitting on our roof terrace watching the ships passing by Marsalforn, reading the paper and drinking a cold beer.

Now it’s impossible; all you can hear is the construction jackhammer.

What is this perverse obsession with construction here in Xagħra?

Kevin Hodkin – Xagħra

Three virtues: hope, faith, love

This news item might appear in this newspaper two or three years from now:

“Researchers have finally tested the 100 per cent efficacy of a new drug to cure the up-to-now incurable disease X. Unfortunately, three Maltese patients suffering from this disease have availed themselves of the newly amended laws on euthanasia and have asked for their lives to be terminated only last week. If only they had waited a bit more…”

Hope is a virtue walking hand in hand with her sisters – faith and love. Let us never give up hope in life, all life – be it ours, that of others or of all creatures. God has never given up on us. Why should we give up on Him?

Edward Tagliaferro – Paola

Vaccination programme in Gozo

We learnt on Saturday that 38,333 people on Malta have had their second dose of the vaccine.

The over 75s on Gozo have not had a first inoculation yet.

Revel Barker – Għajnsielem

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