“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” This is the opening line from the classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. The novel recalls the social disparity and political ramblings in two major cities, London and Paris.

Are we Maltese citizens also living in two separate ‘cities’? 

Although Malta is small, a growing number of people, in particular the elderly and other vulnerable persons, are finding themselves residing within the ‘city of the deprived’. 

That is the ‘city of have-nots’. On the other hand, the privileged few are unashamedly pigging out within the ‘city of abundance’. Thus, some are relishing the ‘best of times’ while others are going through the ‘worst of times’.

Social justice and equality have been two cornerstone values of our society.

All previous governments sought to tackle social disparity by providing a decent standard of living. 

Over the years, as a country, we have successfully built a robust welfare system, supporting those on the fringes of society.

Countries more resourceful than ours have not succeeded in achieving such a level of social responsibility towards their citizens.

Through investments in education and taking the right social policy decisions, both Labour and Nationalist governments have sought, over the years, to empower citizens to embark on social mobility.

This is our success story. A feather in our national cap.

However, during the last 10 years of Labour governments, thanks to Labour’s short-sighted economic model, the social disparity between those ‘who have’ and those ‘who have not’ has widened. 

In view of the fact that Labour has stopped being Labour and is currently anything but Labour, rather a hub for scroungers, fraudsters, champagne socialists and fat cats, a new city has sadly emerged; the ‘city of the greedy’.

Greedy people were always present.

However, now not only do they do so unashamedly but they also have a political party to represent their compulsive greediness.

Going beyond the latest national statistics that underlines that approximately 100,000 are at risk or living in poverty, I have encountered numerous human heart-wrenching stories about people who are not only struggling to make ends meet but are also living in undignified and appalling conditions. 

Although these stories do not make it to the headlines, they are real. 

A growing number are distraught, turning to food banks and soup kitchens. During 2022, 86 per cent of people who turned to the Franciscan Soup Kitchen in Valletta were Maltese. The Franciscan friars have silently fed 30,450 people, of whom 220 were children.

Their greediness will be their downfall- Albert Buttigieg

These are the people from the ‘city of desolation’. 

Their indigence puts us to shame, more so when, on the other hand, within the newly found ‘city of the greedy’, one comes across renowned and emerging fat cats getting whatever they dream of to satisfy their greedy compulsiveness.

There are also those who are abundantly enjoying a jet-set lifestyle. They are all receiving hefty direct orders, being paid exuberant salaries and given accelerated promotions and appointments. 

Their salaries and perks/allowances are an affront to the many honest hard-working workers who can only dream of such lucrative salaries.

The recent revelation of the salary package granted to David Curmi, the executive chairperson of Air Malta, is a classic example.

After numerous attempts to conceal his salary, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana revealed that Curmi earns a €21,500 monthly salary. This means a €258,000 annual salary, apart from pocketing another €10,000 every year as a director.

Although I am aware that particular executive roles receive similar renumeration packages, surely such a lucrative contract with a struggling and ailing national airline is offensive and unjust.

More so when, as part of its restructuring effort, the airline headed by him slashed its workforce by half, hived off the baggage and ground handling services and dropped many of its unprofitable routes.

Curmi’s lucrative appointment is just one example from an ever-growing list of appointments for the citizens of the ‘city of the greedy’. 

Regrettably, all their greediness is at the expense of the common good. Greed is the antithesis of the common good.

Let us then stand with the common good and not be deterred by such greediness.

Their greediness will be their downfall.

Albert Buttigieg is the Nationalist Party’s spokesperson for a better standard of living.