It is now very clear what a rotten road map Joseph Muscat laid out for Malta way back in 2013. It is also very clear how, through the Labour Party, he managed to rubbish Malta and its inhabitants.
The plan rested on three wobbly legs: the sale of passports, a loosening of surveillance of Malta’s decent and thriving financial and gaming services sectors and a disgusting sell-out to so-called developers, inviting them to make hay under a sun kept perpetually shining.
An enabling environment, consisting of tolerance of corruption, with guaranteed impunity, and risible law enforcement, allowed a successful achievement of this nefarious road map. It was an evil and ill-conceived map but, as expected, an economic expansion occurred. All the negative effects of the plan are now catching up with us.
Belatedly, the authorities are assessing a disproportionate and disruptive resident population increase. This misunderstood and unmanaged resident population explosion is proving unsustainable, causing a drastic fall in the quality of life on the island.
Evidently built into the road map, an incredible leap in the spread, types and gravity of corruption has occurred. Shrewd local and international fraudsters got together and, with avidity, applied themselves to cheat and steal. This corruption has poisoned many Maltese citizens. Somewhat shallow rooted, decent civic behaviour is withering away.
A worrying public indifference to blatant wrongdoing by some of our political masters is now prevalent. Through various abuses and open interference, the functioning of fundamental state institutions has been severely jeopardised.
Although it is hard to admit, the self-respect and confidence of a great number of Maltese has been shaken.
The waste and looting of public tax funds through the employment of useless Labourite people in phantom jobs is increasing exponentially. Employment statistics for Gozo tell us that practically 60 per cent of the sister island’s total labour force resides in public employment. We are paying a hideously high price for all these unnecessary appointments and jobs dished out to incompetent Labour stalwarts.
Somewhat shallow rooted, decent civic behaviour is withering away- Arthur Muscat
Even more grave than the waste of money, think about the bad decisions and lack of sane planning that these people cause. Think about those vital, honest and competent public service employees subjected to the day-to-day bullying and bossing about by such people.
There is such a thing as reasonably fast reversible damages but Malta is being inflicted damages that may not be reversible at all. Consider the damage done to our environment by rapacious developers who obtain all sorts of permits from our Planning Authority. Consider the damage caused by the difficult-to-offload useless surplus public employees. Other damage, to our democratic and moral fibre, will probably take generations to reverse.
Maltese society is being subjected to a depressing never-ending barrage of corruption and scandals. As the opposition appears unable, or unwilling, to decently fulfill its role, we find comfort in seeing a vigorous civil society stepping in to confront this abusive Labour administration. Among many others, Repubblika, Graffitti and the Shift News need and deserve more open public support.
These organisations can do without fearful, timid and cautious private murmuring and grumbling that gets us nowhere. Almost five years have elapsed since the assassination of courageous Daphne Caruana Galizia, a grievous wound that has yet to start to heal. It is imperative that this horror is not allowed to fade away and be forgotten.
Undoubtedly, the Labour Party achieved an electoral majority over the opposition. It, however, has not achieved a majority when one considers the overall electoral base. This feature gives us hope and we should keep on demanding decent governance and respect towards this majority that did not vote Labour.
Prime Minister Robert Abela, we are getting confused and disoriented. At some stage of the election phase we got the impression that you were offering a break with the past. Tragically, we now have a very strong impression that no break has as yet occurred. Are we to believe there is no intention to turn over a new leaf?
Arthur Muscat is a human resources and industrial relations specialist.