In the fallout following the court judgment on the corrupt hospital deal, the concept of public ownership takes centre stage.

In the media, we have heard repeatedly that the Labour Party in Malta has lost its socialist credentials.

It bears reminding that the philosophy of public ownership, in the interest and service of the common good, is not only a socialist principle. We have been brainwashed into believing that a social conscience is the monopoly of socialism.

Over 90 years ago, in 1931, Pius XI in the landmark encyclical Quadragesimo Anno stated that “… it is rightly contended that certain forms of property must be reserved to the state, since they carry with them an opportunity of domination too great to be left to private individuals without injury to the community at large”.

This is what Pius XI underpinned when he declared that some socialist programmes “often strikingly approach the just demands of Christian social reformers”.

Meanwhile, despite the unbelievable level of corruption, according to the polls, this government seems firmly entrenched.

We are reminded that this incomprehensible state of affairs is the result of a sound economy, widespread public indifference, an uninspiring opposition and the stranglehold of the government on those institutions that are expected to investigate and prosecute wrongdoings by the powers that be.

In a more enlightened country, this level of political dishonesty would be met with widespread revulsion and condemnation.

Sadly, this is not the case. In my youth, the student body was acutely aware and interested in the country’s social and political process. Today, the apathy among our future professional class is a reflection of the predicament we are in.

As for the relentless criticism of the opposition, one must not confuse the real purpose of politics. We should not be interested in style but in substance.

One expects an opposition that lives up to its declared principles, that stands up to unjust demands from powerful minority groups, that listens to expert advice from those who have a reputable track record in their field and, above all, seeks and upholds the highest standards in the political arena. 

Meanwhile, from the speeches we hear, the message from the government tends to always be the same, implying that it would be a ‘calamity’ if the Labour Party loses power. Unfortunately, it has lost the very raison d’être of any political party.

Political parties, with their political manifesto, are a means to attain power and serve the common good and are not an end in themselves. This fundamental principle has been turned on its head. By nature of things, any political party has its limitations and cannot pretend to remain in power indefinitely. What Malta needs now is the removal of a government beholden to overpowering corrosive interests.

This government has betrayed its role and has committed grave injustices, denatured vital institutions and ruined the environment irrevocably thanks to an unsustainable economic model dependent on a huge influx of cheap foreign labour.

After all, what is critical is not blind faith in the prospect of some messianic leader ready to come to our deliverance.

For a country to flourish, we need to regain the primacy of right moral behaviour at every level. The late Oliver Friggieri was a passionate believer that this was the key to political renewal so essential to a healthy social environment.

If political parties do not aim at this ideal, they do not deserve one’s loyalty.

Despite our shortcomings, we Maltese have a privileged form of voting in that we can choose candidates on their own merits and even cross party lines in our voting patterns.

The only serious flaw is that smaller political parties are not given a national threshold that will entitle them to have the possibility of representing other viewpoints in parliament.

At the end of the day, what counts is the integrity, competence and goodwill of those who work in and seek public office. In its absence, we will be condemned with leaders who will make flawed compromises and keep us in the disgraceful situation we are in now.

In this miserable scenario, we all bear responsibility, each according to one’s status in society.