Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1195815
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 DECEMBER 2019 INTERVIEW The events of the past weeks have shocked and disturbed the nation; but they did not come out of nowhere. We had the Panama Papers leak in 2016; the emergence of 17 Black in 2017, and then of the name Yorgen Fenech a year later. Throughout all this, Konrad Mizzi and Keith Scembri were retained by government. So the natural question for you – as part of that government, and a prospective prime minister – is: where were you during the past three years? Let's be clear: first of all, the information that has come out – and which is still com- ing out – was not the same information that was available to us throughout all that time you mentioned. The events that occurred in the past few weeks, occurred in the past few weeks. I was certainly unaware of these problems before. But in 2016, when the Pana- ma story broke out, I was in the Labour parliamentary group. I was not deputy prime minister; I wasn't even a minister at the time. I was only a parliamenta- ry secretary; but still a member of the parliamentary group. It is always easier to look back, than to be in it directly. But I think that, when looking back… a lot of good things also happened over the past seven years. The biggest mistake made by the Labour government was that we didn't take harsher decisions when the Panama al- legations started coming out. The minister who was men- tioned in the Panama Papers resigned only today... three years too late. I think that, looking back, if I had to do something differ- ently over the past seven years, I should have been harsher in my insistence that the conse- quences had to be immediate, and not delayed… Today, everyone is being apologetic, and talking about 'betrayal'; as you yourself said, it is a lot easier when looking back. At the time, however, the Labour parliamentary group (yourself included) supported Konrad Mizzi in a parliamentary vote of confidence… Yes. It was a collective deci- sion taken by all the parlia- mentary group. But the situa- tion today is different. Today, we are not talking just about Panama; but about the as- sassination of a journalist – Daphne Caruana Galizia – and among the names mentioned are some which are very close to elements in government. That is the difference between the situation today and three years ago. That is why you are right to mention 'betrayal'. I have been in the Labour Party for 40 years; I joined the Labour youth movement when I was 16, and climbed the ranks ever since to become deputy prime minister and deputy party leader. I know exactly how Labourites are feeling; they are hurt, betrayed… and also afraid. We remember what happened in 1996-8; and many are asking, 'Are we Labourites not capable of doing a single five-term in government…?' I want to reassure those peo- ple: not just Labourites, but all the Maltese people. The La- bour Party's mandate is clear. When the PL won the last election with the biggest ma- jority obtained by any party since Independence, it was for five years. The government is not going to change; it has the full support of the Labour par- liamentary group. All that will change is the prime minister. There will not be an early election. We will serve our full mandate; and I am convinced that, when the election even- tually comes along in two or three years' time, we will win again: thanks to the unity that exists between us, and the re- sults we will start obtaining again. But isn't that a case of 'business as usual'? If it was business as usual, the Prime Minister wouldn't have announced his resignation. So far we've had a minister re- signing, OPM's chief-of-staff resigning; and the Prime Min- ister has announced he will be stepping down, too. Politically, it is a massive thing for a prime minister to resign halfway through the legislature, with such a large national majority. So no, of course it's not busi- ness as usual. If it were business as usual, we would still be going on with the successes we have achieved in the last seven years. And we achieved a lot of successes. Let us not forget all that. Because, in times of stormy weather, there comes the temptation to forget all the good that has been done. We did a lot of good work; and I am convinced that when the storm is over – not just because of the passage of time; but because we will be capable of tackling and solving the problems – I am convinced we will once again be on the path to success. One of the successes of the Labour government was the presidency of the European Union. Today, however, there has just been an overwhelming vote of no confidence by the European Parliament in Joseph Muscat; which also asks the European Commission to enter into a dialogue with Malta over rule of law issues. How do you intend to undo all this damage? Two weeks ago, I publicly stated that these developments had resulted in a situation that caused damage to Malta's rep- utation. Today's vote in the EP merely confirms this. So to me, this did not come as any sur- prise. This is why, when I launched my campaign a few days ago, Deputy prime minister, and contender for the Labour Party leadership, CHRIS FEARNE is confident that Malta can begin to heal the damage to its reputation – but only if we put aside stubbornness, and embrace dialogue Not 'business as usual' Kurt Sansone ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt