Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1421642
19 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 OCTOBER 2021 pean institutions, but Konrad Mizzi has been expelled from the party and Keith Schem- bri has been arraigned. Since Panamagate, the Opposition has been keen on focusing on Labour's defective DNA rather than acknowledging that the problem is rooted in the ab- sence of a firewall between pol- iticians, big business and crimi- nal elements. Unlike Sant in 1996, the PN is reluctant on tackling the friends of friends network, be- cause it has historically relied on the same networks to hold on to power in the past. That the Opposition is also com- promised by its own past and present ties with big business is something, which only die- hards can deny. What the Opposition can do is not to repeat the 2017 elec- toral campaign, which equated corruption with Labour, but to campaign on a platform which restores fairness and transpar- ency in all aspects of life. In this way the anti-corruption outcry can be translated in to a programme for a better life for citizens who resent having to suck up to politicians to get what should be theirs by right. It was corruption in the form of the undue influence of big business on politicians that led to the assassination of Daphne. The government's failure to send a message of healing by recognising Daph- ne Caruana Galizia as a victim of the criminal nexus sends a chilling message. On the eve of the first election since here assassination, Abela still owes this to the nation and party he represents Last Sunday, Nationalist lead- er Bernard Grech was right in slamming Prime Minister Rob- ert Abela for failing to speak on assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia four years af- ter her murder. While Abela had put an end to the odious confrontation which saw gov- ernment removing flowers from the shrine opposite the law courts, a segment of his supporters continue right up to this day to vilify her legacy. Abela has missed a golden opportunity of making a sym- bolic gesture aimed at his own supporters: sending them a message that her assassination was not the deserved outcome of her mockery and gossip, but a terrorist attack against a de- mocracy of which Labour is an integral part of. Doing so before the election would not harm Abela's elec- toral prospects, as Muscat loyalists have nowhere else to go. But it could go a long way in restoring his party's social democratic credentials and to root out online haters from the party. Corruption has long-term economic and environmental impacts. Corrupt nations may still thrive but they end up paying a big price for keeping beneficiaries happy The country has already paid the price of corruption by be- ing grey-listed by FATF. But corruption generally becomes a big issue when people espe- cially those in business start feeling left out from patronage networks. As long as there is enough wealth to keep every- one happy, people are less like- ly to complain. But even if the economy keeps growing, corruption has a corrosive effect. Lobbying by big business also undermines the common good and casts a shadow on privatisation deals and planning regulation. For example in a bid to keep all developers happy, Labour has changed planning regula- tions which permit five storey blocks in most areas. The end result was a construction boom which left Malta uglier. And while Malta has benefit- ted from its small size and its niche in the world economy as a financial centre, it also shares the maladies which contribut- ed to the ruin of other southern Mediterranean nations despite their previous growth spurts. Perception of government performance All PL Now PN Now No vote Now PL 2017 PN 2017 Didn't vote 2017 Male Female 16-35 36-50 51-65 65+ Primary Secondary Post-Sec Tertiary Gozo Northern N Harbour S Eastern S Harbour Western 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 39.5% 29.4% 21.0% 7.3% 50.0% 33.7% 12.4% 24.1% 34.5% 20.8% 16.5% 28.9% 18.6% 41.7% 8.7% 51.4% 31.4% 13.5% 24.8% 28.3% 28.4% 15.6% 38.5% 26.0% 24.9% 6.9% 38.8% 27.0% 23.6% 8.0% 40.2% 31.6% 18.5% 6.6% 33.3% 28.3% 28.3% 8.5% 41.7% 27.6% 18.4% 9.5% 41.5% 39.6% 12.6% 42.0% 23.0% 23.6% 46.6% 26.2% 10.7% 8.3% 47.1% 34.5% 13.0% 36.8% 31.7% 21.0% 7.5% 26.4% 20.9% 37.6% 14.0% 56.1% 23.3% 13.7% 23.4% 28.1% 39.4% 9.1% 42.9% 28.1% 16.4% 9.3% 31.4% 41.2% 16.7% 6.4% 46.1% 34.5% 16.9% 44.2% 17.2% 21.6% 10.0% Economy Disposable income Environment Fight against corruption Immigration Respondents asked to judge government's performance in five specific areas Which of these five issues was the most important to you? All 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 39.5% 29.4% 21.0% 7.3% Economy Disposable income Environment Fight against corruption Immigration All PL Now PN Now No vote Now PL 2017 PN 2017 Didn't vote 2017 Male Female 16-35 10.0% 33.8% 48.5% 12.9% 74.9% 11.8% 21.9% 50.9% 21.5% 14.3% 55.9% 27.2% 14.8% 72.2% 10.3% 18.5% 57.2% 19.6% 13.1% 37.7% 43.2% 7.4% 31.9% 54.4% 12.4% 35.7% 43.0% 7.7% 40.7% 46.8% Bad Very Bad So-and-so Good Very Good How do you rate government performance on the economy?