Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517228
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MARCH 2024 6 INTERVIEW Darren Carabott: 'People want nothing to do with politics because they've been deceived' VOTER apathy reflected in surveys stems from the fact that people have been sold a false bill of goods before elections, PN MP Darren Carabott says. The Santa Venera MP insists political disinterest is not only affecting the La- bour Party, as surveys suggest, but is also leading to a complete lack of trust in the whole political class. I interview Carabott two months after he was tasked to shadow the home affairs portfolio in a reshuffle carried out by Na- tionalist Party leader Bernard Grech. Carabott says Malta and its armed forc- es stand to gain from the EU as the bloc attempts to strengthen its military de- fence capabilities. He adds, the country's neutrality can still be respected. When asked whether he has faith in Po- lice Commissioner Angelo Gafa, who has been on the receiving end of harsh criti- cism from the PN, Carabott replies with an emphatic 'no'. He justifies his stand, citing what he claims is Gafa's "consist- ent refusal" to investigate, "the big fish" in cases such as the Vitals hospitals con- cession, Pilatus Bank and the driving li- cence racket. The MP says that just as police officers on the ground do not hesitate to inter- vene in street fights, the police's leader- ship must not hesitate to investigate and prosecute people simply because they are more powerful than other criminals. I also grill Carabott on the PN's upcom- ing electoral tests in June when Malta elects its European Parliament repre- sentatives and councillors in every town and village. However, he shies away from giving me a straight answer when I ask whether Bernard Grech should resign if the PN wins three MEP seats but still loses by many votes. He is not the right person to respond to the question, he tells me. However, the MP highlights that the PN is heading into this year's elections with a winning mentality. Often touted in political circles as a potential future leader, Carabott denies having such an ambition. But he does not close the door shut on the possibility sometime in the future. A former Santa Venera local councillor, Darren Carabott was elected to parliament on the PN ticket for the first time in 2022. The MP is now responsible for the home affairs portfolio, while also chairing the Public Accounts Committee. He sits down with MATTHEW FARRUGIA for this interview. I worry when we make certain decisions that will grow the population to grow the economy. If you grow the economy through numbers, there will be repercussions.