Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/176463
24 Opinion maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2013 What's in a 'boo'? S o Simon Busuttil got a bit of a cold shower last weekend – instead of the usual adulatory claps and cheers, the leader of the PN was treated to a chorus of boos after the Rockestra charity fundraising event. Social media comment boards buzzed to the tune of people arguing about the merits of the case – was Simon Busuttil booed because Labour supporters are "hamalli", or was it because he is genuinely disliked to such an extent that people could not control their emotions? Was Joseph Muscat not booed because PN supporters are "puliti" or is it because he is liked more than the head of the opposition? One could argue about the subject for hours without being able to come to a conclusion – crowds have a psychology that is peculiar to themselves, so anything could have triggered the boos and once the catcalls were under way, there would have been no stopping them. People can be vicious that way. What cannot be ignored is the fact that the episode cannot have been pleasant for Busuttil and there is no doubt that it must have raised alarm bells for the party faithful who elected him to his post, because he was seen as a likeable fellow who was not "stained" by the mistakes made by the party in the past. A fresh start, a new leaf, a clean slate… However, has the strategy worked? To be totally fair to Simon, it is rather early in the day to assess his performance. However over the last few months there have been some mistakes made that I feel have damaged him, not only in the eyes of Labour supporters, who would not be inclined to like him anyway, but also in the eyes of the PN grass roots. I am of course referring to the PN financial debacle that exploded around the time Simon Busuttil Claudine Cassar Perhaps Simon Busuttil being booed at the Fosos can be a cue for us to consider his overall merits as PN leader took over the helm of the party. His claims not to be aware of the financial state of the party when quizzed by the press did not put him in a very good light. When contacted by MaltaToday at the beginning of April he replied: "I cannot comment on the situation because I do not have the accounts at hand and I have never seen them." Did he even stop to consider how bad that would sound? It is his job to be aware of the problems the party is facing and a major financial meltdown should have been his top priority. As a Prime Ministerial hopeful, In light of the PN's financial debacle, it is Simon Busuttil, not Chris Said, who should have engaged with the staff it does not augur very well that when the shit hit the fan in his own party, he was not aware of all the ins and outs of the situation. Admitting publicly that he had not even bothered to look at the accounts made him sound like a nincompoop, and an irresponsible one at that. This was already bad enough, but the situation took a turn for the worse when details started to emerge about PN employees not getting paid and even being asked to forfeit their July and August salaries, either as a "donation" to the party or as an interest-free loan to be repaid at an unspecified date. Once again one would have expected the leader of the party to take over at such a difficult time – you know, when the going gets tough and all that… However, the only person mentioned in articles referring to the subject was Chris Said, who apparently was given the unenviable task of talking to staff and letting them know how bad the situation was. Simon had an opportunity there – the opportunity to emerge as a true leader, but he missed the boat. He is the one who should have met the staff. He is the one who should have spoken to the press. He is the new face of the PN and as its new leader, he should have faced the financial problems in his party head on, along with the music from the disgruntled employees and the bewildered public. Well, we all know he fudged that one. Then another opportunity to shine came along – the Indipendenza celebrations. This is where Simon Busuttil should have stood up to be counted. He should have called a press conference and said – "Hey guys, the Indipendenza celebrations mean a lot to us, but this year we are going to give them a miss and instead we are going to have a fundraising event at Dar Centrali. All funds raised will be used to retrain our staff and help them find new employment – because that is the responsible thing to do." I guess he fudged that one too. So when I heard that the crowd booed when the presenter called out Simon Busuttil's name I could not help but wonder – goodness, did the PN supporters in the crowd want to pass on a message, or what? CHECK OUT CLAUDINE CASSAR'S LATEST COLUMNS ON http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/blogs Light at the end of the tunnel T he memorandum of understanding signed between Malta and China provides a desperately needed ray of light for Enemalta after its journey into a long dark tunnel, brought about by poor political management. The MOU provides an injection of cash, and clout, to an entity that desperately needed some breathing air to survive. It is important to understand that the dire financial situation of Enemalta left it with few other options. It was facing more than €840 million in debt and was on the brink of total financial collapse. The fact that the China Power Investment Corporation, a global leader in the industry, has invested in Enemalta is a vote of confidence in the government's energy strategy, a strategy which until some months ago was deemed unrealistic by a section of the political class. Having Global 500 and AAA credited companies investing in Enemalta is a sign that Enemalta is starting to turn the page after some turbulent years. The cash injection will decrease debt, giving Enemalta a stronger hand when borrowing money. It will also improve the corporation's 2020 Targets Evarist Bartolo credit rating, which substantially affects the country's credit rating. Creating ones jobs while safeguarding the present ones Decreasing the financial burden on Enemalta not only safeguards jobs but creates new ones too. Enemalta didn't have enough funds to invest in either infrastructure or its people and this lack of investment led to huge production costs. This government realised that the situation inherited at Enemalta was not sustainable. It had to take bold action and the effects of such an action have already helped in giving immediate results. In fact, earlier this week credit rating agencies have acknowledged the positive steps taken. The blunt reality is that the status quo was never an option. Some people are worried about a minority stake at Enemalta being owned by a Chinese company but the real issue was that Malta was fully dependant on oil, the only EU Member State to have a 100% dependency. That was the real danger. Having a strategic partner of such magnitude gives Maltese families and businesses a strong assurance that their energy future is safeguarded. One piece of news overshadowed by the bigger headline from China is that photovoltaic solar panels could be assembled in Malta in a joint venture aimed at the Maltese market as well as the European one. More investment in alternative energy will provide us with the tools to face the future of energy management in our country. The creation of green jobs and an environment friendly industry will pave the way for our economy to be protected when oil prices spike. The moral point shouldn't even be the economy's safeguarding but a cleaner environment and less pollution. Time and time again, scientific evidence has shown that Malta is one of the most polluted countries in Europe and while efforts have been made in solar energy over the past few years it has not been enough. Malta plans to reach the 2020 targets for the reduction of emissions but this is a big Lightening Enemalta's financial load safeguards jobs and creates new ones challenge. It needs a collective effort and requires government, industry and everybody else playing their part. Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education CHECK OUT EVARIST BARTOLO'S LATEST COLUMNS ON http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/blogs