Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/424604
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2014 Opinion 20 'What goes around, comes around' Saviour Balzan @saviourbalzan T he other day a member of parliament, a newcomer in the House, a backbencher, an individual who pretends to be holier than thou, scolded me on the phone about an online news story and told me timidly: 'What goes around, comes around.' To which I replied rather sternly that I was going to end the conversation and that if I were to make contact with him it would be in three and a half years' time, during the next election campaign. Needless to say, if I am still around I will not only reveal his name, I will also explain why I believe voters should not waste their ballot paper on him. I am used to receiving telephone calls at all times of the day, from all sorts. Only last Friday, I received a phone call in the newsroom from the queen of bile herself, who, incredibly, complained about a comment made about her in one of our news portals. Of course I did not lose this golden opportunity of letting her know what I thought of her and her pathological hate commentaries. She replied: "How rude!" in that ridiculous voice she puts on. And this coming from a woman who lives in the gutter and spews out hate missives. But I did inform her that if Muscat and Busuttil were scared of her, I was not. And that she was doing the Nationalist party a serious disservice. I bid her farewell in no kind way and wished her in kingdom come. You will find in today's edition a news story which describes her approach to paying and declaring taxes. The most ludicrous comment in these official court papers, which are in the public domain, comes in her letter where she complains of being the 'target of malicious gossip'. You could really collapse from apoplexy at this point. Enough said – it appears that the judiciary, VAT, the tax compliance unit and Inland Revenue are equally scared of taking any action. I have to say that entering politics and being a parliamentarian is not easy at all. I ask myself why is it that someone who has succeeded in life, by working very hard, for instance, or by not paying his or her taxes in full, for another instance, or better still by just doing business, would want to expose himself or herself to the scrutiny of the media. I guess it has a lot to do with ego and believing that being a parliamentarian lends you an extra dose of status which, in the eyes of many, does not necessarily translate into esteem. There are those who have entered politics because they believe they can bring about change, but the majority do not have a clue what the f*** they are doing in parliament. At the risk of being accused of making the wrong choices, I really think that the ones I would pick out as being in politics for the right reasons include Joseph Muscat and Simon Busuttil, Konrad Mizzi and Mario de Marco, Owen Bonnici and Claudette Buttigieg, Evarist Bartolo and Ryan Callus, George Vella and some others. Phew! That was difficult. And I do not mean that the rest are a lousy bunch, but I have to say that I am not convinced of what exactly they are doing. In today's edition of MaltaToday an MT survey addresses the issue of whether Manuel Mallia should resign. 39% of all respondents believe he should leave, 33% do not think he should, and 25% had no opinion. Though it is clear that Mallia's decision to hang on is being questioned, it is abundantly evident that the concept or culture of resignation by accepting political responsibility is not at all ingrained in the Maltese psyche. Mallia should have resigned because he is home affairs minister responsible for security and the police. What happened, happened on his watch, though it did not happen because of his intervention. Simply to have happened on his watch was not acceptable. If he had left last week, his return to the cabinet some time in the future would have been 'accepted' by the public, because the public would have seen that he had accepted 'political responsibility'. Political responsibility is a cultural thing that exists in those countries among others which are far from perfect and are known for their own fair share of police and political incompetence. In 1998 the Belgian paedophile Marc Dutroux, accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering girls, escaped custody during a court visit (he was swiftly recaptured). Nonetheless Belgium's police chief, justice minister and interior minister resigned at once. No questions asked. The Nationalist opposition are 'cry wolf '. Strangely they have stopped pointing their finger at Silvio Scerri, Mallia's chief of staff. Rather interesting, I should think. But what is clear is that if Mallia does resign, then Scerri should follow suit. Mario de Marco should have perhaps stated that they want the heads of both Mallia and Scerri on a plate. That is what they were demanding at first. Why Scerri's head is no longer being sought by the PN is strange. The other day I was told that Scerri's former company is owed thousands by the Nationalist party, as are so many other companies, so I would hope that Dr de Marco will keep up the heat, irrespective of any commercial considerations of not addressing pending debts. Back to the question of resignations – this new wave of strident calls for political responsibility, brings to mind many such cases we would have had in the past. To name just some: Former environment minister George Pullicino, for having planned to share a holiday on a chartered yacht to Sicily with a tuna magnate who was facing (he was also investigated by the EU anti fraud agency OLAF) some serious breaches in tuna quotas. Former finance minister Tonio Fenech of course would have had to resign one, two, three, four times, on as many issues, which I will not repeat here for fear of repeating myself. Fenech of all the examples really was the perfect case for a resignation – as is the case with Manuel Mallia. And among others there was minister Austin Gatt, on a number of issues – I myself will be revealing some very interesting details in evidence which I will be giving in court and to the public accounts committee in relation to the oil scandal. Muscat, like Gonzi before him, has chosen to stand by his man. I guess it may be acceptable, though it should never be, to stand by your politicians no matter what, but it is not correct, nor is it honourable. Not if, as they all without exception say, hands on their heart, they are elected "to serve". Muscat may have lost the high moral ground, but Busuttil will need more than a general conference on honesty to regain his. This was an opportunity lost by Joseph Muscat and I guess for politics in general. There are those who have entered politics because they believe they can bring about change, but the majority do not have a clue what the f*** they are doing in parliament