Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/829524
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 MAY 2017 28 Opinion T he spark that set off the events that led to this election was lit in March of last year. It was of course the Panama Papers scandal. This was not the first scandal that tainted Joseph Muscat's reputation. By and large he managed to weather all the other scandals but the Panama Papers one was too big to hide behind some smoke screen investigation. It caused too much damage and could not be repaired by some PR stunt or token gesture. If anything, Joseph Muscat's poor handling of the situation made things worse for the Labour government. Joseph Muscat came across as caring more about the fate of his trusted friends than of the national interest. People were angry. People questioned why. When a whistle blower came forward saying that she had proof that the now famous Egrant – the third company set up in Panama days after the last election – belonged to Mrs Muscat, it was game over for Joseph Muscat's government. The Panama Papers debacle reinforced the perception that corruption has taken root in all levels of government. Government institutions which exist to protect the interests of the citizen failed to take action when action was clearly warranted. We stood and watched aghast as important institutions went into meltdown. Fortunately, not every one was prepared to stand by and people stood up to be counted. There are now Magisterial inquiries underway on the serious allegations brought forward. This is the all important background to next Saturday's election. Every election has one central theme. The theme of this election is corruption and the breakdown of the rule of law: corruption that brought Joseph Muscat's government to its knees. If left unchecked corruption will also bring down our country's economy. Corruption coupled with the failure of our regulators and institutions to take appropriate action eroded our country's reputation. With our reputation in freefall, companies which were interested in setting up shop in Malta looked elsewhere. Instead of attracting new business, we are now fighting to retain the business that we have. The knock on our reputation was a direct hit on our financial services sector and iGaming sector. We built these sectors thanks to the strong reputation we had. We used our reputation to ward off complaints by other countries who were jealous of our success. We stood strong until Joseph Muscat gambled it all away in pursuit of his personal interest as opposed to the national interest. If our financial services sector falls – not an unlikely scenario if Joseph Muscat remains in power – the fall-out in economic terms will be nothing short of catastrophic. The inter-linkages between financial services and other sectors are such that if one sector falls others will follow. The price will be paid not just by the 30,000 employees whose livelihoods depend directly on financial services. The bill for keeping Konrad Mizzi in office will have to be settled by families who earn their livelihoods from the construction, retail, hospitality and other sectors. This is not just the opinion of Forza Nazzjonali. Experts in the field are warning that the domino effect will be brutal. This is what is at stake on the 3rd of June. We have a chance, a golden opportunity to stop the rot and turn a new leaf. We have an opportunity to repair the damage done and kick off a rebuilding process. Joseph Muscat cannot be trusted to do this all important job. He is the wrecking ball that repeatedly knocked down our reputation. We now need a clean pair of hands – we need Simon Busuttil's safe hands to repair the damage done by Joseph Muscat. We now need leadership that is untainted by corruption. We desperately need to show investors and political leaders abroad that when it comes to fighting corruption, we mean business. The election result on the 3rd of June will be the first in a series of steps that need to be taken to get us back on track. At least 100 times a day I get asked "who will win the next election on the 3rd of June". My reply is that the real winner will not be known on the 3rd of June. The real winners will be known over the next five years as we lead a government that governs for all and in the interest of all. We will be a government united in our love for the country and our unstinting commitment to our people. We will work tirelessly to repair the damage inflicted on the country's reputation. We will strengthen our institutions not least by ensuring that public officers adhere to a strict code of conduct. We will pave the way for our entrepreneurs, helping them to unleash their ideas and projects. We will sustain existing business and push for new ventures. We will make sure that the economy works for all and not just for a select few. We will fight poverty not by quoting statistics but through policies that really make a difference in the lives of our vulnerable members of society. We will invest in health and education like we did in the past. We will tackle once and for all the traffic congestion problem because for us traffic is not a perception but a daily scourge on commuters. Too many problems were left to fester over the past four years. We will take them head on. Two days ago while doing the rounds in my constituency I met a pensioner. She welcomed me into her home and greeted me with these words. She told me "I do not need anything from you but I do want something from your government. I want peace of mind". And that is what we aim to deliver over the next five years. Peace of mind and normality to all families, to all businesses, to all students, to all workers. And this is why on the 3rd of June, the Maltese electorate will choose Malta. Mario de Marco is PN deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Mario de Marco Guaranteeing peace of mind We now need a clean pair of hands – we need Simon Busuttil's safe hands to repair the damage done by Joseph Muscat We will sustain existing business and push for new ventures. We will make sure that the economy works for all and not just for a select few