Of hypocrisy and deceit

Hypocrisy generally brings about something with a consequential effect of artificiality.

It gives a false appearance of virtue or goodness while concealing the real character or motive. Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behaviour and/or activity – or worse – for which one criticises another. It is the failure to follow one’s own rules or principles. Hypocrisy, being the deception of others, is a lie. Journalist Michael Gerson says that “political hypocrisy is the conscious use of a mask to fool the public and gain political benefit.”

Making promises which are not kept is deceit. A deceitful person is a hypocrite. Hypocrisy and deceit go hand in hand – birds of a feather. Careful analysis must be made prior to believing what one is told or promised, especially when pre-warned of the possible consequences. This necessitates a careful consideration of the motive behind what is being said or promised. One might say or promise things through excess of self-concern or fear, say of losing something, even an election. Labour’s hypocrisy and deceit has been ongoing since the electoral campaign leading to the March 2013 elections and thereafter.

Labour’s hypocrisy

During the electoral campaign, Joseph Muscat and Labour promised heaven on earth, promised everything to everyone, sometimes risking contradicting themselves. They criticised and hurled abuse at the previous Nationalist administration, claiming that for many years the PN degraded the living conditions of the majority of the Maltese population.

Labour accused the Nationalist administration with arrogance and abuse of power and that it was a government made up of a clique that looked only after its own interests and those of the select few.

After March 2013, Labour itself has been doing what it criticised and accused the Nationalist administration of. For Muscat and Labour, wrongdoings are when allegedly committed by the Nationalist administration.

Muscat and Labour promised that Malta under a Labour administration would belong to all of us (Malta Tagħna Lkoll), that what matters is not who one knows but what one knows, that one would not need to go to a politician to get what one rightly deserves and that one could still work with Labour though one might not agree with Labour.

They promised that Malta would not belong to someone or other, that it would not belong to a clique or to a politician or to a political party. Labour promised that the time of rivalry, partisanship and arrogace of power would be dead and buried. Labour’s hypocrisy and deceit insult our intelligence. Whoever notices these promises are being ignored and abused should stand up to be counted.

The President’s address at the opening of this legislature emphasised promises made by Muscat and Labour. Bringing trust back into politics and in politicians, and that governance would be carried out in a more serious manner were promised. Families and businesses were promised peace of mind and that taxes paid to the government, which would not be increased, would be used correctly in the interest of all.

The electorate was promised that the Labour Government’s performance would be gauged by what it gives back to the people and not by how richer politicians became. The Maltese were promised protection from abuse and corruption. “We will fight corruption” was one of Muscat’s battlecries.

Pre-March 2013, Muscat and Labour promised they would listen to the people: “A Government that listens”. We were promised a Labour administration that would be thinking of the people, be with the people, live for the people and dedicate all its energy to the people. They promised a just society which, although professing different ideas, would live in harmony without divisions, where the nation would be united, where the red and the blue mentality would be a thing of the past.

Above all, Muscat and Labour promised a change in direction. They emphasised that their manifesto was not a list of vote-catching promises but a realistic project through a clear and feasible roadmap in which they invited everyone to participate and contribute so Malta could become the best in Europe.

These are just a few, though salient, promises made by Muscat and Labour prior to the 2013 election. Since Labour won the election almost four years ago, the population has been witnessing promises falling like a pack of cards. Labour after 2013 made the Maltese, at their expense, experience and understand the real meaning of hypocrisy and deceit.

Muscat’s hypocrisy

Many times prior and after the 2013 election, Joseph Muscat publicly declared he always keeps his word and his promises. However, the serious and convincing face which he put up at that time now carries a sarcastic smile, a smile of hypocrisy and deceit. The number of cases where hypocrisy and deceit have prevailed since March 2013 are too numerous to mention.

Prior to the election, Muscat publicly declared that he would shoulder political responsibility if the new Delimara Power Station was not be ready by March 2015. A year after the election, questioned during a national TV station programme whether he still maintained that he would resign if this timeframe was not reached, Muscat emphatically declared “Yes, I am very convinced. I keep my word.” The promised timeframe is almost two years overdue. The powerstation is still not functional and Muscat has not resigned. But Joseph Muscat is an honourable man and insists he always keeps his word!

The electorate – especially the residents of the south of Malta – vividly remember Muscat’s scaremongering prior to the election regarding the BWSC powerstation using Heavy Fuel Oil. He termed it as “a cancer factory” which is the cause of asthma and cancer. Almost four years down the line it still runs on HFO. Is it still “a cancer factory” or was it never one for Muscat? If that were not enough, Muscat’s so-called “cancer factory” has been bought by the Chinese. One has to be insane to fork out millions for “a cancer factory”.

During the Budget 2017 debate in Parliament, when the Leader of the Opposition was replying to the estimates of the Office of the Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat was not in attendance. During the same sitting, when Konrad Mizzi, Minister without Portfolio, started his speech regarding energy, the Opposition walked out.

Later in the sitting, Muscat returned and closed the debate on the votes of his ministry. He strongly criticised the Opposition for walking out when, according to him, the truth was being explained, declaring the Opposition refused to listen to the truth. Muscat’s words show hypocrisy when he himself was not present when the Leader of the Opposition was addressing Parliament regarding Muscat’s own votes. What a falsity! The mask has truly fallen.

Malta deserves better

Political power cannot be maintained when it is represented by hypocrisy and deceit. We have been witnessing many such cases in Malta since March 2013. Lenin said “Hypocrisy and deceit are the result of weakness.”

Malta does not deserve a weak leadership but a strong one. Only a strong leadership can deliver honesty and put our nation back on the right track. Malta and its people deserve much better than Muscat and Labour.

Prior to the election of March 2013 Muscat made many promises. Now, with the ever-growing list of ignored ones by Muscat and his government, one realises how artificial, hypocritical and downright deceitful his promises were.

Muscat and Labour managed to fool the electorate once. Shame on them! Shame on the electorate if it allows itself to be fooled a second time by Muscat and Labour after the lessons learnt during this legislature.

Muscat and Labour managed to fool the electorate once. Shame on them! Shame on the electorate if it allows itself to be fooled a second time