Spineless and shameless
In a recent testimony, under oath, given to the Inquiry Board to determine whether the government could have avoided Daphne’s murder, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna admitted that he knew that things weren’t going well in government. He said he even pressured the then Prime Minister to sack one of his ministers.
Lest one forgets the Government had called a vote of confidence in the then Minister
Konrad Mizzi, a which vote passed unanimously. Hence, Minister Scicluna voted for Minister Mizzi to keep his job.
What gets to me, and sends shudders down my spine, is not really this fact. Albeit ugly in itself it could be understandable that a Parliamentarian votes according to the whip. What makes my mind boggle is that he shamelessly said he could have resigned instead of voting against and didn’t consider resigning.
Just to refresh one’s memory the septuagenarian Minister is a former MEP, was a respected University Professor and was on various other boards. He could have easily retired with a decent pension but greed took over. This goes to show why Minister Scicluna is spineless. I cannot fathom how he can have the courage to face people. No wonder people find difficulty in trusting politicians!
To be fair to him he said what he said in court under oath. He could have said that he was ignorant to what was going on; so, to his credit, he said the truth.
What Minister Scicluna admitted to is a reality of the government’s workings or rather the workings of the former cabinet under the premiership of the former Prime Minister. It is not the first incident and certainly not the last as eventually more testimonies will unfold.
What Minister Scicluna said was metaphorically showing the middle finger to the country and its citizens as his interests come first. Shame! A politician like me – who works with and has the poor and underprivileged at heart – find his actions offensive and hurtful. I, for one, didn’t enter politics for fame or as a fast track to be rich. On the contrary, I am in politics to be a voice for those who do not have one. The unheard or unnoticed minority. So, when one hears something of the sort one starts to wonder the motives that one enters politics for. Some say prestige. There is nothing so prestigious about it, it’s a life of sacrifice if one is dedicated.
We are living in a country where the Government MPs, when in opposition, were quick to be up in arms about when the then Nationalist Government made mistakes or misgivings. Come 2013 the Labour Party won that election on the premise that they would adopt a different style of politics especially based on meritocracy. What meritocracy? A government run, as admitted, by a kitchen cabinet. A government, who when criticised, based arguments on a tu quoque, sod principle! Now we know what the new style of politics meant predominantly under former Prime Minister Muscat. It meant to line pockets or fatten bank accounts as if its never enough for some people.
The Nationalist Party after twenty-five years of government was prone to make mistakes and for these mistakes the party paid the political price. It is understandable. But none took advantage for personal gain. When the then cabinet took an increase of 500 a week when the country was passing through austerity measures, they had to refund them.
Minister Scicluna gave a bad example to politicians, especially budding politicians. Politics is not for the spineless. Had I been in his place, especially after his admission, I would have done the decent thing and resign but he doesn’t know what shame is to call it quits. Minister Scicluna, your position is untenable more than ever.