Keeping focus, and a sense of proportion

I am sure that there are many today who want to read more and more about this week’s almighty clash between Daphne and Chris Cardona. I am equally sure there are many others who have read enough about this issue and want to read about other subjects.

Unless there have been developments over the past hours of which I am unaware, it does not look as if the saga can develop further. Daphne said what she had to say, at least outside the courtroom, about the case. Minister Cardona sued for libel and then got the court to issue garnishee orders. There was a big reaction and the minister felt he had to reassure everyone he intends to issue garnishee orders only to Daphne.

Then as happened in 1976 after the union’s directive to strike on 29 June, the rest of the country rallied round and in a short enough time, money had been collected to meet the garnishee orders and then some.

End of story? It looks like it until the court hearings begin. With all due respect to the protagonists, it was a three-day wonder.

This does not mean that people will stop talking about it. The Opposition is holding a big meeting in Sliema today, changing the venue in mid-week. The inquiries set in motion by the Opposition in the European institutions may produce further inquiries (but don’t hold your breath – look at how the PANA Inquiry Committee seems to have no teeth).

In the meantime, the progovernment side will always find fuel for its anti- Daphne rants.

Now we know that come the election, we usually get a 93 per cent turnout. But on normal days, politics and partisanship are a small, albeit vocal, part of the population. If one were to ask people to describe the entire Chris Cardona – DCG saga, I doubt if the majority can give an adequate account. People either subscribe to a political party and follow it in whatever it says or else they decide no party is worth their support. And that’s that until the eve of the election.

In a year’s time, we will be in the middle of a fierce election campaign. At this juncture, it is premature to forecast what the campaign’s main themes will be, although it is now a safe bet to say that the government’s corruption will be the main feature or thereabout.

There have been more than enough incidents involving ministers, private secretaries, permanent secretaries, and so on, to reinforce this claim. Coming to power after more or less 25 years, and apparently not learning enough from past experience to eradicate certain power syndromes that are inherited and passed on from one generation to the next, members of the Labour core made a beeline for appointments in the various ministries and agencies, at all levels of government employment.

I will not generalize and say that all political appointees are corrupt, even if some are. There are clean ministries and there are less clean ones. Some ministries are efficient and some are less so.

My point is that while corruption will undoubtedly form a major part of the campaign, it must not, should not, be the only theme in 12 months’ time. If one examines what people are worried about, corruption will undoubtedly be among the top themes but it will not be the only one, maybe not even the top concern.

There are other issues that worry people. I venture to say that even the economy, for all we are told that it is doing very well, may be a worry for some people. People may be worried about the damage being done to the environment, to the quality of life, the roads, the health service not delivering what the government says it does, and so on.

It is important to retain a sense of proportion over the next 12 months as much as it is important to keep focus on the main issue.