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When this Sunday newspaper revealed last year the exaggerated salary and perks received by Louis Grech, then an Air Malta Chairman and now a Labour MEP, there were smirks over the faces of some of the other Labour candidates… and giggles from his political adversaries.
Grech's salary details was kindly provided for by the Nationalists. No one dared point a finger at former Economic Services Minister Josef Bonnici for having sanctioned such a ridiculous pay packet. Well, Profs. Bonnici is not complaining: he was handpicked by his party to serve in Brussels for one of those jobs taken up by 24 other human beings.
When it was apparent that the salary and perks shock did nothing to thwart his popularity with the MLP electorate, one Labour candidate egged me on to reveal yet another angle to Mr Grech's exploit, by which time, I thought that this was getting far too much for poor Mr Grech.
Louis Grech absorbed the stories in a calm and composed manner. He did not run away from the cameras or the tape-recorders, he did not avoid the questions.
He answered the queries as a mature politician is expected to do. And he took the flak standing up not lying down.
When this newspaper tracked the goings-on of European parliamentarians and analysed their potential income as MEPs in Brussels, two parliamentarians in particular decided that they would no longer answer questions put to them by MaltaToday. They said they were misrepresented. They have every right to imagine so. But then they should not blame us if we describe their behaviour as an Alfred Sant tactic.
Simon Busuttil and David Casa have opted for a boycott of MaltaToday. By boycott I understand they refuse to answer our questions, as we every reason to believe that they that they are reading this column right now.
If they cannot handle the press it is their problem not ours.
For three solid years, Alfred Sant decided not to talk to MaltaToday. He thought we were unfair, unkind and irresponsible. I never complained about his boycott because I knew that he finally would come around and decide to talk to us.
I would have expected this kind of behaviour from the Manwel Cuschieri look-alike David Casa, not from Simon Busuttil, perceived by all his voters as the soft-spoken, cuddly MEP. Probably Busuttil would be better off if we posted a journalist in Brussels and asked him to paste copied stories from the internet and send them to us as news stories.
Unknown to most of the Busuttil aficionados, most especially the water-shortage female veterans who donned water tubs over their heads in the eighties, Doctor Busuttil is the same Doctor Busuttil who soon after the referendum result told me that he wished to militate as a 'social democrat', a polite word for a new Laburist.
Now I am not quite sure if it was the wine or the food but all I can say is that he said it and in someone else's presence. I will remind him of that silly statement until death do us part or I too become part of the establishment, God forbid.
Well back to the life and times of Simon Busuttil.
Some moons later he was approached by Eddie himself, and the man who wanted to sacrifice his honour for the red flag was carefully packaged and presented as the prime candidate for the Nationalists.
The last time we grabbed some grub together, I told him and another Euro-parliamentarian aspirant that I thought that their decision to take up the candidature was ill timed.
Inopportune because it was far too close to the time Busuttil had presented himself as the independent font of information as head of that now irrelevant body called MIC.
When I look back I do not blame Labour for having mistrusted Busuttil. Busuttil tries to paint his job as that of an MEP as a vocational hobby.
On becoming MEP he continued to offer his legal services as a European law expert and on other occasions has advised clients on how to fight his own government. Surely he does not expect this newspaper to treat this as something 'normal'.
He is also a shrewd politician. For example, he does not tell his Nationalist audience that the political grouping that he militates in, the EPP - last week saw some of its members vote against an amendment to remove reference to abortion funding.
So next time Busuttil appears on a sound bite in his angelic voice condemning everyone else not in the EPP for being in favour of killing unborn babies, please can someone tell him to shut up.
Busuttil knows what it takes to get to the top and like Labour MEP Joseph Muscat he will probably get there. I just hope that by the time both get to the post of leader of the PN and MLP I will be somewhere in the Scottish highlands running after sheep.
In my CV I have to write that I have had the pleasure of working with both Simon Busuttil and David Casa. The latter was a nightmare to work with. He was unpredictable, unreliable and untrustworthy. This is of course a subjective evaluation and I am sure that there others who think differently.
Indeed, IVA was run like a fiefdom and it is one thing that I am ashamed of. But to be fair to David Casa, he always had kind words for Simon Busuttil. I cannot recall Simon Busuttil reciprocating, but I am sure that Doctor Busuttil likes Casa a lot.
But as we all get to know, political convenience means that enemies becomes friends, friends history and constituents individuals you meet at funerals.
Simon Busuttil is a man of unlimited potential. He definitely has the brains to assess a European legalistic case study. I am not quite sure he has the political vision for a secular society. And he still cannot decide what comes first: his career, the party or the clients he advises.
What I am dead sure of is that he regards this irreverent opinion as tacky and unpleasant. Which is what it should be - welcome to the spirit of the European press: cheeky, pungent and revealing.
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Now, next Sunday is the day when the Prime Minister is expected to celebrate one year in Europe. It has been one hell of a year and if anyone is feeling more European than ever please raise your right hand and scream at the top of your voice: “Gravy train, gravy train.”
OK, let us revisit some of the reforms that we have seen this year and please feel free to show a thumbs up or down.
The eco-contribution - well intended but construed by a dodo.
The reforms at PBS - Austin Gatt's closest imitation of Dom.
Cutting public holidays falling on a weekend - being an employer I unashamedly say 'hurrah'.
Kerosene hike - too late but bloody necessary, why should we subsidise other people's heating bills.
Revisiting the Mater Dei contract - about time and proof of the incompetence of Health Minister Louis Deguara and Prime Minister Fenech Adami.
FTS inquiry conclusions - proof that accountability is still a buzzword.
Tonio Borg's handling of the immigrant inflow - a disaster.
The Brussels property saga - proves beyond doubt that Dr Gonzi still has come to terms with the RCC legacy.
Attracting investment - what did you say?
And just in case you think that I am the only one with a tragic outlook, please note that to celebrate the anniversary of one year in Europe the National Orchestra will be kicking off the celebrations with the Tragic Overture, by Brahms.
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