That is why we are a Western democracy

Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi is perhaps the best cabinet minister on the Joseph Muscat team. He is appreciated by the general public, and he is respected for his focus and dedication. In the pre-election campaign his virginal look and straight talk was not only appreciated but very much welcomed by a discerning and bored electorate.

Mizzi was and is a breath of fresh air.

When he entered politics, he left behind a well-paid job in the private industry to take up a demanding job and underpaid ministerial post.

I can never understand why someone would want to be in such a poorly paid job.

Mizzi was not well known locally, his father was. And well known for his association, for good and bad, with big business. His wife was completely unknown.

That she too is competent is not being questioned here.

Nonetheless, that competence is not an excuse for ignoring ethical standards.

What is being questioned here is her engagement with Malta Enterprise.

Is it right for a minister's wife to be given an appointment, like a direct order by a government entity?

The unequivocal answer by the opposition is NO.

This is the unfortunate aspect of being married to a cabinet minister.

To accept this new trend would mean that Muscat can be permitted to redefine what is ethical or not ethical. That minister's wives can get involved in the administration - no questions asked.

We are, strangely, still a European country.

And the ethos of being a Western democracy means that we are not only guided by the principle of a free unbridled market.

We combine our uncomfortable acceptance of capitalism with, at the same time, an embrace of civil liberties and encouragement of standards, as well as socioeconomic and environmental considerations.

One standard emphasises the imperative to draw a boundary.

The boundary is common and accepted implicitly in most Western democracies.

The boundary makes us stand out from the other economic blocs: the Middle East, dominated by dictatorships and monarchies, and Asia, once again dominated by a rabid capitalism and an abysmal appreciation for the environment, civil liberties and democracy.

Konrad Mizzi, like most of his colleagues in the cabinet, is underpaid. But he and his fellows are in a serious quagmire. They spent three long years arguing that the secretive salary rise to Nationalist ministers was an awful thing.

The much-needed rise in salaries for ministers is now definitely on hold, because Muscat cannot possibly argue for one.

But this is untenable.

Why should the chief executive of a corporation or an authority earn much more than a minister?

Very low salaries have put the pressure on several ministers and their staff, and this leaves many of them scrambling for ways to complement their income.

Sai Mizzi Liang's envoy status will not go away, because it is just the sort of thing that makes the PN tick as a forceful party in opposition.

The appointment is one way of giving teeth to a political party that lost any sense of self-respect and credibility.

The Labour administration is doing just that: helping to direct public mistrust and anger at decisions which make no sense.

It also reconfirms our fear that Muscat and his team feel that they are beyond reproach, and that everything is justified - as long as it adds up to encouraging more business and financial growth.