Walk your talk, Mr PM

Just a few hours after the dust settled over the grand celebrations of the 50th anniversary of our Independence, The Times revealed that Lands Commissioner Joe Bugeja had tendered his resignation from office at the Government Property Department.

The Opposition has been following at close distance a series of strange decisions being taken within the department. Relevant people have been sidelined since the last general election. Eman Schembri, former Director General of the Department, had requested an extension when his contract came up for renewal, only to be refused.

Since then, the Lands Department has been embroiled in two scandals – Australia Hall and the Café Premier. In my news conference to the media last Tuesday, the reasons behind the Lands Commissioner’s resignation were revealed. In spite of being legally responsible at law for the decisions taken by the department, the Lands Commissioner was repeatedly kept in the dark and made to accept decisions taken by politicians and communicated to him by his colleagues.

Some months back, the Lands Commissioner indicated this during the public accounts committee, when asked about his involvement in the decision taken by the Labour Government to withdraw a court case against the Labour Party on Australia Hall. The Labour Party had acted against the conditions as laid down in the emphyteusis by accumulating ground rent arrears and left a Grade 1 historical building in total abandonment. Joe Bugeja stated that he was never involved in the case, in any way.

Therefore, it is now crystal clear that the decision to withdraw the court case against the Labour Party was purposely taken behind everyone’s back. In fact, the person responsible for affairs related to the use of public property was kept in total darkness. This, in itself, stinks of bad governance and partisan sidekicks. How would you feel if you occupied this position and ended up sidelined on such a crucial decision?

The Café Premier scandal involved yet another crucial decision in which the Lands Commissioner was intentionally kept in the dark. He had to accept an “agreement” (bail out) to the tune of €4.2 million reached by an outsider to the department – a consultant to the Prime Minister.

The Labour Government is carving up the public service into two – the selected few, and the rest. No matter how qualified you may be, how experienced you are or what skills you have gained – if you are not part of the team, bad luck!

This resignation represents an unacceptable level of political interference in the duties of high-level civil servants. Joe Bugeja’s resignation, a highly qualified public servant, is the culmination of bad governance. The result is such that the Lands Department is in a crisis.

Ultimately, this reflects badly on the leadership style of Joseph Muscat. The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated, in his usual pompous self, that hard working and proactive civil servants will be rewarded. When confronted with Joe Bugeja’s resignation, all these words meant nothing. They were, and still are, a mere slogan, no more.

The Lands Commissioner is a victim, like many others before him, of the ugly style of politics propagated by the Labour Government.

I have been receiving reports of public property abuse for some time now. Why is it that my constituents (not only for that matter) have to come to me to report such cases? It transpires that the helpline 1157, where one could report abuse without revealing one’s identity, has been put down. No wonder reports of illegalities have been flooding through at the Nationalist Party’s headquarters. This is what happens when a country is run by a Government that permits the outright and flagrant abuse of public property. Lest you be fooled, this is not carelessness, but an outright neglect.

We’ve shared a unique moment of unity last weekend. With hindsight, it really was merely a moment. That moment is now history, and reality has struck again. Colourful words of national unity and dreams of united future generations don’t matter much to someone like the Lands Commissioner. They also don’t mean much to those who have given their best but have nonetheless ended up sidelined. They surely mean nothing to that diplomat who faced attempts to force her to transfer to the dockyard workers’ company, with the attempt stopped by the courts through a permanent warrant of prohibitory injunction.

This style of divisive politics is undermining the integrity and performance of the public service. It demotivates civil servants and goes against the Prime Minister’s own pledge of rewarding proactiveness. We may be “an independent state” – only to have a public service undermined by political interference.