Labour Leader Joseph Muscat has awoken from the summer slumber and shows no signs of changing his ways from that of Opinion Poll Sucker. New Labour is not forming into a party with a set of values as its backbone. Rather than a sort of “Third Way” manifesto, Joseph Muscat – a product of the media and marketing PLPN factory – opts to go for the formula of “Our Size Pleases All”. Every news item and every twist must be seen from the point of the “crowd pleaser” scenario – and if that also includes disagreeing with Gonzi’s boys then all the better.
Take his latest pronouncement on the VAT cases. They send the wrong message to those who observe the law says Muscat. He obviously does not have to cross many fingers in the hope that observers do not notice that the law was applied in these circumstances. Is Muscat asking for extra-legal punishment? Even so, as Daphne rightly pointed out (A general interdiction is nothing, says Vince, TMIS 13.09.09), the punishment of general interdiction is not exactly a slap on the back of the hand. Does Muscat even have any idea what the law states and what the implications of the punishment really are? I think he does not even care. What is important is that five minute moment when he is feted as Mexxej tal-Oppozizzjoni on radio and is made to feel that his opinion really counts.
What really matters, as with every PLPN exercise nowadays, is the public perception, and in this case the perception is that he is after the big sharks. It’s the barunijiet story all over again although now it’s Inhobbkom Joseph and not Angry Sant spinning the yarn. Muscat’s Labour had been at it earlier this week on the tuna story. It appears that Joe Borg has lost the battle within the Commission and that the persons who profit from tuna fishing and tuna farms in Malta might be in for a big disappointing ban some time soon. I tend to agree with Mark Anthony Falzon (Not on my sushi, TOM 13.09.09) on that one – the interests of the tuna exploiting community are NOT the interests of the majority of the Maltese…. so why the flying fish did Labour have to urge the government to combat the ban? It does not even make opinion poll sense – or does it?
It’s common sense… stupid!
2 replies on “He Woke Up and Smelt the Opinion Polls”
The issue regarding the punishment for the VAT cases was whether a suspended sentence or a prison term was the appropriate punishment.
In these VAT cases the court appeared to apply a suspended sentence as the accused admitted their crimes although the reduction in punishment should not be an automatic consequence of the admission of guilt (as has been held by the Maltese Court of Appeal) especially if the serious nature of the crime is considered.
It is also the trend in Malta especially in the Maltese Magistrates courts to mete out rather mild punishments such as conditional discharges, probation orders and suspended sentences for serious offences.
Since corruption appears to be a common practice and this not only in Malta, with due respect to the Magistrates’ Court, a more severe punishment may have been more appropriate.
Can’t believe me eyes … Jacques agreeing with Daphne. Wow!