Let’s face it, taxpayers have had a raw deal. Development has uglified the country whilst tens of thousands of properties remain unoccupied; public transportation remains a mess; roads, though gradually improving thanks to EU funds are still poor on the whole; we’ve paid through the nose to support the drydocks and for major infrastuctural projects which were inevitably finished late and over budget (airport, hospital, Manwel Dimech bridge, sewage treatment plants); the PN government has failed to promote renewable energy just as it has failed to plan for a looming water crisis; the ‘kmamar’ at Torri l-Abjad and Gnejna are still there; the civil service is still inefficient; cars are still the most expensive in Europe (but we need them desparately because of the dire standards of public transport); we lack sufficient doctors, pilots, nurses and teachers. Whilst it is true to say the PN in government has done an enormous amount of good, in attracting investment, growing the economy and improving standards and – most of all – in giving us our freedom back after the nightmare of Mintoff, it has a lacklustre record in many fields, and this is a result of having such a poor opposition.

This is what I mean when I say that when the MLP never learns it is a national problem. I do so wish we had a serious and capable opposition.

[Daphne – In political terms, you’d call it the absence of a good opposition. In real terms, it’s actually the absence of competition.]

As if having Mintoff as prime minister for all those years (not to mention his Labour successors) making us a laughing-stock was not enough. Now Joseph comes along and claims to represent “the Maltese”. They’ll never get it right.

I wonder how she didn’t write to Michelle (Obama) pointing out their shared first name.

Michelle (Muscat) should suggest to the other Michelle (Obama) to take a leaf out of Joseph’s book and declare ‘Inhobbkom’.

Too right.