Muscat has shown he is a strategist. He will do anything to weaken the Opposition. Why stop doing what he was so successful at doing whilst in Opposition now that he is in Government and can actually offer some toffee to certain weak individuals?

That he wants to involve the ‘best brains’ is utter hogwash. We can already see evidence of this through various appointments he has made. They are not the ‘best brains’ but persons he wants to reward or keep on side – his own friends of friends.

If he does offer any appointments to members of the Opposition it is likely to be to the weakest links in the Nationalist Party and then it is hardly likely to be anything of substance. And there might be a couple of fools who are big enough suckers to accept.

Even if it is something of substance, say some form of position to Tonio Fenech in the Ministry of Finance, it is because he needs the likes of Tonio to get things done for him whilst he goes to the gym every day.

The bottom line is that Simon is absolutely right and whoever doesn’t see it is either naive, opportunistic or communist. No democracy can function without a strong Opposition which can keep the Government on its toes. If the Opposition is also part of Government how can it be critical of it?

Long and ardous road ahead but, as you say, being in Opposition is indeed liberating and can actually be enjoyable. Labour will give the opposition a field day.