The amazing government policy of robbing Peter to pay Paul

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis gets an ice-cold shower at the news that Air Malta has lost 16.4 million euros under his stewardship in just a year.

Air Malta chairman Maria Micallef announced yesterday that the airline plans to slash its massive losses of €16.4 million this year to €4 million next year.

Oh how fabulous, you think at first – why, these St Dorothy’s girls who are cropping up all over the place in public life really are ballsy and gifted. Then you read the fine print of the newspaper coverage and see that Air Malta is planning to sell Selmun Palace to the government, having failed to sell it on the open market, for €10 million.

I can’t work out what this is exactly – robbing Peter to pay Paul, or losing on the swings what you’ve gained on the roundabout. But it reminds me of the early childhood days when my sister and I played shops: I’d spend my pennies in her shop and she’d pick them up and spend them in mine.