Sandro Chetcuti and the developers are working to gain access to the “Nationalist Party shop”

Over the last few weeks I have noticed Sandro Chetcuti making approaches to and being seen with people linked to the Nationalist Party.

In one particular case, after seeing them together in very friendly fashion in a prominent Valletta coffee-shop, I rang the PN-linked individual – a media personality and former electoral candidate – and asked him what on earth he was doing, being seen in public hanging around in coffee shops with a scandalous operator like that and giving him regular access.

Not only does he have a criminal conviction for assaulting a union leader in his office, I said, but he also lives in the prime minister’s pocket and is pushing like crazy for the creation of more environmental chaos. What do you imagine it looks like to people when they see you hanging around with him like buddies?

The conversation between us was private and will stay that way, but I will have to say just this: I was not impressed at all and I was actually quite suspicious.

It wasn’t any of my business, but I was really annoyed at the inability of some people to see that if you get cosy and social with people like that, then it stands to reason that you can’t criticise them or their actions and activities, and that is exactly why they cosy up to journalists and politicians of all sides, to protect themselves from media scrutiny and criticism by creating personal obligations of friendship and access.

His panicky urging to other developers to “make hay while the sun shines” was the first indication that Chetcuti’s euphoria of Labour victory and a 36,000 majority is finally beginning to wear off as reality sets in that no party stays in government for good. So now, just two and a half years after being the only non-politician to accompany newly-minted prime minister Joseph Muscat on his victory walk up the steps into the Auberge de Castille, Sandro Chetcuti is trying to build bridges to Simon Busuttil and the Nationalist Party.

But this man Chetcuti is a primitive Mintoffian pig to whom all relationships are utilitarian and political parties not the means of making a better life for people and improving the situation in the country, but “two big shops and you sometimes buy from one and sometimes from the other”.

The savage doesn’t even realise how backward his views are – political parties and politicians as the source of financial patronage – and doesn’t even bother to cloak his sentiments in something more acceptable.

The Nationalist Party should, of course, hold formal, official and recorded meetings with this man because he is the president of the developers lobby and political parties have to talk to all stakeholders in society and business. But that is where it should end – and there should always be witnesses present and detailed minutes taken.

If they accept any kind of donation from that man, in cash or in kind, they are fried. Their credibility will be toast and they should take it as read that the donation will be leaked to a cooperative newspaper and used by Joseph Muscat as a weapon in the general election campaign.

The public are furious at the way that Sandro Chetcuti and the developers lobby appear to be running the show with major access to the prime minister, over whom they clearly have some kind of hold. The Opposition leader should reflect that fury. That is what he is there for. That is his job.