God help us all then. Have you had a look at the line-up of presenters lately? You couldn’t pick one out in an identity parade, such is their dull average greyness.

The Nationalist Party is not bankrupt. Neither was the MLP back in 2008.

What they do not have is a large turnover and cash flow. But both parties are sitting on a mound of millions in other assets: TV stations, radio stations, printing presses and websites and newspapers. And of course, dozens of properties (the ‘kazini’) in prime areas.

The ‘Dar Centrali’ itself is worth millions.

Nowadays we pride ourselves on copying European ‘best practice’. Here’s some news: in the rest of Europe, political parties sell their HQs to recoup the cost, and move to smaller, less expensive premises to cut costs. Then if they win elections and the money starts flowing in, they can move back into more opulent offices.

It’s not that the party officials don’t know this. I know exactly what the problem is: embarrassment. Ma nammettux ghax inkella naqghu ghac-cajt/nitilfu iktar voti. Sometimes the truth really sets you free.

Findings are that with TV it is presenters that achieve strongest retention with the audience, whereas radio achieves a better message retention.

It’s there between the lines. I believe we once had a conversation about something not dissimilar.

There are certain weaknesses of this sort that have been pointed out to the Nationalist Party and any reply on the lines of “availability” or “ease of access” are inadequate and insufficient.

If the brains required aren’t knocking at the Nationalist Party’s door for incessant media exposure, the Nationalist Party should go knock on theirs.

The pool of availability is to be targeted. Those constantly available for comment should be avoided like the plague.

What happened with “other cowboys” is that some of the nationalist party administration and indeed, as we have seen wider afield, had no authentic pulse as to just how corrupt they were – failing to see beneath the surface.

Naïvity or not, let’s have proper intelligence in place once and for all to ensure that such instances can never be repeated.

When key staff at OPM remain unaware of connections and past history, the situation is destined for failure. No more blinkers.

And it should. Maybe you never learned about opportunity cost?