Oh come on, Robert Arrigo. People expect better of you.

Don’t politicians realise how badly it plays with the electorate when they come across as being in the game for all the kudos they can get for themselves? Here’s Robert Arrigo, still sulking and stamping his feet a year after the general election, in an interview with Julia Farrugia (Illum, 22 February). I must say, I’m very surprised.

“Kienet anticlimax kbira li tefgħuni backbencher. Ħassejtni qisni team tal-futbol li rebaħ il-league u għal xi raġuni ma ngħatax it-tazza,” jistqarr Robert Arrigo.

That’s a telling choice of words: “tefghuni backbencher”. I don’t think he understands how our parliamentary democracy works. Those who voted for him made him a backbencher. Then it was up to the prime minister to handpick him for a ministerial role, and he chose not to. God knows where Arrigo’s sense of entitlement comes from. It’s the prime minister’s sole prerogative to choose his cabinet. Arrigo seems to believe that this prerogative belongs to his Sliema constituents.

Ħdax-il xahar wara d-diżappunt għadu jinħass. Għall-mistoqsija ta’ kif ħassu meta minkejja r-riżultat eċċellenti li kiseb fl-elezzjoni ġenerali ta’ sena ilu ma ngħata l-ebda kariga ministerjali jew ta’ Segretarju Parlamentari jħalli pawsa twila. Imbagħad …“L-akbar diżappunt għan-nies li vvutawli.”

Honestly! I’d expect this kind of thinking from somebody born and raised in socio-economic group DE, but from Robert Arrigo? And his Sliema constituents? I don’t think so. People from that sort of background don’t think in terms of a ‘ziemel’ – of backing the right horse so that they can collect the winnings. Or worse – of having their MP form part of the cabinet so that they may bask in reflected glory and collect on the patronage.

Nor is Robert Arrigo too embarrassed to let the world know that he took it for granted he would be made a minister. He’d have done better to have played it all down to start with: “No, of course I won’t be made a minister. I’m new to the game. There are others much more deserving than I am, others more suited to the role.” Then if he was made a minister it would have been a “pleasant surprise”. And if he was not, there’s no embarrassment. Arrigo complains that he was done in, when in reality he set himself up for what came next. Here he is, implying that canvassers and galloppini should be the ones dictating to the prime minister his choice of cabinet.

Kellu tgergir minn nies tad-distretti u minn kanvassers? “Ħafna. Fir-rebħa iżjed irċevejt kartolini u sms ta’ kondoljanzi. Għamilna l-ewwel tliet xhur anke jekk nippruvaw noħorġu nimxu max-xatt tas-Sliema ma tkunx tista’ timxi,” wieġeb Arrigo. Imma fi kliem il-Membru Parlamentari Nazzjonalista l-ħajja tkompli u “ġimgħa wara l-elezzjoni xorta fetaħ l-uffiċċju tiegħu. U wara nofsinhar xorta bqajt nagħmel il-home visits. Jien obbligat lejn l-eluf ta’ nies li tawni l-vot.”

And oh no, here’s another of those petitions.

Id-diżappunt mhux tiegħu biss personali. Jiżvela għall-ewwel darba li r-rabja fost in-nies tad-Distrett tant kienet kbira li kien hemm petizzjoni ta’ protesta għaddejja. “Iva, veru saret din il-petizzjoni. Rajtha b’għajnejja. Kien hemm ’il fuq minn 2,000 firma.” Nistaqsieh x’kienet it-talba ta’ din il-petizzjoni. “Biex il-Prim Ministru Lawrence Gonzi jikkunsidra u jagħti widen lill-voti li ksibt meta jkun hemm opportunitajiet ta’ ħatriet,” tkun it-tweġiba. “La sirt naf biha xtaqt li tibqa’ xi ħaġa nterna fil-grupp tagħna u ma ħassejtx li għandha tkun ippreżentatha. Waqqafthom,” isostni b’referenza għall-fatt li l-petizzjoni qatt ma waslet Kastilja.

I remember writing an article, years and years ago, saying how wrong it was that ministers were chosen on the basis of their electoral support, rather than on the basis of their suitability for the post – and other factors. I can understand that Robert Arrigo is cheesed off. I can even understand why he’s cheesed off. What I can’t understand is why he’s scotching his chances by refusing to play the game, and is instead playing dog in the manger. I don’t mean scotching his chances with the prime minister. I mean scotching his chances with the electorate. It comes across really, really badly when a man sulks like this and refuses to play ball. A sign goes up on his head: Loose Cannon. People don’t feel comfortable voting for loose cannon. They feel even less comfortable voting for individuals who come across as gunning for a ministerial position to which they feel entitled. Humility and good grace play so well when you’re a politician.

And here’s Julia Farrugia, coining a new Maltese word:

Qatt kellu l-gazz li jitkellem wiċċ imb’wiċċ mal-Prim Ministru?

Oh, please. Gazz. Really.

And there are more problems in store. Of course.

“It-Teatru Rjal jekk ikolli l-għażla nżommu teatru u mhux nagħmlu Parlament. Naqbel li l-Parlament bil-funzjoni li għandu għandu jkollu post differenti. Imma żgur mhux flok l-opera house.”

I really, absolutely do not agree with his views on a referendum about divorce: the imposition of the will of the majority on the minority, on a matter of minority rights. Divorce is an internationally-acknowledged civil right. Every state has divorce except for Malta and The Philippines. Why on earth would we need a referendum? The world has moved on since other Catholic countries had a referendum on this issue, and it’s not an issue any more.

Referendum? “Iva. Nista’ naqbel li jkun hemm referendum dwar jekk id-divorzju għandux jidħol Malta. Imma nemmen f’dibattitu mhux b’żewġ partiti mifruda imma b’vot nazzjonali.” Jaqbel ma’ vot ħieles fil-Parlament dwar id-divorzju? “M’għandhiex tasal għal vot imma b’kunsens nazzjonali.”

And more and more problems, though this time with a view to the wider picture. I’m pleased to discover that Arrigo wasn’t one of the ‘inkazzati’ who planned to vote against the museum extension project:

U dwar l-aħħar ‘ġlieda’ b’rabta mal-proġett tal-Konkattidral jargumenta li: “dejjem xtaqt li ma jsirx. Lill-Prim Ministru kont għidtlu li ma naqbilx. Imma kont għidtlu wkoll li jekk jiġi għal vot jien nivvota skont il-linja li jagħtina l-Partit.” Imma x’raġunament hu dan li jċedi anke f’affarijiet li per prinċipju ma jaqbilx magħhom? Lest li fuq ċerti suġġetti jaħarqu, jgħid x’jgħid il-Prim Ministru, jivvota skont il-kuxjenza u skont dak li l-maġġoranza tal-pubbliku tkun tixtieq? “S’issa dejjem sibt Prim Ministru li qed jisma’ dak li ngħidulu. Hi ftit ta’ grazzja li jkollok Prim Ministru li jisma’ u li int tista’ tagħmel il-punti tiegħek. Għalija dak li qed tgħid mhux issue,” iwieġeb.