It is evident that the Labour Party uses politics as a game in which empty promises may be made in order to buy votes. ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said this in relation to the latest developments with respect to Air Malta.

It is now well known that the Labour Party in government had been preparing for the distinct possibility of winding up Air Malta, even though just a few months ago its employees were guaranteed  that the company will continue to operate and that any excess labour would be transferred to the public sector subject to the same salary and conditions. This guarantee cannot be implemented as it would create havoc in the public sector due to the large disparities in the pay structures and applicable benefits. Indeed, in the Labour Party’s electoral programme we read that a process has commenced to ensure that Air Malta will remain in operation and serve its strategic objectives in line with EU regulations (p. 222). Media reports this week revealed that this was all a charade and empty promises. The Labour Party does this unashamedly.

This is a result of political clientelism that has been practiced without any restraint since the setting up of Air Malta. Subsequent strategic plans failed because there had not been the political will for Air Malta to operate without political interference. Millions of euro in ‘aid’ have been squandered which effectively financed the clientelism that has led to Air Malta’s own downfall. This is also applicable to the substantial amounts promised to those who opt for early retirement. These sums of money are daylight robbery of the taxes we all pay. It is a squandering of public funds to make good on electoral promises which cannot be honoured.

The current state in which Air Malta finds itself in is sheer testimony of the political clientelism that has ruled our country. It is both the current Labour government and the Nationalist Party which are at fault too because the latter had the opportunity to fix the situation but instead opted to milk this ‘cow’ too.

We have now become used to governments and politicians paying lip service to the principles of good governance, but then unashamedly practicing clientelism targeting vote buying.

In this respect the term PLPN definitely applies because on these matters they agree wholeheartedly. PLPN are both responsible for bringing down Air Malta to its knees, concluded Cacopardo.

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Wegħdiet fiergħa ta’ qabel l-elezzjoni għal ħaddiema ta’ l-Airmalta jisfaw fix-xejn

Huwa ċar kristall li l-Partit Laburista jara l-politika bħala logħba li fiha huwa permess li tidħaq bin-nies f’wiċċhom biex tikseb l-appoġġ tagħhom. Dan qalu ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo fi stqarrija dwar il-manuvri li qed isiru fl-Air Malta bħalissa.

Issa huwa fatt magħruf li l-Partit Laburista fil-Gvern kien qiegħed jipprepara għall-possibiltà tal-għeluq tal-Air Malta, avolja qabel l-elezzjoni ta’ Marzu tal-2022, ftit xhur ilu, il-ħaddiema tal-Air Malta ġew imwegħda li l-kumpanija se tkompli topera u li l-ħaddiema “żejda” ser ikunu trasferiti mas-settur pubbliku bl-istess pagi u kundizzjonijiet. Wegħda li hu ċar li ma tistax titwettaq għax toħloq problemi kbar fis-settur pubbliku minħabba differenzi sostanzjali fil-pagi u l-benefiċċji applikabbli. L-istess programm elettorali tal-Partit Laburista jgħid fuq paġna 222 tiegħu li nbeda ‘proċess sabiex l-Air Malta tkompli topera u sservi l-oġġettivi strateġiċi tagħha b’ħarsien tar-regolamenti Ewropej’. Rapporti fl-istampa matul din il-ġimgħa juru li dan kien kollu daħq fil-wiċċ, u kliem fieragħ. Il-Partit Laburista jipprova jidħaq bik f’wiċċek.

Dan hu kollu riżultat tal-klijenteliżmu politiku sfaċċat ipprattikat fl-Air Malta tul is-snin sa mit-twaqqif tagħha. Pjan strateġiku wieħed wara l-ieħor kollha fallew għax qatt ma kien hemm ir-rieda politika li l-Air Malta titħalla topera mingħajr indħil politiku. Dan wassal għar-rimi ta’ miljuni ta’ euro f’”għajnuna” lill-kumpanija Air Malta li fil-prattika fissru iffinanzjar tal-klijenteliżmu li kisser lill-istess kumpanija. Dan jgħodd ukoll għall-ammonti esaġerati ta’ flus imwiegħda lil min jirriżenja mill-kumpanija issa. Dawn il-flejjes huma serq mit-taxxi li nħallsu lkoll kemm aħna. Huma tberbieq ta’ fondi pubbliċi biex jagħmlu tajjeb għal wegħdiet elettorali li marru żmerċ.

Il-qagħda attwali tal-Air Malta hi l-ikbar monument għall-kljenteliżmu politiku li ilu jirrenja fil-pajjiż. Ta’ dan jaħtu kemm il-Partit Laburista li hu fil-Gvern illum kif ukoll il-Partit Nazzjonalista li kellu l-opportunità li jirranġa l-affarijiet u naqas milli jagħmel dan u minflok ipprova jaħleb hu ukoll.

Għandna storja twila ta’ gvernijiet u politiċi li jitkellmu fuq il-governanza tajba, imma mbagħad jipprattikaw il-politika ta’ klijenteliżmu sfaċċat:  kollox biex jinxtraw il-voti.

Għalhekk ngħidulhom PLPN għax fuq dawn l-affarijiet jaqblu bejniethom. Flimkien il-PLPN huma kompliċi fil-qerda tal-Air Malta ikkonkluda Cacopardo.