Opinion: The deal with the devil

Labour promised us meritocracy.  Instead, Robert Abela gave the young assistant who worked at his and his wife’s private legal firm 11 government jobs.

You’ve read that right – not two, not three, not four, but 11 government jobs for Ryan Pace, a 31-year-old lawyer with hardly any work experience. That’s just obscene.

Among his private clients is the notorious Paul Attard, who provided Silvio Schembri with one of his district offices and who’s been rewarded with a massive tract of public land in Mellieha and a development permit for 109 apartments on that land in record speed.

Ryan Pace is chairman of the Malta Gaming Authority, director of Arms Ltd, Gozo Heliport Ltd, Malta Government Investments Ltd, Malta Investment Management Company Ltd, and the Malta Film Commission.

He is also the secretary of Engineering Resources Ltd and Mediterranean Offshore Bunkering Company Ltd.  He is the legal adviser for the Malta Tourism Authority, Aġenzija Sapport and Festivals Malta, his latest new job.  For that alone, Pace earns a cool €17,000 a year.

Assuming he’s earning the same for his other 10 government jobs, Pace makes around €200,000 a year from his government jobs alone.

Labour promised to root out corruption. Instead, Labour made corruption endemic.

The latest scandal to emerge was the sordid tale of two cabinet ministers who conspired to pay the lover of one of them almost €70,000 for a post she was unqualified for and unable to fill.

Amanda Muscat did no consultancy work at all. She didn’t even turn up for her job in Gozo. And yet Prime Minister Robert Abela kept defending them.

What else could he do when he gave his own assistant 11 government jobs?

Of course Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri remains in his post when the man who should have sacked him has done far worse.

Does anybody believe that Ryan Pace could possibly fulfil his responsibilities as chairman of MGA, director of five different companies, secretary of two government companies and legal adviser of three different government agencies while still keeping up his private practice? The whole country knows that’s impossible.

The only reason former tourism minister Clayton Bartolo was kicked out was because another damning scandal emerged.  Bartolo approved millions of euro in sponsorships for four cycling associations, while his wife received €50,000 for supposedly organising cycling races in Equatorial Guinea, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The FIAU flagged that transaction to the police as a potential kickback.

Now, we’ve heard that Fort Chambray’s historical barracks will be demolished to be replaced by more apartments. Teatru Pjazza Rjal has 13 board directors and just five employees, according to a recent report by the Auditor General.

Labour promised everything under the sun – prosperity, security, meritocracy, transparency and an end to corruption in 2013.  It didn’t take long for the penny to drop.

Labour fooled the nation.  Their pre-electoral pledges were just a con.  But the people didn’t kick Labour out.  They kept voting for Labour in droves.

Those majorities accepted Labour’s new social contract – they would close their eyes to corruption and political intimidation of adversaries as long as their own financial situation improved. That was the deal with the devil.

Labour embarked on boosting the economy in every possible way – by importing tens of thousands of unskilled third-country nationals, selling passports, raising the national debt to unprecedented levels.

They employed hundreds of individuals on a person-of-trust basis.  They closed their eyes to every infringement – tables and chairs on pavements, illegal developments.  Public land was handed out to developers, and development permits were issued without restraint and against regulations.

Millions upon millions of direct orders and contracts were dished out. Labour provided free childcare and free transport. It heavily subsidised utility rates.  It liberalised cannabis use. It organised huge concerts, brought celebrities to our shores, and made Malta the party island where booze and drugs were everywhere.

Everything looked great for a while.  Everybody was happy making more money than they ever had. Until it started to dawn on many that although they were earning more, their money wasn’t going further.

Many realised that property had become unaffordable for most.  The price of groceries kept rising. Our essential services got worse.  The place is filthy.  Our land is being given away, our heritage destroyed, our air polluted, and our seas flooded with sewage.

Far worse, it became increasingly apparent that Labour was enormously generous with our money with their closest friends, like Ryan Pace, or their lovers, like Amanda Muscat or Daniel Bogdanovic.

They were getting far wealthier, far more quickly.  On the other hand, those who dared stand up to Labour, who poked their head above the political parapet, were swiftly and brutally attacked.

Those who opposed Labour lost everything – every employment opportunity, every shot at winning a government contract or getting their deserved promotion.  Nobody lost more than journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, whose critique of Labour cost her her life.

More and more of Labour’s formerly enthusiastic voters are questioning whether this is what they signed up for.  Labour’s social contract with the people isn’t working for them – it’s working for Labour.

Labour won over voters with fake lofty ideals in 2013.  They kept the people on board with their corrupt informal social contract.  But winning support and keeping it are very different things.

Providing what your non-verbal contract promised can make the difference between a grumpy population and a full-on revolution. One thing is certain, as recent events in Syria prove, even leaders whose position seems unassailable will quickly come to a messy end – faster than most imagine.