Owen Bonnici, Silvio Parnis and Deo Debattista are flying business to Vienna to visit the Baby Jesus. They’re cutting the ribbon a ribbon on a much recycled crib with a luzzu, which is odd in itself given that Betlehem is 30 kilometres from the nearest body of water is. This act out of what would be a particularly boring day for the 247th in line to the English throne who is probably a grocer somewhere, appears to be the pretext for this jaunt.
If our three Ministers are going to be a poor excuse for precocious magi and are taking with them gold and incense, you can be sure you’re paying for it. They’re spending the trip squabbling over what myrrh is and whether they can sell it to some war-wounded Libyans for a low of money. The doubt arises from the fact that Owen Bonnici’s autocorrect on his office-bought iPhone keeps rejecting the word myrrh and asking if he means “my rehearsals”. Rehearsals for what?
They do recognise gold though.
Our own three magi are travelling with President George Vella and his wife, perfectly appropriate choices to take care of a soft-power glorified tourism advertising stunt. But what are the justice minister and his deputy who is responsible for street sweeping doing in Vienna for this pointless joyride? Not to mention the Ministru tas-Sawt himself Silvio Parnis.
Perhaps while they’re away they can leave the protest site demanding justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia alone for a couple of days while they’re chewing on schnitzel.
In the meantime take five and read the comments under the Times of Malta report of this intrepid international mission. People are having it up to here with these people’s lack of basic decorum.
PS Why must Owen Bonnici be Balthazar? It’s the beard.