Distraction from the real problems is the order of the day

Published: April 19, 2014 at 12:14pm

Civil unions? Same-sex couples adoption? Parties in Palace Square stuffed full of men and women whom older generations used to describe as ‘sissies’ and ‘nisa-rgiel’, with none of the boringly ordinary homosexual people who make up the mass of that 10% of the population anywhere to be seen?

It’s all being done to take the heat of the real issues.

What’s happening with that LNG floating storage unit?

What’s the status with the new power station?

How comfortable are we, with 30% of Enemalta owned by China and 20% of the new power station owned by the Azerbaijan?

What role has John Dalli been given, now that Chris Fearne has forced him and his scheming daughter out of their office at Mater Dei Hospital?

What is being done about the state of affairs at that hospital?

When will medicines be dropped off on the doorsteps of pensioners by roving pharmacists as promised by Karmenu Vella in the election campaign?

Unemployment is rising – what’s being done to encourage job creation?

Valletta shopkeepers voted Labour to get throngs of shoppers into the city. Where are they? There are even fewer shoppers in the capital and shops are closing down or planning to do so.

Passports and Maltese citizenship are now being sold. Who is buying?




34 Comments Comment

  1. Calculator says:

    Jo really is a crafty one. By creating one very problematic issue after another, it’s becoming so very difficult to keep up.

    • Last Post says:

      Talking of distractions and creating one problematic issue after another, next on the list is abortion.

      Think about it: if adoption by homosexual couples has been argued on the basis of ‘the rights’ of adults as opposed to those of the child, imagine how easy it can be to argue for the right of the mother to, for example, choose what to do with her body when the living organism is ‘just’ a human embryo.

      According to Civil Rights Minister Helena Dalli, the legalisation of abortion is a “categorical no at this point in time.” At this point in time, there are perhaps no paybacks to be made, but this government being so “dynamic and energetic”, the time may, sooner or later, prove ripe for another distraction or to meet a real or perceived need for such a legislation.

      Elsewhere in Europe and the world, gay marriage (let alone adoption by gay couples) followed the introduction of abortion. But then again, this Malta getting ever so liberal and European, led by a party-in-government until recently notoriously anti-liberal and anti-European.

  2. AE says:

    Just like in Roman times the emperor is throwing peanuts to the monkeys. Civil Unions, de criminalization of drugs for first time users are all smoke screens to distract from all the real issues.

  3. wow says:

    And you are being very generous…..

  4. Joe Fenech says:

    These are ‘cheap tactics’ from a government that is out of depth. Muscat : kick start the economy and generate work. Only then will people be able to see what you’re really worth.

  5. C.Portelli says:

    1. What type of physical activity has Jo been doing over the past few weeks?

    2. What type of cookies has Kurt been baking for Easter?

    3. What dress will Michelle wear for Easter?

  6. Tom Double Thumb says:

    Even “slightly” smaller issues are being forgotten:
    The John Dalli question which was “aborted” by the police commissioner;
    the real purpose behind his Bahamas trip;

    Mary Swan and Nair’s presence in Malta and the reaspns for that presence;
    the recounts of votes in two districts in the last election;
    the Farrugia Sacco case;
    The oil procurement scandal;
    the tampered electricity meters;
    the amnesty to those who greased palms to get
    those meters tampered;
    the out-of-stock medicines;
    the filling of public offices without a call for applications;
    the sale of passports to unnamed foreigners;
    the financing of the Labour Party election campaign;

    And the list can go on ad infinitum

    • watchful eye says:

      …and the flamingo

    • White coat says:

      It would have needed only just one case out of the corruption issues listed above for Joseph Muscat to have asked Gonzi’s head on a silver platter IF it had occurred under Gonzi’s watch.

      And the media, Times of Malta included, would have drooled over it for the news value. But now? Nothing that the PL government does is an issue for the media.

  7. Ghoxrin Punt says:

    Bisazza Street in Sliema is also empty on a Saturday.

  8. canon says:

    A lot of sensible questions but no answers are forthcoming.

  9. Natalie2 says:

    Brava! Keep up the good work Daphne. We are being lulled into a passive state.

  10. david says:

    You are so right, Daphne – distraction is the order of the day while work especially in shops is decreasing daily and it’s becoming widespread now in all businesses.

  11. ZORRO says:

    So many valid points! These are questions PN should be asking and drumming in every single day.

  12. observer says:

    Why do you mention such petty worries? Leave it up to jo to solve all our ailments.

    Ours is not to reason why – only to look out for the continuous lie.

  13. Nahseb says:

    Eh mela, issa l-hwienet ha jdumu miftuhin, biex jinkoragixxu n-nies jibqghu jixtru.

    Jixtru?

    In-nies m’ghandhomx aptit jixtru ghax stabbilta fil-pajjiz m’hawnx u jekk m’hemmx stabbilta, in-nies ma jhossuhomx komdi jixtru.

  14. Stephanie says:

    My thoughts exactly and may I add another question.

    Where is the Opposition?

    They should take a leaf out of Labour’s tool-book and have their reporters hound every government minister about these issues, badgering them at every public appearance in front of the cameras.

  15. doris says:

    Well said, dear Daphne. Please keep on reminding us frequently about the real issues.

  16. Freedom5 says:

    Hello … and where is Simon Busuttil?

  17. Smirnoff says:

    You forgot the selling of 30% of Air Malta to Air China.

  18. White coat says:

    Joseph Muscat is just trying to survive through to the EP elections and out again the other side, and may the devil take the hindmost.

  19. White coat says:

    Re the status of the new power station: has the contract between the government and Electrogas been signed yet?

    Did I miss some important piece of news or is this still waiting for the ink to hit the paper?

  20. White coat says:

    And last year we had a reduction of €300 million in foreign investment.

    That was due to the uncertainty that Joseph Muscat created by his mad, mad, mad passport-selling campaign with the potential of hundreds of corrupt Chinese billionaires (most honest Chinese are in Chinese jails) taking control of the real power in Malta.

    Maltese corruption is bad enough, but now we have to import Chinese and Azerbaijani corruption as well, to make things even more lively and colourful.

    No serious honest foreign investor would want to risk his money by investing in a Chinese proxy economy.

    No wonder government finances are going down the drain.

  21. White coat says:

    Times of Malta 15th March 2014:

    Mooring the gas storage tanker outside Marsaxlokk Bay would mean costlier tariffs to consumers, according to the consortium that will build Delimara’s new gas-fired power station.

    Electrogas added that placing the liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker outside would also mean a longer completion time.

    The company, which was awarded Enemalta’s bid in December, has not yet finalised the contract and is still awaiting due diligence to be concluded before signing the agreement.

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140315/local/electrogas-an-offshore-lng-tanker-will-mean-higher-prices.510716

    It seems that the contract for the power station has not been signed yet. How so? What’s delaying the signing?

    Eleven months to go for Joseph’s multi-coloured dream power station to start pumping megawatts as promised, otherwise he resigns as he has committed himself to doing.

    No wonder the great efforts at distracting our attention from these very real issues by shouting about gay adoption rights, about decriminalising the possession for personal use of cannabis, and who knows what after that.

    My question is: what will Joseph invent when he runs out of these extreme leftist, Zapatero-inspired fetishes?

    • Calculator says:

      “My question is: what will Joseph invent when he runs out of these extreme leftist, Zapatero-inspired fetishes?”

      There’s always Jason’s V-18, Malta’s EU presidency, immigration and so on.

  22. Matt says:

    So true, but it is a lost cause. 55% of the people are brainwashed as they are unable to see beyond the theathrics that are currently being carried out by Muscat.

    The PN should win easily all the six seats for the European parliament but the people identify with MLP which I can’t rationalize.

  23. H.P. Baxxter says:

    I love distractions. Here’s one for the National Festivities Committee.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVJIxmZ5yYk

  24. AE says:

    Or that the citizenship programme is effectively being run by a foreign commercial outfit.

    We never got to know the details on the Henley & Partners contract. They’ve all gone very silent about Henley when the truth is that they are still the ones vetting applications.

    So professionals are not quite on equal footing with Henley & Partners who determine which applications go to Identity Malta and when. Plus they earn a 4% on everyone’s clients – being rewarded for a programme which they bungled up so horribly. Why?

  25. Gahan says:

    Daphne, ilqatt ‘il-musmar fuq rasu, xogħol dan il-prim ministru huwa kif se jżomm ‘l-poplu mehdi biċ-ċuċati.

    Issa jmiss id-dikriminaliżżazzjoni tad-droga, u wara il-vot ta’ sittax ‘il-sena fejn għalija din il-ħaġa m’għandiex tkun kompitu tal-maġġoranza parlamentari.Jekk l-eta’ legali tal-maturita hija tat-tmintax għandha tkun meqjusa hekk kullimkien.

    Is-suldati għar-reklutaġġ għollewielom minn sbatax u nofs għal-tmintax il-sena.Fiċ-ċinema min għandu sittax ma jistax jara film li fih jistgħu jidħlu nies ta’ tmintax il-sena ‘l-fuq.

    L-Oppożizzjoni għandha tistaqsi mistoqsija waħda sempliċi għal-kull karta li joħroġ mill-komma Muscat: “Kemm ħolqot, jew sa toħloq xogħol din il-liġi, jew din il-miżura?”

  26. Dan says:

    Well said, Daphne! Time and time again we forget what the real issues are but thanks to you we are reminded what a childish lot we are being governed by! Thanks again keep us informed!

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