Positive thinking should magic away this little hitch too, wouldn’t you say?

Published: October 19, 2014 at 11:30am

Financial Times budget

“Ustja qalla, kemm problemi, Guz. Wahda wara l-ohra, f’gieh il-qallec qahba madonnec.”

Well, they clearly thought they could spend five years grabbing and snatching at sinecures, salaries, perks, privileges, cars and chauffeurs, self-entertainment allowances and what passes for the high life with that sort of crowd, while the country runs itself.

I repeat: they didn’t fight against corruption; they fought for the opportunity to be corrupt.




22 Comments Comment

  1. Pablo says:

    Money grows on passports. If you sell enough and you drop this unnecessary power plant we might actually not need a bail out by 2016 and you will still afford to keep the trouble and strife on the payroll and out of earshot.

  2. curious says:

    It is just a perception like the transport/traffic problems.

  3. curious says:

    What a subdued tone all of a sudden.

    “Addressing the party faithful at Mgarr, Gozo, the prime minister argued that despite missing the March 2015 deadline for the new gas-fired power station in Delimara, the government will “implement reforms, and not blame others.”

    http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/45165/muscay_says_governments_energy_plan_will_implement_reforms_and_not_blame_others

    May I also ask if the different newspapers are reporting the same speech? Read The Malta Independent on the same subject and there is no mention of the energy problem.

    • Tabatha White says:

      “not blame others?”

      Jahasra how weak, insufficient and petty.

      Our sham Government.

      _______

      There at the ready to dictate to the Church?
      Must be a niggling worry then… There could actually be an element he feels is not in his control.

      I hope the Church is vibrant and strong and able to call a spade a spade.

      Its positioning has various strengths. I hope the Church exploits all of these to the fullest.

      __________

      Gozo is heading for multiple renegotiations, it would appear.

      A new spate of studies and evaluations promised?

      What an idle, empty shell of words.

      Why is Joseph Muscat taking the Gozitans for a ride again?

      I guess it was necessary to secure Franco Mercieca’s confirmation before going there?

      Even though Franco Mercieca’s discontent was communicated through other grapevines, stating that he never saw as much confusion in his life and wanted to stay as far away from that mess as possible.

      What was promised on this reneg round?

      What trick is he up to now with Gozo?

    • Pandora says:

      “implement reforms, and not blame others.”

      This is supposed to sound humble but I find this statement quite arrogant. Of course they should not and cannot blame others: they can only blame themselves for this fiasco.

  4. Jozef says:

    Ewropa ta’ Kajjin this Christmas. Bloody frogs.

  5. Felix says:

    That was how they came up with the slogan Malta taghna lkoll. It meant that “we are up for grabbing as well”. Some understood the “we” as “everybody” and thought they would participate in the grabbing. Annimal Farm in practice.

  6. Jozef says:

    ‘..and what passes for the high life with that sort of crowd…’

    http://vimeo.com/56247984

    The event, much like the Middle Sea Race, a place where people recognise each other for what they do.

    Foolproof traction control to tame unusable brake horsepower something for chavs.

  7. The Observer says:

    Your last statement sums it all up and worst thing is they are doing nothing to prove that this statement is wrong. God help our dearest country, I can’t imagine the state this government will leave Malta in when eventually and hopefully will be voted out. Gonzi’s statement ‘se naghtukom pajjiz fuq platt tal-fidda’ never rang so true.

    • Last Post says:

      Heard James Debono (of Malta Today) on radio saying that Muscat inherited a stable economy from Gonzi and that so far he’s been riding on that performance. As long as the economy doesn’t fall to shambles Labour will probably be voted in for another term.

      Talking of perceptions, superficial people who couldn’t be bothered to delve into the facts and details will think/believe the present (relative) stability is thanks to Labour’s efforts.

      This happened with Mintoff’s electoral victories in 1971 and 76, when Malta was still reaping the benefits of Borg Olivier’s solid economic vision and policies.

      It was only in 1981, when the economy was seriously faltering, that the electorate rejected Mintoff. Will history repeat itself in today’s Malta? Has Malta changed that much to avoid such a repetition?

      Hopefully, just hopefully, the Maltese people will have learnt their lesson come the next election.

  8. David says:

    What ridiculous logic! So if the budget of France is deficient, other countries must be placed in the same position, so that France will not be seen to in a very bad light. What the EU fails to seem is that this attitude will increase those who are anti-EU.

    [Daphne – Ippermettili ftit, David: the budget of France. FRANCE’S BUDGET.]

  9. Kevin says:

    Last year’s budget went without a hitch because it was one developed by the Nationalists. This year Scicluna has no one to copy and his first budget fails the most important test of all.

    At least, the EU is to protect Malta when it matters most.

  10. CiVi says:

    Couldn’t have been explained any better. Well said, Daphne.

  11. canon says:

    We used to watch in Western Films how settlers lined up and by a shot signal a mad dash was made to stake their claims.

    Taghna Lkollers did the same thing as soon as Labour gave the signal that they won the election.

    • Christopher says:

      Exactly! Without even checking if at least there is soil in them. HA!

      And the beautiful thing is that they are all Taghna Lkollers, which is a different tribe from the disgruntled Laburisti, who are demanding their long awaited pound of flesh, that they have ingrained in their minds they must have because ‘in-Nazzjonalisti qerduh pajjiz, ilkom 25 sena terdaw, issa jmiss ahna hux!’ (actual words said to me personally) with fervour that borders on the psychotic, and have to wait in line.

      And getting real p******* off waiting and waiting and seeing all the Taghna Lkollers getting all the plum jobs/contracts/permits/freebies like they were Saudi princes who have just found a bottomless oil well.

      The problem as I see it is real, and sometimes it astonishes me how these people who are supposed to be brighter than your average Joe like me, live in la la land and think that they can actually brush away the daily problems that are cropping up everywhere you turn your head, real problems that in the near future are going to cost people their jobs and bring this so-called country, if you can call it that, I like to call it a big rock with some people running around like headless chickens, to a grinding halt.

  12. Spock says:

    “They didn’t fight against corruption; they fought for the opportunity to be corrupt.”

    This should be the final word on this Taghna Lkoll legislature. Perfect, Daphne.

  13. Jason King says:

    But they did better than that! They appointed intermediaries and consultants/advisers to make ridiculous charges and supposedly favourable arrangements and contracts. In reality it was to muddy the waters and make side agreements through them. How convenient that Henley & Partners has it’s head office in Jersey!

    Wake up they cannot believe their luck as they are making millions while at the same time sending Malta internationally into the dust bin.

    • Tabatha White says:

      “sending Malta internationally to the dust bin.”

      It hasn’t hit them or Malta yet, but those who have a slightly different perspective have already seen that Malta is back to shady isle status internationally.

  14. Paddling Duck says:

    Better still, they didn’t fight against corruption. They fought to officialise corruption.

  15. C.G says:

    I repeat: they didn’t fight against corruption; they fought for the opportunity to be corrupt.

    Prosit Daphne.

    The quote of the Year.

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