Government gone nuts update: a referendum on a bridge (for Gozo ID card holders only)
The prime minister said on TVM’s Dissett last night that he’s considering holding a referendum on ‘a Gozo link’, and that it might well he held among Gozo ID card holders only – because you know, it’s JUST like the Scottish independence referendum.
Well, Don Manuel and Codruta will be voting, that much we know, because they switched their ID cards to a registered address at their villa in Ta’ Cenc, to save on the ferry fares tal-qamel li ghandhom. You have a villa in Ta’ Cenc imbaghad toqghod tixxahhah dwar il-hlas ghall-passagg.
Of course this all ignores the fact that any Gozo link will be a link between the two islands and not a link from Gozo to Gozo, so I can’t imagine why the rest of us are being cut out of the equation, especially given that it’s the people with ID cards registered to main-island addresses who will be paying for it.
Also, the only possible choices in a referendum are Yes and No. You can’t have a list of options: bridge, improved ferry service, air link and so on.
So the only possible referendum question here is: Do you agree that the government of Malta should build a bridge between the main island of Malta and the subsidiary island of Gozo and that (include details here on how the bridge will be paid for)?
YES
NO
But this is an attempt at distracting us from the main issues at the moment: Don Manuel’s criminal empire and Kon-Rat’s invisible power station. So let’s not oblige the bustids.
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For once only I do not agree with you On the last paragraph you are right.
Liar. What happened to “electoral fatigue” and “savings” going to some worthy cause, like a third job for government backbenchers? His quip answers and rehearsed gestures have become so predictable – he’s like a wind-up doll.
One of those scary dolls that you think might leap off the shelf at night and kill you.
What price electoral fatigue and expense now huh?
OK, while we’re at it, a Kappara flyover referendum for Kappara ID holders please.
As a non-Gozitan resident, and since I am excluded from voting at this referendum, I expect none of my tax-money to go towards the construction of this white elephant.
I didn’t know that about the Mallia’s ID cards. That means that – technically – they would be paying a more costly ‘non-residential’ rate on water and electricity on their home in Malta, since the preferential ‘residential’ rate would only be applied on their official (Gozo) ‘residence’.
Your default address for utilities discount is your ID card address, however this can be changed by filling in the following ARMS form: “Change in number of persons declaration”. http://bit.ly/1z1OcNG
The Gozitan students who rent accommodation in Malta use this to get their quota on their Malta flat.
Mela ghalhekk jimla l-ilma mill-funtani ta’ quddiem il-Palazz.
I therefore understand that Gozo ID card holders will pay for it .
I’m sure that Manwel can find some spare change.
Ah, so now we have the money for a referendum. And people are not suffering from election fatigue. The election fatigue and money concerns only come into play with local council elections.
Jerk.
L-istess ħsieb tiegħi. Tgħid se jagħmlu mar-referendum tal-kaċċa u l-kunsilli lokali biex iħawwad in-nies? Għax jekk jagħmel referendum ieħor ikun qed imur kontra dak li qal meta kien qed jaħseb li ma jagħmilx l-elezzjonijiet tal-kunsilli lokali. Dan il-gvern se jibqa’ magħruf għall-Uturns u l-gideb sfaċċat.
Biex jurina kemm hu gvern Ii jisma
This is a ploy to deviate the media attention from the Mallia saga, plus all the other corruption issues
Why only holders of Gozo ID cards? They are not the only citizens of this republic who travel to and from Gozo, neither are they the only ones that would be paying for the bridge.
I thought we had election fatigue and wanted to save money on useless elections.
That’s what I thought as well, but Alla jbierek, ghall-“bricc” li jiswa 1 BILLION EUR (excl. yearly maintenance) ghandna.
Manwel Mallia and the rest of the lousy lot remind me of a stray dog I once took in. It never got used to the fact that there was always going to be food available and gorged itself sick and stole food right to the end.
This lot got 26 miles of bridge for their billion euros:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009748/That-bridge-far-Worlds-longest-sea-bridge-opens-traffic-China–hold-title-years.html
Joseph Muscat is desperately trying to alienate the electorate by dishing forward controversial issues on board.
After all it will be a Made in Made mass produced bridge normally used over rivers.
https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Ar_yBDkrHoBJdZC9QlBHwaubvZx4?p=Su-Tong+Yangtze+River+Highway+Bridge&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-412&fp=1
I apologise for being pedantic but the word ‘alienate’ has been cropping up in a number of comments where it appears to be used as a direct translation of the Maltese ‘jaljena’.
The correct word to use in the context is ‘distract’ (to divert attention from something). Alienate means to make someone feel isolated or estranged or to make someone become unsympathetic or hostile.
“But this is an attempt at distracting us from the main issues at the moment: Don Manuel’s criminal empire and Kon-Rat’s invisible power station. So let’s not oblige the bustids.”
Absolutely.
Why doesn’t the prime minister hold a referendum on whether or not he should dismiss Don Manwel Mallia from the Cabinet forthritght?
And another one on whether the people want him to keep his words about the powerstation being built by 2015 or else he resigns?
Tajjeb dan ir-referendum. Irriduh! Nagħmlu petizzjoni u niġbru l-firem?
Usually one of the spouses is registered in Gozo and the other in Malta. So one votes in Gozo and the other in Malta.
But spouses usually live in the same house.
Another thing is that when they come to sell their property they save on taxes as both are regarded as their habitual residences. I am a Gozitan. And I live here in Malta and do not even bother to register as such.
Dan Jowsef dejjem joħroġ b’xi idea bażwija. Jagħmel referendum u jivvutaw l-Għawdxin biss. Mela dan il-“briċċ” l-Għawdxin biss se jużawh, barra li se nħallsu għalih aħna lkoll? U l-eluf ta’ Maltin li jaqsmu l-fliegu kull sena, dawn mhux se jkollhom dritt jgħidu jekk jaqblilhomx jibqgħu jaqsmuh bil-ferry ( u li aħjar allura jagħmlu upgrade fil-ferries) jew li jkollhom” briċċ” li jiswa l-miljuni barra li trid tħalla in-noll ( mhux daqs il-ferry żgur) meta tiġi biex taqsam minn fuqu? Hemm aħna spiċċajna nitkellmu fuq l-imbierek “briċċ”. Imma m’għandekx ċans taljenana Jowsef.
No problem, then let them bloody well pay for it. It’s a completely nonsense idea and is expensive to the point of complete non-viability.
Other than that, look at how crazy the actual referendum idea is – the very small minority deciding for the huge majority on how to spend their tax millions each year – and let’s face it, the Gozitans aren’t really known for their fiscal integrity as tax payers or collectors are they?
I propose a referendum on the issue that all those with a Gozo ID card should be the personal sex slaves of those with a Malta ID card. Only those with a Malta ID card will be allowed to vote.
L-uniku skop tar-referendum huwa biex jaghti aktar suggetti b’ xiex programmi bhal Xarabank ikomplu jaljenaw lil-poplu.
U jagħmlu l-belli liri.
Remember KMB proposing an independent Gozo?
Given that only Gozitans will be voting in the referendum, may I suggest that the referendum question will be as follows: Do you agree that a bridge is built between Malta and Gozo and that the cost of the bridge will be financed with an additional tax on those holding a Gozo ID?
This government is a joke. The level of incompetence, inexperience, immaturity and greed is surfacing, causing so much embarassment and damage to Malta.
All the respect Malta gained as a nation has gone out the window in a matter of months. They are sickening.
Unfortunately, they are also ruining the country in that there is a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude primarily because of the government’s own idea that anything goes.
No wonder they sacked Michael Pace Ross.
Labour’s way of thinking is skewed up and all over the place. Just imagine: hunting referendum for licensed hunters only.
Would be hilarious if a good number of us who live on the mainland transfer our identity card to Gozo just to be able to vote on this issue. If the minister did it, we can do it as well.
Reminds me of when during one particular Eurovision Song Festival, thousands of Germans travelled to neighbouring countries so they could vote for their country which was being represented by a hilarious band.
Many comments regarding who will pay for the bridge, as only Gozo ID card holders will participate in a referendum of the same bridge, remind me of the American colonists who rallied behind the slogan of ‘No Taxation without Representation’, when required to pay taxes even though no one represented them in the British parliament.
I believe that Maltese ID card-holders need not worry about paying for the bridge, because most probably it will never be accomplished. The bridge is a non-issue.
Għaddietlu l-electoral fatigue:
http://normanvella.blogspot.com/2014/11/ghaddietlu-l-electoral-fatigue.html
Mela issa ma jiddejjaqx jivvota l-poplu?
Mhux ahjar nibdew il-power station l-ewwel?
Joseph mhux qieghad jinduna li dan il-progett ser jispicca l-qorti ukoll?
Mela qieghad jahseb li ser jiggverna ghal omru, 19-il xaghar u ghad ma gietux wahda tajba.
Ser jghaddu l-hames snin u hlief gideb u paroli ma nkunux garrabna, imma sa dan it-tant hu u l-ministri tieghu ikunu saru miljunarji.
Ara x`libsa tfaqqalna kieku Michelle meta tigi sabiex taqta zigarella. Tal-bizzilla fake D & G.
To vote in the Scottish referendum you need to have resided for the previous 6 months in Scotland. Having a house there was not sufficient, as is the case of many Maltese residents with Gozo ID Cards. Sorry it’s not comparing like with like, Dr Muscat.