(Other people’s) money no problem: how the government slashes the deficit
You will recall how Il-Gvern Li Jisma occasionally holds roving cabinet meetings to prove to itself that it is in touch with the people.
On 1st July, the cabinet met in Gozo, this time to prove to itself that it is in touch with that island despite inflicting Anton Refalo on it.
The top floor of the boys secondary school in Victoria was chosen as the venue. There was no suitable furniture and it wasn’t thought seemly to hold a cabinet meeting sitting on school chairs around a bunch of desks pushed together.
So a large conference table set-up (see film below) was specially made for the room and ferried over to Gozo on 30th June. Then it was hauled up to the top floor of the building along with matching chairs.
It was hot up there, but the deficit-cutting Labour cabinet couldn’t be expected to use fans. So, also on 30th June, a mobile air conditioning unit in a purpose-built lorry was parked outside the school, and bright yellow air tunnels were raised to the top floor to carry cold air into the meeting-room (see pictures).
They did this a day ahead so that the room would be cool when the important people arrived. Staff from the mobile air-conditioning and generator companies stayed overnight in Gozo, some of them at the Downtown Hotel opposite the school.
Then, on 1st July, the entire cabinet composed of one prime minister, 14 ministers, eight parliamentary secretaries and Labour Party deputy leader Toni Abela, plus cabinet secretary Mario Cutajar and the PM’s head of secretariat Keith Schembri, travelled up to Gozo, burning petrol in 25 cars with 24 chauffeurs (Schembri travelled with the PM and Toni Abela doesn’t have a chauffeur).
While the meeting was going on, the prime minister’s car was parked outside on a double yellow line with the engine idling and the air-conditioner on for the duration, so that the PM would find a cool car when he left the building.
The cabinet meeting took three hours. Then the 23 cabinet members got into their 23 cars with their 23 chauffeurs and burned petrol all the way back to Valletta. Some of them stayed on in Gozo for lunch.
While they were lunching, the specially built table set-up was dismantled, hauled back down, loaded onto a lorry and ferried back to Malta. The air-conditioning company took down its yellow air tunnels, packed up and drove back to Malta, and so did the Nexos lorry containing a mobile generator.
How much did this charade cost the taxpayer?
Yes, Lawrence Gonzi once held a cabinet meeting in Gozo, in 2012. They went to the Gozo Ministry and sat round the boardroom table.
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Muscat gets the golden medal for gimmicks. He is good at this. Too bad the public doesn’t see his games.
They are going to run us dry within a few years at this rate.
Simon Busuttil found the Nationalist Party bankrupt when he took over the helm from Gonzi – one sure sign that if there was corruption it was at an individual level not at the party level.
However, that is nothing compared to the state he (assuming he is still leader) will find the country’s coffers once Joseph Muscat is shown the door.
Muscat will in turn either go to being leader of a very wealthy Labour Party – sure sign that it is the Labour Party that is rotten through and through, or retire to enjoy the fruits of his exploits over these years.
That NEW school was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Dr. Lawrence Gonzi in 2011. The inaguration ceremony was held in that same hall
Now it’s being (ab)used by the current bunch to impress the gullible by holding one single but very expensive cabinet meeting. What an irresponsible bunch.
Meanwhile Joseph Muscat has failed to initiate the building of one single new school in Malta or Gozo. This shows that for Muscat showmanship is much more important than our children’s future.
Ghall-pozi ma jirbhilhom hadd
U ghas-surveys fuq 300 ruh.
X’faqar ta’ mhuh.
Let us all send this to Peppi ta’ Xarabank de Laghqin to investigate.
Dawk misshom organizzaw private u qaghdu jkantaw fit-triq jew itellghu xi zewg biljetti sa kemm waslu. Balla farizej.
Shame on you Mr Liberal and Progressive Prime Minister. Nincompoops the whole lot of you.
This government is like a camel. It can go for some time without eating or drinking. But when it gets to its destination, it eats and drinks like there is no tomorrow.
What a government made up of Fantozzis, the character created by Paolo Villaggio. The PL roadshow at its best, funded by taxpayers’ money.
Defni hi, l-EU qaltilna biex noholqu ix-xoghol. M’ghandkomx xi tgergru. Ara kemm impjegajna nies maghna. 4000+ mela zi**g.
Tha foriners workin in di Malta and all Nationalists’ taxes are used to pay for the loyal PL voters’ new jobs, perks and events. It’s fair ta hi.
Ifrah Gahan Malti, ghax hekk haqqek. Sewwa jghidu li, l-iblah taqghlalu ghajnu jifrah.
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
Would everyone stop quoting “Animal Farm” and start reading the more applicable “1984” for a change?
I thought I was alone. I can’t stand people who have never read Orwell, quoting bits of Animal Farm. 1984 is much more pertinent to our situation.
Such, such are the joys.
Yes, it’s true. But you did not consider how much money we saved by switching off the eternal flame at certain times.
We saved another huge sum by only handing out 58c as KOLA increase.
And Manuel Mallia was frugal when he used the Police Force to serve as waiters and caterers for an official occasion at Girgenti. He also saved money by using the Plastic Bubble Helicopter only once to ferry Justyne Caruana from Gozo when she had to attend an urgent meeting.
The enormous sum saved by not starting the building of a new power station and the conversion to gas of the old one cannot even be calculated. Add to these that we postponed the opening of the new parliament house.
Do you know how much it would have cost to use it or even for the organization of an extravagant opening ceremony? Don’t forget Her Excellency the President hates ceremonies.
And it was those negative Nationalists who stopped us cutting costs even further by cancelling local elections.
How do you think we can afford a chauffeured car for the spouse of the Prime Minister and her children, another one for Franco Debono, and so on.
Don’t forget we also saved money by cutting down on useless travel abroad for fruitless meetings. Ministers travelled only when absolutely necessary for the good of the country. Look at Leo Brincat, for instance. His ministry only spent a million euros on flights and travel expenses.
How can you complain about the measly sum spent on making sure the cabinet had a comfortable meeting in a school hall in Gozo?
“It never happened. Those are doctored photos. Why are you spreading lies?”
0.13 a woman in pink hands the PM his jacket. Did Michelle take the trip too “biex taghmel ftit shoppink” fit-Tokk?
Their megalomania, petiness and lack of self-awarness reminds you of their North Korean friends :
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nd2O9HTnxz4/UYrvPzwo6TI/AAAAAAAAAF8/Cs6XT456dAM/s1600/Funny+over-decorated+North+Korean+generals.jpg
Do not be surprised to see our Army personnel to be decorated more then the North Koreans due to the hard work they are obliged to do.
This stuff should be in all the papers — and the PN should ask questions about in parliament. It is worse than disgraceful.
MALTA TAGHHOM BISS, FOR A BLOODY LONG TIME TO COME. THANK YOU SWITCHERS, you screwed yourselves and the rest of us.
According to The Malta Independent’s survey published today, Joe Muscat has increased in popularity, whilst Simon Busuttil’s popularity has gone down.
If this is the case let the switchers rub their hands until they burn.
Il-Malti jghid: “Amerikani bi flus haddiehor”. Tafu tisthu?
What cheek! And we get a miserable 58 cents.
A costly travelling circus.
So Muscat deems a three hour meeting in Gozo to be enough to establish a direct communication with stake holders.
‘The Prime Minister explained how these meetings expose the needs of Gozo so that he may decide where to allocate the budget’ – One News
This suggests that in three hours (and at much expense) Muscat is capable of doing what Minister for Gozo, Anton Refalo is not able to achieve in the remaining 8757 hours that make up the rest of the year (add 24 extra hours for a leap year).
If Anton Refalo had a crumb of respect for himself he should have be offended by Muscat’s remark but some within the ‘canting crew’ are as thick as two short planks.
My humble opinion is that with his measured statement, Muscat is preparing ground for Franco Mercieca.
Isn’t there a suitable conference room available in Gozo? The Gozo Tourist Board should take note.
Money no problem!
They probably expected the crowds to meet them, chanting “Taghna Lkoll!Taghna Lkoll!”
Sparpaljar ta’ flus il-poplu bla razan.
I am impressed – by the idiocy of this brainwave.
Reminds me of this:
http://youtu.be/sztf4hcGrB4
They seem to be holding every meeting of theirs on top floors . Could it be they fear any spying?
Muscat got this idea from the European Parliament. The European Parliament moves from Brussels to Strasbourg every few months.
It is one of the most controversial and wasteful policies the parliament has. The only reason the roaming circus doesn’t just stick to Brussels, its natural home, is because France would never accede to that.