Alfred Sant doesn’t want to talk about the past
So we’ll do the talking instead. Here are some conversation-pieces to get you started.
Front page headline from The Times, 1 July 1997:
ETS in today to replace VAT – FOI warns of possible catastrophe while DOI lists ‘benefits’
In a sombre assessment of the excise tax system being brought in today, the Federation of Industry yesterday warned the government it was threatening the future of both export and local market-oriented industry by failing to address the problems caused by the absence of a proper economic impact assessment….
Headline from The Times, 21 March 2003
GOD FORBID MALTA WERE TO JOIN THE EU – SANT
Alfred Sant yesterday underlined his opposition to Malta joining the EU, telling a press conference “God forbid that Malta were to join the EU”. Dr Sant said that EU membership “would spell economic and social disaster”. Asked about the amount of funds he would be trying to get to fulfill his electoral promises while negotiating the partnership option, Dr Sant argued that it was not important how much funds one would get and give but it was more important to save what was being spent because of EU membership.
Who in his right mind is seriously considering voting for this man to become prime minister again? Oh, yes, that’s right – here they are:
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Daphne,
this link pretty much sums all the “pjan” ta bidu gdid, that labour have been preparing for “Ghoxrin Sena” …(Sant thinks he can make us forget that he ever was in government.)
…and they called you a “Hamalla” :)
it is absolutely undeniable that for the past 16 years the PN gurus have done everything to diminish Alfred Sant into a laughing stock, and it has worked.
However, whilst being totally focused on assassinating the character of a party leader (and now also threw in some more to Harry Vassallo for good measure), the PN totally lost all control over their ministers and governance in general.
True the PN might depict a better leader than the MLP & AD, however it cannot hide who stands behind Gonzi. AD, MLP & AN have all come out into this campaign as united parties, whereas GonziPN told the electorate that a government is only the Prime Minister.
The choice isn’t about a lone Prime Minister to run the country, the choice is about Government!
Unlike you Daphne, I don’t like shopping much because it takes me ages to choose a pair of pants. Unfortunately I am the type of person who is so terrified of making the wrong decision that I keep evaluating and reevaluating everything.
So I would like to thank Labour…because at least in this important choice they have simplified my life so much! Just listening to one of Micheal Falzon or Sant’s speeches clears my mind from any doubt that PN must be the better choice!
I have just clicked on “the Elve (sic) Comment Generator” link and I think it is excellent.
A note to C. Fenech – our system gives you the chance to vote for your preferred candidates whilst choosing your “better leader”. Out of all the ministers and deputies – the country’s leader is the most important. The choice is simple – do we want a
1. European Leader, ready to listen, admits mistakes with a clear plan that can lead us into the 21st century or
2. a leader that is akin to the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s Russian Chinese, Korean and Cuban political leaders, with 50 year old plans (???) and ideas that has no regrets of the past and has no answers for future hypothetical questions?
This is the question that we have in front of us any other consideration (personal or otherwise – including mud slinging) has to take a lower priority if we want our country to continue in its forward looking and successful direction.
Just clicked on the link Angela posted. OMG !!! No wonder MLP has come up with the jingle ‘The only way is up’, tista taqa’ aktar fil baxx ?!:)
Infakkarkom fi ftit mill-profeziji tal-mara qaddisa tal-Girgenti: Alfred Sant ma jaghmilx aktar minn sentejn fil-gvern. Shabu stess iduru kontra tieghu. Bandiera blu tperper ghal zmien twil …
To add on to Chris’ comment.
Who would you choose as your PM?
A man who has is a proven failure at running a commercial enterprise, against the other who ran one of Malta’s most successful business groups?
A man who failed miserably already as a PM causing economic chaos, against a man who steered Malta’s economy into the eurozone almost painlessly?
A man who has never admitted that he was wrong on anything and claims to have no regrets against a man who frankly admits that he is not perfect and tries to learn from his errors?
A man who is a loner and clearly has personal and family problems, that is unable to accept his physical condition and has often acted in ways that makes one think that he is not fully in control of himself, against a poised confident man, at ease with himself with a solid family life?
An atheist who dabbled with marxism against someone with solid christian values?
A man who is always putting down other people and slinging accusations wildly, against someone who always strives to send out positive signals?
I could go on but to me the choice is so obvious that I find it hard to fathom how anyone could choos Sant over Gonzi. I can accept that there are diehards who would vote MLP even if their leader was a ventriloquist’s dummny (now that’s a paragon!). I hold my nose and accept that there are those with huge vetsed interests that can profit financially from an MLP government. But I simply cannot understand those who are disgruntled because of this and that incident of corruption, or because of MEPA’s unreasonable decisions, or because they missed out on a promotion or are concerned about illegal immigration, or think the government is too hard or too soft on hunters. Some of these may justify their conscience by voting AD or AN. These are single issue parties that have no chance of influencing Maltese politics. All they will do is help Sant become the next PM. No amount of convulted arguments about freedom of choice and democracy can change this fact.
Take a step back and think about our country’s future. It is rally not that difficult to make the right choice.
Not to scare you, but will help reflections … : http://zone.msn.com/en/chickeninv3/default.htm?OCID=eml_msnnl_6001.10.5.29&REFCD=emmsnnl_6001.10.5.29
will you keep this blog going ? Hope so !!
Chris,
if you believe that the “better Leader” is he who loses total control of his subordinates, the same people who rampantly abuse their power, and is oblivious to the blatant corruption, then I don’t know if a “worse Leader” exists at all !
[Moderator – ‘Rampant’ this, ‘rampant’ that – C Fenech has been using The Elve (sic) Comment Generator.]
@ C Fenech
When you wrote “he who loses total control of his subordinates” were you refering to recent Maltese hisrory? You know when the aristokrazija ran riot in the curia? Or was it when the same aristokrazija attacked and burnt EFA’s house in B’Kara? What was the Great Leader doing at the time?
Moderator – C Fenech is an AD “elve”.
Moderator, it is very easy to turn each and every comment that you disapprove into it being a comment by the “Elves Conspiracy”. Trust me, you have no idea how wrong you are !
Vanni, by your logic, if the English had the same attitude as most the nationalist supporters here, we would have no Europe. Same could be said for the Spanish, because history reminds us that Germany produced Hitler, and Italy produced Mussolini. However, real Europeans got over their negative past and looked forward to a bright future.
It is sad that a good average of Nationalist Party followers are so stuck in the past that they fail to move forward.
Should I stoop to your low levels and argue that the Church buried humans in rubbish dumps. I won’t, I am far more open minded and educated to realise that that was just a part of history and I now will look forward.
Vanni – And when the “aristokrazija” went down Sta Lucia Street (Valletta)in “their” trucks after smashing up the Law Courts, another “zero” person was on one of those same trucks, signing autographs for his faithful. I know, because I was barricaded in an office there along with my colleagues – including fervent Labour supporters – who were all terrified.
I wonder if Victor Laiviera will have the gall to come out to deny this fact too, as he tried to rubbish all other such horrendous episodes of my childhood and youth.
Vanni:
Victor Laiviera has cleared up the aristokrazija mystery already. The Great Leader was quietly at work with like minded people within the Malta Labour Party.
Corinne, no he wasn’t. He was president of the Labour Party – in other words, one of its most prominent figureheads.
I know. Victor apparently didn’t when he gave us the earth shattering news.
Oh – And that “zero” person was also handing out red roses to the ladies from that truck … Now why did Silvio forget the truck? Tut, tut, tut!
@ Daphne, I know that he was president.
I was just seeing how Victor and the like squirm their way out of answering that.
Over to C.Fenech
The difference between the instances you quoted and the MLP legacy is simple.
Atonement, was made by each of those who erred.
Let’s take Germany as an example. In present day Germany, it is illegal for the Nazi party to exist. If you dare say in Germany that the Holocaust did not exist, you are liable at law. Try to get a number plate with SA or SS, and you haven’t got a hope in hell.
This is just an example. The point is that they showed remorse for what happened, apologised to those wronged, and do not pretend nothing happened, or pass it of as “passat”.
That is why I ask YOU and your friends, Mr Fenech.
Where was Alfred Sant during the darkest times in Maltese History? What did he do? What remorse has he shown for the past? Has he just once apologised to anybody? Why has he got “No Regrets”, Mr Fenech?
…. and the 2013 election will see the coming of age of the late eighties/early nineties baby boom, a substantial chunk of which, are of PN sentiment.Looks like the Nats are not just in for the long haul but rather going for perpetualty :-)
Thanks a lot Daphne. You are great. I get the Independent every Thursday and Sunday just to read your articles. Thanks also to those who kept the blog going. Freedom of expression has reached a new dimension – cyber space! Congratulations to those who voted and I wish the Labour Party a corougeous “Bidla” so we a will be really free when we vote next time. In the meantime fellow Maltese and people from other countries living here, enjoy peace of mind and prosperity under the sure hands of Laurence Gonzi.
Jo Saliba