X'faqa U-turn dak, Dwart!
Edward Scicluna eats his words
It didn’t take long for Edward Scicluna to eat his words. Politics is such a tough game, as he and Marlene are discovering. Here’s the latest hot report from Maltastar, as Labour’s Damage Busters move in to…..errrrr…..cause more damage.
Labour MEP candidate Edward Scicluna said that a ‘free-to-all health system’ if public funds are not squandered.
During, Bondi+ of 25 May, Presenter Lou Bondi aired a clip of an interview Prof Scicluna gave on Reporter. The labour MEP candidate said that presenter Lou Bondi edited the parts where he said that he was against any cuts in public health costs and that a ‘free-to-all-health system’ is possible.
Scicluna said that a ‘free-to-all health system’ is possible if an efficient system is created, which does not leave the country struggling in deficit, Scicluna said.
The labour MEP candidate said that the way the Nationalist Government is squandering public funds is threatening a ‘free-for-all health system.’ The elderly, who have to fork out the money from their own pockets to buy expensive medicine, and the thousands of people on the waiting list are all feeling the affect of the Gonzi administration’s decisions, Scicluna added.
A ‘free-for-all-health system’ is possible if public funds are not squandered. Scicluna pointed out at the history of the building of the Mater Dei hospital and to direct orders, which went against government’s regulations as examples of taxpayer’s money being squandered.
A EU study on health costs in Malta said that when compared with other EU member states, Malta has an inefficiency level of around 40%. “This means that the government is able to provide the same service of today and reduce the costs by 40%,” Scicluna said. “Or else to maintain the same costs and increase the number of interventions by 40%.” The government should opt for the second option, Scicluna said.
“My political principles are based on social justice, where the State does not exclude anyone from the social services of the country, such as health, education, pensions and social security.”
Scicluna said that it would be his duty as a Labour Member of the European Parliament to safeguard the rights of the Maltese and Gozitians to have a sustainable health system, which is truly free for all.
Full Reporter interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4y9wlOwjnc
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And here’s the link, just in case anyone would like to see it:
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/ms09dart.asp?a=2158
Here’s another:
“Prof Scicluna said the track record of a number of EU Member States showed that it was possible for a prudent and responsible government to provide free healthcare for all if the public health system was based on solid foundations and was run efficiently. Free healthcare was possible in a country where the government did not burden the economy with increasing public debt.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/mepelections/view/20090528/news/scicluna-clarifies-free-health-comments
[Daphne – Very different to his categoric denial that free health care for all is sustainable, whatever the circumstances. Malghajr bela’ kliemu.]
I find nothing wrong with his reasoning. Malta for several years has been suffering from a structural deficit. We have reached a point that the deficit cannot grow any further otherwise we will be breaking laws that underpin the Social Growth Pact. The EU have already warned Malta and if fiscal policy continues to worsen we may face hefty fines. To balance the books, government must either increase productivity which is a difficult task during economic turmoil, at its best economic growth will be sluggish, increase taxation whereby I don’t think the government can squeeze more out of our pockets or else reduce spending. The latter is the most feasible but from where? By default the government will have to reduce its current expenditure package which includes monies dedicated to the welfare state. Therefore, if we do not squander monies, and work towards reducing the deficit and maybe in the future manage to reverse the situation and generate a surplus of income our blanket protection on Health may be safeguarded. Now whats the next clip going to be…………..
Let’s manage our welfare state for the benefit of all as we will all need to tap into those funds at some time in our life.
[Daphne – Keith, the point is not whether Edward Scicluna is right or wrong in saying that health care should not be free to those who can afford to pay for it (halli they’re the ones paying for it in the first place….). The point is that he makes this view known, when he is adviser to the shadow finance minister, and when his party leader is hounding the government with claims that it plans to introduce payment for health care. And then, when rapped or of his own accord in an attempt at damage control, he revises what he said, on Smash Television, so as to toe his political boss’s line.]
Sorry dear, I can’t agree with you on this one. I believe he is one of the best candidates in Malta for the EU parliament and should make it with flying colours. Let’s also remember that he is not contesting the national election but will be a contributor to the PES within Europe.
Press Release
Bondiplus
Naghmlu riferenza ghall-istqarrija tal-Profs Edward Scicluna “Sahha B’Xejn Ghal Kulhadd” (27 ta’ Mejju) li fiha jattakka l-integrita gurnalistika t’ Bondiplus. Ir-risposta ghal din l-istqarrija hi li nissuggerixxi lil gurnalisti jilqghu l-istedina ta’ Profs Scicluna stess u jaraw il-programm Reporter kollu fuq il-link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4y9wlOwjnc
Johrog car li:
1. Kuntrarjament ghall-dak li jghid Profs Scicluna fl-istqarrija, fl-ebda punt ma’ jghid f’Reporter li hu “kontra li jsir qtugh fl-ispiza pubblika fuq is-sahha” jew li qal “car u tond li huwa possibbli li pajjiz ikollu s-sahha b’xejn”.
2. Anzi, meta kien mistoqsi jekk il-pajjiz jaffordjax sahha b’xejn hu qal li hekk : “Niddubita, ghandi dubbji serji. Difficli tghid illi jista’ jkollok sahha ghal kulhadd, l-ahjar medicina ghal kulhadd b’xejn u da kollu” Waqt li jghid li nies b’nuqqas ta’ mezzi ghandhom dritt ghal sahha b’xejn izid hekk: “Imma li tghid [sahha b’xejn] ghal kulhadd, il-hin kollu u minghajr limitu fuq tipo x’tiehu u ma tiehux fl-ebda pajjiz ma’ tezisti u ma’ tistax tezisti hawn”.
Dan hu li hareg f’Bondiplus. Il-fatti jitkellmu wahedhom.
Mr Bondi (I assume this is the real Mr Bondi), how come you did not include some clips by the various PN candidates who hold views diametrically opposite to the PN on certain subjects and ask Dr Gonzi to give his opinion?
Why the two weights and two measure (as if I don’t know)?
Ettore, in large parties like the PN and PL it is normal for members to have different views on certain issues so, in itself, that does not really constitute news. In this case what we had was Joseph Muscat lambasting Gonzi and histrionically waving a “secret” report when he was suddenly confronted with a clip showing his most prominent and qualified candidate saying exactly what the report had recommended.
It is not just a routine matter of opposing views. An economic advisor of the PL has expressed his considered opinion that health services cannot remain free while the leader of the same party goes into hysterics about the health services not remaining free.
As for Lou Bondi, he is doing his job as an investigative journalist and doing it brilliantly. Not so Joseph Muscat.
Niehu gost naqra dak li tikteb, pero’ ma flahtx ma nikkummentax fuq il-Malti …..
Dward u mhux Dwart ! (It’s not Edwart)
Dik u mhux Dak ! (U-turn fil-malti hija femminili … ma nafx, forsi indikazzjoni tal-livell ta’ sewqan tan-nisa maltin ? )
X’faqgha jew X’faqa (forsi il-qarrejja jilluminawna fuq din ?)
[Daphne – Isma hija, toqghodx tindahal kif nikteb, b’hafna kummenti bla sens. Certu tip ta’ nies jghidu Dwart u mhux Dward, preciz kif jghidu blekboRt jew blekboRd, kelma li hija fid-dizzjunarju Malti. ‘U-turn fil-Malti hija femminili’ – tkunx tac-cajt. ‘U-turn’ hija kelma Ingliza, u fl-Ingliz m’hemmx maskil u femminil u allura nista nghid ‘dik’ jew ‘dak’ u hadd ma jista jigi jindahalli. ‘Faqa’ hija kelma ‘slang’ tas-snin tmenin, u toqghodx tigi tghidli li l-Akkademja kellhom laqgha ha jiddeciedu l-ispelling ufficjali taggha, ghax inkella jkolli nghid li vera tan-n**k.]
Li tgħid mod u li tikteb ħaġ’oħra. Ngħidu Dwart, u biep u kitep iżda niktbu Dward u bieb u kiteb – min jaf jikteb, sintendi.
[Daphne – Iva, bhalma tal-Akkademja jiddettawlna biex niktbu BLEKBORT U XORTZ U KUXIN U JOTT U XARABANK. U L-AHHAR WAHDA TAL-GHAGEB, SKONT ‘FLOK SKOND. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, sugar.]
Naqbel miegħek dwar “skont” u “skond”. Kien żball, għalija.
Dwar l-oħrajn, le.
Perhaps we should spell it ‘jutern’.
Given the presumed pronuncation in the other official “Maltese” words, one could safely assume that it would then be spelt as “juwterrn”.
Ivan, għandna niktbu “x’faqgħa'” mill-għerq trilitteru F/Q/Għ. (to explode)
L-użu metaforiku ta’ “faqa” fis- sens li ġġiegħel lil xi ħadd “jisplodi” bil-ferħ/rabbja huwa antik ħafna. L-espressjoni tas-snin tmenin li semmiet Daphne minn hemm ġiet.
To explode would be “faqqa”, cuc. (Sorry, but I couldn’t help it. Why are you hard-headed people so pedantic?)
Mendi/Mandy/Amanda or whatever. I would hazard a guess that Maltese was not your strong point at school – or you wouldn’t have posted such a ċuċata (not cucata).
I have neither the time not the inclination to give you a run-down about the verb in Maltese in its various forms, but you can look them up here:
http://www.akkademjatalmalti.com/filebank/documents/Taghrif_rivedut.pdf
“Jurtak”, “nurtak” etc is derived from the Italian “urtare” – to wound somebody’s feelings. It has nothing whatsoever with irritating.
Take my advice and refrain from commenting on Maltese usage snce you obviously don’t know anything about it.
Skuzani oht, nassigurak li ma kelli ebda intenzjoni li nurtak, u l-anqas li nindahallek fil-mod kif tesprimi ruhek. S’issa ghadna pajjiz demokratiku – kulhadd liberu jesprimi ruhu kif irid.
Il-punt tieghi huwa li jien wkoll kontra n-n**k u ezagerazzjonijiet ta’ l-Akkademja tal-Malti. Bhalek u bhali jahsbuha l-maggoranza tal-Maltin. L-intenzjoni kienet aktar biex ninbex lil xi segwaci ta’ l-Akkademja milli lilek.
Navzak min qabel : tkomplix taqra jekk se turta ruhek !
Skond Joseph Aquilina (Concise Maltese English Dictionary)
i) “faqgha” hija l-mod korrett kif tiktibha dik il-kelma li konna nuzaw fit-tmeninijiet, u
ii) “faqgha” ghandha zewg tifsiriet kwazi kontradittorji “unexepected misfortune” jew kif uzajtha korrettament inti “word used to express something of the finest quality”
Nerga nghid, mhux biex nikkoregik ….. imma l-istess dizzjunarju jghatik wkoll …… blakbord jew blekbord …….
Ikkalma :-)
“nurtak” – Now there’s another one!
I would say “nirritak”. “Nurtak” to me is like saying “abbli” instead of “probabbli” – the shortened colloquilism of a few being made the official word for the rest.
Tsk, tsk, Daphne. That comment in square brackets was uncalled for. You claim that you’re in the entertaining business, and that’s why I invariably log on to this blog: to be entertained…not to be bludgeoned into submission by your opinion only. Ivan F Attard’s comment was a fair one. One likes to be educated while being entertained.
Ezempju car ta’ wiehed li jitfa l-gebla u jahbi idejh.
How many times before the last general election was Edwart* commenting on policies he had himself proposed to the pseudo financial guru Dr. Charles Mangion?
*Sorry, Ivan (F) Attard