Bring back the real Lawrence Gonzi
Just fifteen months ago
There was a marked difference between the prime minister’s bearing and attitude in this campaign and in the electoral campaign last year.
Last year, he was brimming with confidence, bright and electric, even though it was a narrowly fought general election and there was something real at stake: the government. His positive demeanour and fizzing enthusiasm were infectious. He lit up rooms and carried crowds.
Not so during this campaign. He ended up having to fight it like a general election, only of course not quite, all the while carrying on with his day job and the draining problems it brings with it. His counterpart, meanwhile, had no such constraints. He was free to do nothing else but.
There were times in this campaign when Gonzi looked preoccupied and harried, brow-beaten. The famous smile and the laughing self-confidence were gone. During the Broadcasting Authority debate last week the camera caught him unawares looking like somebody stood against a wall waiting to be shot.
It didn’t help that someone had chosen – no doubt deliberately and with an ulterior motive – to place him against a deeply unflattering grey background while Muscat was placed against a glowing screen of flattering sunrise red.
Every time I have seen the prime minister on television recently, including the post-election press conference on Sunday, he has spoken as though his self-belief is faltering and self-doubt has set in. I am not surprised, because he is surrounded by people who are on a major ego trip.
They cannot see beyond their own personal agenda. It’s Me, Myself and I all the way.
Some MPs on the government benches appear to be going out of their way to undermine their boss. Indeed, they appear to have forgotten that yes, he is their boss. They are throwing their weight around and behaving in the most appalling fashion.
The sooner they get their act together and understand that this is the best way to end up reviled by the very people who voted them in, the better.
Electors don’t elect politicians so that those politicians can spend the next five years sulking or demanding this or that for themselves. They elect them to represent their – the electors’ – interests. Yet some MPs appear to believe that their primary concern is now no more than their own personal interest.
They have lost sight completely of the people who elected them and of what those people want. In the words of one of them after a parliamentary group meeting earlier this week:
“Gonzi asked us to put our differences behind us, pull together and concentrate on the economy. The economy, I said? I don’t give a f**k about the economy. I want (followed by a litany). And I’m not the only one. A couple of us didn’t turn up.”
A government backbencher who by his own admission doesn’t give a f**k about the economy and refuses to cooperate with the prime minister does not deserve his seat. As I told him, if he doesn’t give a f**k about the economy, then he does not represent his constituents’ interests. His constituents give a very big f**k about the economy and it’s his personal wants and desires that they really don’t give a f**k about.
Unfortunately, the MPs who behave like this appear to believe their are local heroes because they get a lot of interest from the press and a lot of encouragement from their galloppini. They don’t realise how very awful they look to the man in the street, with their tantrums and their failure to back up the prime minister. Nobody loves a weak link except those who stand to gain from it.
Read my lips, boys: we voted you in because we want the Nationalist Party in government, because we admire Lawrence Gonzi and respect him, and because we want him to be prime minister for five years and possibly longer. We did not elect you so that you can shirk your political duties, demand things for yourselves, and threaten to destabilise the government if you don’t get what you want.
Carry on doing this and you can expect a rocket under your seat in four years’ time, and not our votes.
By not pulling the same rope as Lawrence Gonzi, by failing to cooperate with him because you’re ‘hurt’ or because your colleague got something that you didn’t, you are undermining the government.
In undermining the government, you are betraying your constituents, who elected you because they expressly do NOT want Labour in government.
If you don’t wish to carry on representing your constituents – who didn’t elect you personally but as a representative of the Nationalist Party – then do the decent and honourable thing and leave. Make way for somebody who is capable of putting the interests of the government, and of the constituents who voted him in to work for that government, before his own egocentric concerns.
The Labour Party hasn’t ‘outed’ you or even given much coverage to your disgraceful behaviour because it hopes to win advantage from the situation, by stirring the pot, manipulating you, and letting it go on for long enough until the whole thing blows up in your faces.
And then we, who voted you in, will wind up with the government that you deserve and apparently seem to want judging by your appalling behaviour, because you care more about yourselves than you do about us. You should be ashamed.
Whoever is eroding the prime minister’s confidence, exhausting him with idiocy, throwing tantrums and tripping him up should stop it now, close ranks and pull together. Some people need to learn that it’s not about them.
Another thing: it’s clear that the prime minister is annoyed and perhaps even feels demeaned at having to deal with an ex-Super One hack of no great depth as his opposite number. He doesn’t engage with him as he did with Alfred Sant.
He holds back in the way one tends to do when dealing with somebody of inferior intellectual ability who is also significantly less mature. One’s first instinct is to avoid letting go to create a fair balance, but while that might be appropriate at a dinner-table, it’s not appropriate in a televised debate between two party leaders.
Lawrence Gonzi should just go for the jugular with that famous finesse and turn his opposite number into mincemeat. He’s more than capable of doing it and he shouldn’t be so fastidious about it.
It’s demoralising when no matter how hard you’ve worked, no matter what successes you’ve accumulated for the country, no matter that you are a hundred times more capable and reliable, people are prepared to swap you for somebody so unremarkable as Joseph Muscat, and even your own people are behaving like spoiled children.
The prime minister should bear in mind, at all times, that when it comes to Joseph Muscat, Gonzi is by far the better man. The gathering together into Joseph Muscat’s ragtag ‘coalition of disaffection’ of people who are prepared to use their sacred vote like a bribe or a blackmail letter does not diminish Dr Gonzi’s qualities or make him less than he was.
Opinions cannot change reality, despite the magical thinking of many. And above all, opinions are transitory, but some facts are permanent. Lawrence Gonzi is what he is and Joseph Muscat is what he is. There is no comparison.
I can’t help but remember how people bayed for Fenech Adami’s blood in 1996, how scathing they were, how contemptuous, how ready to ‘teach him a lesson’ – by voting Labour, as they did now – how they spat on his name and wanted him out. Just 22 months later, he was a returning hero and they were practically kissing the ground he walked on in relief and gratitude. That’s the way it goes.
As for using your sacred vote to teach somebody else a lesson, what can I say about the sort of person who does that? A real man, a real woman, a person of honour, somebody who is not a coward, expresses himself or herself personally, face to face, or publicly, as I and others do.
That is what real, sophisticated democracy is all about. Using your vote as a threat or a bribe is the democracy of the most backward villages in southern Italy in the 1950s, and if you don’t believe me I have a couple of anthropological studies I can send you.
This article is published in The Malta Independent today.
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Spot on Daph.
Ex-ministers who are backbenchers today are not to be trusted. You can add to them those MPs who ‘expected’ to be appointed ministers and are hugely disappointed. If they feel so offended and are not capable of overcoming their hurt, they should resign and not get paid for doing nothing for the next four years.
Maybe it is not an excellent comparison but in the private sector, when people are made redundant, the company prefers to pay the employee ‘notice’ money and get him out of the office, rather than letting him while away his time and possibly undermine the company’s interests as a sort of revenge. This is exactly what some MPs are doing.
One of the possibly unsurmountable/insurmountable problems, which Lawrence Gonzi has.
Lawrence Gonzi should have the courage to say “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa”.
You’re right there Maryanne, and one also has to include the ministers who have had 15 months opportunity to show us what they’re worth, but instead have delivered absolutely zilch. Especially some who have real ‘attitude’ problems and have alienated more people than all the rest put together. Unfortunately, as Daphne says, the problem is that finally it is the Prime Minister’s position which is being undermined as a result. And he deserves better.
You’re right there, Maryanne, and one also has to include the ministers who have had 15 months’ opportunity to show us what they’re worth, but instead have delivered absolutely zilch.
Especially some with real ‘attitude’ problems and who have alienated more people than all the rest put together. Unfortunately, as Daphne says, the problem is that finally it is the Prime Minister’s position which is being undermined as a result. And he deserves better.
A case in point is in the Sliema area with an MP who sulks all the time and who is doing all he can to undermine the Prime Minister. Being elected from two districts does not entitle him to be promoted to parliamentary secretary. It was so blatantly obvious when days before the elections of 6th June, while sitting almost next to the PM, during a meeting taht it-tinda, in Sliema, he never clapped and was looking very annoyed to be there. He should do the honourable thing and get the hell out of there.
[Daphne – The trouble with these people is that they think their votes are personally theirs. Somebody should remind them that people were voting for the Nationalist Party and not for, say, Robert Arrigo. They chose him over somebody else because they liked him or he worked hard, but if he hadn’t been there, they would have voted for another PN candidate, and not for Labour. One of his advisers should tell him that if he carries on this way, he’s not exactly going to have a rush of votes in 2013 – people don’t like trouble-makers who are more interested in a cabinet position than in doing what they were elected to do: look after their constituents and be loyal political party on whose ticket they stood. If they think their votes are personal they should try standing as independents and see how far it gets them.]
This is a letter sent by Robert Arrigo to the Times on the 3rd June. Take note of the depth of thought and shrewdness in policy issues! “I refer to a letter penned by regular contributor……….. I cannot help but recall my elders saying that empty vessels make most sound. A saying so appropriate.”
Which reminds me how Arrigo, the Sliema FC president, tussled for the cup when the MFA president wanted to give it to the team captain, as is the norm.
It is sad to see a politician behave no better than my 10 year old nephew. His manoeuvring and tantrums to get himself made minister are just as childish.
@mc – Don’t insult 10-year-old children simply because they are children; most deserve better than that.
It is easy to be brave behind castle walls.
Give us the names of these back-stabbers please.
[Daphne – I’m going to bide my time. If they don’t get into line, I will. And I’m not going to promote them as renegade heroes rebelling against an inefficient prime minister, either, like some newspapers are doing now. They’re just people who have no idea what the responsibilities of an MP are, and who are behaving like company employees pressing for promotion. There’s one of them in The Times today, going on about why people didn’t vote PN in this election – well, he should know about it, given that he was a problem for so long and still is.]
The thing is that the PN will remove Dr Gonzi if he loses the 2013 general election.
[Daphne – I can assure you that Lawrence Gonzi is the sort of man who will go without being asked. You don’t know anything about him if you think he will have to be ‘removed’.]
If that turns out to be the case, then I sincerely hope that his resignation will not be accepted. His shoes will be very hard to fill, no matter how capable his “earmarked” successor is in his current field.
The Prime Minister should not have any problems with instilling discipline among his parliamentary group. He must realise that Austin Gatt’s and John Dalli’s portfolios are far too large for them to manage efficiently. Pullicino’s ministry is doubling up on other ministries. Cristina and Tonio Fenech are inconsequential and literally useless.
What he needs are some balls to sort this lot out.
He has been given bad advice throughout the last fifteen months and most projects started are non-finishers or better still it would be far better for them to be shelved – e.g: rent reform, transport reform, Mepa reform, Malta Shipyards, etc – UNLESS these are to be tackled in the proper way that they should be.
He’s got a lot to worry about viz the shipyards privatization because the two sections that have been sold are not going to be used to generate more work. One is being used as a storage dump by WGT and the other most probably will be integrated in the Manoel Island project by MIDI.
We are totally against the government selling the real estate footprint of Malta Shipyards for property development.
This will be his downfall if he persists in doing so.
[Daphne – Who is ‘we’? Please elaborate.]
As far as the backbenchers are concerned if they value re-election they should be made to toe the line by the party. Of course we have the problem of a softie-softie party administration so Lawrence’s work is doubled here.
A general reshuffle is required, new terms of reference are to be worked out without any fancy names or titles that no one can understand, e.g. Ministry for the Environment and Resources? What resources? What environment?
We seem to have an overload of paper-qualified persons around, but we lack drastically really competent and experienced executives. Dark suits, white shirts and fancy ties alone do not make competent executives; it’s the acumen that counts.
Sorry, but both major parties in Malta have a chronic shortage of these people. They seem to focus on the same people all the time without due regard for new ideas and developments. It’s time that some heads should start to roll.
The VAT fraud; the hundreds of road licences and boat licences that were fraudulently issued by the ADT and the MMA. No heads have rolled yet, and no one has been convicted. Lawrence certainly has a lot to worry about. No wonder the harassed and beleaguered look on his face and his tired demeanour.
There are hundreds of streetwise people out there. Not only PN, but even LP people, who are an asset to the country. The problem is that only “Figli di Papa” are appointed, chosen because someone fondly believes that by moving in certain social circles and by being a yes man or woman, then it’s all right to give them positions of responsibility.
I can point out some truly unsuitable people appointed by, of all people, Austin Gatt, in Airmalta and Enemalta, for example, people I wouldn’t trust to boil my egg, [Daphne – You mean you have only one? Joseph Muscat has lots. He counts them.] let alone sit a board of directors.
Some people are appointed because they are failures in society – unbelievable but true. And then there are the people with plenty of letters after their name but no real substance, with no idea or knowledge on how organizations and businesses should be managed.
[Daphne – And then there are those who demand a directorship because they once were an MP for Gozo, and when they don’t get it, they go to Muscat’s meeting and are publicly embraced as a new convert.]
The best people to be placed on boards should be the ones with proven sound business instincts, not necessarily spectacular business people, and not “yes minister” men. Austin ibghati minna din, imma mhux Austin wahdu.
It’s time the PN starts looking beyond its usual circles. And it’s time it stops treating its loyal people like garbage, only to be courted come election time.
That’s what backbenchers should be doing. Keeping in constant contact with their people, but at the same time, ministers must listen and take action when they present some problem to them.
After all, most problems people present are the result of some civil service omission, blunder or downright incompetence. Allura ha nhallu c-civil jiddetta kif ghandu jitmexxa l-pajjiz?
Mario, you’re generally right. But do remember that it’s ministers and cabinets that are not re-elected, not board members and chairmen. In Malta we have this very romantic idea of boards and chairmen that can be technical and give ‘independent’ advice. But we elect ministers, not board members. Those who take decisions in a democracy are those who are elected and accountable to the electorate. Board members are not.
@Mario “After all, most problems people present are the result of some civil service omission, blunder or downright incompetence. Allura ha nhallu c-civil jiddetta kif ghandu jitmexxa l-pajjiz?”.
May I add corrupt civil servants who sabotage people’s rights.
Public servants should not be left to occupy positions for long years , a lot of time is needed to build a network of corruption.
“WE” Daphne are the ordinary people and voters who have Malta’s interest at heart first and foremost.
The Malta Shipyards footprint measured from the dolphin at Boiler Wharf straight around to Labarotary Wharf, the barren area of land and Malta Shipbuilding at Marsa, as well as the No.1 dock area in Cospicia is prime land area which belongs to the nation and should never ever pass into private hands for development.
[Daphne – So let me get this straight. Some people didn’t vote, or voted Labour, because they want that land to stay public. And then I know of other people who didn’t vote because they wanted to be the ones to take it over.]
These people have no idea what heavy engineering, ship repair, superyacht servicing and associated technology is.
What’s the point in producing hundreds of engineering graduates when most of them lack basic heavy engineering practice. If we close our industries beyond redemption we lose our competitiveness.
Daphne, you got it all wrong here about the shipyards.
[Daphne – Did I write anything about the subject?]
This is not just land. This is a prime area developed in a cohesive shipping industry, with six graving docks that cost millions, workshops, machinery, berths, offices and land.
The government should retain the ownership of this footprint, and rent it out for periods not exceeding ten years to any consortium that is willing to buy the companies as working entities.
The main problem now is that all ex-employees have found jobs elsewhere and the only things left for the government to sell are the assets, thus making this an asset sale and not an industrial sale that would generate more employment.
Governments over the last 37 years, including the Mintoff governments, have never really understood the technology behind the shipyards, and the PN since 1987 has been even worse, absolutely no clue. Treating this purpose-built concern as an ordinary land plot and selling to persons outside the industry is criminal and and insult to the nation.
Daphne, your words are exactly what the majority of us want to tell our representatives, voted by us and for us to form a government of the people.
Everywhere we look, there is work to be done. We need to raise health care service quality and lower its cost and we need better roads, more transparency, etc.
With the threat of a Labour government in 4 years’ time, we need to remind ourselves that we tasted the bitter swill of a Labour government and we can no longer afford indifference.
The people’s representatives in Parliament need to restore the public’s faith and start showing the people that they’re working for them and looking out for their interests and start acting like it!
They cannot sit idle any longer nor look out for their personal interests. We, the people, have trusted them and they need to make a greater effort, greater cooperation and greater understanding of the needs of the people.
Mony: Have you written to your MP to say all of this? Have you phoned him or her, or met him or her in person.
Too many people complain too loudly, hoping someone will get the message. If you want your MP to know what you think – say it directly and unambiguously. A message in a bottle thrown into rough seas doesn’t always reach its intended destination.
I once sent an email to John Dalli but he did not bother to answer it. On the other hand, last year I wrote to Dolores Cristina many times to sort out a problem, and she answered within two days, and on the next day one of her employees phoned me to sort things out. That is what I call efficiency.
I cried when I read this article. The truth truly sets us free. Enough said.
People who use their vote to ‘teach’ the government a lesson should move to China or North Korea. Then we’ll see how they like not having a choice on who runs the country. Idiots!
Top notch….exactly what needs to be said. If you don’t like it, sod off and let someone else get on with it!
The ex-Super One hack won the European Election with a 55% majority. And as David Casa said in his article today, this election was equally important as the general election (at least for him, but I think David Casa is part of the PN). Not a bad result for a young journalist as you describe him.
[Daphne – He’s not young. He’s middle aged. And I think you are suffering from premature ejaculation, if I might use the term in this context. Labour can win an election even if it is led by a two-headed monster, as long as people haven’t tried him already and found him wanting. People have far, far lower expectations and demands of the Labour Party than they do of the Nationalist Party. With Labour, we’re just grateful if things don’t go haywire. With the Nationalists, we demand the earth and scream if we don’t get it. Put Joseph Muscat alongside Lawrence Gonzi, and tell me which one you trust most. That’s the comparison you have to make. Instead, people are comparing him to his predecessor, so of course, he’s much better.]
Gonzi won’t succeed in turning Joseph Muscat into mincemeat. His MPs will turn him into a big bowl of kapuljat long before Muscat turns his guns on him. In this article it seems that you are implying (correct me if I’m wrong) that the people didn’t understand Gonzi, and that they are just spoiled children who have a grudge against the PN.
[Daphne – I wrote about MPs, not about ‘the people’. I rarely write about ‘the people’ because I know there is no such thing. There are only distinct special interest groups or market segments. Muscat knows this too, which is why he is segmenting his market and targeting each segment separately.]
How can people vote Labour you’re implying? They are just a bunch of hamalli who no one wants to represent them. Well what can I say, when some people are in a panic that’s what they all say ‘in-nies ma fehmuniex’. U hallina.
[Daphne – You must have read something written by some one else. I don’t know what you’re going on about.]
The PN government is decaying. As I used to say, this period reminds me of the Labour government between 1981-1987.
[Daphne – Oh, go to hell and don’t insult other people’s intelligence. I happened to be alive and adult in 1981 and 1987 and you have to be really cracked to equate this government with that one.]
This is the worst legislature since that time, and considering that we have a minority government it’s no good news for the country. At the moment Gonzi is Labour’s greatest asset. You won’t admit this but deep down you know it. And there are other PN officials who do not have a clue. Gone are the days of Joe Saliba and Alfred Sant. It’s time to party – for Labour.
[Daphne – That’s the problem with you lot. It’s all about fun and power, hence the absence of policies.]
David Ellul,
If you compare this government to the 1981-87 Labour government, then you obviously have been listening too much to Joe Muscat who keeps talking about the Socialists’ glorious history.
The 1981-87 government was the product of perversity itself, systematically and intentionally violent, corrupt to its bones in a system where ministerial decisions were paid for, kept Malta backwards emulating North Korea and a host of Communist Eastern European countries, controlled all methods of broadcasting we had then, attacked its detractors, caused an unemployment rate of 10% (that would be 15,000 in today’s labour force) and simply tried to buy another five years in power with people’s money employing 8,000 people in the few weeks before the 1987 general election.
Malta made a fundamental change on the 12th May 1987 and Nationalist governments have kept on widening our freedom (including EU membership).
You really don’t know what you’re saying.
Malta made a fundamental change on the 12th May 1987…
It was on the 9th of May, I shall never forget it since it was my birthday, the best birthday present one could get.
(The result came out on the 12th but the election was on the 9th)
Why doesn’t the PM openly challenge these losers in his ranks, real Nationalists will definitely back him up.
Because we don’t need a Kristallnacht to deal with people, that’s why. We leave that for the LP. Yes, the rank and file will back Gonzi. That much is clear. But it’s the rank and file, the simple ‘tesserat’, who should play a decisive role here. The PN needs to renew itself. It can do it.
There is an abundance of untapped talent and people who are coming forward. Gonzi knows this, and he should make sure he is close to these countless loyalists who believe that yes, the PN is the party with Malta’s wellbeing at heart, and it should lead the way .
Naming and shaming, openly challenging them is not Gonzi’s role. It is the role of the rank and file who elected them. It’s time the truth was told to them. They are the people who will keep unruly backbenchers in check, if a way can be found to “mobilise” their opinion.
We elected Gonzi because we believe in him, not just as a prime minister, but as a person. We have seen his humanity in admitting his mistakes, and that is the mark of the man he is. Look at his face….. the man’s face is truly a mirror of his soul.
[Daphne – Ditto Muscat. Look at his face and see the absence of soul. He is the sort of man we ‘chicks’ used to run from at Saddles. Brrrrrr. Blank beyond the eyes and yet SO smug, coming right at you convinced that you are going to think he’s come down from heaven and jump straight into bed with him, when you can’t wait to get away to the lavatory with a girlfriend to shriek with laughter. Has anyone noticed how women really don’t fancy him even though he’s ‘good-looking’? I wonder why.]
What a contrast with Joseph Muscat! Ma’ Gonzi taf fejn int. Ma’ Joseph u l-koalizzjoni ma tafx fejn hu postok, u l-bieb tad-dar m’intix ser issibu.
This is a good article and you have hit the nail on its head. A week before the EU election I told you that I was going to vote AN after being hurt by an act of a parliamentary secretary. But then I decided that to show loyalty to the PM and party I voted as I always did since 1971 and voted PN.
I also appeal to all PN MPs to show loyalty to party leader and PM Gonzi. Our country needs his guidance now and in the future taking into consideration that the opposition is led by a low grade Super One journalist. Dr Gonzi you are a real leader in contrast to Muscat.
I admire you, Mr Busuttil. I admire your loyalty.
Unfortunately all too true. This government is too complacent and MANY Nationalists are losing patience. Even a simple matter such as the error MEPA made in the Balzan zone classification has been dragging on for years, notwithstanding the fact that MEPA admits it was its own error. And MEPA falls directly under Gonzi’s authority. There just doesn’t appear to be the will to act. Gonzi is playing right into the enemy’s hands by turning a blind eye.
Joe, You are right of course. That’s why I have repeatedly said that the PN and the PM should be in complete control of the electoral programme’s implementation. Anyone who twists and turns and tries to do things that enhance red tape should be shown the door. It’s time for action.
Daphne – I wish I could put my feelings into words as well as you have done.
I’m sure that I speak for most Nationalists – all those MPs who are not giving their utmost for the party have no hope of being elected next time.
Any MP who has no qualms about openly stating he does not give a f**k about the economy should be named and shamed – although, I have a good idea who it could be.
The (ex?) hotelier who runs a travel agency?
Whilst I agree that using your vote as a protest is not that clever, I don’t think it’s just a 1950s Southern European phenomenon. Just look at what is happening in the UK.
In total agreement. Who are these MPs? So many of us are not part of the Dar Centrali clan and therefore unsure as to who is being referred to in this article. We hear a lot of rumours but the rumour mill in Malta is a dangerous source. Once we know who these rebel MPs are, we, the voters, can start voicing our disdain and clearly communicate that as far as we are concerned their political career is dead and buried, it is this sort of action that will shake these MPs to their senses and induce them to fall in line once again.
An inspiring analysis ma`am. That there is no comparison between Gonzi and Muscat goes without saying, but I think that besides the disgruntled MPs, this campaign was not presented as well as the general election`s.
[Daphne – That’s because it wasn’t a general election campaign. Have you any idea what a general election campaign involves? It’s like a military campaign, involving armies of hundreds and massive amounts of money and organisation. You can’t do that after just a year; it’s wasteful and also ridiculous, for an EP campaign.]
The `interviews` conducted by TV personalities went down well then. This time round there was only Simon doing the role.
Consider also that Muscat was an unknown quantity and the prime minister, like most of us, did not really know what he would come up with. The report on free medical services comes to mind. I wonder who leaked that.
This article summarises the situation perfectly. I have always expressed my disgust towards those who choose politics as a means of gaining power and flattering their egos. What I find scary is the fact that my generation of aspiring MPs is largely composed of such people; people who have no clue what their party stands for, people whose sole aim is to be visible and adulated. I think it’s very disturbing that the Nationalist Party in particular is recruiting such young men and women instead of investing in those who are dedicated to their and their party’s cause. Yes, this is a generalisation, but those who followed this year’s KSU elections will no doubt see the connection, not only with SDM candidates, but also with the renegade rejects forming ‘coalitions’.
Pictured it perfectly!
What I believe is required is to generate that feeling of “enthusiasm” about what has been achieved (also by today’s back-benchers) and what more can be achieved on the work done so far. This enthusiasm will spill over to the electorate who still has no real alternative. Back-benchers should be an integral part of the government effort.
I cannot for one moment believe that they fail to understand that behaving otherwise will undermine not only their present and future but also all they have achieved out of their contribution to transform this country from shambles to a dynamic “normal” one.
Not an easy task translating this to practice, but if anyone can do just that it is surely Gonzi.
Rumours in the corridors: Labour will not confront Paul Borg Olivier on TV. It seems that they know he is not capable of being secretary-general and will wait until the very end of general election campaign. They are worried that Dr Gonzi will ask him to resign in favour of a better person.
[Daphne – The thing is, secretaries-general are elected and not selected.]
Do you really believe Paul Borg Olivier could have done anything else to increase the PN’s core vote that comes out to vote in these elections and that is precisely 40%?
The discontent out there is not with Stamperija but with ministries, government departments and public authorities/agencies, as well as with a number of government policies.
The PN needs to start thinking in terms of numbers: what are the policies that, if changed, affect (positively, of course) thousands of people?
If the PN gives in to clientelism, it will be a short-term palliative, but a long-term disaster for itself and for the country. We cannot turn Malta into a spiteful country where people don’t vote simply because they didn’t get what they don’t deserve. If they don’t deserve something, they should be told as much in no uncertain terms.
Great, Daphne.
I did not vote last Saturday, but I will never never vote Labour as long as Muscat is leader. If it had been George Abela, it would have been another story. I did not do it to blackmail the government, on the contrary, I did it to send a message to sack these incompetent people who are undermining the government. Somebody has to do it.
It would have been a better article if you had mentioned some names, though.
You really are absurd. No wonder you hide behind a pseudonym.
What did you do? Scrawl a message and a list of names on your ballot paper and post it to the prime minister’s office?
It would have made more sense to spell things out using one of the many means of communication that are at your disposal.
“Somebody has to do it”. So why didn’t you?
I happen to be on of the 100,486 who voted Nationalist last Saturday, Tal-Muzew. I agree with you that people who undermine the government should be sacked (though that’s impossible with MPs). But I can send that message otherwise, and not by abstaining.
We cannot have a system of perverse incentives where people feel they are better off not voting than voting.
It saddens me to read people like you boasting they did not vote last Saturday. I would be quite ashamed not to have voted in favour of a party in government that is substantially right, has until now saved Malta from the worst effects of the recession and has an excellent and genuine Prime Minister in Lawrence Gonzi.
That’s why I’m proud I’m one of the 100,486 who voted Nationalist last Saturday, Tal-Muzew.
I am not boasting about it Libertas. I just pointed out how I feel. There are many others Nationalists who feel just like me. The MEPs who made house visits know this and talked about it. But as Daphne pointed out, the time of ‘talking’ is over; we need the government back in shape, full of energy and new ideas. I hope I will be one of the 50%+ of Maltese, Nationalist and others who will proudly vote PN. This does not depend on me.
[Daphne – Why not? Have you lost your ability to tick a box?]
What else can a man or woman do other than utilize his/her vote to express himself or herself, when one is not even given not even one second to give his/her view.
I have copies of letters, not dated 1950s but 2008 and 2009. If you are interested I will be more than pleased to send them to you.
I have no problem in facing anyone and saying what I have to say especially when I know I am in the right. It is not fair to say that by not voting one cannot be considered as being a coward. After all both PN and PL and their agents would know the name, address and ID card number of those persons who fails to cast their vote.
And what is the Data Protection Commission doing to stop this practice?
There’s a lot to be said for direct communication. It may not generate the reaction you want, but if getting the message across is your objective, it is far more effective to send an email message or letter than to stay home on election day.
In s letter you can say exactly what you like. Not voting leaves your action open to interpretation.
It’s that simple, really.
It is exactly what I’ve been doing for the past eight months. I sent quite a number of letters and email, but contrary to what you believe, they were not effective. Some were acknowledged, but that’s it. Others were simply ignored.
The letters and emails unanswered can tell why my family (four votes in all) stayed at home on election day. There is nothing to interpret.
If you really don’t wish to be misinterpreted, then clip your unused voting documents to copies of all your previous correspondence and mail the whole package to the original recipient. Be sure to include a covering note to explain why you have set such a low price on relinquising your democratic right to choose who will represent you in the European Parliament.
I’m sure that someone, somewhere will eventually make sense of that sort of logic.
It won’t be me, I can tell you.
Ms. Corinne, I don’t know who you are, but be sure that I never had in mind of using you or this blog in order to deliver my message. I have no problem with showing myself when fighting injustice. I did it when democracy in this country was under threat.
I cannot take your advice as regards the voting documents as we didn’t even bother to collect them.
On the other hand, I filed my previous correspondence and mail, and last February at the end of a meeting with Mr. Joe Sultana at the Office of the Prime Minister, I forwarded him the respective documents. During the meeting I explained to him how I was framed with my dismissal in mind. I showed him an email (included in the files) which says that disciplinary action will be taken against me and this because I wanted to do my duty. Although Mr. Sultana was disgusted with what was happening to me at my place of work, the days that followed he chose to ignore my phone calls. Now I have reason to believe that the injustice I am experiencing has the blessing of the minister concerned.
My family and I are very hurt by the very same party we voted for in the last general election. And your attitude is not helping us at all. At this moment in time we don’t care who will get the cushy and very well paid job in the European Parliament, when my job and only income in the family is threaten not by illegal emigrants but by Maltese. Maybe it was my mistake in the first place to contribute to this Running Commentary. But I could not resist the fact of being classified by Ms. Caruana Galizia as a coward.
[Daphne – I haven’t classified you as a coward, and I assure you that if you want your message read by the people you have in mind, this is the best place to post it. So no, you weren’t wrong to write here. You were right.]
If you or Ms. Caruana Galizia were to have a look at my files and go deep into them, I am certain that you will at least show some sympathy. I wouldn’t dare asking you to be my heroes and help me fight for my democratic rights. I know that you will not offer any help in my cause. There was no need to rub it in by your concluding sentence. Thanks just the same.
M. Attard
I missed seeing your last post and found it by chance. My comments were in relation to your refusing to vote in order to “send a message” to government, and not on the particular merits of your case. That is the essence of the concluding sentence which you appear to have misunderstood.
Whenever I want to “send a message” I do it by putting pen to paper. The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Investment, Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary of Tourism and the Police Commissioner – they all know by means of my signed letters and emails, the injustice I have been going through for the past seven months. By refusing to take action they are “sending me a message” that they don’t care. I hope that you are now convinced that I do not have to depend on voting day in order to “send my massage”.
Well said Daphne – my exact sentiments.
There are a few comments I would have added.
You pointed out Dr. Gonzi’s finesse, something LP elves and Joseph Muscat will never understand. It all comes down to breeding and upbringing, I suppose. The less refined usually resort to shouting matches and unfortunately the louder one is, the more impression he leaves with the unsophisticated masses.
In this department, Dr. Gonzi loses because his upbringing was different and he is more of a listener. I hope that he has listened to the message the voter has given his party this time, and wields a big stick on those who in not such a subtle way try to undermine him and emulate the LP’s tactics.
I am not so sure that the last general election campaign strategy worked too well either. Yes, Dr. Gonzi was ‘the’ star, but I doubt whether the margin of victory would not have been larger had the other candidates been given more of an opportunity to address various issues.
This in itself would have given Dr. Gonzi a live assessment of each candidate’s capability in communicating with the public, probably one of the most basic qualities required for those holding public office. Obviously the EP election campaign tried to emulate the general election pattern and it fell flat.
While gearing up for the EP elections one could see that the government let things slip a bit. Labour sensed it, capitalized on it and publicized the issues but the Nationalist Party seemed to stand still and relied on hope.
Hope does not win elections.
Bring back the real Nationalist Party, the party who listens to the its people.
Let’s go to PN basics and quote from the Nationalist Party Statute Article no.2 (http://www.pn.org.mt/home.asp?module=content&id=163)
“L-iskop tal-Partit Nazzjonalista huwa l-izvilupp demokratiku tan-nazzjon, mibni fuq il-liberta’ u l-gustizzja socjali fid-dawl tat-tradizzjoni Maltija, Nisranija u Ewropea.
-sabiex tissawwar socjeta bl-istess opportunitajiet ghal kulhadd
– fejn kull minn jaghti sehmu fil-hidma ekonomika jissieheb fil-pjanifikazzjoni u tmexxija taghha, kif ukoll fil-qligh u l-beneficcji li ggib maghha.
– fejn jitkattru l-opportunitajiet ghax-xoghol kif ukoll l-facilitajiet ghal hajja kulturali
-sabiex jaghmel kemm jista’ biex isehhu l-paci ul-gustizzja fid-dinja ul-aktar fil-Mediterran fejn iltaghu u thalltu civiltajiet differenti.”
That’s the rope everyone at PN HQ should be pulling.
By representing the party at any level, you should first and foremost be party member. Are all MEPs and MPs paid-up members? Once a member, you accept that mission statement. If any of the MPs are not members then no wonder we are in this mess.
It’s a fact that one in every five PN voters is having serious doubts about all this.
Daphne you wrote “we voted you in because we want the Nationalist Party in government, because we admire Lawrence Gonzi”.
Not necessarily. I think that’s an over generalisation and more of a (your) personal opinion. Many of us voted PN because we did not want Sant.
“Gonzi asked us to put our differences behind us, pull together and concentrate on the economy. The economy, I said? I don’t give a f**k about the economy. I want (followed by a litany). And I’m not the only one. A couple of us didn’t turn up.”
Daphne, did the member of parliament tell you the above personally or did you hear it through the grapevine? And if he did, don’t you feel that the prime minister should know who this person is? Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
[Daphne – He said it to me personally. And the prime minister knows because he said it to him first. I would never believe something like that if I had only heard it through the grapevine.]
True, but I had to ask because I found it hard to believe that this MP had the nerve to tell you, of all people, something like this. Everyone knows that you were never one to sit back and say nothing. Now that you tell me that he even told the prime minister, I am even more speechless…..and sad.
Come on grow up – it must be Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
Excellent article … well done.
How perfectly right this article is. It’s sad, but this is the real situation. On a less negative note, one must commend the Labour electorate that voted in the four MEPs: they only got one out of four wrong, and only by default because I have yet to understand how democratic it is to garner 40% of the votes and yet only manage to send a third of all six seats available.
Mathematically, it is simply incomprehensible because Labour didn’t get double the votes PN did, but anyhow.
I loved your ‘coalition of disaffection’. The Nationalist Party has fought, and won, the coalitions this last general election…..the coalition of hunters, AD, Lowell, AN , Astrids, et al and this was just a repeat, albeit for a much less meaningful election.
In the present circumstances, the party should accept defeat but this doesn’t alter the fact that a lot of people, even if they understand the present international economic turmoil, don’t feel let down by all these monstrous authorities. I feel that in the process of divesting the power from ministers (and rightly so) we have created yet another monstrous system by way of all these authorities.
It seems it’s not working and to top it all, we now have news that a ‘super authority’ is being created to be an authority over three other institutions, namely the much-discredited ADT, the department of civil aviation, and MMA. Do we really need to come up with such ideas now? What’s next? A super super authority if even this latest authority fails?
This country needs not a cabinet reshuffle but a chairman reshuffle because it’s they who are causing this government so much pain.
[Daphne – Marlene Mizzi was one of them. And that’s why it’s such a rotten idea to place in a position of trust somebody who would rather see someone else take your place.]
Actually, it is mathematically correct. 40/100 * 6 = 2.4.
Obviously, we can’t put 0.4 of a person on a seat, so we round it down to 2. Hence, 2 persons for P.N.
Actually the proportion of votes is 3.29 for the MLP and 2.43 for the PN. So in theory it should be three each, as the PN is closer to a third seat than the MLP is to a fourth. When you factor in the non-transferable votes and the other parties you get the result we got. Had this been an election directly based on six quotas, the non-transferable votes would have had less impact.
Strictly speaking the correct way to do this would have been to elect five candidates and then re-open everything and recount everything with six quotas when and if the Lisbon Treaty came into force. This would however (a) cost additional money (b) potentially un-elect someone (c) distract from the business of looking after the economy
What it boils down to is the difference between statesmen and opportunists.
Had Lawrence Gonzi been an opportunist he would have opted for this course of action, but we know who the opportunists are and he isn’t one of them.
This country needs a lean government with departments and agencies that have (a few) specific targets they have to reach. They also have to be accountable to cabinet and parliament. Unfortunately, we have too many agencies/authorities that are unelected and unaccountable, stuffed with people who have not made it in the private sector and who are intent on harassing others.
It’s not a change of faces that we need, but a change of systems. If there is someone who can do it, it’s Lawrence Gonzi.
Maybe this is the real Lawrence Gonzi.
Excellent article and my sentiments are the same. The PN needs to take heed. The prima donnas at the PN need to read this article before it is too late. Can’t understand why these people are not looking at the big picture after so much progress has been achieved in the last 22 years.
The Prime Minister is working day and night to raise the standard of living for all Maltese but the behaviour of some in the PN’s inner circle are undermining all his efforts.
I know that Simon Busutill is intelligent and capable man, but personally, I had no idea that he is this popular. I have no doubt a lot of Labour supporters respect him and voted for him. He is a great asset for the PN and he could be instrumental in bringing the egos of some of them in check.
[Daphne – No, he can’t. Do you know the Biblical story of Joseph and the many-coloured coat?]
Please, Daphne, continue to hammer some sense into the PN’s inner circle.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Phil-Spector-No-Wigs-In-California-Prison-As-He-Starts-Jail-Sentence-For-Lana-Clarkson-Murder/Article/200906215301163?f=rss
Any comments, Mario?
You are a bunch of useless people .I think you forgot the time 1998 MLP had the same problem one back bench er was doing all the noise and finally with the help of people like you the government was defeated.
So now history is repeating itself. Please be patient the NEW MOVEMENT is coming to swallow people like YOU.
[Daphne – So the new movement is a boa constrictor, then.]
A new movement made up of who? I still can’t understand what exactly it is made of, now that AD is all but moribund. More like a mishmash of the envious, the disaffected, the silly and the egoists.
Mario, I would also add a great number of people who are fed up with the in-your-face social conservatism promoted by the PN.
Hehehe that’s how you won the last elections – with the help of a mishmash of envious, disaffected, silly and egoists. Grunt some more please
AHA! The Bowel Movement drops another load.
The new movement? The new Labour….. the new leader…..the coalition…….the LP with the MLP flag.
It’s just an MEP election – 80% of loyal Labour supporters went to vote and 70% of the rest voted without caring much about the implications.
We all know that Gonzi feels frustrated and tired because he’s worried about the economy and Muscat’s attitude is irresponsible. Many MPs were nowhere to be seen during the campaign. I was amused when I saw Mangion at the counting hall when the coast was clear and admired Tonio Borg for handling the situation of this electoral defeat.
Dr Gonzi was campaigning while running the country: General Motors’ filed for bankrupcy while illegal immigrants were still coming in and irresponsible unions demanding hefty pay rises.
Joseph was in Sicilia running with his Alpha and eating hamburgers. On Sunday he is going to make a collection for the Moviment tax-Xirka Progressivi.
And swallow you it will, Daphne! The New Movement is as strong as an ice-cube – it is unbreakable!
Oh but be careful – it may melt!
The MLP government’s problem in 1998 was its incoherent policy-making and that it was headed by someone who later said “I was learning on the job”. Mintoff was incidental.
Watch it! That is what PN is at present. An incoherent policy-making party.
Watch what, “Mary”? I don’t see any policy-making in the alternative government camp.
Daphne, excellent analysis of the current situation as regards to some ex-ministers/parliamentary secretaries who were not re-appointed, as well as other MPs who expected a cabinet position.
They might have thought that they had some natural right to an appointment. They are seen, heard and quoted on a regular basis, even by the media. I think they should grow up and become mature politicians as soon as possible. People are hearing and seeing them and reading their quotes every time and feeling angry – at them.
It is very obvious that they are primarily concerned about their own interests. They might even think that they are impressing the Nationalist electorate while playing into the hands of the PL. Lawrence Gonzi deserves much, much better.
On the other hand, while Dr Gonzi has to face problems and find solutions related to the current very difficult economic situation, Joseph Muscat will continue to promise everything and anything, including the refund of car VAT on tax (at the expense of some EUR50 million in additional taxes) and, as Jason Micallef has just promised, a reduction of the water and electricity bills – apparently whatever the price of oil might be in four years’ time.
Besides so many other solutions in theory and on paper that we have heard during the elections campaign, Joseph Muscat and company can promise anything.
Shows you what real ‘imzazen’ SOME of us are to believe that git. What a jerk!
Well, with his back against the wall Gonzi’s safe from someone coming from behind. But the internal squabbling needs to dealt with. Also, no Sant factor anymore it seems. I remember countless times when the PN government would be in a tight spot and Alfred Sant opens his mouth and throws a lifeline.
Looks like Muscat isn’t prone to such gaffes. Four years is a very long time and all that; there’s a good chance the economy will be booming but Gonzi needs to address the divorce issue. It could be a decisive factor.
This is a Maltese disease – wantititis. It attacks government departments whenever there is promotion in the offing. One post – seven people apply and when the result of the interview is published several of the applicants who didn’t make it go on sick leave or even send in their resignation.
But it’s worse with members of parliament. They should be there to serve and if they didn’t trust the head of the party why contest the election with that party in the first place?
They are under obligation to those who voted them in. Of course, they have their expectations and it must be a great disappointment not to given a cabinet position. Loyalty comes in here: loyalty to the electorate who voted Nationalist because they have seen the great achievements Malta has made.
Pull your socks up, boys and show us the spirit you are made of – the spirit of collegiality and the faith that together with Gonzi we can achieve even more.
In fact, I want him to stay because I really admire him. He worked really hard to improve Malta
Fejn ‘impovejat’ Malta?
Forsi ghax il-gvern jghin 30,000 elf familja mejtin bil-guh, jahasra…….ahna l-hekk imsejjha middle class ftit baqallna biex nispiccaw bhalhom……
I take it that you are referring to Gonzi. If so, I agree with you entirely.
It took time getting used to him after Fenech Adami (who was the “face of PN” ever since I could remember); likewise, Gonzi’s shoes will be very hard to fill.
Daphne, good article, probably reflecting the sentiments of the general population. Having said that you should publish the names of the MPs, under different circumstances you would have had no qualms in doing so.
[Daphne – I think it’s best not to at this stage. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well – citing chapter and verse and the full extent of their attempts at undermining their boss and showing no respect for the wishes of their constituents, who when they voted first chose their prime minister, and then chose a candidate. They lose sight of the fact that every single one of those votes the Nationalist Party got in the general election – including those of the renegade MPs – was a vote for Lawrence Gonzi to become prime minister. Our general election has now become a matter of choosing the prime minister rather than the party, as happens in Britain. People first chose Lawrence Gonzi and only then did their turn their attention to choosing between the Nationalist candidates.]
There is one solution to make all the disaffected backbenchers happy.
The PM should appoint all of them Ministers without Portfolio – no benefits and salary adjustments of course.
What’s in a title?
Excellent article! Exactly my thoughts. I was alarmed when I saw Gonzi with Muscat on Bondiplus. He looked exhausted and not his usual confident self at all! When Muscat told him to accept the fact that Net TV lied about the discussion about the immigrants’ voting rights as the EU was not referring to illegal immigrants, I was extremely angry with whoever came up with this idea at the PN – trying to fool us that the EU was referring to illegal immigrants.
[Daphne – You weren’t half as angry as I was, I can assure you. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me expressing my thoughts in trooper’s language all the way there in Zurrieq. That was one of the greatest mistakes in the campaign, together with the assumption that ‘your values’ are conservative. I’m going to put this in capital letters now, but spare you the swearing: THE NATIONALIST PARTY DOESN’T YET UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE WHO VOTE FOR IT ARE MUCH, MUCH MORE LIBERAL THAN THOSE WHO VOTE LABOUR, AND THEY ARE BECOMING MORE LIBERAL BY THE DAY. The best way for the Nationalist Party to lose an election is to say that a stance against divorce, for example, represents ‘your values’. It doesn’t. It represents the values, oddly enough, of the Labour core vote, which tends to be extremely conservative and fearful of any change. And then, ironically, Joseph Muscat seeks to enthuse them with a coalition – sorry, collation – for change.]
Gonzi had to sheepishly accept that Net TV were wrong. But we had listened to this almost every day and each time we commented at home as to why they are trying to convince us to vote against the PL candidates by telling us lies and twisting facts. This is usually done by One TV whose listeners let others think for them – we should know better.
Last year after the general election we were told that the people will be listened to – now we are hearing the same rhetoric. God forbid things aren’t changed and seen to by Gonzi. I can’t even bear to think my country will be run by amateurs in four years’ time although the PN MPs seem to be doing just that since election time. Come on Gonzi, show us you’re still the person we admire and believe in.
Allow me to post a bit longer than usual. Your article is the best confirmation yet that the PN, or GonziPN, or the Prime Minister himself is in deep trouble. Till today I have taken Super One stories regarding rebellious backbenchers within the PN with a pinch of salt. From now on, I will believe all these stories to the letter.
Let’s face it, the PN bungled this election big time. First, the way the government hastily accepted to assign the sixth seat to the runner-up. No doubt, the PN expected, or was at least thinking it had a fighting chance, to get the runner-up position.
Tonio Borg himself looked confident about this when the first preferences were published. Apart from that, the attempts by the PN to try to lower its supporters’ expectations to the minimum – trying to make them believe that they are risking even the 2nd seat – failed totally in all its aims.
[Daphne – Actually, it didn’t. The polls showed that the party could expect no more than 35% of the vote, which would have put the second seat at risk. Telling people the truth helped add another 5% to the tally.]
Those aims were (1) to bring out the PN vote, (2) to scare floaters away from voting LP, on the assumption that floaters find such an eventuality unpalatable and (3) to make the real result look much better than the expectations.
[Daphne – And let’s see, the aim of Labour’s campaign was to (1) bring out the Labour vote, (2) scare floaters away from voting PN, (3) make the real result look much better than expectations.]
Secondly the PN concentrated all its efforts around Simon Busuttil – staging a sort of repeat of the GonziPN theme of last year where all efforts were concentrated around the merits of one person. The result was that Busuttil unnecessarily sucked up 68 per cent of all PN votes, thus weakening his comrades compared to the LP candidates. For purely technical reasons, this led to the PN losing the possibilty of getting the sixth seat.
Thirdly, the PN was on the defensive in this election all the way. It insisted that this was not a general election, simply because it had nothing with which to fight on local issues. It tried hard to picture the LP as the “anti-EU” party and itself the “EU party”, as if, after five years of membership, it matters.
[Daphne – Of course it matters. Poor judgment is permanent in adults. If Muscat, Grech, Scicluna, Mizzi et al so badly misjudged the issue of EU membership only six years ago, that raises many questions about their competence. And yes, the appalling cheek of asking us to vote for them when if it were up to them we would be living in a wreck called Partnership, is one of the main reasons Muscat still can’t get a handle on the ABC1 youth vote, even though he’s making inroads into their less clear-sighted parents.]
If the PN could have brought local issues up, it would have done that. In 1998, the PN campaigned in the local elections which were held in March – when the Sant government crisis had not yet erupted – using the slogan “Tkellem bil-vot tieghek”, with the message being that the electorate should use its chance to vote to show the government it did not agree with its policies.
In this election, it tried to impress by talking about “reforms” that were made. Pray, what reforms? Where? Till now there has been only talk of reforms. But after this drubbing everyone can rest assured that there will be NO reforms. Not in transport, not in MEPA, nowhere.
[Daphne – You are just unbelievable, Albert. The Labour Party hoovers up the vote of those who are upset by reforms, and actually encourages them to send a message – sorry, THE message – to the government using their vote, and then when attempts at reform draw to a halt because of this, it criticises that. So how about you suggest to Joseph Muscat that he pulls together with the government on the things that really need to be done, instead of tripping up the prime minister so that he can mop up lost votes?]
Just listen to the phone-ins on Radio 101 after 5:30 pm daily. And the government will try its damnedest – even defying EU rules – to bring back hunting and trapping in some way. Reforms cost votes.
[Daphne – Yes. I am actually looking forward to Muscat becoming prime minister, so that I can gloat as he discovers this. I always have more fun when Labour is in government, but sadly, I only got 22 months of that.]
So the PN’s hands are now bound. Apart from the fact that the deficit is now once again so high and Malta is facing problems with the EU about this. This means that in the coming years we will see either more taxation or else less spending, which might mean, for example, worse roads, worse medical services, and so on. This is because the economy is sinking fast, which will lead to less income from VAT and income tax.
You say that Lawrence Gonzi is sort of restraining himself in his sparring with Joseph Muscat, and that “he should go to the jugular”. Well, politicians always go for the jugular, but only if they can, or when they feel that their prey is ripe for the killing. You know well that Gonzi cannot go to Muscat’s jugular, simply because he cannot.
[Daphne – You have no idea. Going for the jugular doesn’t mean shouting, or turning up half an hour late for an official debate. It means using words.]
You seem to imply, or to have us believe, that Gonzi prepares for his debates and his appearances alone, at his home, in pyjamas and with coffee in his hand. The PM is coached before his appearances by professional people. Especially before elections. He has not made mincemeat of Muscat is simply because he cannot. And this when a bad result for Muscat in this election would have been the end of him at this stage.
[Daphne – All party leaders are trained and coached. So are other people in public life. Muscat has been coached. His gestures come straight out of a manual. Oh, and please tell him that black suits are for very young men or for undertakers, and should never be worn during the day with a silver-white tie. So bloody naff. You can tell when his sartorial consultant has had the ‘grey suit hives’ and gone back to his natural inclinations.]
I would say that last Sunday’s result is really the result of the last general election, in which the PN lost 12,000 votes. The Maltese political clock chimed a year late. But the feeling I got after the general election, apart from disappointment, was that the fall of the PN government will be much more crushing than a general election loss! It will be four years long.
Immaginaw x’konna naghmlu n-nazzjonalisti, kieku fl-elezzjoni tan-1982 ghaddejnihom b’35,000 vot. X’konna naghmlu Daphne…….ghidli pls..
[Daphne – The election was in 1981, and I wasn’t allowed out of the house because Sliema was thick with apes on lorries, thugs in cars and knee-deep in dead rabbits – and Labour had won fewer votes than the Nationalist Party.]
Jekk niftakar sew xorta ghamillna protesti kbar……boycot lill-parlament…….mass meetings enormi…….naqra min kollox……kieku jien flok tal-labour niprova naghmel kif ghamillna ahna 28 sena ilu…..nahseb li hekk hemm bzonn li jsir…….jiddispjacini ghall-prim ministru biss jien nahseb li allavolja mhix elezzjoni generali biss xorta ghandhu jwarrab, jew inkella jaghmel reshuffle shiha ……qabel ma jkun tard wisq.
[Daphne – Are you f**king mad? That was a general election, an election to choose the government. This is an EP election. Muscat’s assumption that people were choosing their prime minister, rather than six MEPs is totally out of order. If the Labour Party tries anything like that, it would be undemocratic. And worse, it would destabilise the country completely when the economy is weak already. ]
Naf li zewg elezzjonijiet differenti, biss nemmen li l-poplu ta’ messagg jahraq lill-gvern nazzjonalista u nispera li ghallinqas jipruvaw jaghmlu xi haga biex ittaffu ftit mill-ugiegh li ghandna.
John,
ghax ma tibghadx tghid lil Prim Ministru lill min ghandu jaghmel Ministri. Tidher tifhem hafna .
Allow me to indulge in a spot of armchair generalship. The Labour Party is like a horde of Parthians, or Sarmatians, up against a Roman legion: Where the hell does one attack? They are nowhere and everywhere. They twist and turn like a twisty-turny thing, and no one, but no one, holds them to account.
As if that weren’t enough, they follow all European left-wing parties in sincerely believing that theirs is the moral high ground, and not simply a political opinion.
Given the memory span of your average Maltese voter, coming up with a strategy is well nigh impossible. The best the PN can do is to run a ship as tight as size 6 jeans, root out any hint of sleaze in its own ranks, and constantly, but constantly remind everyone what an immature buffoon Muscat is. The next thing it must do is to finish any unfinished business. To hell with Gonzi’s “slowly slowly, quiet as a mouse approach”, giving the impression, when the facts do come out, that he was doings things on the sly, trying to sneak past the media. Case in point being Malta’s re-application to join PfP. Best foreign policy move in bloody yoicks, and it should have been trumpeted as an achievement.
Then it should take a stand on Turkey’s membership of the EU: against, if it wants to be taken seriously as a right-of-centre party. That’ll keep Labour busy for a few months. Ditto for windfarms: Show the technical report, decide on where and when, and then to hell with any Labour whingeing. You know it’s good for the country, so shut up and cooperate. The technical stuff has always been the PN’s strong point, especially now that it’s been in government for ten years that have seen huge infrastructural changes. So it must use it to its advantage.
It won’t be nice, and it won’t lead to national reconciliation or whatever they call it. But it’s the only way it can win the next election. Capitalise on the allahares jitla’ l-Labour feeling, and grow some political balls.
John,
zgur tiftakar li fl-elezzjoni generali tal-1981, in-Nazzjonalisti ghaddew lil-Labour b’4,000 vot u ma ggvernawx. Ghalhekk kienu saru l-protesti – ghax ma kienx hawn demokrazija u liberta’.
Dak iz-zmien ma kienx hawn elezzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew. Dik saret l-ewwel darba fl-2004 ghax in-Nazzjonalisti dahhluna fl-Ewropa.
Il-poplu jtella’ gvern fl-elezzjoni generali u mhux fl-elezzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew. Meta tasal elezzjoni generali ohra, il-poplu jkollu kull dritt jaghzel lil min irid.
Fl-ewwel elezzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew, per ezempju, il-poplu ghazel Labour. Imbaghad fl-elezzjoni generali ghazel lin-Nazzjonalisti. il-poplu sovran u wiehed joqghod ghal li jiddeciedi skond l-elezzjoni li tkun.
Dan is-suppost John Xuereb m’hux genwin. Xammejtu mill-ewwel daqqiet ta’ pinna. Wiehed minn dawk li jiktbu b’isem normali jipposa tal-moderat. Ihobb ihawwad u jhawwar il-borma. Jjigi grad gholi ninn ‘elve’ normali. Issa nistennew xi buttuna tinghafas bi zball u nsiru nafu.
Name and shame Daph!
Hmm… I see that you’ve passed on to the second stage of dealing with loss (electoral in this case). First you were all smug (denial) and now you’re upset at the backbenchers (anger). Perhaps soon you’ll be bargaining with reality, then you’ll go through a stage of depression, and finally you’ll find acceptance. Most people wouldn’t grieve this much.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model
My advice to Gonzi is to engage with the cheng but to win with the ch’i. Decisive blows may be struck where the LP is least prepared and where it does not anticipate them.
A good general is prudent but not hesitant.
There was a marked difference between the prime minister’s bearing and attitude in this campaign and in the electoral campaign last year.
That’s only being the result brought by failure to deliver and the bare faced arrogance of his government, him included remember him saying
(Bil qalb kollha nivota favur it-tariffi)
Last year, he was brimming with confidence, bright and electric
Bright and electric my foot, the only bright and simple thing that he could have delivered was the energy saving bulb which he also failed to do but electrifying he was ..with the electricity bills
During last Tuesday’s Broadcasting Authority debate the camera caught him unawares looking like somebody stood against a wall waiting to be shot.
What did you expect him to look like when he was faced with a damning report which till then he thought that no one knew about and now it was being rammed down his throat.
Every time I have seen the prime minister on television recently, including the post-election press conference on Sunday, he has spoken as though his self-belief is faltering and self-doubt has set in. I am not surprised, because he is surrounded by people who are on a major ego trip. They cannot see beyond their own personal agenda. It’s Me, Myself and I all the way.
These are the same people who you know so well, people who come from your own circles of friends,people who as you said cannot see beyond their personal agenda, but still YOU VOTED FOR THEM because your agendas tally. If there is anyone who should be ashamed its people like you who’s motto is I am all right cherio Jack.
Indeed, they appear to have forgotten that yes, he is their boss.
Being the Boss does not mean that you are always right, they have a right to air their complaints as much as you and everybody else.
They are throwing their weight around and behaving in the most appalling fashion. The sooner they get their act together and understand that this is the best way to end up reviled by the very people who voted them in, the better.
They could be after their pound of flesh, after all quiet a number of blue eyed boys and girls are prospering a thousand fold beyond the normal average person measly monthly earnings.
They elect them to represent their – the electors’ – interests.
Well said YOUR INTERESTS…you first…you second…you third…and if there is any more remaining you’ll want it to come your way too.
[Daphne – You really need to be told where to shove it, you know.]
Yet some MPs appear to believe that their primary concern is now no more than their own personal interest and they have lost sight completely of the people who elected them and of what those people want.
See you can never have enough,you are always wanting more go on tell those politicians that that is why you voted PN and that they should always bear in mind that you have the right to demand and be given anything you want for yourself and your circle of close friends.
[Daphne – Sweetheart, I work ENTIRELY in the private sector. And because I’m so bloody good at what I do, I don’t have to rely on hand-outs from friends, close or otherwise.]
Hey Arrogance, can’t you see that we have been through this situation, that is a government that we have not voted for and do not deserve because of arrogant and selfish people like you. Go and ask the man in the street and you will soon get to know that you are the one who should be ashamed. Hypocrite.
[Daphne – Exactly what should I be ashamed of? The only reason the ‘man in the street’ – by which you mean the man in the Labour Party club – hates me is because I have been a hate target of the Labour media for years. And why does the Labour Party hate me? Because I point out its failings with accuracy – and because it doesn’t ‘have’ my equivalent and can’t stand the fact.]
Another thing: it’s clear that the prime minister is annoyed and perhaps even feels demeaned at having to deal with an ex-Super One employee as his opposite number.
Its better than dealing with someone like you with a crudg against humanity
Lawrence Gonzi should just go for the jugular with that famous finesse and turn his opposite number into mincemeat.
That’s one thing, that no one can do to you, that is turn you in mincemeat,because there is always the chance that some stray bits might find their way down the food chain and God forbid, mankind is not ready and will never be ready for such a catastrophic disastrous pollution.
At least they were ready to swap him for another human being .Cannot say the same for you
And talking of spoiled children do they use foul language?
[Daphne – You mean like my son? Honey, you should hear his mother.]
Hey Daphne. Love it when you get pissed off. Couldn’t figure out if you were more upset with the PM for not kicking ass or the eunech MP wimps for hiding under the bushes. Gawd, can’t envisage my grand kids growing up under a totally incompetent red horde.
Daphne, I cannot help but say that I fully agree with what you wrote and with most of the comments posted here. I am deeply disappointed about what’s happening to the government, to which I trusted my vote to a year ago, and I’m absolutely appalled with these MPs who think that they are owed something just because they were ministers before or because they were elected with a considerable amount of votes.
I will wait for you to name and shame these imbeciles who are making our PM’s job more difficult than it is. Last year I primarily voted for Dr Lawrence Gonzi to head our beloved nation and I expect that the rest should do as they’re told without complaints.
I still consider a PN vote worthy, because our humble Prime Minister has gained my trust. However……anyway I’m not going to continue because I cannot bring myself to complete this sentence.
I hope this article falls on the right ears. Daphne, please make sure of this and emphasise that what you wrote are the thoughts of PN voters and more.
At this point, for Daphne to take it out on Government backbenchers rather than on such arrogant ministers gives it all away. She is obviously the foremost mouthpiece of the regime!
[Daphne – Hang on a moment while I bring out my uniform and jack-boots.]
The only Goebellsian people I see are the ones who were bred in that inimitable institution called Super 1
Disgruntled MPs are doing a disservice to themselves, the party and their country. They were elected by voters who had faith in them, and now these voters must feel that they have been betrayed. No wonder Gonzi has to carry a much bigger burden. It’s hard to move on with a dagger/s stuck in your back.
There are also other people who are having a go at our PM with the hope of making a name for themselves. I have even heard of a certain journalist who is having a whale of a time criticising this government even on PL media. What is he trying to gain, respect? But he lost that a long time ago when he tried to fool us by pretending to be working for foreign media, when in reality he wasn’t.
I believe the Nationalists can come out of this past week stronger, but they have to do it collectively. The result is good in the sense that it cannot be interpreted otherwise than as a clear signal of disgruntlement by tens of thousands of people.
It is obvious that some policies and some people need to change. But the Nationalists should not give in to demands for patronage and favours by people who have no right for what they demand. Clientelism is a wave one can surf, but if it is too big, the party will not ride it but drown under it.
There is a lot of paranoia and narcissism in politics on all sides. This is especially a problem in Malta where we vote for candidates, not parties. Going by the comments in the press, the Nationalist backbench seem more intent on leaking to and currying favour with the press than on rationally analysing the result of these elections (and those of the local elections to be counted on Saturday).
Such leakages can only confirm the Prime Minister’s resolve not to reward the trouble-makers. The backbench should be told in no uncertain terms that loyalty to the Prime Minister is expected and that the Prime Minister, and only the Prime Minister, appoints MPs to the cabinet and parliamentary secretariats.
We Nationalist voters have full faith in Lawrence Gonzi. The Nationalist base is still there, 100,500 votes strong (3,000 more votes than in 2004), even though that’s (as happened in 2004) much less than the previous general election.
100,000 is still a number to be reckoned with, apart from more thousands that did not vote not out of protest but out of apathy. It is these 100,000 voters that make up the bulk of those who voted in the backbenchers.
If the backbench believe we, the party base, do not know who the troublemakers are, they’re very much cut off from reality.
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Robert Arrigo of course. Daphne let the cat outa da bag… anyway, they don’t give a hoot about the PN. Both are backbenchers, filthy rich, and don’t need that job anyway except to satisfy a Santonian ego and gain status.
But Lawrence Gonzi is not sitting pretty in pink, mind you! He brought along Alan Deidun to introduce a new “green” slant to PN.
Well said, Daphne.
Daphne, while I hardly agree with a single sentence in your article, please keep them coming…….I love reading your contributions……just sheer entertainment!
Hi Daphne
How do you come to the conclusion that all or most of the Labour supporters or voters are conservative?
The majority of the people on this rock ..are staunchly conservative, however, in these last few years, an increasing number of our society is becoming more liberal.
The political parties then conveniently accommodate the majority of their “clients” who happen to be conservative.
When Sant was in government and if I remember well he started discussing the issue, I remember people phoning on radio 101….and really taking it out against Alfred Sant simply becuase he wanted to discuss divorce.
There was a person who even mentioned the fact that since Sant’s marriage failed, he wanted others’ marriages to fail as well and this on Radio 101.
On the other hand, I know both Nationalists and Labourites who are liberal on many issues. And maybe to your surprise, many young Labour voters are very much in favour of the free market system.
In my opinion, this is something which will change over the years; however, we are still ages behind other liberal countries such as the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand for example.
The society we are living in is not static but constantly changing.
Jake,
Most liberal Maltese vote Nationalist as the PN is the party of freedom, autonomy and choice in Malta. Labour is anti-liberal as it wants state control over our lives; the Nationalists do not. That’s why Labour was and is still against EU membership (whatever they say, they showed it during last Sunday’s celebrations without EU emblems except the ones the party machine gives them).
On social issues, the Nationalists should follow their basic principles and allow people to choose. That’s why divorce and gay partnerships should be introduced without much ado.
Otherwise, Joseph Muscat will keep posing as some kind of liberal when in actual fact he heads a party based on one simple premise: control. Control people’s lives, manipulate people’s thoughts, and dish out clientelar goodies so that people think it’s the party that allows them to live better lives, not their own drive and initiative.
Gonzi is the person who has instilled a sense of ‘can do’ in a country that at times still harbours a laid back attitude and negative self-concept. This negativity has unfortunately been fed and nourished by the lack of confidence and cynicism demonstrated by the Labour Party of the past and even (looking beneath the veiled words), the present.
We do not as a country deserve this, as we Maltese can easily compete with the best countries when we believe in ourselves. This is something that Gonzi has helped to nurture even through these difficult times with all its challenges. So he deserves our support, respect and a common commitment towards surfing these tidal waves presently hitting us.
Let all those within the party who are creating problems for Gonzi know that people with an inkling of sense ARE WATCHING them and the time will come when they will have to face their own self-created limbo.
Yes, there are problems within the party as regards some aspects of leadership and we do have ministers who simply do not understand the need of creating win-win situations. We do have a feeling of lethargy and areas that need to be seriously tackled to reduce abuse and foster innovative ideas, but we are not living in Utopia.
What matters is that we fix what’s broken and we do not rock the boat to the tipping-point when we need stability in the country. Healthy debate is important and personally I believe that much good can come out of the situation if we persevere as a country and if the party humbly reads the signs on the wall and acts upon what the people are saying.
However, what people have to keep in mind when playing games with their vote is: who will we prefer as prime minister in four years time, Gonzi or Muscat? Do we feel confident of the future with the likes of Jason, the Super 1 crew and people who prefer to pronounce why we should not take risks or dream bigger dreams?
Do we want the old guard Labourites fomenting disorder again? Can we feel confident of the future with the two Labour deputy leaders elected or feel safe about our foreign policy when people like Alex Sceberras Trigona linger in the background?
[Daphne – And George Vella in the foreground.]
Personally, I do not feel very secure with this. Nice words were said by Joe Muscat initially when he became leader but they have not been translated into concrete action and I believe he needs much more baptism of fire and political maturity before we can consider leaving the reins of the country in his hands.
I am saying this not out of spite or political bias but simply because I honestly want what’s best for the country and our families.
So my message is: appreciate what we have, support and rise up to the challenges and let us not play with our future especially if this is all a game by some people to gain more power.
Dr Gonzi, a lot of people understand what you are going through. We understand that you must be tired, running a country, facing challenges, having these disappointing results and finding internal pressures, too…. and yes, changes must be made and people brought in line.
But I am sure you still fervently believe that those who remain committed and steadfast to their goal and vision will finally prevail. We believe in your energy, your vision for a better future and your confidence in the people. Four years are a long time and a lot of developments can occur. So let’s take a breather then rally, revisit our vision, make the necessary changes with renewed passion and start working together for the good of the country.
As usual Daphne you try to defend the indefensible. It is now obvious that Lawrence Gonzi is no leader. Rather than focusing on this you choose to attack the MPs and ministers in revolt, when their revolt only demonstrates the weakness of Gonzi.
[Daphne – No, their revolt demonstrates how far up their own arses they are. It is perfectly obvious that all those involved are self-employed persons who have never had to work under anyone or be told what to do, and to whom the concept of teamwork is alien.]
This is similar to Dr Peter Fenech attacking the opera theatre patrons for not attending his lousy opera nights rather than him admitting his complete incompetence. This skewed thinking will be the downfall of the Nationalists, way too self-centred in their thinking and surrounded by apologists, further fuelling this downfall.
A good leader does not put himself into a position that needs a seasoned writer like yourself to defend him.
[Daphne – Need? I write a political commentary. Do you expect me not to say what I think about political situations? ]
Lawrence Gonzi is paying the price of his indecisiveness. Besides, for crying out loud, he is surrounded by social workers in his secretariat. May I remind you that Eddie Fenech Adami, one of the best visionary leaders this country has seen, had a certain RCC. Enough said. Of course nothing against social workers but not quite the balanced advised a PM needs.
[Daphne – You’re reminding quite the wrong person, and yes, I agree with you that Gonzi’s major problem is that he doesn’t have the equivalent. Richard Cachia Caruana soaked up all the hatred and resentment that would otherwise have been directed at his boss, leaving his boss unscathed while he got a knife in his back – literally. In Gonzi’s case, there is no protective buffer to sponge up the bile.]
It was he who gave incompetent ministers their portfolio. And if The Times was correct way back in March’08 that he did not reappoint certain ministers by informing them with a simple text message, this is further proof of he being a lousy leader. Can you imagine the bad blood that would have created? A leader would have faced those incompetent idiots and put them and their expectations in their place.
[Daphne – I agree with you wholeheartedly on that last point.]
You criticised Labour for their reappointment of the heinous Jason, yet it was evident Gonzi had no faith in PBO. Why didn’t he speak out and made his position clear? If he did and was ignored, then it is evident he has lost the plot.
You conveniently never mention the VAT scandal. Of course, even here, Gonzi is the one responsible. Lest you forgot, he has been responsible for the Finance portfolio all along bar these few months! Way to many mistakes, way to many decisions put off (divorce, IVF, illegal gaming halls, VAT fraud, MEPA etc). Decent people are thus caught between a rock and a hard place.. neolitic labour or incompentent nats? What a choice!
It isn’t just ministers and back benchers who are undermining the government, Daph. It’s also top government officials who are only interested in furthering their own careers. They tell the minister what they think he wants to hear (how to lower expenditure where it does not hurt their own pockets) and do not give valid advice which will help things get better.
People know that things are going well – you only have to look at Mater Dei, the packed restaurants, the car list of Joseph Muscat etc but many are unhappy because of the conditions they are working in.
We were promised a change when the Nationalists came to power back in the eighties and we did get it. We have a modern Malta but for some people in certain government jobs the change never came. They see their superiors living off the fat of the land whilst they themselves cannot move forward at all. I know a case where a government official recommended the transfer of two of his employees so that with the money saved for the department, he himself could get a promotion.
Look at the department of education – how the ministry has been dragging its feet about changes that educators have been asking for for a long time. Why doesn’t the minister meet with the teachers and all groups concerned herself and hear what her employees have to say? She might hear a different tune.
That’s just one department. There are others in the same boat.
Your article was spot on. I could sense Gonzi’s worn out demeanor over the whole EP campaign. I guess he was too busy putting internal fires out. What I do not understand how can a commoner like myself who never received any preferential treatment be it jobs, perks, etc from the executive in office be held to ransom by MPs who act like naughty boys throwing a tantrum?
Is this acceptable? I vouch I will not vote for the PN again unless such people are booted out should Gonzi call a premature election because of these antics.
My in-laws were staunch Labourites and yet started voting PN in 1981 and did not expect any favours in return.
Yesterday mistakes were made in the EP electoral campaign but come on, now is the time to pull our socks up and look to the future.
Go on admit, GonziPN IS FINISHED. The only way is to resign and call a General Election.
[Daphne – Clarify a point: are you Edward’s father?]
Mr. C. Fenech – some chance that our PM will call an early election. I am afraid you will have to wait another four years and if we adjust certain conditions, the PM will be there for a further five years after that. Go and take your ugly pills and choke on them.
“Go and take your ugly pills” – I think he may have already done so.
It seems that our prime minister’s decision to reduce his cabinet has backfired; too much power in fewer hands?
Also, the hedging strategy for oil purchasing which may have proved worthwhile economically, but was a complete failure on political terms. Enemalta had to raise consumer prices as oil prices started to tumble. New purchases were bought at higher prices than previous hedged prices. Furthermore, the government’s decision to shift from the surcharge system to new system proved to be ill-timed.
That’s what happens when politicians take advice from the press. Journalists and commentators were all for a smaller cabinet. The electorate was not. There was an element of protest in districts that do not have a parliamentary secretary or minister. That doesn’t explain the result, of course, but you can detect an element.
Is this thread an aftermath to the EP elections or is it a prologue to the national general election in four years time?
Could it well be an aftermath and a prologue?
Does the discussion, here and elsewhere, reflect the political bigotry which exists in Malta?
I haven’t had time to read all the posts in this thread through, so I don’t know if this has already been mentioned.
The plain fact is that Lawrence Gonzi lost/gave up all control over his parliamentary group the moment he agreed to pay the demoted ministers/parliamentary secretaries 18 months salary for nothing. No, not for nothing – as appeasement for “losing” their jobs.
It was an act made out of weakness and showed just how insecure he felt.
From that moment on, it was all downhill.
Lawrence Gonzi has demonstrated in the past that he has the characteristics of a great leader, and if my hunch is correct he will do a very good self examination and manage to reunite his parliamentary group and party.
Your contribution reminds of ‘mutiny on the bounty’.
The traits of a great leader become more evident during difficult times. This is yet another important test for our Prime Minister,
This one IS the real Gonzi. There’s no other one. Daphne you are spun in your own spin. It is only those who had fallen for the GonziPN gimmick who would say that this one cannot be the real Gonzi.
Looking at this from another viewpoint, one has to realise that between those who did not collect their voting documents, those who defaced their vote and those who actually did not vote there were 74,000 voters that did not vote in the election.
Out of those who voted there were 35,000 more votes given to the PL.
A total of 109,000 votes plus the 1500 lost from the last general election is a true signal to the Prime Minister that he’s got to solve his government’s perilous situation without delay. Looking at these statistics he’s got reason to look harassed, tired and generally fed up with himself. But he’s got four more years in which to salvage the situation. He needs to find the balls to do it.
Don’t you find it strange that a number of unions in our country lift up their fluffy tails during election period and settle down again after elections have passed and the desired result obtained?
We can never have the ‘real Gonzi’ back as he surrounded by civil servants who are either Labour with ulterior motives or ‘Nationalists’ who are so secure in their position, all of whom put their personal interest before anything else.
Sometimes we bang more on ministers and backbenchers, but it’s more the civil servants who are doing the harm. They work in stealth mode and the ministers and the backbenchers have to face the public at least once every five years. These ‘civil servants’ have learned to ‘work’ under any government and under any circumstances.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090612/local/pl-expresses-support-with-fishermen
Blatant opportunism and very short on solutions.
‘It didn’t help that someone had chosen – no doubt deliberately and with an ulterior motive – to place him against a deeply unflattering grey background while Muscat was placed against a glowing screen of flattering sunrise red.’
I noticed this, too. I kept feeling something was different, like they were in a different place and then I realised that their whole background was different.
Allura sewwa, Dr. Gonzi arrives on time and Joseph Muscat arrives late, everyone qisu &*^% jistennieh barra flok bdew minajru like Bondi did to Jason Micallef, then he gets a glowing background. All this under a Nationalist government.
Some things just never change – just like it’s obvious li il-labour are the ones who are getting all the favours now. No wonder Nationalists are getting fed up.
There is no real Dr. Gonzi, Gordon Brown, Berlusconi etc. .Leaders have to adapt body languages to the situation. If at present Dr. Gonzi shows the same pre-general election bubbly attitude, during an international recession and the worse defeat in his party’s history, he would need a psychological test. Not to mention insensitivity and counterproductivity.
Dr. Joseph Muscat may have partly attributed to this ‘smile’ removal, and whatever one thinks, he so far is putting Dr. Gonzi on the defensive. And the prime should better engage, for his own good. In a debate, both start from an equal line.
Which does not mean that the PL leader does not have his equally pathetic smile, body languages and behaviour.
It is up to Dr. Gonzi to start erasing the smile from Dr. Joseph Muscat, the sooner the better, but I am afraid it is going to be when the roles are reversed.
There is nothing more pathetic than a forced smile, a cynical smile or a misplaced brave face. Leaders have to put a serious face. Leave bubbly body language to the President of the Republic. He does not have to worry about things.
Pre-2008 election GonziPN will never be back (fortunately, for he was at the limit of being infantile). Gonzi does not have a good grip on his party neither. He should have cut to size the balls of some of his cabinet ministers.
Put Tonio as Prime Minister. Borg, I mean.
Whilst a lot is being said about this and that and what could or should have been done, my opinion (for all its worth) is that the PN seems to be focusing too much on the so called man-in-the-street – I’d like to meet him one day – and forgetting the considerable number of people who have some brains and who will vote for the Nationalist Party as soon as they are given a proper vision and something to look forward to.
I think that the Nationalist Party in the past has worked hard to improve the level of education, to improve standards, to improve quality of life etc. Slowly I’m seeing a movement away from this and too much focus on the nitty-gritty. The EU was a grand vision. Going to Brussels to bring more funds is not. Becoming part of the Eurozone was a grand vision; the water and electricity bills are not.
I think that if the PN wants to re-invigorate its core voters and bring on board the floating votes then it needs to start speaking again about vision about strategy about quality about taking the lead about being the best about how we can contribute to making the EU better rather than just looking at the EU like a cow to be milked.
I was extremely surprised that anyone imagined a better outcome for the PN – for me it was obvious that the PN would lose maybe not with such a bashing but those who imagined the PN winning have absolutely no understanding of how the electorate is made up.
On the other hand, the Labour Party learned nothing from the last five years in opposition. For all those who follow politics in Malta the last legislature started out with the PN feeling that those were going to be the last five years in government. The government worked hard and the opposition boosted its confidence with every local council election it won. At one point in time they were calling Lawrence Gonzi a serial loser.
And then when their confidence levels were sky high they started acting like they were already in government and the electorate noticed that they did not want these people in power and the serial loser won the most important election.
The Labour Party is once again going down this road – if I were advising Dr. Muscat I would tell him to enjoy this victory but not too much and to start working hard on a decent electoral manifesto which we can discuss before the election and not a lot of pie in the sky.
Although we think the electorate doesn’t care, at the end of the day when it comes to governing this country the electorate chooses the party and the leader who shows clearly that he knows what he/she is doing.
Ghaziz John Schembri,
Li nista nghid fuqi hu li jien kont segretarju ta’ l-MZPN Rabat,
xi 28 sena ilu………….ghadni Nazzjonalist biss tlift il-fiducja fin-nies li qed immexxuna.
I am also originally from Rabat and used to live there between 1981 and 1987 and thus if you were the secretary of the MZPN in 1981, then you must know what happened in Rabat in 1987 – I was in the midst of it and know it well. Thus it is quite a surprise to hear you compare 2009 with 1981-1987 – a drop compared to the ocean.
I am also surprised that you seem not to remember the differences in the economy and the way of life between then and now – I am sure that we should agree that our standard of living is way ahead.
I am also surprised at your lack of knowledge of what is happening outside our shores a whole super hurricane – tens of millions unemployed (in this in bigger countries such as the US and the UK), countries that are bankrupt (Iceland) whilst here we seem to be just feeling a light sea breeze.
Though I also believe that the PN should move more on to the liberal right and not emulate its opponent the PL, I still think that it is a better party to govern Malta then the PL with its policy of “learning on the job” – sorry this might hurt us and hurt us badly.
Nies bhalek ibezzaghwni, John. Li kont tal-MZPN ma’ jfisser xejn. Jekk tlift il-fiducja fil-partit li thaddan hemm espressjoni tajba ghalik u min hu bhalek: ” lead , follow or get out of the way”. Bil-Malti;” xemx li ma’ ssahhanx ahjar il-bard ta’ Jannar minnha.”
Int suppost parti mill-ekwipagg tal-PN. Kif jista’ l-vapur jimxi b’nies bhalek? Jien m’hinix tesserat tal-PN ghax naf li ghad jista’ jkun hemm zmien li l-PN ma’ jibqax il-partit li jghogob lili. Jekk ingerger minn barra huwa inqas ta’ dannu ghal-partit minn nies bhalek li jgergru kontra min qed imexxihom meta suppost qed jghinuh.
Jekk ghandek min qed imexxik hazin timxix warajh, iqaflu jew itlaq minn mieghu. Imma toqoghodx teqred u tghid falsitajiet bhal-dawn:
“Jekk niftakar sew xorta ghamillna protesti kbar……boycot lill-parlament…….mass meetings enormi…….naqra min kollox……kieku jien flok tal-labour niprova naghmel kif ghamillna ahna 28 sena ilu…..nahseb li hekk hemm bzonn li jsir…….jiddispjacini ghall-prim ministru biss jien nahseb li allavolja mhix elezzjoni generali biss xorta ghandhu jwarrab, jew inkella jaghmel reshuffle shiha ……qabel ma jkun tard wisq.”
X’differenza mit tmeninijiet l-anqas in-nar hdejn l-ilma! U din x’hini “jekk niftakar sew” mela ma’ kontx haw? Min ridtu jrebbahlek l-elezzjoni is-sena l-ohra? Jewwilla ma’ hrigtx bil-bandiera tal-Maduma wara rebha bhal dik? Tapprezza x’hinu ghaddej fid-dinja, jekk le ara l-BBC u siefer naqra.
U rringrazzja l-Alla li kelna lil-Gonzi f’dawn ic-cirkustanzi.
Kif qed tikteb int, tidher li int opportunist, fejn jinbuttak ir-rih timxi. X’hin tixba titlaq.
Hawnhekk ‘jafuni’ naqa’ mhux hazin, inhalli ‘l min qed jaqra jizen kliemna. Halli nfisser ruhi sew : meta tkun membru ta’ ghaqda inti ghandek id-dmir li tigbed il-habel ma’ dik l-ghaqda dejjem.
Ma’ nafx kemm ghandek zmien imma milli ktibt tidher naqra immatur politikament, u ha nghidlek il-ghala:
1) tqabbel l-1981 ma’ llum hi oxxenita;
2) tirrakkomanda bojkotijiet, u strajkijiet bhal tat-tmeninijiet lil-partit avversarju hi gennata;
3) titlob ir-rizenja ta’ Gonzi li hu il-kap tal-partit li int tesserat mieghu fuq ragunijiet frivoli bhal ma’ ktibt, hi inaccettabbli.
Meta nara nies bhalek nifhem tajjeb kif wara l-ghajta tal-“Osanna” kien hemm l-ohra ta’ “Salbu” wara ftit zmien. Li jrazzan ilsien xi ministru u jsiblu post band’ohra naqbel mieghek, avolja jgib ir-rizultati. Biex naqlaghlek darsa mhassra m’hemmx ghalfejn inkaxkrek minn xagharek u nghajjat mieghek.
Bil-kelma t-tajba tohrog il-far mit-toqba, u bil-glied l-ghedewwa izzidhom. Ghidt li jien opportunist ‘x’hin nixbgha nitlaq’, iva imma wara li nkun ippruvajt immexxi jew nimxi wara xi hadd. L-inqas haga li jistenna min ikun qed imexxi hi li jkun hemm min minn naha tieghu jghamillu l-bsaten fir-roti. Biex infakkrek: il-famuzi ‘vlegeg’ ta’ Sant minn niesu stess.
Nahseb li kien haqqek it-tbezbiza li tajtek.
I will always vote Nationalist, however a government always has an expiration date. The fact that PN have been in government for 20 years is a feat in itself. However they have stagnated and need their own bidu gdid, without the BS the first one came with. The only problem is that there is no other political party fit to fill in their shoes in Malta. Labour are still the same party they were back in the 1980s.
They may have a new face and a new name, but that party is still run by the same minds and still has the same mentality, as is evident by their seemingly bloodthirsty supporters. And one cannot even consider the small parties as capable of running this country.
Ghaziz John Schembri u Chris 2
Naccetta it-tbezbiza li tajtuni. Chris naf x’qed jigri madwar id-dinja, biss naccertak li Malta qed inhossu l-problemi diga. Jien ma nafx xogholok x’inhu, imma fis-settur li nahdem fih jien diga qed inhossuh hafna.
John, nifhem xi trid tfisser meta tghid li f’ settur li tahdem fih qed thossu il-problema ….. pero mhux wahdek u ghandek ragun tgorr u tilmenta, jghid xi jghid hadd iehor, l-aktar jekk ghandu hobzu mahbuz. Bilfors irrid ikun xi hadd hekk biex jghajjar lil minn ikun imwegga opportunist u jghidlu biex jekk xebgha jitlaq. Dik insensitivitta bhalma wera Gonzi meta qal li jivota bil-qalb favur it-tariffi, lanqas ghal shabkom stess ma ghandkom moghdrija, ahseb u ara ghal haddiehor li ghandu opinjoni differenti minn taghkhom, u li ghandu kull dritt ghaliha. Kif tohorgu ghalih, l-arroganza, l-ipokresija u l-egoizmi huwa il-motto ta’ dan it-tip ta’ nies.
@ John Xuereb: darba Churchill (nahseb) kellu ‘l xi segretarju li kien irrabjat hafna ghal xi hadd kbir. Churchill isuggerielu biex jikteb ir-rabja tieghu f’ittra, wara li hallieh jikteb kollox Churchill qallu “issa qattaghha”. Darb’ohra aghfas “delete” wara li tkun ktibt ir-rabja tal-mument. Siehbi thallix is-sahna tal-mument tirkbek; hares lejn l-istampa l-kbira. Inselli ghalik u hsiebek hemm.