A show of unity, and about bloody time
timesofmalta.com 19:06CET
PN parliamentary group condemns anonymous letters
The Parliamentary Group of the Nationalist Party has condemned the use of anonymous letters, sent with the aim of influencing policy makers and the decisions taken in a democracy.
The group said that the use of such letters was condemnable and no member of the group would be influenced by them.
An anonymous letter on the potential conflict of interest by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech when he went on a trip to watch a football game with a businessman was sent two months ago.
It’s just too bad that this show of unity is based on fallacious reasoning. The anonymous letter which the finance minister received was not blackmail. Blackmail is a threat to disclose information about discreditable activities which a person wishes to keep concealed, if that person does not comply with the blackmailer’s wishes.
The sender thought that the minister wished to keep the information secret, and had no idea that he was quite happy for us all to know about it.
If, as the finance minister has said, he has nothing to be ashamed of in having taken a trip to Wimbledon with – again – the other Mr Fenech, then there wasn’t any blackmail involved. If he and his colleagues perceive it as blackmail, then that is a tacit admission that they think the trip to Wimbledon was a most unwise decision that exposed the finance minister to….blackmail.
If there was nothing wrong with the Wimbledon trip, then the letter should have gone straight into the bin like all the other similar rubbish which I receive on an intermittent basis. It should not have been the subject of a parliamentary group statement, however pleased some of us might be to see them pulling the same rope for once, instead of hacking away at each other in an internecine battle.
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But a show is just that – a show.
Too little and too late.
Arsenal’s stadium is not Wimbledon…It’s the Emirates.
[Daphne – Catch up. Before he went to watch Arsenal, he went to watch tennis.]
Erm, You’re wrong Daphne
‘…..although the letter wrongly claimed he had been to Wimbledon.’
‘The letter tried to blackmail him over an alleged trip he had made with George Fenech to watch a tennis match at Wimbledon, although the minister said he had never been there.’
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091013/local/ministers-trips-revealed-in-blackmail-attempt
[Daphne – And that makes it even less of a blackmail attempt. It wouldn’t have been blackmail even if it were true, and if it’s false….well, then.]
Daphne, don’t you think that there might be one potentially two PN MP’s leaking information to Labour and Malta Today? Everything is being quoted almost word for word.
[Daphne – I don’t think it. I know it, and so should everyone else. If a parliamentary group meeting is held at Villa Francia and within hours Malta Today has details of what was said, then somebody at the parliamentary group meeting got on the phone. I don’t imagine it was the butler listening through the keyhole. I have even worked out who it is. You only have to look at which ‘renegade MP’ Malta Today has been favouring recently with interviews and other ‘soft’ publicity, when he is the sort of person they would ordinarily be grinding into dust. My conclusion is that Malta Today has done a deal with this person: a hands-off approach towards him (or even better, positive exposure for his views and face) in exchange for inside information about arguments at PN parliamentary group meetings. Malta Today is right to do what is best for the business (stories about fights during PN parliamentary group meetings sell newspapers, and if you can’t bug the room or bribe the butler, then….), but the ‘renegade MP’ – words fail me.]
Name him and shame him; so that in four years time he will be taught a lesson.
You don’t need names to name and shame. In 2013 be very careful who you vote for and consider their loyalty to the party. When time comes, they will know what will happen to traitors.
I have a suspect or two for that matter. What really bothered me was that Maltastar reported what was said at the parliamentary group meeting minutes after it ended. I think this should be dealt with by the secretary-general but I very much doubt if he has the disciplinary clout to put his foot down.
When I remember that it was the same people who voted in a certain lawyer instead of Louis Galea, I go berserk. The people get what they deserve.