Comments on: It’s tough getting your snout out of the trough https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/ Daphne Caruana Galizia is a journalist working in Malta. Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:25:12 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Paul https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35509 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:25:12 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35509 Ghaziz Joe Borg,
Li kieku int kont player tal-football, u il-coach tieghek ma jridx jilghabek iktar, mhux se joqghod jibghatlek xi qassis jew xi counseller biex jghidlek. Dan jaqbad u ma jilghabekx. Iktar min hekk, jekk tipprova tghid xi haga int, ma issib postok qatt iktar fil-first team. Biex tkun aghar, jekk toqghod tibki fil-gazzetti, dan jurik il-bieb ta’ barra, u l-ebda coach ma jkun iridek mieghu, ghax tkun xkiel.

Issa dan hu ezempju fuq skala izghar, imma nahseb li jaghmel sens. Dawk kollha li jhobbu il football, jistaw jifmu ahjar.

]]> By: Paul https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35508 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:13:47 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35508 Hawn Malta kullhadd jihu ghalih bix xejn, qisna tal-kristall, ninkisru bix-xejn. Poplu Malti, please grow up.

]]> By: Paul https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35507 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:12:12 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35507 Joe Borg nimagina li ga kellu postu fejn kien jixraqlu, ghax il Prim Ministru mhux se jhalli good brains barra mil-picture, imma vera paroli fil-vojt li ghamel.

Ma kont nimagina qatt xi haga hekk min ghandu. Kelli ammirazzjoni kbira lejh, imma issa, bhal meta tkisser tazza, issewiha imma ma tigi qatt kif tkun fil-bidu.

Il-pass ghaqli li messu jaghmel issa hu li jitlob skuza lil Prim, halli jerga isib postu jixraqlu. Nispera li Joe Borg jaqrahom dawn il-messages u flok jissupervja, jitghallem minnhom.

]]> By: Paul Bonnici https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35506 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:50:06 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35506 In reply to Ian.

Daphne I had the same reaction as you.

Such a senior political figure as Dr Borg should never have given an interview to the press especially so close to the reappointment of Malta’s EU commissioner.

Dr Borg burnt his bridges and I can’t see what he gained from it. Look how arch-enemies Blair and Brown worked ‘together’ for 10 years, yet they always hid it from the public.

]]> By: Silvio Farrugia https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35505 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:09:52 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35505 I, like yourself Daphne, am fed up with people in high places behaving atrociously. All the talk we hear ” serving my country” and ”being a service to the people” is bollocks. No wonder many have lost their faith in politicians…all they are after (that is the perception of the majority one can communicate with) is money and power.

]]> By: Carmel https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35504 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:23:38 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35504 Daphne, this is a good article but things don’t always work the way you think, you have to admit that the Prime Minister was a bit harsh with Joe Borg. I think this is pure arrogance on the part of Dr. Gonzi.

[Daphne – Confused thinking, Carm. The pure arrogance was Borg’s.]

]]> By: Anthony https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35503 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:58:29 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35503 I refer to the interview with Joe Borg in The Sunday Times of 29th November. My reaction was, with all due respect to this honest and honourable man: is it possible that this was the best we could propose as EU Commissioner five years ago? What a puerile, pathetic reaction after five years in this top post. Has he not learned anything? Will he ever learn anything?

]]> By: H.P. Baxxter https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35502 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:21:58 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35502 Too bloody right, davidg (David Guetta? Nice!) There’s this Maltese idea of appointments for life, unless you fuck up or your superior wants some “vendikazzjoni”. So the logic goes: he’s being replaced, therefore he must have fallen out of favour etc etc bla bla bla. Reminds me of the days when Roger Ellul Micallef was perpetually the only candidate for the post of the rector. Because “he’s good, so we should not replace him, lest we be thought of as traitors.”

]]> By: Tim Ripard https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35501 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:05:48 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35501 In reply to Tim Ripard.

Indeed. Wonder when we’ll see the Elephant Man there?

]]> By: davidg https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2009/12/it%e2%80%99s-tough-getting-your-snout-out-of-the-trough/#comment-35500 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:47:32 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=4226#comment-35500 I expected Joe Borg to say “Thank you, Prime Minister (or better still Malta). Now it is time to move on and give way for others.”

Changes in institution bring in new ideas, motivation, etc….

We are afraid to change people, and the end result is bureaucracy, unaccountability, nepotism, and in some cases even corruption. Change brings in new challenges and if these challenges are addressed properly we will surely progress.

I also think that Joe Borg was really irritated not only because he was not reappointed but because no new appointment was in the pipeline for him.

We have a tradition of appointing Mr. X as private secretary to Minister Y and then ambassador to Malta, and than Commissioner and then consultant with Ministry Y and so on. A lot of talent is wasted as truly gifted people never get the chance to administer. It is time to hire public administrators on 2 to 3 year contracts and that’s the only way forward. Payment assigned against performance and results achieved.

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