The best that Labour can do: a couple of law-breakers and a complete unknown
The Labour Party spent another small fortune today, distributing a colour supplement with The Sunday Times. So all right, the paper was really cheap and tacky (well…) and the design, copy and concept were jack. But still those things cost money.
The purpose of this supplement was to tell us that Labour’s plans for another power station we don’t need and which we can’t afford (and not just financially) are “ambitious, realistic and affordable”.
To this end, it managed to round up three people to give their testimonials: a complete unknown called Jonathan Scerri and two law-breakers called Andreas Gerdes and Cyrus Engerer.
God, I’m SO impressed.
We all know how liberally and progressively Cyrus behaved with his ex-boyfriend’s naked pictures. Why put HIM up as a role model for switchers?
As for Andreas Gerdes, it’s just so unfortunate that in the same week Labour put him on its supplement as “an entrepreneur who built businesses in Europe, the US and Asia” (he took other people’s venture capital to set up a pointless, do-nothing company called iWorld in the late 1990s in Gzira, blew the money, and shut the company down), he was found guilty by the Maltese courts of using a trust fund to hide his money from his estranged wife and children.
You can read Hugh Peralta’s description of the case in a link I’ve placed on the board below.
Gerdes says, in Labour’s supplement, “The country now has a proper plan to do it better. We should seize this chance. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our kids.” This from somebody who doesn’t even have the vote in Malta, and who cares so much about what we owe to our kids that he used a trust to hide money from his.
Honestly.
But there’s more, and it’s better. In a comment on timesofmalta.com, Andreas Gerdes said the precise opposite of what he urged us to do in seizing Labour’s cunning plan. Here it is:
wilhelm andreas gerdes
May 2nd 2010, 10:28
why would a country depending on tourists enjoying the weather and the ocean take the largest and most beautiful bay and place a power station at that spot?
is there a need for power stations if you can lay cables to connect to the European power grid and get power at lower costs and potentially a more reliable supply? maybe smaller power stations as a back up in case of emergencies?
if you convert that amazing bay into a marina and calculate the income generated by large boats and the reliable revenue associated with that (e.g. saint tropez) wouldn’t that tax revenue with many sustainable jobs actually pay for the power cables needed and much more?
In other words, that’s the Nationalist Party’s plan he approves of: connecting to the European grid.
As for Cyrus, he called his testimonial I’M MAKING THE SWITCH, which is really sort of unfortunate given that the only use Labour has for him is to parade him about as a curiosity piece – our gay man – like Pocahontas in 18th-century London.
He tells us that “the time for political parties as we know them is over” and that it’s all about movements now. Oh, really? Sorry, but I hadn’t noticed. Everywhere I look in Europe and North America there are political parties as we know them. There are also movements, of course, like the movement of hundreds of thousands of anti-gay-marriage people who converged on Paris today.
But they don’t stand for election and they don’t aim to run the country. Political parties do that, not movements.
Let’s switch with Cyrus.
32 Comments Comment
Reply to Tumas-Muscat Click here to cancel reply
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130105/letters/Trusts-must-not-be-used-to-hurt-creditors.452012
Labour tells us that he “built businesses in Europe, the US and Asia”, but look at his laughable self-description:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/wilhelmandreasgerdes
Excellent observations. Daphne tears Labour’s gimmicks to shreds.
The great leader Muscat plans for Delimara area:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEnFB5ngnSA
Dimmi con chi vai, e ti diro’ chi sei! How true, indeed.
You surely are the thorn in Labour’s side, treading where others never dare to or even bother to check facts. Putting down what you hear them say straight in your report is easy, but questioning and being investigative is a totally different matter. Well done.
Our “ace” newspaper reporters and op-ed writers take everything at face value and do not even bother to scratch below the surface. That’s one of the reasons this blog has so many hits – no punches pulled.
This talk of movements reminds me of the ‘moviment tal-haddiema’ in the Mintoff days
Acually, it was more of a “moviment tal-mahdumin”.
So Cyrus is going to switch. If he does switch to straight, then the Socialist party will discard him as they can no longer parade him as some rare species.
I was reading your article on The Malta Independent on Sunday. As a journalist yourself, can’t you ask questions directly to Joseph, with all these journalist not doing their jobs properly?
I’m sure you will slam him up against the wall and show us what’s hidden behind his drama. Can’t you take part in one of the debates on TV?
[Daphne – No. I no longer do that kind of work.]
When Cyrus did that he must have had posterior motives
Three more reasons – if, that is, any were required – for not reading, still less believing, il-Ginger’s propaganda.
A gay man called Cyrus, who left the PN before he was asked to leave because of the accusations against him, has made the switch!
So we must all follow his example and switch too – even if we are not gay, but especially if we are!
You’re right Daphne, the only use Labour has for Cyrus is to parade him like a decoy-duck, trying to lure all the gay community in.
It’s called grooming.
The Labour Party certainly has some unusual and creative propositions in its choice of recommenders to provide character references for it. Very persuasive, but in the opposite direction to the Labour intentions.
Movimento Cinque Stelle
http://www.beppegrillo.it/movimento/
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130114/elections-news/labour-to-remove-prescription-in-corruption-cases.453139
An open question to Joseph Muscat – Will the MPs be paid if whilst attending parliament they are posting nonsense on Facebook on twatting themselves on Twitter …. tsk tsk Luciano.
Imma imbasta jippancja u qed isahhan is-siggu. Ara vera kabocca.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/elections2013/Don-t-take-PN-criticism-on-Labour-seriously-Debono-20130113
This is what he’s talking about,
http://www.independent.com.mt/mobile/2012-11-12/news/new-lpg-facility-opened-in-benghajsa-378929155/
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120611/local/qajjenza-gas-plant-to-close-next-month.423878
It’s located at the far end of Benghajsa strip, what residents?
Apart from the outright lies, the logic is garbled to an extent that only he can understand.
What’s the implication here? That residents might as well die of either of the two? Honestly, Saviour Balzan knows no limits.
You leave me breathless. No wonder they hate you so.
Keep it up, girl.
Prosit, Daphne – a perfect and exact analysis of these two exponents.
The conclusive decision is undisputed.
Cyrus has joined the war effort in Mali. Good for him.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/63605_477936992252031_1712280565_n.jpg
Imma kif ma jisthix jigdeb u jipprova jqarraq bin-nies? Ghal Qajjenza isaqsi il-hbieb ta’ Lorry Sant ha jghidulu min bena hdejn it-tankijiet tal-gass.
Joseph Muscat is a magnet for rejects.
Since when has Andreas Gerdes become an expert on power stations?
Make that attracted to rejects.
Has he forgotten about building a second university?
Living wage?
The 51 brilliant ideas he presented in Parliament some two years ago?
Freezing minimum wages?
Unsustainable student stipends?
Ditto for health services?
Arriva?
The advantages of Partnerxipp?
Joseph Muscat has entrusted the writing of Labour’s election programme to someone who mistakenly took the Tunny Net for Malta Customs.
Tal-biki.
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
― Winston Churchill
Where was the following article published? On which paper?
It will make an excellent counter argument for yesterday’s cheap propaganda on the Sunday Times. Can you supply me with the details. I need it so I can show it to a doubting Thomas.
wilhelm andreas gerdes
May 2nd 2010, 10:28 article
[Daphne – It’s not an article but a comment beneath this report: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100502/local/company-convicted-in-vat-fraud-given-contract.305402 ]
Didn’t want to waste my time going through that when I saw it. Glad to see I didn’t miss much.
Yesterday’s The Sunday Times was replete with anti-P.N. opinion columns with the exception of Mark Anthony Falzon’s.
The cherry on the cake was today’s daily with the editor deciding to portray a huge photograph and a detailed report on the Partit Laburista’s Gozo mass meeting. I was under the impression that the once respected paper was an excellent example of what an independent paper should be.
[Daphne – Of course they have to report on the mass meeting. But I agree with you about the newspaper columns. A newspaper’s opinion columns should always reflect the views of the majority of its readers. Balance does not come into it, and a preponderance of opinion columns in direct conflict with what the majority of readers think is a bad idea. It just alienates readers. The only problem is that editors can’t know what their columnists plan to write, and sometimes things come out of left field.]
Excuse my stevedore language, but left field me arrse. They have a line-up that’s almost completely Labour: Lino Spiteri as forward, captaining the team, Mario Vella as prop, John Attard Montalto free to dazzle us as fly-half, Owen Bonnici as number-5 lock, Helena Dalli as cheerleader, Andrew Azzopardi as fullback, Austin Sammut as masseur, boring the pants off everyone and thus anaesthetising us against the Labour onslaught, Michela Spiteri on the sidelines cheering on Labour, and so on and so forth.
The only one to talk any sense is Mark Anthony Falzon, whom I’ve taken on as reserve in my dream team.
Perfect analysis
Daphne, din wahda eccezzjonali minn tieghek, bhal tal-injoranti bzonjuzi.
Possibli dan l’anqas il-bravi Ex pulizija li hemm fil-partit tal-Labour ma’ kienu jafuh lil dan Gerdes?
Ara veru certi nies qedin fil-Partit Laburista ghal xejn jew biex jakkwistaw xi haga ghalihom jew ghal uliedhom bhal ma’ ghamlu ta’ qabilom u bil-korruzzjoni u mhux bil-kapacita.