Tonio Fenech: the sheep has fangs
I’m watching Xarabank. It’s like one of those films in which the quiet boy is overcome by sudden cosmic forces and morphs into the fighter who plucks the girl from beneath the jock’s nose.
He needs to calm down a bit, but it’s really good seeing him lay into Konrad Mizzi’s arguments.
I particularly liked the bit where Mizzi was patronising him, and Fenech responded, with an oh for heaven’s sake, Konrad, I’m the minister responsible for energy and you were head of IT at Enemalta. IT, not projects.”
Here Mizzi goes again: the minister doesn’t understand this and the minister doesn’t understand that. Unbelievable.
Another good bit was when Mizzi mentioned building the gas tanks underground, and Fenech responded: “So now you’re going to put them underground? Don’t you know that’s illegal, that it goes against EU law?”
64 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
Tonio will pull a Carrie soon.
I’m watching too, and I must say I like this side of Tonio Fenech. This is what we need, people who know their stuff and show how poorly prepared Labour really is.
Fully agree with with you. I think it’s a case of Lawrence Gonzi instructing that once Labour come up with their proposals then ‘Al mio segnale scatenate Tonio’, and he’s sure doing a fantastic job.
Konrad Mizzi repeats “Yes, I will answer”, “Yes, I will explain” but neither answers nor explains
.
I find Konrad disconcerting to watch.
BTW, at this point in time, the survey being held, (Tahseb li l-proposta tal-PL hi fattibli?) is fluctuating at 84% against the whippersnapper. Muscat, time to do another Judas methinks.
OMG, this is going to be a genocide.
They’ll be buying the graves wholesale at this rate
Well done, Tonio. Konrad sounds like a broken record.
I was watching too, but have to say that I cannot take Konrad Mizzi anymore. I cannot believe that he thinks he can fool us with his spewing of numbers, that seem to change every two minutes.
The latest one is the fact that that famous 9c4 or whatever it is, is before the private enterprise’s profit. So is Enemalta or whoever going to pay 9c4 or 9c4 plus a profit margin?
We’re suddenly moving back to a price of 13c to 16c per unit.
Another point, if they have all those options, placing the tanks elsewhere, using large ships, using small ships, putting floating pipes in sea, coming once a month, coming twice a month, how exactly did they come up with the 9c4 in the first place?
A range of options normally comes with a range of costs. No one option costs the same as the other.
When are all the other accountants, economists and engineers going to start seriously questioning this proposal in public and tearing it to shreds?
I see you’ve fallen for at least one part of their propaganda, that this is not a done deal.
The deal ultimately has to be done with government, only not this one. But who’s to say there’s no interim understanding with the PL-government-in-waiting?
They can claim that it’s not a *done* deal because they still have to work out the finer details, aka Mizzi’s “commercial sensititivies li kulhadd jifimhom”.
The survey at the bottom of the screen says that 83.8% don’t believe that the project is feasible whereas 16.2% believe in the project.
When one factors in the illiterate Labour support I guess one can say that they are neck and neck.
quite
Their poorest lie : PL published the ‘studies’, when they merely published a powerpoint presentation.
A Powerpoint presentation may be enough to convince their shortsighted fans, who are accustomed to much less.
And why the constant questions on PN’s proposals, when the major projects are ready [Delimara] and others are underway [interconnector ]?
Tonio Fenech was prepared for various options before Labour put out their proposal.
He is so well prepared. He was even well prepared two hours after the proposals were launched.
This gives me the impression that Tonio has seen various proposals – therefore he was doing something.
Also it is very clear that the supplier has been chosen. there is absolutely no way that a deal like this will be negotiated in two months.
I deal on a daily basis with large reputable international groups, looking to set up companies in Malta, where I would add the capital outlay is nowhere like the Euro 370m Labour is talking about.
Given that (it appears, because tomorrow something else can change) we are talking about a private company actually taking ownership of this project, whoever is going to express an interest is going to have to assess whether it is profitable for them to go into the project.
This entails a feasibility study at their end.
They will have to look at the capital and operational expenditure to run this.
They will want to see the market capacity here in Malta. They will need to see if a plant here will fit in with their global strategy.
They will need to take it to their managment committee. They will then need to take it to their executive committee and possibly finally also to main board.
This alone will take months if not a couple of years.
Or does Labour think that the investor will rely on his ‘feasibility study’?
Am I the only who’s worried by the rise within Labour of all these outsiders who won’t be standing for election?
I mean Labour goes on about cronyism and power in the hands of unelected officials (the whole RCC story) and now we have the likes of Konrad Mizzi who’s practically become the next PM.
It’s as if Labour’s taken the worst of PN, amplified it, and left out the good bits. Is this the change we’re being promised?
Konrad Mizzi’s the fall guy. Nothing amazing there. Whoever’s bankrolling Labour is pulling Konrad’s strings too.
Cherchez la femme.
Oh my god. Sharon Ellul Bonici? By the way, where’s Kevin? Making sandwiches at Labour HQ?
Konrad Mizzi must be asked to declare all his interests in this matter. Including any role of Pcu3ed, where he claims to be a partner.
Konrad Mizzi probably doesn’t know everything about this deal, only the bit he’s been allowed to handle. The man has zero political nous. He’s a bit like the class creep who can’t understand why the other boys are more popular when he’s the one with high marks.
Konrad started this campaign as quite a balanced, well behaved debater, but tonight especially towards the end he came out clearly as a spiteful Laburist. Some progressive attitude.
He’s just demolished the kid. If Labour paid this guy for his expertise, they should demand a refund.
I can imagine that worthless nitwit Kurt Farrugia biting his nails at yet another public relations disaster. ‘Qed taqtaghli l-‘flow’.
“…yet another public relations disaster…”
And that was before the turn of Marlene Pullicino … le skuzi, Farrugia.
Yep, Beppe was quite the naughty boy there.
Who is Mar or Mark? I thought I heard the useless moron Mizzi off-air ask “How did it go?”
I heard it too. It was too quick for a mobile call unless it was speed dial.
He probably was trying to get approval from Marlene who was replacing him on the podium. The fool must have realized he had ended belly up.
Despite Konrad’s last-ditch attempt at a rally, Tonio won hands down.
Konrad mistimed his sally, and accordingly, albeit catching Tonio off guard, due in my opinion, more to Konrad’s vehemence rather than to his argument, gave sufficient time for Tonio to answer and finish him off.
Sorry mistake
‘gave sufficient time for Tonio to answer and see off Konrad’s poor presentation.’
Josanne Cassar, former The Malta Independent columnist who now writes a blog posing as a concerned ‘floater’, finally shows her true colours by writing ‘Go Konrad’.
When Jacques Rene Zammit took her to task she praised Konrad’s ‘zinging replies’.
Injoranta Laburista.
Another horrendous start by Marlene Farrugia. They all sound the same.
re my last post:
Josanne Cassar wrote ‘Go Konrad’ on her FB status…not that she’s on my list.
Go, Konrad? I couldn’t agree more.
That’s good!
Tonio Fenech seems to be enjoying the process of tearing apart Konrad Mizzi’s proposal at every opportunity.
Labour’s proposal is not credible and reveals the Labour leaders as naive.
What a cercura Marlene Farrugia is.
A fishwife by any other name
She’s from the wrong part of Zurrieq.
I have no doubt in my mind that even the genuine Laburist knows that Labour are taking us for a ride.
I find it hard to understand how there are Nationalists who would dare not to vote and trust our future in the hands of this bunch of lunatics.
I don’t think it works quite like that.
Any “genuine” Laburist would be in denial at this stage.
And in any case, Joseph could be selling a power station with Fred and Wilma pedaling at the turbines. They’ve been waiting for a 10th March for far too long to give it a second thought.
Ok, I think we can confirm that the supplier has probably been chosen. As per Marlene.
I think we can also conclude that the supplier is there to make a profit – of course, who will go into a deal without making a profit. – also Marlene.
I think we can also conclude that the 25% reduction in bills without any increase in tax is in fact pie in the sky.
The 9.4 will be close to the current cost, if not more, because “pfff, of course the entrepreneur needs to make a profit”, as opposed a shorter timescale once the pipeline is in place – this one is me though Ghoxrin Punt.
There are different kinds of profit. You’re assuming that the supplier’s profit will be merely financial.
Imagine the political power of owning a major slice of the countrys power supply. You would literally have the country by the balls.
Two months to election and we are still discussing water and electricity bills?
Why doesn’t the PN start discussing the important stuff? Let Labour try and catch up.
Expect Joseph to shift attention away from their energy proposal – this is looking more like a liability now and would easily result in their downfall. Tony Abela tried to persuade Lou Bondi no to discuss their energy plan yesterday
They’re so unprepared that they left the ppt slide which clearly shows that the pipeline is the most viable and economic way to deliver the LNG (Joseph is warming to this idea as well as reported by TOM)
Can you imagine this motley crew negotiating on behalf of our country in an international scenario.
Tonio was just fabulous, probably PN’s best asset – he blew Konrad to smithereens. I doubt Konrad will face Tonio anymore after today. I suggest a billboard campaign exposing this unrealistic hogwash
And no we have the Herr Flick show.
http://www.saintlyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/flick.jpg
LEO BRINCAT another arrogant pig…
Oh, don’t say that. He was very generous back in the Golden Years.
After Konrad’s generous application, did they have any lipstick left to put on Herr Flick?
http://davepear.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/lipstick-on-a-pig.jpg
Tonio Fenech was fantastic on Xarabank this evening. He’s really proving his worth.
Konrad Mizzi simply looked like a silly, gigglly, grinning schoolgirl trying oh-so-hard to look clever (and failing miserably).
Prosit, Tonio.
Do you know why building gas tanks under or into the ground is against EU law…indeed against any law, Konrad?
It’s because if you contain a bomb it’s explosive force increases exponentially, you freaking idiot.
Besides weren’t they saying that it was safe to build them there? Didn’t Toni say that they had carried out all the safety studies and that nobody had anything to worry about?
That in fact is the principal of the fugass.
Do that PL and if something goes wrong you will annihilate the villages of Birzebbugia and Marsaxlokk.
Will the Freeport suffer from this danger placed so close to its facilities. Has anyone from the PL bothered to weigh the risks of the Freeport clients going somewhere safer?
Labour saved their best for last. Drum roll…. Herr Flick and his bag of tricks on now.
Now there’s Herr Flick. What a cold fish! Reading what he wants instead of giving answers.
And when he is pressed for answers, he claims that he is being bullied. Miskin.
Two days ago I posted that the proposal is taking in water, today the proposal is sending and SOS.
When Konrad said the tanks can replace the existing HFO’s, Norman put across a legitimate question; If the tanks are removed, how on Earth is the plant fueled?
Konrad actually said it can be phased by removing one tank at a time.
Right, that means, remove one tank, build first tank, remove second tank……and where do we store the fuel to feed the plant Konrad? .
What an utter wanker.
Thank you for raising this point. His reply was hilarious, and Konrad looked so stupid with that answer. He was totally unprepared there.
Couldn’t he have suggested that they can be built instead of l-Gharix, and then we fork out another compensation of several million euros to the Mintoff family?
Do you get the feeling Konrad’s only experience of engineering works is some ruddy plastic drip irrigation system?
A plastic drip irrigation system? I think that’s complex enough.
I doubt he can replace the gas cylinder in his own kitchen.
KonradPL spicca intilef dalwaqt jisparrixuh il-PL ghax nahseb li l-kredibilita tal din il-hrafa tant qed tispicca fix-xejn li ser tisvinta bhal gass.!
Did anyone notice the look on Konrad Mizzi’s face when Tonio Fenech told him “do not be a joke, Konrad”. Could it be a case of ‘the truth hurts’.
There can be no doubt that faced by an energy, infrastructure, telecommunications and industry expert holding a PhD, Tonio Fenech delivered another great performance last night.
[Daphne – Konrad Mizzi is not an energy, infrastructure, telecommunications and industry expert. No such creature exists. He is a straightforward management consultant. Please don’t be impressed. All of you have to do is go to the offices of organisations like KPMG and PWC and you’ll find scores of them.]
Will someone please PLEASE tell the minister that it’s REGASIFICATION terminal, not reclassification.
For those interested, this is that facility where LNG in its highly-compressed liquid state as transported on ships is vaporised for consumption by the power station.
I cringe every time I hear him mention it, and there’s still 8 weeks of potential slipups.
cbm = cubic metres
Well, I’m impressed that at last Labour managed to find a more than decent replacement for that other Mizzi, the sparky who in stark contrast sounds more like a snarling dog and barely ever manages to string one coherent sentence.
Denis Healey famously likened criticism by the benign Sir Geoffrey Howe to “being savaged by a dead sheep.”
Lord Healey would have discovered that the local Fenech species of sheep is very much alive and kicking, and, what’s more, also sports fangs and claws.
And what’s all this about building a mega power station in two years? Why – it took more than two years to build a public friggin loo in St. Paul’s Bay.
My favourite bit was when Tonio told him something like you don’t know what you’re saying and Mizzi goes ‘shame on you, minister Fenech!’