I’m watching the change – and wow, it’s amazing
Change means bringing back the man who distributed colours TVs to Labour bazuzli for PM KMB, and who brought the economy to a halt with the changeover from VAT to CET as Sant’s finance minister. Unbelievable. Only in Malta and some dark corner of the former Soviet Union.
I’m watching the change that Malta voted for taking place on television right now: relics from the cabinets of Mintoff, KMB and Alfred Sant being sworn in. More than a third of Joseph Muscat’s ministers (five of the 14) were also Alfred Sant’s, and three of them even have the same portfolio, as though the intervening 15 years did not happen at all.
This is like waiting 15 years – and in Karmenu Vella’s and Leo Brincat’s cases, 26 years – and then bringing back the ministers who were voted out last week.
The difference, of course, is that the ministers we voted out last week were up to it.
Leo Brincat’s track record includes selecting people to receive colour television under the premiership of Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, and replacing VAT with CET, bringing the Maltese economy to a grinding halt, under Sant’s premiership.
Good show, Malta.
You’ve done us proud.
Any moment now and I’m expecting Wistin Abela and Lorry Sant to walk into the room, but of course they’re not in a position to do so, so we have Alex Sceberras Trigona instead.
Oh, and a blow-dried Ray Azzopardi, of course – we can’t be doing without him, though he’s not compering this time.
Not only is this cabinet not better than the one we voted out, it’s also hugely more expensive, with 14 ministers and eight PSes instead of Lawrence Gonzi’s eight ministers and two PSes.
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Is there a minister for Gozo ?
Besides the additional euro 50000 per annum worth of MPs due to the mess up on 8th and 13th districts.
Has JPO sneaked into this too, wearing orange pants?
It is costing us circa 30K more per month than if Gonzi’s cabinet had taken the 500 a week.
First Labour fuck-up.
After the potholes there will be the wall. I predict the wall will advance in our direction within less than eight months.
x’ weggha ta’ qalb, ghal anqas m’ghandi l-ebda rimors ghax dak mhux qeghdin hemm biss sahha tieghi.
Sfortunatament ser nkun wiehed mill-hafna li ser nbaghti l-konsegwenzi tad-decisjonijiet li huma ser jiehdu.
Did you hear that snide comment by Joseph Muscat about the oath taken by Ms Marie Loiuse Coleiro Preca? He was joking that the oath taken after noon by a person from Qormi is not binding. The President chided him for the silly remark. Biex ghabbejna.
The President is from Qormi too. I bet he did not like JM’s comment!
Because Joey perhaps does not even know that the President, Dr. Abela, hails from Qormi.
That’s good. Since the President is from Qormi, then all the oaths administered by him to the Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries are invalid – using Joseph Muscat’s own “yart stickkkk.”
Jurassic Park Live on PBS right now. Muscat has no chance of controlling this bunch and he will be impotent to stop their antics. OMG.
Leo Brincat is Ministru tal-Klima u l-Ambjent.
This time round he will be deciding who gets to be given solar panels at subsidized prices under the 2013 budget.
His experience 30 years ago, dishing out colour TVs at inflated prices to gullible MLP bazuzli, will no now doubt serve him well.
This is the government of Keith tal-Kasco. Has Joseph Muscat been appointed a Parliamentary Secretary yet?
The PN had managed to put Malta at par with its European counterparts in Europe, gave it credibility and we were respected for it.
Seeing these dinosaurs from the past gives me the creeps. In no time at all we’re going to return to the caves.
Konrad Mizzi looks like he’s recieving a prize at some School for Nerds. And as they all said, so help us God.
In the oath of office, the Ministers are finishing their declaration with “Hekk Alla jghinni.”
That last line should instead say “Hekk Alla jghin lil Poplu Malti, specjalment lil dawk li ma vvutawlniex.”
fossils!
What are they all giggling about? Don’t think they know they actually have to prove themselves now.
So proud to be represented by a bunch of hams.
Am I hearing Sun and Star talking in the background? What do they have a live-in nanny for?
I remember Kenneth ZT enthusing about how culture long-neglected would be given prominence by a new government. Yet it’s been demoted to a parliamentary secretariat. We’d love to hear his take on this.
Joseph Muscat’s new cabinet of curiosities:
http://www.scribd.com/collections/4176119/Joseph-Muscat-s-cabinet-members
I’m assuming that’s way more expensive than the notorious honoraria issue…well done Malta.
Min jaf kemm huwa ferhan Dr Michael Farrugia gie down grade it ghal Segretarju u jara lil Dr Godfrey Farrugia Ministru
Herrera looks pissed off. He didn’t even look at Joseph.
Not only pissed off, Sarah. Knowing him, min jaf x’dagha fahxi kien ghaddej.
Forsi issa jibda f*** Joseph mhux f*** in-Nazzjonalisti.
You seem to have missed our designate permanent secretary at OPM who escorted the troops to the signing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSY1NTE7F10
Wonder if that’s where Joseph met Mario … how sweet.
There’s nothing we can do about it now can we. I’m actually feeling nauseous looking at who’s sitting in the front row.
We’re in 2013 not 1973.
Even the Pope has been announced in the new cabinet….miraklu iehor minn Guzeppi
What did Joseph say around 19:19?
First step should be the teaching of dress sense and deportment to the cabinet representing us.
‘Se jkollna l-iktar gvern femminista fl-istorja’ kien qal Muscat qabel l-elezzjoni. L-ewwel weghda mhux mizmuma – zewg nisa biss se jkunu fil-kabinett.
Herrera didn’t look too pleased!
No hand shake for Muscat either from Jose’ ….
Well, indirectly JM has justified the €500 salary increase approved by the PN.
The new 14 ministers have now been allocated half the responsibilities when compared to the 8 ministers who have just been voted out.
Either the previous cabinet was efficient and underpaid, hence the salary increase – or the new 14 ministers are inefficient (most probably) or underpaid (I doubt).
Oh, look, Owen Bonnici is being sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary for Justice under the Minister for Home Affairs.
Now we not only do not have any separation of powers, but justice has been relegated to a Parliamentary Secretariat under a bullfrog Minister.
I wonder what Mary Mifsud and Lily Vella will have to say on the comments board of timesofmalta.com.
Wow minn jaf x’ferh hemm iz-Zejtun. Karmenu Abela xejn ;-)
Jose Herrera – Parliamentary Secretary
Manuel Mallia – Minister
Hu go fik, Consuelo.
I thought Muscat said that Louis Grech would be overseeing the implementation and the bringing in on schedule of Labour’s projects. Is he going to do this from the Ministry of E U affairs, or is this one of the first pre-election pledges to be binned and forgotten?
Dear Daphne,
Have you got any comments with regards to Robert Arrigo’s comment on the Times of Malta?
[Daphne – Yes. I wish to know why he thinks he is in a position to speak when half his extended family are on Facebook boasting that they voted for the Labour Party. At this rate, I’m beginning to to think that he might have done the same himself.]
“Michael Farrugia, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Administrative Simplification”
Jim Hacker anyone? They’ve turned a sitcom into a reality show.
In the sitcom, the Permanent Secretaries were not asked to resign
Amazing indeed…
I should think that one portfolio – that of Minister Konrad Mizzi – would have to be adjusted soon since it includes both Enemalta and WSC and the Malta Resources Authority (MRA). MRA being the regulator of the utility companies have to be separate from the utilities and other regulated subjects.
I reckon its a wee bit more than the famous and controversial 500/week. But the funniest thing is that the minister for Gozo is the only one with the word excluding under his title.
Anton Refalo, Minister for Gozo.
Gozo Affairs (excluding Health services and Education)
shut up your fuckin big mouth wich
Thank heavens for small mercies, no ministru tas-sawt.
Welcome back, missus! We missed ya, proper!
Flashnews:
For those asking what happened fro the self proclaimed Minister of the South…He was made Pope
Welcome back!
The circus is in town. The clowns are in the ring!
“Young people are the heart of this movement.”
Joseph Muscat, March 5th, 2013
As the old adage goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Well, this ministerial lot has not only been previously eaten but digested and excreted as well.
George Vella – 71
Edward Scicuna – 66
Louis Grech – 66
Karmenu Vella – 63
Manuel Mallia – 62
Leo Brincat – 64
Joseph Mizzi – 61
Evarist Bartolo – 61
Anton Refalo – 56
Marie Louise Coleiro Preca – 55
Godfrey Farrugia – 52
Konrad Mizzi – 43
Chris Cardona – 40
Helena Dalli – 53 or so (don’t know really)
Joseph Muscat – 39
Now who doesn’t think those statistics aren’t weird?
Yes young people, you’ve been duped.
Idiots.
Those handshakes (or non) … very telling.
A couple of disappointed faces there. Farrugia. Then Herrera. Visibly utterly annoyed. Shook the President’s hand and the Notary’s, but not the PM’s.
Joseph Muscat predicted that there may be some disappointment when the cabinet is announced.
So Muscat has got not only miraculous, but prophetic capabilities also.
It’s been a true case of “urewna id-debba u qabbzulna il-hmara.”
During the electoral campaign, they showed us the ‘fresh’ face of Joseph Muscat. The Mintoffian fossils were safely locked away.
Now that the elections are over, the Malta Labour Party fossils have once again imposed themselves on us: Leo Brincat, Karmenu Vella, George Vella, Joe Mizzi, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.
A truly impressive cabinet line-up. It’s like the board of trustees of the Ghaqda tad-Drittijiet tal-Pensjonanti.
If you take into consideration the salaries to be forked out for this cabinet, it will be more expensive than the outgoing one, even with the honoraria included.
‘
Therefore this goes to show that the honoraria was justified as those ministers had a bigger pportfolio than these clowns/dinosaurs.
Ha jergghu jitfawna 30 sena lura.
George Vella? George Vella? Oh what a change.
Ghax ma jqajmux lis-salvatur.
I remember those days – hope we don’t go back to the old days.
Armata ta’ Mimistri u Segretarji Parlamentari.
Well he definitely made sure that he will have no “Franco Debonos” on his side of parliament.
Wait and see – we have already seen “unhappy” faces
With all those ministers, their secretaries and their drivers and the rest, how much are they going to cost us? €500? Ehh Mr Muscat, kellek ghalfejn tpatpat.
Here we go! U il-kbir ghadu gej.
Jidher li Justyn giet eletta bi zball! Kif dejjem bid-dubju din il-mara.
Herrera parliamentary secretary for culture. Hilarious.
Daphne, your comment about Leo Brincat ” selecting people to receive colour television” IS A DOWNRIGHT LIE ! I guess you might find another libel case being presented against you !
[Daphne – Here’s a letter signed by him, Eddy: http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/02/if-youre-in-youre-out-of-your-mind-i-cant-believe-anyone-sane-would-want-to-bring-back-leo-brincat-as-a-cabinet-minister/ ]
It’s easy calling someone a liar.
Now show some decency and ask for an apology.
The die has been cast.
The movement is in place.
For our own sakes let’s pray this new government works ’cause if it doesn’t, we’re all up shit creek without a paddle.
A cry from the heart – good luck, dear Malta.
Isn’t creating civil service jobs one of MLP’s old tricks? I guess if you promise lots of things ,you have to start by making many people happy.
On the bright side Malta’s unemployment rate will decline (further) – and I suppose our taxes will have to increase to pay for all the expenses that go with these ministries and secretariats.
Oh, btw – remember “meritocracy” – none of the permanent secs were entitled to that I suppose.
Not only hugely more expensive, but hugely more incompetent.
Carcades today, funeral corteges tomorrow.
Ah, democracy. Or, on the rock, democrazy.
Welcome back, Daphne.
It would be interesting to compare the cost of this cabinet with the last PN cabinet.
Daphne,
Missed you. Thought you left us when we needed you most.
There’s no need to write any more posts. You told us what will happen.
We read the book, now we’re watching the movie.
This movie is very funny, cannot understand why it’s rated: A Psychological Thriller.
Francesco, isn’t it a direct contradiction that you first say that you thought Daphne left us when her writing was needed the most, and then you say that she needn’t write any more?
I am looking for an explanation regarding Political Party and Movement. Joseph Muscat, throughout the election campaign always emphasized that he was leading a Movement and not a Party. Can anyone, please, explain to me the difference? Up to now, it seems that the Labour Party is still called the Labour Party, as seen on the recent ballot papers. If there is a difference, I would be grateful for an explanation. I hope that the difference is not drastic one which changes the leadership structure into a dictatorial leadership
A movement is a coalition outside of Parliament and of the Executive.
In Parliament and the Executive, where it really matters, it is the Partit Laburista.
Joseph Muscat knows that society is changing, with identifiable social pockets and specific interest groups like NGOs which are threatening the strength and possibly the existence over the long term of the more general purpose political parties.
He also knows that he could use the PN abstentions to his benefit, by adding those voters to his party under a movement of disgruntled persons under Malta Taghna Lkoll. Muscat knows that some voters would never switch from PN to PL – because of the poor Labour brand – and they would rather abstain.
So he packaged this idea as a “movement” whereby one could feel comfortable without having to declare that one has turned “Laburist.”
If Muscat secures 5 years in government, there is a possibility that the Labour brand may improve, making more voters more comfortable to make a direct switch to the Labour party as opposed to a movement. This may be an important factor come the next election.
Bhal qisu ghadda scammel u gabar kollox. Tghidli qalbi taf x’riha se tohrog.