The first act of our new Broadcasting, Justice, Police and Army Minister, Manuel the Fascist Bullfrog, is unconstitutional
He has demanded the resignations of all members of the Broadcasting Authority.
This goes against the Constitution of Malta.
The Broadcasting Authority is a constitutional authority, set up under the Constitution and not by the government.
The Broadcasting Authority is outside government control precisely because it has to act as a control on government excesses.
Manuel Mallia had no right to demand their resignation and he breaks the law by doing so.
In this he follows totalitarian Labour tradition.
Under the governments of Dom Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici the Broadcasting Authority was left unconstituted for years while they reduced state broadcasting to a propaganda machine in the building of a ‘new socialist generation’.
Might I now extend my congratulations to all those ‘Sliema progressive liberals’ who actively elected one of the most extreme rightwing politicians since the Nationalist Party tended towards the fascist in the 1930s. Manuel Mallia rejected the Nationalist Party because it was no longer rightist enough for him.
Ask yourself why he moved to Labour, the party which won the approval of Norman Lowell in this general election.
The clue is in the fact that he has been given a rightwinger’s dream of a ministry: police, the army, justice and state broadcasting.
Know this, those of you who voted for this man: if you do not share his rightist, oppressive views, then you were irresponsible and stupidly ill-informed. And if you voted for him because you know that he is a rightwinger and a tinpot despot, then you are just as shameful as he is.
This is a man who said in the election campaign that he will seek to have the secretary-general of the Nationalist Party imprisoned for something he wrote, for God’s sake.
Shouldn’t that have been a screaming clue to his mindset? And you thought that a vote for him was a progressive and liberal vote? Get off Facebook and into the real world, for your own sake and the sake of this society we share. You’re supposed to be adults. That’s why you have the vote. Get informed. Develop a properly critical mind. Learn how to gather and assess information like an adult, not like a teenager in a bar.
Manuel Mallia is now responsible for justice. We are one of the last remaining states in Europe where criminal defamation is not a dead letter law or where it has not been repealed. Mallia said IN THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN that he will use this law to seek a fellow politician’s imprisonment.
AND THEN YOU THINK HE IS GOING TO BE THE ONE TO REPEAL THIS LAW, TO BRING US IN LINE WITH CONTEMPORARY EUROPE?
The stupidity of my fellow Maltese makes me utterly desperate.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-12/europe-gas-carnage-shown-by-eon-closing-3-year-old-plant-energy.html
Din nahseb tinteressak Daphne. Interessanti hafna. Sfortunatament harget issa (fit-12 ta’ Marzu)
Three years ago, Germany’s largest utility spent 400 million euros ($523 million) building a natural gas-fired power station. Later this month, the company may close the plant because it’s losing so much money.
Konrad is doing what Mintoff did with a power station from Sicily – dismantle it and bring it to Malta, cheap, cheerful and quick.
Now we know.
To be fair the situation in Germany is a bit different as they have no issue with burning coal, of which they have plenty and which after nuclear is by far the cheapest fuel for generating electricity.
That is not to say that shifting our generation entirely to gas makes much sense – it certainly doesn’t and I was indeed disappointed when the PN took that notion on board just because Cikku l-poplu seemed to like the idea.
Having a relatively limited capacity of gas fired generation would make sense, but only in addition to present oil-fired BWSC plant and the interconnector so as to have some diversity of supply.
Even then, doing it with LNG tankers instead of a pipeline would still not make sense, neither economically nor technically.
I do hope that whatever crazy plan they come up with that they will at least understand the folly in losing the capability of the BWSC plant to burn oil, and then of course that they actually care (which is something I very much doubt actually)
I find it curious how a power station has become an issue seeing as a certain power station built back in the 80s was also a problem. In fact there is the tv discussion with Mintoff and other members of the PL and PN on YouTube. Just a thought.
And you all thought he was tested, tried and trusted.
Wrong, wrong and wrong.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130314/local/broadcasting-authority-resignation-request-withdrawn.461445
“The position was then explained to the government and the request was withdrawn.”
The position had to be explained to the government ? Shall we also explain to the government what democracy is ? And what is the difference between blokka silg u blokka bajda ?
They said they were ready to govern. What a major f**k-up.
Hi Daphne,
Just a general note . . .
Are you going to do this for the next five years? Oh what a bore. Why don’t you take a very, very, long holiday to the far east and leave us in peace. Let others work for our country.
Thanks
[Daphne – Hi John, just a general note. If you don’t like it, don’t log on. Thanks. Oh, and I’ve written this blog when in the Far East, so my being there won’t save you. Goodbye and good luck with the incompetent fascists for who you voted.]
Hi John,
Just a small note, if Daphne spends some time in the Far East she can still write this blog which belongs to her.
OR YOU ARE STILL LIVING IN THE MINTOFF ERA, when you had to have a guarantee to import a computer?
Isn’t it fascinating how the Malta Kollha Taghna brigade think that denying others the right to speak is ‘working for our country’?
Hi John, just a general note. If you don’t like it, sod off somewhere else.
I mean to other sites more in line with your mindset, not the Far East.
That way you save yourself the ‘boredom’ of reading the articles and comments, while the rest of us get to enjoy them, and everyone’s happy.
“Are you going to do this for the next five years?”
Here’s hoping for less … much less.
BRAVA
Ili nsegwi il-politika f’Malta mill-1957. Min dak inhar indunajt illi l-Labour kien partit ta’ vendikazzjonijiet u partit li jizra l-firda.
X’irrid nghid, ghaddew sitta u hamsin (56) sena u qatt ma biddel l-attitudni tieghu.
Allura, John Pace, il-hames snin ta’ kummenti ta’ Daphne ser idejquk meta your PL has been a lifelong bore?
Dear John,
Seeing how things are developing already, I think that most probably Daphne will not be doing it for five years. I never imagined, although prayed for it, that it was going to be this quick. Bring back Dr Gonzi.
John, 24 hours in and the new cabinet is already making gaffes of mammoth proportions. How embarrassing.
Winning the election was the was the easy part – now your party has to run the country and, frankly, it’s beginning to look like they have no idea how to do it.
In the meantime, as they fuck it up, you guys keep cheering them on. Unbelievable.
Well, it’s GonziPN’s fault, isn’t it? Very selfishly, none of the former Ministers and PSs left instructions behind.
Futur Imcajpar, why would they need to leave any instructions behind if the next cabinet would be composed of “cutting edge” people?
John, why don`t you just log onto josephmuscat.com and stay there for the next 5 years? If Daphne`s blog irks you, just stay away and mingle with bullfrogs if you prefer.
Ciao John,
Solo una breve nota, a voce alta: LA VERITÀ OFFENDE.
(In Italian, like Lowell, since this is the language our neo-fascists seem to understand best).
My thoughts exactly. Many people I spoke to before the election refused to see the glaringly obvious though.
That’s because they don’t understand basic principles. Even Muscat himself doesn’t know that freedom of speech is one of the most fundamental rights because, without it, you cannot claim any of your other rights.
Whatever happened to the Minister for the South position in Joseph’s cabinet?
He is too bright to join the cabinet.
Or maybe he is too young.
Why am I not surprised? The man is known to be a bully, and known to try and always get his way. He is known to belittle and even intimidate those around him. Bulldozer style.
Il Kbir Ghadu GEJ Daphne. Povru Poplu.
Ma taqbilx maghna, imma tista’ tahdem maghna!*
*applies only if you’re not working in any ministries, the OPM, executive boards and any place we said that a reform was necessary.
I’m tempted to ask: why all of this? But then the answer shall be on the lines of “because f*ck you, that’s why!”
What’s going to happen next? Will they actually resign?
Please don’t say that you have taken that slogan at face value. The only way you can work with fascist thinkers is to be a fascist yourself. That neatly eliminates any opposition.
He visited Dar Malta in Brussels. He did not ask for their resignation because he needs them there.
It’s not as if he’s going to find Labour supporters who are fit to work in Brussels, in their dozens. Imma jidher helu hekk.
Actually, contrary to the impression Labour loves to give, in Dar Malta there are already a number of Labourites and the Perm Rep herself is of a Labour background, with the PN people were promoted on the basis of merit.
Il-problema ta’ min ivvota lil dawn in-nies mhix biss taghhom – se jkollna nibilghuhom ahna wkoll.
Ghax riedu l-bidla certu nies…. bhallikieku din xi libsa li tista tmur u tibdilha l-gimgha ta’ wara.
Ara naqra fiex se jgibuna. U jekk taqra l-kummenti tal-Laburisti fuq Facebook jifirhu qedin b’dawn l-affarijiet. Issa qed nifhem dak li l-genituri dejjem kienu jitkellmu dwaru – the golden days.
And they haven’t even started yet.
Laburist: Eh taf kemm jifhem Conrad Mizzi ux! U kemm hu bravu!
Jien:U int fejn taf li qed jajd hu minnu? Int tifhem fil power stations u fil gass?
Tiftahlix kotba, jien nsemmi n-numri, u haddiehor jsehjilhom opinjoni.
Taf int, demokrazija.
The people voted because of clientelism. Some people did not get favours/bumps under PN and some people got favours in return for a vote for Labour.
Democracy failed in this country and our punishment will probably be that of ending up like Greece within 5-10 years.
I certainly didn’t vote for this puffball. And I’m glad I only gave Arrigo my number 10, although he only got it because he was contesting on the PN electoral ticket.
What Arrigo should do is argue his misgivings within the party, roll up his sleeves and get down to working to improve his party.
Turncoats and ninnies, the whole lot of them.
Daphne , I am Maltese to the core and not stupid.
The Maltese were led to believe that the old Labour was dead and buried.
Ever seen Jurassic Park, we are seeing a fresh version Made In Malta, but this time for REAL.
How can the old Labour be dead and buried if basically all its members are alive and kicking (and mostly in the new cabinet)?
[Daphne – The only thing they’re going to be kicking any time soon, Bubu, is the bucket.]
Daphne, I learnt in life that it’s the good that die young.
The request for the BA board’s resignation has now been withdrawn.
But the fact that the request was made at all suggests something very disturbing.
If it were in Muscat’s gift to demand the board’s resignation, he would have done so, and only to install those whose views chime with his own.
It is only a matter of time. He’ll get George Abela to do the dirty work for him.
Agree
If I’m not mistaken the board is made of people representing the two parties.
How does a government expect to select its opposition member?
Wake up everyone. It’s the basics which are in question here.
Come on PN, stop licking your wounds, now it is time to pull your socks up and start all over again. We need you out there stronger than before.
It is not the end of the world but if you’re taking it easy, it will be the end of our Malta futur fis-sod.
We need the best people in the party to fight this horrendous movement or whatever they are called.
The futur fis-sod just went to the dogs. Didn’t you notice? I’ll be well nigh past retirement age by the time the country is brought back from the pits following a full term (at least) of Labour “reforms”.
That is sad, but it is the truth. No use dreaming otherwise.
Oh shame on you Minister Mallia! Does the constitution have to be spelt out to you? Back to the 80s.
I think the question to ask is whether he really didn’t know or else did know and just went ahead regardless.
Somehow I think the latter is far more plausible.
I suggest our new government would look dapper in uniform.
May I propose: http://oi45.tinypic.com/eki5b6.jpg for your consideration.
Have you noticed the resemblance of Joe Mizzi with Mohammed Saeed Al Sahaf former spokesman for Saddam Hussein? He really looks like him.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/07/06/pielke-sr-on-rc-continued-misinformation/
Do you remember how many times we were reminded that Lawrence Gonzi gave a 500 Ewro zieda to himself? Now we have the largest number of Ministers and Parl Secs ever. Do you know how costly that is and how much more costly it is when you include all the secretariats and other related expenses?
The five stages of fascism:
1. Initial creation of fascism movements combining doctrine, discontent, and growing numbers of adherents.
2. Rooting of the movement as a regular political party in the country’s political system.
3. Acquisition of power.
4. Exercise of power: among other things, the elimination of competing political parties or organisations such as labour unions, and the “winning over” of the armed forces.
5. Radicalisation and degeneration, fragmentation, fall. Example in Nazi Germany, the growing restrictions on Jew, the appropriation of their property, and the destruction of the civil rights and “state citizenship.”
I reckon we’re into stage 4.
Read more here:
http://beacon.salemstate.edu/~cmauriello/pdfEuropean/Paxton_Five%20Stages%20of%20Fascism.pdf
And that’s as far as they will get.
If this lot organised an outing to Farsons, we’d all come home sober.
The stage 4 in this case is the appropriation of the opposition.
The ideology and method, capitalism and business jargon.
The BA is independent from the government in theory. In fact, its members are appointed by the President, on the advice of the PM after consulting the Opposition leader.
[Daphne – Once appointed, they cannot be removed.]
The enormous Labour cabinet will cost the country 18 million euros more every year.
The 500 euros per week increment for the ministers under a PN government would have cost the country a mere 234,000 euros more every year.
So the increase in cost now is almost 72 times the increase that we would have had under a PN government.
The 500 euro increment was one of the main issues used in the electoral campaign by the PL against the PN.
How come no one is complaining now?
Two weights two measures.
18 million euros a year, that’s ca. 30 bridges to nowhere. Swell.
Can you please let us know how you calculated this? I’ve been meaning to try and work it out myself but since you’ve already gone through the exercise can you please share this with us?
This is what Jason Azzopardi said on Facebook.
Hbieb, dan il-Cabinet li thabbar ilbierah, li hu l-ikbar li qatt kien hawn, ser ikun qed jiswa lill-kaxxa ta’ Malta u lit-taxpayers xejn inqas minn €90 miljun IKTAR fil-5 snin li gejjin mill-Cabinet ta’ qablu (ghax ha jqum €18-il miljun iktar fis-sena minhabba li hemm 9 segretarjati iktar ta’ Ministri). Mela dak li kien hazin ilbierah sar tajjeb issa? What is sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander…
Almenu gietu wahda tajba lil Herrera.
Oqod hemm ja ndannata!! Ghamilt erbat ijiem fuq xokk..isa ergajt bdejt teqred!
Issa ghoqod eqred u ibki xortik ma shabek fl-oppozizzjoni. In-nies jidhku bik u jistmerruk meta jaraw l blog tijek u ma hu effettiv xejn favur il pn. Anzi matul dawn l 5 snin in nazzjonalisti izjed gbidtom lura mill partit nazzjonalista bil mibgheda li ghandek. Miskina Daphne!
Kellu bzonn ghadna hafna izjed bhal Daphne, kieku zgur ghadna FUTUR FIS-SOD.
Did the position actually have to be explained to the government?
“The government has withdrawn a request for the members of the Broadcasting Authority to hand in their resignation.
Informed sources said the chairman of the BA had received a request from the Office of the Prime Minister seeking the resignation.
The members refused, pointing out that the BA was a constitutional body whose members were appointed by the President.
The position was then explained to the government and the request was withdrawn.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130314/local/broadcasting-authority-resignation-request-withdrawn.461445
It is their inferiority complex that keeps bringing them back to reading your blog and hurling insults.
They sensed blood, got it, and still aren’t happy that their beloved moviment is now in power. They want more.
I suggest you write something telling them that unless they change their attitude and perception of themselves, no Labour victory is going to give them the happiness they are still searching for.
Dear Minister responsible for PBS, can you explain to us what ‘knowledge’ you have in this sector?
It’s about time that you and JM unmask the malicious plan you have as a thank you present for your chief canvasser and one of PL’s biggest sponsors in the past election campaign, we eagerly wait your explanation about this as a lot of people will be shocked when it comes to light.
“The stupidity of my fellow Maltese makes me utterly desperate.” My thoughts exactly.
I despair when hearing people my age commenting about the great loss for Malta at the polls last Saturday as though they are talking about their favourite football team winning. It’s downright sickening.
Manuel Mallia is old enough to remember this Mintoffian pearl of wisdom:
“Jiena x’niġi nitnejjek mill-kostituzzjoni.”
Old habits die hard.
Now those who voted for PL are going to get exactly what they voted for.
JM is only a puppet for the old fogeys who forced him to appoint them to his cabinet, despite their being long, long past their sell-by date, and who were never fit in the first place anyway. I on the other hand am going to sit back and enjoy the show.
Oh and Daphne, great blog! Keep it up!
What has already emerged after a mere 3 days in office is that the Labour Party has spent the past 5 years preparing for an election campaign and not for government.
Joseph has told us that we are all wrong. It was an administrative mistake and not a political one.
If it were so there would not have been any need for an explanation by the authority’s members. A simple retraction when alerted to the mistake would have been sufficient.
Qeghdin sew!
Ministru tal-pulizija li dejjem qala hobzu billi pprotega lill-kriminal.
Minn got-tagen ghal gon-nar dal-pajjiz.
Kemm konna ahjar meta konna aghar.
Congrats to all ‘GAHAN MALTI’ X 36,000 who fell for the slimy predator hook, line and sinker.
He preyed on the ‘greedy’ lot and succeeded because it was easy. Hardly a challenge with you Greedy *******.
No atonement would be sufficient enough to cleanse such a sin.
I don’t believe Manuel was aware that he was breaking the law. Bil-Malti waqa wahda ghan-nejk sforz l-injoranza.