The media: getting used to the fact that Labour is now in government
Published:
March 17, 2013 at 5:53pm
My column in The Malta Independent on Sunday is about the way the mainstream media are finding it hard to adjust to the fact that their favourite target of the last 15 years is now in Opposition, while Labour has formed the government and should be the new object of concentrated focus.
The link is below.
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http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-03-17/opinions/the-media-getting-used-to-the-fact-that-labour-is-now-the-government-1185316873/
Well written, Daphne. It really indicates where Malta Today and The Times are heading: into lethargy, like bears during winter which will be, sadly, a long one.
MaltaToday will obviously have a monthly interview with each of Franco Certificate, Jeffrey Mistra, Jesmond Bridge, Dalli Snus; and Mrs Bridge when it’s a five Sunday month.
http://maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/interview/Fenech-Adamis-made-PN-their-own-property-Debono-20130317
They will provide the monthly KPI (Key Performance Index) results.
Dawn huma kalkulazjoni a la Alfred Sant meta kien jaghti il-persentaggi lill kunsilli Laburisti u Nazzjonalisti.
Issa jkollna il-verzjoni Joseph Muscat ghall-Ministri u segretarji parlamentari. Is-sistema tal-KPI’s tohloq il-bzonn ta “Conflict Management ” u minhabba “conflicts of different interests” mahluqa minn KPI confliggenti.
Se jkun zmien interessanti.
The KPIs (Indicators) for civil servants will include measurement of:
How many votes did the civil servant earn the Labour party during the month?
This KPI will be evaluated by Toni Abela, hence his role in the Cabinet.
I expect One tv to wax lyrical about how Malta is a cultural oasis under Labour, ‘all those cornfields and ballet in the evening’.
PS May I suggest a question for Frankie Tabone the next time he’s on One: ‘if you are a man of such high principles, why did you abstain in the vote on Austin Gatt?’.
The only acceptable reply from Frankie would be ‘because I’m a cunt’.
However the first thing Debono did on hearing of the PN’s historic defeat, was to send an SMS to Gonzi, telling the former prime minister that he had forgiven him “for all the harm he tried to inflict on me, my family and the country”.
MaltaToday Sunday 17 March 2013
“that their favourite target of the last 15 years is now in Opposition”: do you really but really believe this statement?!
The independent media’s favourite target of the last 15 years bar Malta Today for the last five years and the Times for the last few months is now in Government
[Daphne – Hardly, David. Most of the media over the last few years has been one large circle-w**k with Joseph Muscat placed firmly in the middle. It’s been a really, really embarrassing experience. And might I remind you that Joseph Muscat has been Opposition leader for just five years, not 15.]
The Times and MaltaToday now may have a number of redundant ‘journalists.’ Maybe they can call Helena Dalli for a ‘redeployment.’
At the moment, all ONE’s doing is finding their way around describing Joseph Muscat.
I think even Michelle may find it excessive.
Here are some possible descriptions for Joseph Muscat:
1. The Great Leader.
2. The Supreme Leader.
3. The Eternal Leader.
4. The Fearless Leader.
Franco Debono: The court jester.
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando: The official food (drink) taster.
Robert Musumeci: The page boy.
Jesmond Mugliette: The soothsayer.
Have you noticed how some of the Labour billboards, that are put up without a permit during election time for political purposes are now being used for advertising. The ones around the St Venera tunnels now have adverts for Hamilton Travel.
So do one or two in the Marsa area.
http://www.maltarightnow.com/?module=news&at=Il%2DPartit+Laburista+jrid+jibda+jidra+jkun+partit+fil%2DGvern+%2D+Il%2DPM+Joseph+Muscat&t=a&aid=99845621&cid=19
Franco Debono to draft the law, so much for the opposition.
Are we getting Franco to head the committee?
Away with the vat refund court case, so much for the courts of law.
Anything to remove any real opposition, which in his book means any other power outside his control.
We’re next.
Muscat didn’t get his hands on the Valletta local council.
Well done, Alexei.
Valletta Taghna Lkoll.
The Malta Independent is my number one newspaper. Stephen Calleja’s bit today was also spot on and obviously yours topped it up.
Well done and keep it up to all at Standard Publications – you are becoming the replacement of The Times of Malta run by remote control by Keith Schembri tal-Kasco.
“Why are Nationalist supporters somehow serene and calm?” This is what I was asking myself for the last few days.
Here are my answers:
1. We are in the European Union and our GOOD Big Brother won’t let anyone run roughshod on our rights.
2. We are in the European Union and our GOOD Big Brother won’t let anyone run our economy into a wall.
[Daphne – Point 2. is wrong. The EU can do nothing about our economy, as the experience of Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and France has shown. The economy is actually what those who voted PN are most worried about, and seriously so.]
3. We are in the European Union, (I like repeating this to myself).
4. Joseph is in a tight corner and he cannot kick out a well oiled civil service to replace it with semi-literate people. He simply doesn’t have the manpower and cannot afford to move anything, because of the danger that everything will crumble.
5. I’m sure that Joseph won’t deliver all those promises (especially the LPG power station) that’s enough rope that he will hang himself(politically) with.
Point 2: yes you’re right , but then we would need bailout money from Big Brother and Joseph can kiss his arse and the 36,000 majority goodbye and then austerity or belt tightening will set in….and the Utopia honeymoon will be over.
Don’t you believe that by then they will have creamed enough out of the kitty to not care?
Oh and I nearly forgot to mention that we are in the Eurozone, meaning that no one can meddle with our currency value.
@concerned citizen: the same bloodthirsty people who put them there will hound them.Please observe that this election was won by Joseph by default, not because Joseph proved he’s good but because Joseph made us believe that Gonzi and his men were bad administrators and corrupt.
Big brothers in the form of S&P, Fitch, and the EU are watching.One wrong move and everything will go haywire!Please note that excise duty on cigarettes and fuel has to be 33% higher because the budget will start in April instead of December. That’s four months of tax collecting up in smoke.Add with that the army of ministers and Ps’s together with the pay rise civil servants just had.To top up the expenses as if there aren’t enough we will have an €0.6 billion Power Station in the pipeline.
We brought in the clowns. All the PN has to do is to wait and see while in opposition.Something will soon break .
Joseph has to find also some €50 million to give back to the second hand car buyers whom he promised a VAT refund.
Let’s hope we do not end up with a Cyprus haircut of our savings.
Can you please elaborate?
I did hear some (part of) Italian news about some 10% (?)cut from the bank savings of Cypriots.
Barabba mehlus u jigri barra. Issa irid sehemu. L-izuraj bdew jigru wara il-flus li hargu minnghajr ipoteka ghal kull 10 = 100.
Rocco barocco your site is a potential phishing site.
Joseph Muscat promised to reduce electricity bills by 25% and bureaucracy by 25%.
If he touches our savings, it will not be by less than 25%.
In-Nazzjonalisti ferhanin u kalmi ghax ahna erbahna. Ahna huma dawk li iggilidna biex ikollna elezzjonijiet hielsa u bil-kwiet u mhux b’xi TOTO jigri fit-toroq bil-machine gun waqt l-elezzjoni.
Wara 25 sena ta’ gvernijiet Nazzjonalisti irnexxilna nic-civilizzaw lil Laburisti kollha u din l-elezzjoni kienet civili.
L-ewwel haga li ghamel il-Prim Ministru l-gdid hija li mar l-Ewropa, bl’akbar tbissima fuq wiccu u bl-edukazzjoni kolla jiehu bedejn l-Ewropej. Gibnieh fejn ridna. Erbahna ahna.
I get a lot of information from the Government Gazzette.
In case your readers don’t know about it, it’s free here
http://gov.mt/en/Government/Government%20Gazette/Pages/Gazzette-Repository.aspx
My favourite ‘newspaper’, actually.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/leveson-inquiry/9630793/Britains-press-must-remain-free.html
What is The Times on about? Do they have an ice dispenser in their office? How is this piece of useless news relevant to Malta, or to anywhere else?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130317/odd-news/mayor-s-lucky-draw.461901
@Gahan. The government of Cyprus announced that a tax of 6.7% is to be levied on all savings below €100,000 and around 10% on savings over that amount.
This is a requirement of a bailout deal with the EU worth €10 billion but Cyprus have to raise an additional €6 so the government hit on the idea of raiding people’s savings.