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Posted by ciccio:
Have you noticed how two of the most influential newspapers are now indirectly represented in Cabinet?
The Times/The Sunday Times are ‘represented’ by one of their main suppliers, the man who sold them their printing machinery and who still supplies most of their paper – chief of staff Keith Schembri, who will “help the government of Malta run like a corporation”.
Malta Today is represented by Dr. Toni Abela, its legal advisor and Deputy Leader of the Malta Labour Party, who has been invited to attend cabinet meetings, seated at the Prime Minister’s right hand, even though he has no government role at all.
Then we have PBS controlled by Emmanuel Mallia, Minister for National Security, and his head of secretariat, who owns a business with a turnover of millions that sells goods and services to broadcasters.
And it goes without saying that the Labour government controls the giant Super One machine.
Only in Malta.
This is a major opportunity for The Malta Independent.
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“……. performance/stage/TV lighting etc business”?
Hadn’t Joseph Muscat explained that the entire election campaign was the fruit of Labour Connect i.e. youths working on a voluntary basis, everything home-made, etc.?
I think some weeks back there was a disclaimer on Bondi + regarding Abela. Since he was elected deputy leader he is no longer their legal advisor.
[Daphne – Not at all. You interpreted that incorrectly, as was their intention. Toni Abela has been deputy leader for the last five years. In all that time he has been legal advisor to Malta Today. I should know that for a fact, because he questioned me during a couple of cases in court only a few months ago, in his role as Saviour Balzan’s lawyer. That statement said that he wasn’t their lawyer for that particular case. It did not say that he is not their lawyer.]
Thanks for the clarification. Actually, I was rather surprised at the time as I know you are spot on with whatever you write about.
Add l-Orizzont and Inews to Keith’s portfolio, now that Toni Zarb is vulnerable, I’m sure the cabinet secretary and Karmenu Vella will make their moves.
Malta will be subject to major re-education. How socialism and capitalism can work in conjunction.
31st March in two weeks’ time. It will be interesting to see what The Times and Maltatoday will say to that.
Socialism and capitalism work together in China.
Muscat signed a long-term agreement with China when he was still in opposition;
http://www.scribd.com/doc/128130324/Joseph-Muscat-says-he-signed-an-agreement-with-China-on-Malta-s-behalf-it-Torca-18APR2010
We’ll get the EU using American spy satellites to take pictures of the ‘national projects’ sprouting all over the islands.
Malta will grow a pair of tits. Make that three pairs.
And whether the Leader of the Opposition will be invited to lay flowers at the foot of the 31st March (that should more accurately be 1st April) monument.
Lawrence Gonzi should not allow himself or his office to be conned into the faux ‘one-people movement’ scenario.
Protocol dictates that the President represents the State, the Speaker represents Parliament, the Prime Minister represents government. The Leader of the Opposition ordinarily has no active role to play in such national ceremonies except as an invited spectator and, where a role exists, participation by the Opposition leader should always be in accordance with the established order of precedence.
Joseph Muscat amply demonstrated his lack of understanding of the rules of protocol, when as newly appointed Leader of th Opposition, he laid a wreath at the foot of the Independence monument 30 minutes before the start of the official ceremony – biex ikun minn ta l’ewwel, and again in subsequent years when he held his own wreath laying ceremony immediately after the official function, purely for the benefit of the genetically gullible supporters viewing ONE TV News.
And he actually complained about that in an interview a day or two back.
The PN must distance itself from the Labour government and from Joseph Muscat’s call for working together. It is normal that in the first few days after the elections the government calls for working together (it helps a smooth transition), but just look at the first few decisions taken in Castille and it is already amply clear that it’s ‘vote Labour and get Labour.’
Cooperation should be extended to the government where necessary and within the normal exercise of the separation of powers of government and opposition.
Let us not forget that it was Joseph Muscat who proudly told Lawrence Gonzi that “il-pairing jista’ jinsieh” when the PN government had only a 1-seat majority. A friend in need, is a friend indeed. Back then, Joseph Muscat showed no signs of friendship.
The PN has a lot of work to do within its party. It has done enough in government, against all odds, including the continuous torpedoing by the MLP of Joseph Muscat and his best friends, Frankie, Jeff and Jes.
The Labour party has now won a clear mandate to govern, and it is its turn and duty to do so. It has to deliver on its promises, and must be held to account on all of those promises. And since Labour had all its promises “kostid”, then it must deliver within the budget.
The PN’s duty is to hold the MLP to account, not to help it wreak havoc on all of us.
There, the PN has its own rowtmepp now.
Totally unrelated – x’ sar minn John Attard Montaldo?
He’s observing the incoronation in Tonga. You never know, the new queen might be underweight.
Cruising around Jupiter?
Innutajtu li POLIDANO fl-ahhar jumejn gie jaqa u jqum mill-ordni li kienet taghtu il-MEPA fuq dik il-bicca art li kien qed jizviluppa illegalment u li rega beda ix-xoghol fuqa? Tghid waslet il-PAY DAY?
Nothing new there. Have you forgotten the Muscat – RTK debacle. The infiltration had already been deep.
Not only has infiltration been deep in the media, but also in every major institution, starting from Labour employees in every ministry, sometimes at high rank, to the civil service and other government bodies.
I’m all for letting everyone work, but the problem is that these people are die-hard and their loyalty is to the Party, not their employer when the PN are in government.
And when the MLP is in government, there’s no stopping them.
In truth, there was no stopping some of them while they were in opposition.
This only works if it goes both ways, which it clearly does not.
There are not going to be any die-hard Nationalist supporters in position that COUNT, just token people. Example: Dolores Christina as acting President.
They look good for placing her there, but it doesn’t really mean anything.
@ Not only has infiltration been deep in the media, but also in every major institution, starting from Labour employees in every ministry, sometimes at high rank, to the civil service and other government bodies.
Couldn’t that be a sign of insecurity? If so only God knows what’s in store for us.
No, it is a sign of Malta was already taghna ilkoll. It was only the incompetent were being put in their place. Obviously in a very forgiving society the incompetent expect to get it as good as much as the competent.
In short, tolerance of mediocrity always comes back to slap you in the face. Management lesson number one which Gonzi might have forgotten.
Have a look at this link. Disappointed already.
http://www.il-pjazza.com/forum/index.php?topic=12698.msg814816#new
Was Kurt Sansone imposed on the Times by Kasco? One can only notice that he had a free ride during the last 4 years – his reports were published as is without any editorial review.
And you hang round The Independent’s neck like an albatross.
[Daphne – Oh indeed. As a fixated Labour voter, you seem to believe that every newspaper, radio station, television show, and blog should reflect your views as being the correct, the only ones. The fact that 130,000 people voted PN appears to have escaped your notice. This is quite apart from the fact that my most fascinated and dedicated readers appear to be Labour voters like yourself, who are thoroughly addicted despite purporting to hate and despise me. However, having explored a few pro-Labour blogs and columnists, I can’t say I blame you.]
To all those people who voted Lawrence Gonzi out biex jehilsu mill-‘klikka’ – huduwha ma’ saqajkom.
Behold the new ‘klikka’, il-hbieb tal-hbieb…(was Alfred Sant the one who was always repeating that?).
Most of them don’t care because they voted out of spite.
They weren’t part of the klikka.
The most common phrase I heard from people who abstained or voted Labour, some of them after voting PN all their lives, who lived and literally fought through the 80s (don’t ask, my mind boggles) was:
‘Ġbajt nara l-istess nies jibilghu’.
I guess it would have been okay if they were the ones ‘jibilgħu’ but since they weren’t, they stuck it to them.
Exactly like Franco when he said ‘Hu go fik’.
I guess it’s okay now that the other guys are ‘jibilgħu’, but they’re still getting nothing, makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?
Actually some of them in the civil services are worse off because, although they abstained or voted Labour, they’re still known as Nationalists and are getting the bum’s rap when it comes to overtime. Serves them bloody right.
Serves them right indeed. Ma nixtieq deni lil hadd imma ha nghidlek, hallihom ha jiehdu.
The most common reason I was given by a few of my ‘Nationalist’ aquaintances for voting Labour this time around is ‘minhabba l-korruzzjoni’.
Tajjeb ukoll.
They do not give a damn that their country’s finances are stable, unemployment is low and the economy is in a very good state. L-aqwa li nbiddlu l-gvern ghax ‘dejjaqni wicc Gonzi’ (raguni ohra tan-nejk li smajt).
I bet that avid One news viewers are finding it boring. They have been brought up listening to the daily dose of doom and gloom.
This is also a unique opportunity for NET TV & maltarightnow.com to rise to the challenge and become the voice of tomorrow, reflecting the future and present vision of the Nationalist Party.
These should become a stronger tool, voicing a modern and stimulating means of entertainment and clear news to a diverse mix of viewers from switchers to PL supporters, young and old.
The PN media currently scream out ‘boring’.
It went on record that Dr Muscat openly invited Nationalists technocrats to join his ‘muviment gdid’. They are of course feel free to do it, but never under a Nationalist party ticket.
With that unprecedented absolute majority the people gave to the Socialist party, the future political scenario will put enormous strains on democracy. People, unwittingly, handed this weird movement carte blanche to manipulate Malta.