That was quick, Marlene
Published:
April 3, 2013 at 5:39pm
This morning the newspapers quoted the prime minister’s spokesman as saying that Marlene Farrugia had taken up the role of aide to the Health Minister (her life partner) at the request of the prime minister, that she would not be paid, and that there would not be any conflict of interest (as though that, and not the Benny-Hillesque situation, were the issue).
And by this information, Marlene Farrugia had resigned because of the controversy, and because, she said, the criticism would detract from the work of the health ministry at this delicate stage.
She said she will, however, continue to help Godfrey Farrugia in his political work. Whatever that means.
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In other words she’s still there. We will wait and see.
Maybe what she meant was that she has resigned herself to the situation of being just an aide to the Minister of Health without any remuneration and without any official position.
This goes contrary to the very principle of work and dignity. Are these the famous Labour principles in action?
Silly me for thinking work operates on the basis of a contract, with consideration and responsibility rolled into it?
Silly me for thinking that Ministries should be administered by paid professionals not family volunteers whether or not on a ‘part-time’ basis (how very crass).
Silly me for thinking the Government should lead by example.
Whoever’s ego was in demonstration, I’d say dignity at a number of points wasn’t a consideration:
Dignity of a Prime Minister’s role in making clear worthy choices;
Dignity of Marlene Farrugia’s position by her very unethical presence (was there really the expectation for them to couple-up here?);
Dignity of the Ministerial role of Godfrey Farrugia – this is now beyond tainted;
Dignity of public service staff who are forced to suffer the consequences of such decisions and work in such an environment;
Dignity of the value of work in the organisation;
The ripple effect.
‘Insignificant’ details such as these underline the difference between Labour and Nationalist governance.
Health is not only about medicine and diagnosis – or hindsight. It’s primarily, in its ideal form, the result of (generations of) sound choices and worthy values arrived at with the benefit of foresight.
Health of Government would run on the same basic principles.
What we have here in Malta is a Party come to power on a high of fads, bads, mads and fetishes, unleashing its inferiority complexes on a population that deserves far better. If addition, we are, in fact and deed, borderline with absolute power.
What we have here on this blog is a snake-oil artist’s worst nightmare: public exposure of the sham, every step of the way.
A snake-oil artist just hates being caught with his pants down and the spotlights glaring – the only other time that the eyes will change expression, turning into a glacial stare.
Look for it.
In other countries, where a sense of decency counts and prevails, any Minister, or person in a prominent position, receiving negative front page headlines for ten straight days in a row would be asked to resign.
I should like to ask Daphne and The Independent to take this little detail into account.
They are very attentive to the tolerance of the people. It’s as if the people are governing, or that’s what they’re shoving down our throat.
The bottom-line is that once again, the new changed progressive modern liberal government has demonstrated that it lacks foresight; even a pigeon has hindsight, literally.
She will run the Health Minister from her kitchen.
I s till can’t understand. To whom did she submit her resignation? Was it to Minister Godfrey Farrugia?
‘She said she will, however, continue to help Godfrey Farrugia in his political work’ – i.e. she will continue to do what she has been doing since day 1, but unofficially now.
Resigned? Resigned from which government position? Lest we forget, this was a self-selected and self-imposed ‘voluntary’ position which was a gross embarrassment to her partner.
In other words, ta’ Farrugia indunaw li hr*wa.
Now how about Godfrey Farrugia actually getting down to do some real ministerial work for a change?
Or is it because he is completely out of his depth and has no clue where to even start, as developments to date strongly indicate?
Maybe it’s time that Godfrey Farrugia resigns as well.
She resigned not because of the controversy and because the critisicm would detract from the work of the health ministry at this delicate stage. She resigned because of Daphne’s blog. Period.
To be fair, The Malta Independent is on the ball as well.
It’s the only newspaper I buy.
The pressure was too much for Marlene, but still one must keep an eye on her movements because as she herself said, she’ll carrying on doing her boyfriend’s political work.
Our Marlene is a dentist with two or three dental clinics and she has a sizable portfolio of properties which need to have her personal and continuous management.
So what we see here is that decisions are being taken in quite an unprofessional manner. The PM is probably going back on decisions taken when he sees that they backfire and in some way ruin his short reputation.
The resignation may actually be another ‘Anglu Farrugia’ as she may probably have been asked to resign by the PM himself.
The truth of which we may never know.
I hope that The Malta Independent will continue insisting that they get their clarification requests replied to by Mary Louise Coleiro Preca re the Agius De Celis issue. Probably this may also lead to a quick appointment resignation as the Marlene Farrugia case.
We are definitely in for a long rollercoaster ride.
Just a little thought about all that’s happening at the moment.
I’m sure many of you here have watched Yes Minister.
In season 1 Episode 1, the Westminster way of doing things, showed how the new Minister’s assistant was locked away before he went to his office on his first day, being told ‘the minister has his aide now’.
What a difference compared to Malta.
It seems that the civil service is locked out to accomodate all the aides and canvassers and helpers with no clue how things work and how the country is governed.
“She said she will, however, continue to help Godfrey Farrugia in his political work” – she hasnt really resigned in reality, has she?
http://zekzik.com/2013/04/03/marlene-irrizenjat-minn-xhiex/
and this is another item that needs to be followed up:
http://zekzik.com/2013/04/02/min-qed-ihallas-lic-ceo-il-gdid-tal-partit-laburista/
Resigned from what exactly? I’d love to see her letter of appointment. Unless they’ve gone out of fashion.
Obviously, from the NGO (mhux hekk jekk xoghol volontarju)
Organized confusion. Another cunning plan?
That was short lived.
Amateur theatrics at their worst. What gaffes.
“Life partner” terminology annoys the crap out of me.
Me too. Handcuffs at forty paces.
Me three. I feel “bed partner” is more accurate.
Back to the drawing board then. These people are ridiculously dangerous, make that dangerously ridiculous.
When Muscat was questioned about his cabinet during the campaign, every answer followed the ‘mument propizju’ spiel.
Why doesn’t Muscat appoint Parnis?
Dak ilu preparat, mhux hafna tahwid, u tghid ara, tiehu gost tahdem, qed naghmlu affarijiet godda……
And Parnis can actually be useful in the Health sector. With the elderly for instance – like fishing their pills from their toilets.
He should be volunteering as an aide with Godfrey Farrugia.
Hilarious.
Wasn’t Marlene Farrugia Labour’s former spokesperson for energy? The one who didn’t bother to attend conferences because she researched it all on the Internet?
Alas, I forget what the specific issue was. Perhaps Daphne can jog my memory as I’m pretty sure she had covered it on her blog.
Sargas.
Carry On Marlene and Godfrey.
I said on day one of this absurdity that it will cause their fall from grace, and so it happens.
Does anyone have any idea why Malta’s parliament is populated with medical doctors and architects?
Did not politics originate from the study of Philosophy and reason?
At the very least, give us businessmen/women who have successfully managed businesses at some point in their lives. The reason I say this is that, at the other end of the spectrum, we have losers such as Obama who may be a great orator but who has never had any actual success other than in pulling the wool over people’s eyes.
Remind you of anyone?
We definitely haven`t seen the last of her. Her ambition is unbridled, her thirst for power unquenchable, her self-importance unrivalled. I have a sneaking feeling that it is not only her partner (the co-Minister of Health) who quakes at her command but also no one less than the Prime Minister.
First and foremost congratulations to all elected by casual election on the P.N. ticket.
Hopefully, Albert Fenech will ‘shadow’ to the Minister(s) for Health. I simply adore mince pies.
As to ALL elected on the P.N. ticket let bygones be bygones and pull the same rope. For our sake.
Il-plastic u l-hgieg qatt ma ghandhom jintefghu fl-istess skip. Il-moviment gabar kollox flimkien u issa ………
She said she will, however, continue to help Godfrey Farrugia in his political work. Whatever that means.
Why do I keep getting images of Monica Lewinsky after reading the above?
Next I expect Michelle to move out of her office at Castille and Dr. Refalo’s (Gozo) wife to move out too. Who next ?
Has the media sought to understand Michelle Muscat’s role at her husband’s office yet?
Amateurs kollha kemm huma.