Was he chosen on merit or on merit and political pedigree?
The list of appointees to the MEPA board includes the respected marine archaeologist Timmy Gambin, whose work I greatly admire and who was also my childhood friend. I think he will probably make an excellent MEPA board member, and he is certainly a very decent man.
But here’s the thing. Given the way this government has been picking its people for appointments, was he chosen for his academic and technical credentials or for those plus the fact that he is Patrick Holland’s nephew and that his mother and sister are still ‘tesserati’ of the Labour Party?
Are we speaking about meritocracy or Labour meritocracy?
The absence from the list of MEPA board appointments of anyone who is not linked to support for the Labour Party, either from long-standing tradition or in this general election in particular, undermines the Labour Party’s election campaign talk of meritocracy. It appears so far that this government’s idea of meritocracy is heavily qualified: merit + support for Labour.
And then, of course, there are individuals with no merit in the field, in whom support for the Labour Party or Labour connections is considered more than sufficient, like Veronique Dalli and Matthew Pace (see previous posts).
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The Patrick Holland connection is no coincidence. If you`re Labour, PL will take care of you in one way or another. Guaranteed.
Simple. Labour’s concept of meritocracy operates on two fronts.
Any identifiable connection with things Labour and one is in.
Any identifiable connection with things perceived by Labour as anti-Labour, one is out.
Whether or not the appointees can contribute anything, or whether or not valuable talent and capabilities are discarded is entirely beside the point.
As little Joey and his Labour accolytes consolidate his position, in order to feather their collective nests and rape the country, we await a response from the media.
Being Labour seems to be a pre requisite to such appointments.
Timmy is very decent but loses any objectivity as soon as discussion veers towards politics. I suppose it is too difficult to overcome one’s background.
In any event if one must be Labour than rather someone like him. With some luck he might bring an element of decency to the Board and it might rub off on the others. Though not holding my breath.
Another victim of Labour Meritocracy: Mark Anthony Falzon.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130331/opinion/Stop-the-funny-talk-and-get-on-with-it.463567
Experts don’t come any better than him, but I guess he couldn’t be relied upon to switch off his moral compass and do as instructed
Does this mean that we shall be building under water now?
Meritocracy is for northern Europe. Here we are in clientelism-city.