While we stress out about him, Mercieca takes a little bit of R & R
Published:
April 23, 2013 at 8:30pm
So while everyone was sitting here stressing out about whether he should be allowed to work as a surgeon when serving as a parliamentary secretary, Franco Mercieca was in Turin, watching a football match: Juve vs Milan.
God bless these people – they really do know how to multituks.
38 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130423/local/code-of-ethics-does-not-give-right-to-waive-rules.466642
Wearing the Inter kit?
on TVM news….
Jose Herrera touring one of the best PN’s jobs in the last legislature…the fortifications’ restorations.
According to him (and this is what PN udes to say over and over again), projects fall behind schedule because companies who lose out in the tendering process, take the gov to court and so, the projects don’t start on time.
AND NOW HE SAYS THAT!
Ahseb u ara x’gej ghal power station il gdida ta KonraaaD!
Addio l-pazjenti li ghandhom bzonnu ghax hu biss hawn jaf jghamel operazzjonijiet fl-ghajnejn. He’s an arrogant man that’s what he is.
very well stated.
Here come the globe-trotters: Franco in Turin for a football match and Joseph Muscat + Louis Grech + George Vella in Paris watching Joseph Calleja
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Muscat-attends-Joseph-Calleja-concert-in-Paris-20130423
(I was under the impression the new PM had decided to hold Cabinet meetings on a Tuesday. What happened this week?)
He delegated the job to Michelle.
There’s a free concert in Paris is what happened this week.
Cabinet meetings using Skype?
U min qieghed imexxi l-pajjiz jekk il-prim u l-vici prim qeghdin barra? Marie Louise Coleiro Preca?
Jista’ xi hadd “jillistja” il-gerarkija tal-gvern?
Today ploughing the fields, tomorrow dining with the King.
Aw jien sejjer mjen, irrid inmur bil yot sa Marsalesss ta’.
It’s probably what they mean when their sympathisers tell you to go get a life. If you take life seriously (for which read responsibly and consistently) you’re categorised as boring. It’s the way the ‘gods’ treat their lesser mortals.
And Muscat is in Paris listening to Joseph Calleja. And Super One actually boasting about it this evening as headline news. Disgusting. When will they start working? Do they know what responsibility they’re in for?
They haven’t got a clue what to do anyway so perhaps its better they just enjoy themselves instead lest they break anything.
The person next to him is Gavin Gulia. They were in Turin for the entire weekend in fact.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-04-23/news/government-risks-creating-housing-bubble-kristy-debono-1449852928/
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Muscat-attends-Joseph-Calleja-concert-in-Paris-20130423
[Daphne – Let’s hope his French is a damn sight better than his wife’s English. Or his, for that matter. Well, he worked in Brussels for four years, so he should have picked it up.]
Exactly what is the prime minister doing? His ministers are in the news and he isn’t.
It’s taking you longer than I expected to get over it.
[Daphne – I was over it before it happened, Martin – let’s say some time around March 2008. It’s always a bad idea to project the way you would react onto others, who are probably different and also have a more informed sense of perspective and of reality.]
Meanwhile, on Bondi+, the Minister for Energy – who apparently still thinks he is in opposition because he keeps calling Tonio Fenech as “the Minister” (although he did not yell “Shame on You Ministru” at Tonio tonight) – has just revealed that in the expression of interest for the new Delimara gas plant his government is asking for a power purchase agreement with a minimum of 5 years ONLY.
This must be the NEWS OF THE YEAR, and I hope that it will be headlines on The Times tomorrow.
This declaration is a clear U-turn on what Konrad Mizzi had promised about a 10 year contract before the elections, although it does not take us by surprise because Mizzi had been challenged before the elections to produce a 10 year power purchase contract, which he never did.
It is in full breach of the electoral promise that the Labour government will obtain a 10 year power purchase agreement to lock in a reduced price of electricity, on which Konrad Mizzi built his political capital.
This is of course an issue of “national interest” because what this means is that after 5 years the country will be exposed to renegotiation of the electricity prices with a private MONOPOLIST.
It means that business cannot plan on the reduction in tariffs of 25% for the long term, but only for 5 years, with a major unknown after 5 years. It is common knowledge that serious business ventures take more than 5 years to pay back, so Labour’s new solution is going to add, not reduce, business risk and uncertainty.
It means also that all this political fuss by Labour had been made only so that, perhaps, Labour will reduce tariffs for just 5 years, when the gas plant itself is unlikely to have paid back the investment.
The Minister was very vague on many of his replies relating to Labour’s plan on the energy supply projects. In fact the Minister appeared so uncertain about some of his replies that he kept turning towards Tonio Fenech, almost seeking Fenech’s nod of approval, and he kept saying that they will discuss or consult in Parliament. Huh.
Am I right to say that at one point the Minister let slip that the Return on Capital Employed on the Delimara gas project has been computed by the government at, if I recall correctly, 8.4%? Isn’t this sensitive commercial information that was never published before?
Good on you Bondi and Tonio for making the Minister reveal these facts.
As for Konrad Mizzi, sorry, but it’s “Shame on you Ministru.”
Incompetents to the fore.
I wouldn’t trust him with a pair of scissors.
After five years he would be living again in the UK!
Bravu Christian Peregin.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130424/local/enemalta-seeking-five-year-fixed-price-deal-not-10.466785
The trick is that they’ll get a reduction for 5-10 years, that is well into their 2nd legislature, if they make it, and then Alla m’ghamlu l-prezz tal-gass fil-bidu tal-legislatura 2023
I feel sorry for Franco Mercieca. He is just a misfit in this cabinet. It was evident from when he declared his interest in running for office that his heart just wasn’t in it. He was chosen as an alternative to the Anton Refalo and Justyne Caruana on the Gozo district.
Now being given the portfolio for the Elderly he must rue the day he agreed to run. In private practice he is one of the two surgeons that performs the Excimer laser COSMETIC treatment.
There are just two surgeons that carry out this procedure which costs the patient over €2,000 and for which the surgeon makes around €500. In a morning the surgeons will perform between 10 & 15 procedures. They operate once a week. €7,500 for a morning’s work is not to be sneezed at. You can begin to understand his discomfort at leaving his lists to the other surgeon and instead visit old people’s homes!
Franco, your heart is not in it; and frankly you are a much better surgeon than you are a PS – just go back to your profession and forget the PS position.
If your figures are correct and assuming an average of 10 procedures per week at €500, that amounts to €5000/week or about €250,000 per year for this procedure ALONE. Then you have to add the income from clinics and private visits, plus the PS salary. I wonder how much of all this is declared for tax.
Your ‘multituks’ just made me realise something odd.
Our autoparlante, Angelo Frogia (see it’s all Italian now since he’s made Sicily his second home) must be allergic to ivory.
First he makes a hash of ‘tuskfors’ and now he’s zeroed in on Piano.
That’s the way to do it, Franco! For the first time I like the guy. He’s got his priorities right.
We’re now ruled by clowns, idiots, in the trough, scary people, led by a PM who is a travelling money grubber.
Our future is all set.
They are all on honeymoon enjoying the golden legacy of GonziPN : a booming and thriving economy.
Just give them a couple of years or even less.
Then it will be Armageddon.
Then the direzzjoni gdida will go into action.
Joseph evapora mix-xena politika kif ukoll dik amministrattiva w ezekuttiva tal pajjiz? Ftit jidher jew tisma bih.
Labour’s electoral promise on part time work:
Part-time work will be taxed at 15%.
Good for you, Franco – while a factory worker is charged 32% on overtime.
power or money what shall I choose ? oops just cannot make up me mind.
During this morning’s TVAM he admitted that he has to do some of his work in a private hospital as certain equipment is not available in Mater Dei. Can Mr Mercieca publicly declare that he will receive no payment for his service even when operating in a private hospital?
Muscat used Franco Mercieca to gain the third seat from Gozo.
Of course,how can he make use of his Juve season ticket if he doesn’t go to see such a match.