Imagine if anyone in the previous government had done this
Published:
May 1, 2013 at 10:18am
So the Labour Party’s deputy leader, Toni Abela, has a seat in the cabinet and attends all cabinet meetings. Meanwhile, he is selling his services to one of his fellow cabinet members, the Minister of Social Policy, wearing his other hat as a lawyer.
Trid tkun il-vera Laburist, insomma.
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What’s wrong with that?? Toni, is a talented and honest man and he is capable of giving professional services. If my memory serves me right during the previous administration RCC had the same role and he was not the deputy leader of a political party let alone a lawyer. There were other lawyers from the previous administrationwho were given thousands and thousands of euro for services rendered and Dr Peter Fenech can confirm.
[Daphne – Richard Cachia Caruana did not sell his consultancy services back to the government while sitting in cabinet. He was a full-time employee of the state. Peter Fenech and other lawyers who sold consultancy services to the government did not have a seat in the cabinet. Nobody is questioning the one of the other. The abuse lies in the conjunction of both.]
Honest and talented wrote Joseph Saliba about Toni abela. If he were honest, he should have brought the presence of drugs at the MLP club to the attention of the police.
Saliba in the spirit of “bazwar l’ hawn and bazwar l’ hemm” you are perfectly right. As far as Toni’s honesty I find that hard to reconcile with the case of ice blocks.
Joseph, you write good English.
You do not sound moronic.
Do please try and understand Daphne’s very valid point.
This has nothing to do with Toni Abela’s talents or honesty.
It concerns the blatantly scandalous incompatibility of the double role that he is playing.
Just try a bit harder and I am sure you will get it.
As far as I can remember ( my mind is going haywire these last 2 months) Toni Abela is deputy leader for party affairs not for parliamentary affairs.
If honesty is measured by how one covers up a criminal offence, then no wonder.
Toni Abela is NOT honest, and I know that for a fact.
UNFORTUNATELY all this was to be expected. I can’t imagine how anyone could have expected otherwise, or better.
This is certainly one way of closing the gap with switchers coming back to their senses while kicking themselves for being foolish enough not to see beyond their noses.
Only if they have the ability to understand and read the situation for what it really is . Too many switched out of greed and jealousy .
Nonsense. No amount of immoral or amoral behavior will influence switchers (remember 1987?).
Switchers in 2013 were simply bought. Unfortunately, in Malta, no amount of pontificating about corruption or unethical decisions can match the power of money (or jobs mal Gvern). If it had, the PN would have been returned to power on the 9th of March.
If you mention 1987, one may mention 1998 when all the 1996 switchers, who were ‘bought’ on the VAT issue, switched back to vote PN in power.
Money and jobs mal-Gvern are not limitless. There can’t possibly be enough of them for all the 20 thousand or so switchers of 2013.
Let them to it, accelerate the rot, if they can’t even subscribe to objective function, it will set in, fast.
WIth no concept of morals or ethics, what can you expect from Labour? Tony Abela probably couldn’t see a conflict of interest if it slapped him in the face — but if he did, do you honestly think he’d care?
Malta Kollha Taghna! Malta Kollha Taghna! Malta Kollha Taghna!
Jien qatt ma kelli dubji li dawn l-affarijiet jergghu jibdew isiru taht gvern Laburista. Ghandi esperjenza bizzejjed tal-hnizrijiet li kapaci jaghmlu.
Mela fil-cabinet jista’ jkollu siggu min irid?
B’liema awtorita’ qed issir din il-haga? Hadd ma jista’ ghalihom dawn in-nies bhal fi zmien Mintoff. – ‘la l-gvern taghna naghmlu li rridu?’
Fil-vera sens li min imaqdar irid jixtri u l-izpizjar milli jkollu jtik. Il-hazin li jaghmlu huma dejjem jaghtuh lil haddiehor ghalhekk dejjem imaqdru lin-nazzjonalisti.
You are right. In psychology, this is called projection.
http://www.maltarightnow.com/?module=news&at=Daqshekk+servizz+ta%27+emer%26%23289%3Benza+b%27xejn+mill%2Dprivat&t=a&aid=99846780&cid=19
Food for thought for anyone with a regular contract servicing the public sector.
To me this is criminal. Using their positions of power to increase personal income.
Perhaps the focus on high-profile white-collar crime needs to be developed, fast.
These people would most likely have a trail of such operations and would be very familiar with the workings of loopholes within loopholes. The route would most likely be more complicated than just A to B and B to C, or simple point-to-point.
The compilation of the jigsaw should allow for the multiple random entry points to come under the lens, with more of a wide-angle focus on the reasons that there are missing pieces. How often are these bought off? or made to disappear?
Who is working with who?
The snake-oil artist depends on disjointed trails and events to justify his stand.
So what do you think MLP was ever all about?
The PL is losing its credibility much too quickly.
Much more to come .
If only!
Do you seriously think those who voted for them care? Do you think that they are savvy of moral finesse?
To them we are just being negative and worthy of the drubbing we got. And that line of reasoning is being expressed even by the switchers, whose moral standards I rate far lower than those of the brainwashed masses of die-hard Labour supporters.
Until our pockets are hit, it’s unlikely there will be many regrets.
Did it ever have any?
They never had any credibility in the first place.
Labour was never a political party of credibility on Malta as everything was sacrificed to class hatred of anyone that they perceived as being better than them.
If they could not control something or someone then they would ruin it/ them.
Mix this in with self enriching gangsterism of the Lorry Sant school of doing things and the ever present violent thuggery for violence sake, then you will have the real picture of what the PL is all about.
Joseph Muscat just placed a thin veneer to cover all this up but is political party’s working philosophy is still of the Dom Mintoff variety, but all gussied up for EU era consumption to fool the gullible.
As if they care. They got what they wanted and now they’re reaping what they sowed and gathering the wheat as fast as possible – just in case.
The switchers must be over the moon – they succeeded and got rid of Gonzi and the evil clique – which pales into insignificance when compared to the present one. Gloating are you?
As if the Pl ever had any credibility at all. It was believed, yes, certainly, and by an outstandingly huge number of Maltese. But that does not mean that it had credibility to start with – particularly with Muscat at the helm.
Well, to be frank, it didn’t have that much to begin with.
@ brimba – unfortunately we are stuck with them for 5 years .
So said many after Alfred Sant gained a 13,000-vote advantage in 1996. Yes, that could have been a one-off event.
Meanwhile, let them erode their own credibility. You can fool most of the people most of the time, but not all the people all of the time.
That is assuming it had credibility to begin with.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/businessdetails/business/businessnews/Nationalists-turn-down-seat-on-bipartisan-committee-on-economic-growth-20130430
Before the elections we all laughed that Labour would have to call Tonio Fenech for advice every Monday morning.
And guess what? NOW IT’S OFFICIAL. That’s what they really intended to do.
Muscat se jibqa’ jilghab ghall-gallarija.
Jekk minghalih se jiskarta r-responsabilta’ u jipprova jitfa’ fuq l-opposizzjoni se jwahhal pajjiz.
Id-decizjonijiet iridu jittiehdu, Fenech diga’ ghamilhom l-proposti. Sta’ ghall-gvern iwettaq jekk jahseb li dawn siewja.
Jekk Muscat se jibqa’ b’dan il-lant se juri bic-car li l-problema tal-gvern huwa Muscat nnifsu.
Mbaghad hemm il-loghba ta’ min jahbat it-tort jekk l-affarijiet imorru zmerg.
Jezisti l-parlament u d-diskussjoni fil-pubbliku ghal dak li jrid Muscat. Jew diga’ nesa’ ghalfejn qieghed hemm?
Aqdef Guz, mhux diga’ bdejt tara f’min se twahhal ghax mhu qed isir xejn.
Aren’t legal services subject to Piblic Procurement Procedures an thus a tender for such services should be issued?
His talents and knowledge is so vast that he should be involved in the running of the country, come what may, whatever it costs. Who needs code of ethics, separation of power and all the other BS when dealing with such a clinical mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4xxAMer_V8
Kienu jghidu ghall-gvern ta’qabel li jghaddi min fuq in-nies qisu romblu. Issa forsi is-swithchers indunaw li dan il-gvern ghandu romblu ferm ikbar, kbir daqs il-knisja tal-Mosta
Can you believe it? Sussidju tal-istudenti Ghawdxin tnaqqas, skont il-Facebook ta’ Varist.
Just some maths… ‘ Full-time students benefit from other allowances, such as if they are studying abroad (€2,500 per annum) or Gozitan students studying at the University of Malta (€1,050 per annum).’
Is Toni Abela still Malta Today’s lawyer?
…. give them time – they’re doing a great job chipping away at their credibility ….
So does this mean that Dr. Abela can give advice at the Cabinet meetings and then bill for that advice by sending fee notes to Marie Louise Coleiro Preca as “professional fees for legal services rendered to the Ministry for Social Policy”?
What worries me is that many people see nothing wrong in the above, nor in other similar situations.
One frequently hears/reads comments such as “what is wrong with that?”.
This doesn’t augur well for the future – immediate, medium-term or long-term.
Why don’t we (as a nation) ever learn? Why do we keep repeating the same mistakes?
Why are we not a discerning people? I had hoped that people had learnt and would not simply accept everything.
Why do we have to spend our lives fighting Labour’s inanities and misjudgement, whether they are in opposition or in government?
So Labour lied to get elected. They knew those they tricked into voting for them would get upset.They know they have five years to exploit being in power. Now would be a good time to move abroad.
It was easy to anticipate Labour’s win and the subsequent ‘policies’. I left the island permanently in January. Thankfully my personal life and career paths coincided with Labour’s win.
‘Animal Farm’ comes to Malta. Pigs not only at the trough, but in the trough.
Sounds like being employed by Enemalta, and taking a commission on oil procurement for your employer.
Labour has a major problem. It’s leader hasn’t started to think like a government as yet, and still thinks he is leading an opposition.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/More-to-come-from-Labour-government-Muscat-20130501
What exactly is the track record of the first 50 days when he says it’s the prelude of more to come? Is that a promise or is that a threat?
And why did MaltaToday have to use a pic of the Blurred Prince, rather than a crisp image?
Most switchers will not turn back to the Nationalist camp, unless something negative affects them personally. Unfortunately personal greed takes over, and as long as the going is good for them, that’s all that matters. I know it’s wrong, and many people know it’s wrong, but that’s life.
If he’s Labour, then it’s:
Bravu, jaghmel sew!
If he’s Nationalist:
Name, shame and repeat until the population is brainwashed. Ask for his resignation then seek for imprisonment. When the dust settles, give his previous perks to the person that named him in the first place.
Muscat says that he is the leader of a movement not of a party. Right – How does Toni Abela fit in? is he the deputy leader of a party or is he the deputy leader of a movement? Some clarification here is necessary, I think.
Now I know what they meant when they used the slogan “I’m IN”
Oh, look. We’re back in the international media for the wrong reasons.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-05-02/news/malta-could-trigger-the-next-european-crisis-le-monde-1505099777/
Isn’t Le Monde a left-leaning paper? Aren’t they part of the international network of friends of josephmuscat.con?
And they have the cheek to call us a “tax-haven,” after Monsieur Hollande told Joseph Muscat (or so we were told by Joseph Muscat) that we are not a tax haven. But then maybe Mr. Hollande does not represent the view of a majority of the French public anymore.
But it is clear that Le Monde is not well informed about the foreign banks operating in Malta.
Our foreign banks are not financed from Maltese funds. Therefore, should they have any financial difficulty, it is up to those financing them to carry the risks, not for our government to bail them out. Those foreign banks do not have Maltese deposits or Maltese capital, and therefore our economy and our government are not directly exposed to their funding risks.
But then why should we take lessons from a left-leaning paper about the running of a modern financial services sector?
Oh God! Jason Micallef is to head the V-18 committee! Please kill me now.
There is an article on page 3 of The Times (02.05.13) under the byline of Mark Micallef about the man (David Mangion) who got PL the Hollande endorsement. For some reason it is not included on the online version.
The article says that “his most valued contribution of late had been the negotiation of Francois Hollande’s endorsement of the Labour campaign”.
I was under the impression that Muscat and Hollande were bosom buddies, having worked together as MEPs in Brussels.
Since when I ask, do bosom buddies need a middleman to “negotiate” an endorsement and what were the terms of the negotiated endorsement?
We have just hit rock bottom..
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-05-02/news/jason-micallef-appointed-v18-chairman-1505099779/
Toni Abela is an official of a political party.
Toni Abela is not a member of government.
Toni Abela has no place in cabinet.
Yet another conflict of interest.
Daphne, I know you have already pointed out that the role of the opposition in a democracy is being in opposition rather than banding up with the government.
However, there are too many commenting about how ‘negative’ and ‘arrogant’ the Nationalist Party has been not to agree to form part of the bipartisan ‘action group for economic growth.’
I agree with the PN not joining this bipartisan action group (whatever those latter three terms may mean).
Very few understand that government should already have a clear policy and implementation plan for economic growth for the next five years. In theory, the MLP won the election based on this plan and now it should “hit the ground running.”
In theory, no action group is really necessary.
Aren’t the cabinet and ministries entrusted to be the ‘action groups’ in their respective areas? Shouldn’t members of the ministries and cabinet create and maintain dialogue with private industry to generate a deeper understanding of our economy?
Why does the MLP need the PN?
Few realise that different parties have different ideologies with respect to how to generate economic growth. Some parties believe and implement liberal policies with little or no intervention. Others believe a high degree of intervention is necessary.
The regulation of markets is the one example I am most familiar with. Different degrees of intervention shape economic growth differently.
Also, few realise that in a democracy, the opposition specifically serves to counter government. Opposition constructively offers opinions which may be similar to or in disagreement with government policy.
Government is also about consensus but it is also about making very hard decisions.
Government is not about creating a cartel of political parties assimilating and absorbing everyone and everything into a hive mind with the PM as the hive queen (no pun intended here). Otherwise, we’d have a one party state.
I don’t want to be out of line. However, may I suggest that you consider writing a separate post about this bipartisan ‘action group for economic growth’ issue? Unless, of course, you already have and I’ve missed it.
Inqacctu perit ha ndahhlu Gardinar…
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130502/local/jason-micallef.467968
Daqqa fil-bajd m’ghand Jose’ ghal ghand Joseph!
CHAMPAGNE SOCIALISTS,
Why all this fuss about the appointment of Toni Abela as consultant for the Ministry for Social Policy? He is an expert on requisitioned property. Owners of requisitioned property under Mintoff’s regime should seek Toni Abela’s assistance to have their properties returned to them.
The Centru Nazzjonali Laburista has moved to the Auberge de Castille.
Lock, stock and barrel.
This is the great fuck-up.
For the PL and, unfortunately, for Malta.
They never learn.
Can a Minister issue direct instructions to a government entity which is registered as a limited liability company with its own board of directors?
Or is this a sign of arrogance of the new government?
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Transfers-at-WasteServ-against-Minister-s-orders-20130430