And here’s another example of who’s in charge in a specific place – in a democracy
Prime Minister David Cameron, his deputy Nick Clegg and a camera crew get a stern telling off from the surgeon David Nunn for disregarding hospital rules during an NHS visit.
The only thing wrong with this was his manners. He was right, but he should have made his request in a civil fashion, and not so rudely and aggressively.
Compare this to Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes’s recent visit to the animal hospital in Ta’ Qali, where his arrogant aides ordered journalists outside even though the veterinarian in charge, Trevor Zammit, had asked them in to see the hospital.
And who did the journalists obey? Roderick Galdes and his men. Not Dr Zammit.
That was wrong. At the animal hospital, it’s the chief veterinarian who is in charge. Roderick Galdes, despite being the Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights, enters at his invitation and when on the premises, should cede to his authority. And if his aides step out of line and start throwing their weight about, the chief veterinarian can demand that they leave. And Roderick Galdes with them.
I can’t believe these things have to be explained. Or that the people who voted Labour expected this circus troupe to know how to behave.
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Under Labour we have Chiefs of Staff who order about soldiers and I can safely assume police officers.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130630/local/-Minister-s-aide-told-police-to-arrest-me-.475922
Mr Zammit replied: “It became an issue when a security officer – who is also a soldier – provided back-up for John Muscat and found himself in a quandary who to answer to; whether to his permanent employer, Silvio Scerri as chief of staff at the Home Affairs Ministry, or his temporary employer. That’s when it became an issue.”
I think that this is the most disconcerting aspect of this whole incident, that the Commissioner of Police states that the soldier who allegedly was doubling up as a security officer at this concert is answerable to the minister’s chief of staff and not to the army commander.
A report on a web-site gave a more detailed portrayal of what truly happened at the Isle of MTV concert than The Sunday Times feature did, and the emerging picture is one of manifest abuse of power which should be nipped at the bud.
http://zekzik.com/2013/06/30/silvio-scerri-jordna-li-jaghti-l-ordnijiet-lill-pulizija/
With this sense of judgment, one wonders how authoritative is the absolution that Peter Paul Zammit gave John Dalli about the snus case.
Surely, it should have been the courts, whether as a court of inquiry or as a court of judicature, which should have pronounced such an absolution. Such an absolution should not have been granted by a part of the executive, that is, the Commissioner of Police.
Yet, no one seems to bother about the matter.
Truly disconcerting in both instances.
That’s the difference between professionals and amateurs.
It’s unfortunate that Dr. Zammit didn’t have a pitbull at his disposal. Bullies are cowards, once confronted.
Totally agree with the tone of this posting. However the sad fact is that after his intervention Mr David Nunn, the orthopaedic surgeon involved, was put on indefinite gardening leave by his trust.
Good old NHS. Yes, the PM was a visitor in that hospital, and considering the fact that there is a lot of MRSA going around in hospitals, the surgeon did very well to show his concern for the patients’ safety.