Let’s get this straight: it’s not because he’s diehard Labour. It’s because he’s wholly unfit for purpose.
The news that Norman Hamilton is to be Malta’s new High Commissioner to London has met with scathing commentary. Your average Labour supporter seems to think that this is because the basis for the objection lies in the way Hamilton votes.
No, not at all. The basis for my objection, at least, lies in the fact that Norman Hamilton is wholly unfit for purpose, but that the loyal service he has rendered to the Labour Party, for decades and even throughout the Golden Years of Horror, are considered more important than suitability and fitness for the role.
Interviewed by Times of Malta, Hamilton says he will bring business to Malta. Oh come on. Aside from the fact that he is hardly the best person to do that, this is only a fraction of a senior diplomat’s role. Diplomats at that level deal in diplomacy, in relations between countries. They are not business carpet-baggers.
If we have reduced the role of an ambassador or high commissioner to ‘somebody who gets business for Malta’, then what in God’s name do we have an entire expensive organisation with a massive staff, called Malta Enterprise, for?
For its new chief, Mario Vella, to sit at a desk all day intellectually playing with himself?
Expect lots of lovely ‘national identity’ promotions at Malta House, and Maltese song festivals.
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In the absence of solid credentials, a pie in the sky was the only promise possible.
As we have seen already, this is a government who, instead of taking into account people’s track record, is fond of experimenting. Pity we are and will be paying for their antics.
Is it possible that Labour have no one who is even remotely qualified to do the job?
That ambassadors (and high commissioners) were chosen in part due to their political leanings was not much of a secret, but at least they were competent and seasoned diplomats. This particlaur here, on the other hand, is nothing but a perverse joke.
Instinctively, I associate Hamilton with the noise made by exploding beer bottles.
Must be he was the talking head on TV as the PN club was ransacked.
Ray Azzopardi on the other hand, signifies uncouth warblers. And tons of red carnations.
And don’t call us brainwashed or traumatised, we learnt to expect so much better. These people didn’t and won’t. No magic Joseph spell to bring them into the democratic West.
Who’s next? George tad-Doughnuts?
Joe iz-zejza.
Sour grapes!!!!
Credentials include presenting ‘Sibtijiet Flimkien’ in the dark days of state repression, when his wife used to read the Xandir Malta doctored and twisted news while Malta burned and people were killed and dumped in wells and beneath bridges.
Not that he had anything to do with that, but he had no problem being associated with that hideous mess and voting for more of the same.
One of his wife Josette Grech’s brothers (not the silly man from Iklin who scribbles inanities about the George Cross) was a Police thug who opened fire on Nationalist supporters at Rabat.
The so-called success of his travel business was due mostly through the massive ongoing promotion on Super One.
These people are text book opportunists. They used Labour to promote their interests. Credentials? Yes, sure.
I can imagine what he’ll come up with to increase tourist arrivals from London.
Next? Alex Sceberras Trigona as ambassador to the DPRK?
Those Kalashnikovs he once got really boosted ‘Malta’s business’…
Muscat must be nuts. Saying Zammit Tabona was instrumental in bringing the City to Malta’s an understatement.
So Hamilton’s set on getting bizniss, does he even know the way to Leadenhall Market?
He looks really quite old in that picture. How old is he, 75?
[Daphne – Gosh, you’re good. He’s 73 or 74.]
He’s hardly the age of an active ambassador at an important post, let alone an agent promoting business for a country (apart from the fact as you already mentioned, it’s not his role).
A geriatric with the hair and glasses of a 1970s Soho spiv. Nice going, Malta. He could star in Sexy Beast II – The Prequel.
Spot on Baxxter – as always.
Maybe that’s because he was a 1970s Soho spiv.
Hey Baxxter! Go easy on the seventies. Had hair down to my shoulders, grew my own grass in Montreal, worked as chief economist for Bell Canada, and was mugged by the cops who thought I was FLQ.
Don’t think this twit would have fit in. We had a thing about commies.
Is that where you got your handlebar moustache? A remnant of your 1970s flares n’ disco days? R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
And other Labour supporters who risked their jobs when in opposition are being forgotten.
These newly appointed ambassadors will be representing Malta in the capital cities in Jan-Jun 2017 when Malta will have its EU presidency.
And they think that being an ambassador is all about attracting business to Malta.
Ouch.
The PM has probably urged Mr Norman ‘Diehard Laburist’ Hamilton’s to get more manufacturing joPs to Malta. His incognito mission is to persuade top range U.K. brands to relocate their manufacturing factories to Smart City or City Gate.
Joe will be happy to send Michelle to inaugurate factories like Fox Brothers & Co or Coeur de Lion. Maybe he will strike a special deal to get at least one of his daughters to work there.
I see a great future ahead. L-iktar jew nergghu nibdew nisirqu it-tikketi mill-fabriki biex inhituhom fuq il-hwejjeg taghna.
You say that he is totally unfit and I say that he always was unfit since I knew him at the age of 15.
At that time we made him believe that he was a good singer and I remember him standing on the public convenience in front of the Preluna Hotel and our group taking the mickey and encouraging him to sing.
He changed his name to Clive Waters and would not answer if anybody called him Norman. I also have his signed autograph as Clive Waters. Some years later I had met him in Soho soliciting people to enter into a strip club.
So I am not surprised that he made it as the top Maltese diplomat for London with such a colourful background.
Well Gel, I too remember him in London in the late 60s early 70s before he got that call from Joe Grima after Labour hijacked Rediffusion.
So with credentials like that he will surely do a good job as our High Commissioner in London.
Thank you, Gel. What a recollection. How very true your account and what a very pleasant memory.
A few of that group are still alive and kicking. Allow me to suggest that Clive’s favourite stage was on the backrest of a double-bench, and this, in front of the Chalet after the manager pulled the big switch for the night.
Those were the days that were. Wonder what he kind of schooling has been entered in his CV.
.
He’s a travel agent with no diplomatic experience or training. Is this the best that Malta can do? Also, he’s too old. Not impressed.
Seriously,someone should take on the laborious task of identifying the kind of alegiances government appointed officials have/had with the present/previous government.
Chances are that it will result that most appointees under this administration were involved up to their necks in party affairs( eg commissioner of police) whilst in the previous one, most if not all, were passive sympathizers, if that.
It irks me when both parties are tarred with the same brush.
It doesn’t surprise me when the likes of Lino Spiteri subscribe to this theory, but it does when people who should know better are of the same mind.