Taghna Lkoll: a licence to freeload off the gravy train
Malta Today broke the news this morning that Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi – who is now neck-and-neck with Manuel Mallia in the race for the title of cleanest and most transparent cabinet minister – has engaged Miriam Dalli as a consultant for ‘communication, corporate social responsibility and stakeholder management’.
Over and above her basic salary of €33,583, she is being paid a €2,000 ‘expertise allowance’ (what – does this mean the ministry engages some consultants who are not experts?), a €1,500 expense allowance, a car allowance of €4,659 and an ADSL connection capped at €815.
The ministry spokesman who confirmed this did not say whether Dalli is paid her expense allowance, car allowance and ADSL connection allowance against receipts and invoices, or whether she is just given a straight cheque – in which case, these allowances are not allowances at all, but part of her salary. And it did not occur to Malta Today to ask.
“This one-year contract is in line with the guidelines issued by the office of the Prime Minister,” the spokesperson told MaltaToday. “In contrast to the previous administration, these guidelines were formulated in order to set a limit on the number of advisors a ministry can have and also to set parameters for terms of contract.”
Oh, indeed. Dalli has worked for Super One since it was set up and she was about 18 years old. She is now 40. She is literally embedded in the Labour Party and its broadcast media, and was on Super One practically every night in the electoral campaign.
Not only that, but she is married to Karmenu ‘Il-Guy’ Vella’s son. So Konrad the Non-Korrupt hasn’t engaged only Miriam Dalli the Labour Party’s head of ‘news’. He has engaged his cabinet colleague’s daughter-in-law.
This is appalling. It would be a big news scandal in the more civilised and democratic EU member states.
This is the bit that Malta Today hasn’t reported: Dalli has just had a baby (yes, the tourism minister’s grandchild). Because of this, she has left her job in corporate affairs at Vodafone – a job the company allowed her to keep while she was concurrently head of news at Super One, I imagine, because it was convenient to have somebody working for them who also worked for the Labour Party, running its propaganda department.
I don’t imagine that Vodafone would have allowed one of its senior staff to work concurrently, for example, as head of news at The Malta Independent or head of news at TVM. They would have been told to choose. But really, it was Miriam Dalli’s role as head of news at Super One which was far more damaging to Vodafone, which was why her full-time job there was kept quiet and most people think that her real job was at Super One and that it was Super One from which she earned her living. Not so.
Now that Dalli has had her baby, she is no longer at Vodafone. I thought at first that she might be out on extended maternity leave, but this news demonstrates otherwise – that with the help of her father-in-law, the Labour Party and Non-Korrupt Konrad, she has found a way of getting a comfortable salary plus ‘allowances’, having her car and her communications bills paid, while pretty much staying home with her new baby.
Of course the contract is for a year. Non-Korrupt Konrad’s spokesman tried to spin that as something positive, but it should have occurred to Malta Today to join the ruddy dots and work out that this makes it even more abusive. It means that this consultancy contract and attendant salary and allowances have been specifically designed for Dalli to cover the year’s gap between having her baby and leaving Vodafone and becoming an MEP next summer.
There is one word for this: abuse.
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Corporate social responsibility? What creds does Miriam Dalli have on that topic?
Does she have the time to work full time as a consultant and campaign for the MEP election? I’m pretty sure that in a couple of months she’ll never go to work and still be paid.
And nice polite Simon, leader of the collaboration (you can’t seriously call it an opposition for goodness’ sake), will not say a word in case they call him “negative” and remind him that “36,000 cannot be wrong”.
This government is literally raping the country and the opposition ponders the importance of gays getting civil unions, in case we upset them and lose votes we never had in the first place.
Where the f**k is the PN?
The country is lucky to have an Opposition party at all. The financial problems at the PN are massive. Almost beyond belief. Which sort of belies all the hype about Lawrence Gonzi l-aqwa mexxej.
Of course they could plug the hole overnight by selling off their kazini, which are a relic of the past, and mostly useless. Even the tiniest hamlet (il-Fontana-type) has a PN club. The kazin demographic is NOT where the PN should be looking for lost votes, or new ones.
But given that no one at Dar Centrali ever reads this blog, I suppose it’s carry on, nothing to see here.
That, sir, is no excuse.
They have the MPs’ pay and the leader of the opposition is paid to be leader of the opposition. They don’t do it pro bono or pro patria amor. It’s a pittance in comparison to other countries but talking to the press or writing to the press doesn’t cost much.
A silent opposition is no opposition. It’s a sham, just as much as this government is a sham.
I agree, and I take it you’re one of us – the silent minority for whom and with whom the PN no longer speaks. They don’t want our vote. That’s how they come across.
[Daphne – We’re not very silent, though, are we.]
I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree. Having a voice, in Malta, means being a household name and an opinion leader. How many of us are household names? There’s just you. And you’re not exactly an opinion leader, seeing as you’re loathed by half the population, and politely ignored by the other half.
Opinion leaders in Malta are of two types: the quacks/hamalli/crooks (Natius, Emmy Bezzina, Peppi Azzopardi…), or the god-fearing hand-wringing folk (Fr Joe Borg, Anthony Manduca, Alison Bezzina…)
Yes, Sir, I am a silent minority in the country, but a sizable minority on the centre-right. I am a Christian democrat conservative (CD in the European sense, Conservative in the British sense) who has been expunged and exiled from the Nationalist Party.
Why?
Because the pre-election and post-election approach has been pathetic. The PN has been more to the left than the PL on many social and national issues, which makes no sense. The Party is completely detached from its grassroots, which are the professional, traditional, conservative and middle classes, with a modicum of intelligence and a high regard for human and civil rights.
The PN will castrate itself in the same way as Cameron appears to have castrated the Tories, with gay marriage and all that nonsense. Let the socialists push their socialist agenda, don’t push a socialist agenda hoping to win the socialist vote, because, I repeat BECAUSE the right (or centre-right) will NEVER, I repeat, NEVER, acquire the leftist vote. The left everywhere is rotten, stinking, decadent and corrupt, abusive and repulsive.
And the PN has become repulsive to me. It is the PL with different colours in terms of policy.
Better the PN than the so-called PL anytime of course, but I am as comfortable in the PN today as I would be in the AD – that bunch of soft-headed idiotic clowns with left-leaning sympathies.
My thoughts exactly, Conservative.
The party of Mizzi, Borg Olivier and Fenech Adami, reduced to having a “leader” with a child and her soft toy on his lap.
What’s next?
Vodafone.
Joe Cuschieri, formerly of Vodafone and the Malta Communications Authority, would be appointed chairman of the Lotteries and Gaming Authority. Mr Cuschieri was expected to meet LGA employees last Tuesday, but this was delayed to next week. Mr Cuschieri has vast experience in the telecommunications sector and has been described as a “doer”. He is Foreign Minister George Vella’s son-in-law.
Not to mention that she has just finished the 6 year long law course while being head of one news and working with Vodafone and even getting the student stipend.
Totally against the Education Act – one cannot read for a full time course and at the same time hold a full time job.
Miriam Dalli worked for Joe Cuschieri, ex Vodafone COO and son-in-law of our foreign affairs minister, now to be appointed boss of the Gaming Authority. Her sister Veronique Dalli works for Jose Herrara’s law practice. Her husband, the tourism minister’s son, worked in sales at a leading 5* hotel owned by a top switcher in St Julian’s.
Ta’ gewwa dawn. Jew ta’ barra minn hawn.
I can imagine where Labour got those giant phones for the campaign.
Bliss Magazine?
And all the general population seemed to care about a few months ago was the ruddy €500 and that stupid clock.
Meanwhile in less than a year Labour have been abusing the country’s finances and reputation left, right and centre with their immensely corrupt practices, and not a peep.
Ara vera l-anġlu bil-musmar f’s**** u jidħak.
Labour promised to eradicate consultancy posts from ministries.
If this is what they meant, go figure. Justifying it by quoting fresh protocol simply betrays an admission to the abuse.
Which may be why Owen’s into possession this morning. Peace.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131023/local/bendy-buses-have-your-say.491593#.Umebq2tBupo
Looks like Times of Malta is still on the rampage with its anti – Arriva campaign by inciting the natives who lurk on its comments board.
We have already become indifferent to this gross corruption of power. Where are the journalists hounding the ministers?
And the people are still in a trance.
Ou est Frankie Ta’ Bona? We really need him to redefine ‘oligarchy’.
Typical banana republic attitudeswith a weak and servile media that lead the regime to act blatantly in your face.
Miriam Dalli this year finished doctor of laws course at the University of Malta as well so she is a lawyer without a warrant to practice. My daughter was in the same course.
Keep up the good work.
As clear as crystal.
“In contrast to the previous administration, these guidelines were formulated in order to set a limit on the number of advisors a ministry can have and also to set parameters for terms of contract.”
Can some journalist find out how many advisors any of the ministers in the previous administrations actually had? And while they’re at it they can also complete the picture by giving the nitty-gritty of the salary and other perks, they received?
[Daphne – Again, that is hardly the point. Ministers can have advisers if they need them, and those advisers shouldn’t be expected to go unpaid. The point here is that it is Miriam Dalli, a cabinet minister’s daughter-in-law and long-time Labour Party head of news, who needs this stop-gap salary (as distinct from job) and has been given it abusively.]
Thanks very much, all ye switchers who thought you were so very clever. Now, are you going to do something about it? Perhaps your Maltese is not so much up to scratch and the saying “Min jghid wisq fih ftit risq” never crossed your mind.
You gobbled up ‘Joseph’s’ lies hook, line and sinker and see where it got you and unfortunately the rest of us with you. Idiots.
No wonder Joe Muscat’s battlecry during the electoral campaign was:
A NEW DIRECTION
He actually said a ‘nude erection’.
Bald prick?
I am only happy about one thing. Seeing the look on the switchers’ faces when I tell them, I TOLD YOU SO.
I hope the f–kers burn in hell for what they have done to this country.
On the other hand to many, not only switchers but also those who refused to vote PN again, things are pretty much the same.
Ahleb Guz
Whatever happened to Tonio’s clock?
Maybe they should also say whether the contract stipulates that it can be renewed for another year, then another year….
Renewal for another year only. Families now only have two children
What the hell is next ?
This gravy train has the semblance of an extended bendy bus …
Can anyone tell us what qualifications Ms Dalli has?
[Daphne – That’s hardly the point, is it.]
Abuse? Not sure.
All this is being approved by the civil servants. If they are happy with it and then pleased to implement systems to tax the public to make good for the shortfall what the hell!!
Budget day will show exactly how generous the PL has been with its lot.
[Daphne – The fact that civil servants approve it does not make it less abusive but more so. Your logic is flawed.]
I think what Infurmat means is that the haxi (“abuse” doesn’t quite cut it; nor does “corruption”) is institutionalised, and crosses party lines.
It has become so deeply rooted that it isn’t even seen as wrong. Each one of us here can cite a dozen cases of abuse, at the very least. All approved and signed off by senior civil servants. And all under the watch of a government that had promised justice.
This one’s promised nothing but haxi sfrenat so I’m not counting them.
Il-poplu qieghed issejjah lil dan il-“ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES”. Nahseb il veru tixraqlu ghax kif ser jisolhu il-polplu mhux qed jaghmlu.
Il-vera arukaza kbira.
Qatt ma kienet tghaddili minn rasi li ghad xi darba ikun hemm gvern aghar mil-gvern ta’ Duminku Mintoff, izda mort zmerc bil-kbir – il-gvern immexxi minn Joseph Muscat huwa l-aghar gvern li qatt kellna sa llum.
“she is being paid a €2,000 ‘expertise allowance’ ”
I don’t know what her expertise is that warrants taxpayers paying €2,000 for it.
Certainly it has no connection with ‘hair management’.
Qalu tant ghall-paga ta’ Austin Walker, is-CEO tal- MEPA u din kunsulenta ha taqla daqsu?
Ma setax Konrad Mizzi jsib kunsulent/a b’inqas remunerazzjoni u jiffranka lil kaxxa ta Malta ftit eluf sew? Flok Austen Walker dahhlu wiehed b’ferm inqas paga, anzi hafna u hafna inqas biex jiffrankaw, u kellna kaz fejn dahlu wkoll il-pulizija jahdmu ta waiters biex jiffrankaw, mela fejn iridu huma jiffrankaw?
Seeing that this government excels in concocting this “lacework” – we say in Maltese “mahduma bizzilla” – perhaps they should encourage this local industry more.