Friday’s press conference – Simon Busuttil
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November 10, 2013 at 4:03pm
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Brilliant. Well done, Dr Busuttil.
Clear and eloquent. He looks and speaks like a true statesman.
This style appeals to me a great deal but I am sure it is lost on a large segment of our population. The PN need people who speak the language of these people so that they can communicate the message well to them too. I think Jason Azzopardi can do it. Pehaps Beppe too.
I still cannot understand the recalcitrance of the EU and US State dept to make a statement on the way forward and the effect this will have on Maltese passport holders?
Whereas the scheme would indeed be much better with these and other amendments, let’s see how many of these suggestions will actually be taken on board.
[Daphne – They haven’t been taken on board, and if you’d listened to Busuttil’s press conference or read the news, you’d have known that.]
If they are not and the present scheme stands, (as is expected), then the only course of action left will be to force a referendum on the issue, something that should be really easy for the PN to organise.
“B’kull mezz” will mean nothing if this course of action is ignored. Resting on threats to eventually stop the scheme and withdraw citizenship when the nationalists are back in government will only slightly hinder the effectiveness of the scheme but will, ultimately, not suffice. In any case, the nationalists in government before ten years is nothing more than pie in the sky, by when the damage done will be irreparable.
In the clip, which I actually did listen to, Busuttil is clearly referring to a number amendments that he intends to present the day after. I took that as meaning that there is still an odd, but highly unlikely chance, of the suggestions being taken on board. What am I missing?
A movie script is making the rounds and will shortly be touted to film-makers. It’s a biography of a wheeling and dealing freeloader who is very rich. He is a person who has accumulated his wealth because he is miserly, a pathological freeloader and a relentless opportunist. He was brought up in poverty and while today he is able to afford any luxury, he prefers to live frugally because that is the life he relates best with. Like all misers, he likes to see his wealth accumulate and loves to count his money; he’ll only spend it if it is absolutely necessary or if he is certain there is a profit to be made on his investment. Indeed, marketers of the script believe the story will fly because such people are surprisingly common; extensive research they carried out estimates 8 out of 10 people actually know of someone who fits this description. The story is inspired by events unfolding in Malta. The story sales pitch is as follows:
“My name is Boris and I am a very rich. I intend to part with some of my cash to purchase a Maltese citizenship. This is not a decision I have taken lightly, I do not spend my money carelessly. Let us call it a down payment on a long-term investment, with some attractive medium-term returns.
“Of course I will continue to keep most of my riches safe in the Cayman Islands, where bank secrecy is Fort Knox while I blatantly lie to the Maltese authorities and their appointed citizenship application advisers of my true worth because they have no way of ever really finding out (not even my children know what I’m worth or where I’ve hidden my money; so fat chance that I’m about to start confessing to autocratic government officials of some insular little island. I’m not mad, thank you very much).
“Naturally I will show them I have some money, truly my pocket change, but that will be more than enough to assuage any concerns of those impressionable and gullible small islanders.
“Then I will come to my new home, Malta, and some time later, when convenient, declare myself bankrupt, unemployed and homeless knowing full well that I will be entitled to social housing (I find it pleasantly erotic when I manage to successfully freeload, especially as I don’t need to) and I can claim financial support (how amusing, how pleasant). Subsequently I’ll saunter to Mater Dei hospital where I will be informed that I am terribly ill (of course I’ll pretend I didn’t know) and I might even hint that I get the adequate treatment I need in the United Kingdom, all paid for by the State of Malta and European Union taxpayers combined.
“I’ll then remember I had conveniently divorced my spouse a week before buying my Maltese citizenship. This would’ve saved a few grand for the spouse part of the Maltese citizenship application. But now that I am going to the United Kingdom as a Maltese citizen requiring medical attention I’ll hurry up and remarry my sweetheart to ensure I’m accompanied on our medical-related, all-expenses-paid travels. Happily, my spouse will eventually become a Maltese citizen too…we’re in no rush really because it’s already guaranteed. I think it’ll take around five years through the normal channels, but will cost near to nothing because she will apply as the wife of a Maltese citizen.
“All in all I shall profit grandly from all this, it goes without saying my EU passport and Malta’s remarkable diplomatic relations with the United States are priceless bonuses and I certainly intend to reap future business opportunities from those two great continents…and besides, it is nice and warm in Malta although the social housing is a little shabby (I’ll fix that quietly, and indeed I might even convert it into a reasonable pied-a-terre for my occasional visits to that eccentric island when I have my free medical follow-ups in their state-of-art spanking new hospital).
“It’s just a damn shame their cigarettes are so expensive, but patience, you can’t win them all.”
I have to admit that Initially I was not impressed with Simon Busuttil’s performance as leader of the Opposition.
However, his recent speeches in parliament and also interviews on Radio 101 have completely won me over.
I too was not impressed at first even though I still would have voted for Dr. Busuttil to be the leader of the PN.
But now I truly beleive he is fit for purpose.
This evening in parliament he’s doing very good explaining the budget.
Dr Busuttil, keep it up.