Comments on: There’s nothing, except ethical standards and respect for democracy, to stop the government issuing diplomatic passports to whomsoever it pleases https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/ Daphne Caruana Galizia is a journalist working in Malta. Sat, 09 Nov 2013 18:32:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Kevin Zammit https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1355161 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 18:32:24 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1355161 But honestly!

1. Why was this scheme never mentioned in the electoral campaign? Labour afraid of losing votes?

2. Why are the names of people buying passports to be kept secret? Something to hide?

3. If Labour knows the risk of losing votes, why are they doing this at all? For 30 million euros? Something sounds wrong here…30 million euros are not worth losing votes for.

4. Why is Labour always being so ridiculous in saying the Opposition is destructive? Is it destructive to give better ideas on how the Citizenship Scheme could run?

5. Why isn’t this scheme tied to investment? The U.S. has a similar programme in which applicants must first live for 5 years there and they are tied by investing and creating jobs. Wouldn’t have that been MUCH better? Yes…but Labour is making this up simply to deliver an electoral promise to mysterious persons, one which was not made to the public but to someone (or some country) eager to be able to obtain as many passports as it likes, quickly, for its representatives and salespersons…..selling God knows what.

6. How can we trust the government’s due diligence skills if they employed Shiv Nair (blacklisted by the World Bank for fraud and corruption)? They weren’t able to Google him – so what due diligence is that?

]]> By: Joseph Borg https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1354534 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 10:02:56 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1354534 In reply to Il-Hsieb tar-Ronnie.

Within five a good percentage of us who are real citizens of Malta will have joined the majority. I am coming across quite a lot of Maltese citizens who are under forty who are more interested how to get a free lunch.

]]> By: Tabatha White https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1354169 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 01:54:44 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1354169 Do business envoys for Malta hold Maltese diplomatic passports?

What passports and level of passport do Shiv Nair and Sai Laing operate with?

]]> By: Peter Bloom https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1354036 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 00:15:02 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1354036 Recommended reading: Michael J. Sandel, “What money can’t buy — the moral limits of markets”, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York), 2013.

]]> By: Mandy https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1354011 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 00:01:21 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1354011 Somehow, the words “ethical” and “Labour” don’t seem to go together.

]]> By: anthony https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1353996 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 23:51:58 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1353996 In reply to Il-Hsieb tar-Ronnie.

The PL will not be securing hundreds of votes but millions of euros.

Hundreds of votes would not be enough to maintain it in power.

Millions of euros translate into thousands of votes.

That would ensure the PL stays in power indefinitely.

]]> By: Il-Hsieb tar-Ronnie https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1353923 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 23:01:12 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1353923 One can also imagine that if hundreds of passports will be sold then one can also conclude that the Labour Party may be securing hundreds of votes. Hundreds of passports every year can easily lead to a new deciding factor in Malta’s general elections. Malta’s real citizens and those who fought hard for Malta’s independence and helsien cannot be insulted more.

]]> By: ciccio https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/11/theres-nothing-except-ethical-standards-and-respect-for-democracy-to-stop-the-government-issuing-diplomatic-passports-to-whomsoever-it-pleases/#comment-1353921 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 22:59:36 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=40190#comment-1353921 Joseph Muscat will be remembered for going from stamping his feet while attempting to push back poor African immigrants seeking help from Malta to access the EU as their only hope for survival to stamping Maltese passports for Chinese billionaires to give them access to the EU via Malta.

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