He is new to parliament but then come to think of it he has been on an elections campaign and 14 months in office. About time he started realising who is to be ASHAMED OF WHAT AND WHERE.

When the opinion piece by Noel Grima – linked below – was first published on The Malta Independent, I had quoted the following excerpt on this website and had remarked that it was absolutely true. Now I add that it was prophetic.

“In my book, however, to run a country on fear and fear alone will not work, not in the long term. People, key people, will focus more on keeping out of the leader’s way rather than on giving sterling work. Sooner or later, all activity will grind to a halt and everyone will look to the leader to lead. The followers will be vociferous in attacking presumed hostile persons, hoping to get Brownie points by that. But otherwise they will leave the business of managing the country, attaining goals and reaching targets to him and only as far as he allows them to do things.

This, of course, is a far cry from what parliamentary democracy is supposed to be about but this is Malta, a country of autocratic grand masters, ruthless governors, absolutist prime ministers who ran the country into the ground. We have been here already.”

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-03-09/opinions/an-exercise-in-superiority-4191027201/

You got it – he is definitely il-pastas of “2c big liar Joe”. Why do you think that he was also given the Health portfolio – because he is a big YESMAN

Muscat and Mizzi both said a contract has been signed with Electrogas. It seems they are lying (so what’s new?)

Neither Mizzi nor Muscat mentioned whether they meant Electrogas the company or the consortium. Neither the company nor the consortium can enter into any contracts because they do not exist as legal entities.

A consortium is not a legal entity, by definition, and ElectroGas Malta Limited has not yet been formed so it does not exist legally.

Muscat and Mizzi were categorical. They said ‘Electrogas’, not
Malta Power and Gas Limited. That company is still owned by Enemalta so by signing an agreement with that company, Enemalta would be binding itself to supply itself with gas for 18 years.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LvdLovAaYzM

The Ministers are there to give Joseph the opportunity to speak with different mouths.

Ironically, they are also used as a human shield to stand between him and anyone criticising him in any way, much in the manner his famous rostrum shields him from any embarrassing questions.

Joseph Muscat does not care about anyone but himself. To me he seems to be deliberately seeking to humiliate others, including his ministers, interpreting that word in its true meaning: Minister = servant.

What has happened last Friday is getting clearer.

Joseph Muscat has secured a commitment from Gasol plc – which in its recent interim results stated that it is the “lead developer” of the Malta project – to acquire its 30% share in Malta Power and Gas Limited from Enemalta.

This means that there must now be a commitment by Gasol plc to pay the amount mentioned by Gary of Eur 9 million (30% of the price set by the government of Malta for MPGL of Eur 30 million) to Enemalta in return for the 30% stake in MPGL.

Those Eur 9 million will be used by Enemalta (read Muscat) to cover the first tranche of revenue losses that will be suffered by Enemalta from the reduction in the water and electricity bills, which will amount to around Eur 25-30 million this year alone.

When the other members of the consortium sign up for the remaining 70% of the shares in MPGL, Muscat will have secured a commitment for the remaining Eur 21 million to cover the rest of the losses in Enemalta’s revenues this year.

“Government to publish power station contract after all” – says Times of Malta.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140515/local/government-to-publish-power-station-contract-after-all.519134

The title gives the impression that the contract will be published imminently, or that the government had previously said that it will not publish the contract and has now had a change of heart.

But on Reporter last Monday, Joseph Muscat did not say that the contract will not be published. He contradicted himself about the signing of the contract, but in the second version said that the contract will be published.

So Times of Malta’s title does not reflect the news value here.

This is what the prime minister said:

“M’hemmx segretezzi fuq l-ebda kuntratt tal-powerstejxin. Ha jkun miftuh ghall-iskrutinju publiku hekk kif jasal il-waqt.

Kif jasal il-waqt ha jkun miftuh ghall-iskrutinju pubbliku bl-istess mod kif kienu miftuhin ghal iskrutinju publici accounts, kontijiet u kuntratti simili fis-snin li ghaddew – ovvjament wiehed irid jara is-sensitivita kummercjali. Ovvjament ahna f’pajjizna ghandna wkoll l-Freedom of Information Act.”

Notice the standard answer repeated twice, although with a slight change in the argument order:

“Ha jkun miftuh ghall-iskrutinju publiku hekk kif jasal il-waqt.”

“Kif jasal il-waqt ha jkun miftuh ghall-iskrutinju publiku.”

This is in fact a Konrad Mizzi type of answer: Mizzi often answers media questions by repeating his reply in different versions – allowing for the occasional “fenomenali” added here and there.

This answer shows that the prime minister was careful not to deviate in his reply from a very carefully studied reply which has all the elements to cover his *rse.

Then there is the use of the plural like “segretezzi” and “l-ebda kuntratt tal-powerstejxin.” He has probably widened the population of contracts on purpose, because there are different contracts that need to be signed about the powerstation. The contract signed last Friday as reported in The Times on Monday appears to be just one of many such contracts.

Notice also the body language of the prime minister – an attempt to disarm the journalists with an innocent smile. This body language changes completely in subsequent questions on other topics.

The prime minister is only buying more time. The power purchase agreement has not been signed.