No doubt absolutely, in the most Stalinistic and Chinese way. Joseph will listen, always. He uses one ear to listen and the other to jettison what he hears lest it sticks and he would have to listen to it.

I wonder what happened to that Eur1 million co-production film fund that was announced last year? it seems to ‘fortuitously’ coincide with a co-production that Azzopardi started working on

[Daphne – Sorry, I missed that. It must have been when I was away that month.]

A statement from the Association of Performing Arts Practitioners (APAP):

“The association feels that these remarks do not fit well with his proposed role as Artistic Director of the Valletta 2018 project. V18 is a major international event which is specifically entrusted with the task of promoting cultural diversity, as well as reflecting the various aspects of the Mediterranean culture, and which aims to bring about change and understanding within society through creativity and dialogue. APAP feels that Mr. Azzopardi’s comments as made on a public forum, repeatedly and with much vigour, make him a highly unlikely candidate to attain such an ambition.”

It very unusual for an NGO to express an opinion on a specific appointment. APAP felt sufficiently strongly about the matter to do so.

Joseph Muscat claims that this is a government that listens. Will he listen to APAP’s advise? We will wait and see.

You obviously have no clue what a redneck is

Some people don’t grow out of their rebellious phase even in their thirties. They start waxing their chest instead.

He should have chosen NO platform. When you are in that position you have to watch what you say everywhere and all the time.

And a person with those views has no place being artistic director of V18 because those views show that he is no better than a redneck.

People who are vehemently anti-religion tend to be utter bores. They turn atheism into a religion of its own and never stop droning on about it.

Anti-religiosity is just a phase you go through as a rebellious young person. Then you get over it.

God’s existence can never be proved but neither can it be disproved so it’s a mostly pointless argument which just keeps going round in circles.

And religion makes many people happy and provides meaning to their lives, so who are we to argue?

Are all the European members of parliament believers? Certainly not, but the parliament was still packed during the pope’s address. You don’t have to be a believer to agree with his message.

Religion has had an integral part in shaping history, society, culture and the arts. There’s no use denying it.

This is the upcoming trend, accompanying values.

Timing.