“Qualifications are subjective” – the Foreign Minister
Timesofmalta.com reports today:
Foreign Minister George Vella this morning did not deny that the government will soon be appointing former Labour Party employees in ambassadorial posts around the world and said that he found nothing wrong in this.
Speaking during the launch of a booklet of guiding principles to be adopted by his Ministry, Dr Vella defended the appointment of political appointees, saying that every government felt the need to put people of trust in certain positions.
“In certain places we need to put people of trust. This something also adopted by the US President who appoints people who he trusts in ambassadorial posts,” he said.
Asked whether employees of the Labour Party or people close to it have the right qualifications to serve as Malta’s representatives abroad, Dr Vella said that “qualifications are subjective and one needs to see their work at the end of their mandate in order to judge their performance.”
The Ministry is currently finalising a list of new ambassadors to be appointed by the new administration. It is understood that the list includes a number of Labour party employees, including Marisa Micallef Leyson and Ray Azzopardi.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130717/local/foreign-ministry-publishes-guiding-principles-minister-defends-appointments.478379
Any ambassadorial posts in Africa for Norman Lowell?
Of course the qualifications are subjective.
I hope we will not have any new ambassador who will piss in the pockets of representative of friendly nations. We have been embarrassed enough lately with the ‘stumping of feet’ and ‘smelling of the coffee”.
Ok, so the people they trust aren’t qualified.
And they know it.
TRANSLATED: Qualifications are what the LP Minister expediently says they are, and not what is really demanded by the post.
Marisa Micallef Leyson. Labour party employee.
Jaqq.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-07-17/news/minister-chris-cardona-denies-corruption-claims-2095677440/
Scout’s honour, strangely, no one actually mentioned corruption, at least not yet.
Since qualifications are subjective, we should all practice as GPs for a few years subject to a review at the end to judge performance.
I’m setting up in Zejtun, Tuesday to Friday all day. Anybody who wants to cover Saturday and Monday is welcome to apply. No qualifications required.
What can go wrong?
I am a practising sex therapist. Donations welcome.
I am also a qualified litigation lawyer. And I can fix leaking plumbing.
Saturday to Monday suits me fine. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing at all.
Aha, if qualifications are truly subjective then if I could work as a lawyer (accountant, doctor, university lecturer and so on). At the end of my career, I will be then judged whether I was a good lawyer (accountant, doctor, university lecturer and so on).
Gvern tal-habba gozz!
Speaking of qualifications, here’s that self proclaimed ‘very high achiever’ in action, defending the dregs of society.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130717/local/hit-by-car-assaulted-and-robbed.478412
Please excuse my ignorance but was there not an examination one had to pass to gain access to the foreign service and join the group of very specialized people that represent the entire country abroad…what so now just anyone can become an ambassador… basta Labour = meritocracy and all that gibberish.
U dawk li vvutaw ghal-Malta taghna lkoll, baqghu isaffru l’Aida ghax skond George Vella m’humiex people of trust.
Was this a Mr Bean show?
I did not believe the text of the report. I had to watch the video to confirm that the minister indeed said:
“qualifications are subjective and one needs to see their work at the end of their mandate in order to judge their performance.”
But why was I so prophetic when I used to say that this is a bunch of amateurs who will not deliver, but will drive this country into a wall?
There isn’t much that is subjective about die-hard labourites and brown-nosers who will now populate the higher echelons of our diplomatic service.
‘In certain places we need to put people of trust.’ – granted. But what about the other sine qua non, ie COMPETENCE.
If, as rumoured, Ray Azzopardi is being sent as ambassador to Brussels, can the Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs enlighten us on his competencies for the post?
Ray Azzopardi’s appointment isn’t a rumour.
It seems that PL trusts all labour supporters even though they are not competent.
The highlight of Jose Herrera’s stint as Parliamentary Secretary http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130717/local/Mark-Knopfler-to-sing-solo-and-Straits-tonight.478289
Franco Debono defends more scum http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130717/local/hit-by-car-assaulted-and-robbed.478412
Are Dr Vella’s qualifications subjective? God help his patients if they are.
Isn’t this the opposite of meritocracy? Oqod studja
Are we to understand that not all ambassadors are trustworthy, or that the Foreign Minister thinks some ambassadors can’t be trusted?
So we’re to wait until the end of Ray Azzopardi’s and Marisa Micallef’s posting to work out that they were out of their depth in the first place. What sort of reasoning is this?
So would he be willing to follow the advice of an unqualified person on health issues, pay that persona and then judge by the results?
Erġajna għall-mentalità li degree hi biss biċċa karta tal-incova.
“qualifications are subjective and one needs to see their work at the end of their mandate in order to judge their performance.”
Oh! Really? So why did the University make me re-sit an O-Level before accepting me to follow a law degree? Why not let me first finish the course and then judge me on my performance?
Remember ‘pee-in-my-pocket’ Joe Forace anybody?
So the Foreign Ministry has launched a booklet of guiding principles of ‘diplomacy’ for his ambassadorial appointees. It could perhaps include Muscat’s ‘diplomatic coup’ about illegal immigration as a textbook example.
It is now a known fact that Van Rompuy’s visit had been planned and announced way before it actually took place. I say this because Muscat and the media made it seem like he came to Malta after Muscat started “stamping his feet” with his push-back (all options) threat.
There is a suspicion that the whole immigration rumpus had been meticulously planned and orchestrated to coincide with Van Rompuy’s visit: from the Al Jezeera interview, to the Libyan Deputy Prime Minister’s ‘surprise’ visit and possibly the meeting with Italy’s PM Letta.
Lino Spiteri, writing in Times of Malta, must have ‘smelled the coffee’ before anyone else when he predicted that Muscat wouldn’t be that cruel to send the immigrants back but that it would be a good opportunity to repeat the (Mintoffian) Helsinki act and attract international attention to the problem (even if there is nothing like a FREE lunch).
I see, so is George Vella a doctor or not? I always thought the MD signified that he was a qualified doctor. I have now decided that he is not and that should satisfy all and sundry.
Hey Chalie … wanna drive an airplane, what? You’re not a qualified pilot … uijja, bazwar ftit l’hawn u bazwar ftit l’hemm, then I’ll judge your performance.
Aw Joe … I heard they’re short of ophtalmologists at Mater Dei … not qualified? Don’t worry, my friend … we’ll judge you after you’re paid to blind some people.
Ara Norman! Ma tridx tmur holiday twila sa Londra hux? Kwalifikat int fil-holidays ghall-inqas. X’tista taghmel xi paprata diplomatika. Tinkwieta xejn ghax ghall-paprati no one beats the PM.
Unbelievable really ( or not!). So let me see if I understood this right. Qualification is not important because it is subjective.
Would the Honourable Minister, himself a subjectively qualified medic, allow his butcher to remove his appendix and judge him only once the operation is over?
This is the same man who last night during a debate on Super One said that we have no control on how many Bulgarian, Russian or Rumanians work illegally in Malta as being European citizens they have freedom of movement . Dear Foreign Minister, Russia is not a member of the EU. Qualification indeed is truly subjective!
Might be time to call for the Minister for the implementation of the electoral manifest(o)’s head. Here are a few interesting excerpts:
Intro – “Ghax ghalina Malta mhux ta’ dak jew l-iehor. Mhux ta’ xi klikka. Malta 1anqas ma hi ta’ xi politiku jew ta’ xi Partit. Dak iz-zmien spicca.”
1. Kull kumpanija internazzjonali li tkun trid tidhol ghal kuntratti jew tenders Governattivi trid tiddikjara jekk tkunx giet blacklisted jew instabet hatja ta’ korruzzjoni minn organizzazzjonijiet internazzjonali, bhal Bank Dinji, l-Unjoni Ewropea u 1-Bank ghall-Investiment Ewropew,jew minn gurisdizzjoni ta’ pajjiz iehor.
2. Gvern Gdid huwa kontra kull diskriminazzjoni negattiva u jahdem attivament biex l-ebda ksenofobija ma terfa’ rasha. Ghalhekk, Gvern Gdid ihaddem politika li tassigura rispett shih lejn id-diversita filwaqt li tkun kontra kull tip ta’ razzizmu u pregudizzji.
“qualifications are subjective and one needs to see their work at the end of their mandate in order to judge their performance.
So these are kamikaze appointments? Sort of, let’s go for it and then we’ll see.
I have heard from well informed sources that a semi-illiterate person who was previously a player at the national orchestra has now been appointed as Head of Music at the Education Department. This person has a diploma (externally examined) but does not posess any tertiary education qualification (likely not even O-levels)..
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2009-10-12/news/anniversary-concert-213210/
Despite their inflated profiles, these people (by today’s standards) are semi-professionals.
Clearly, what Labour is doing is immoral and very concerning. It is time that this Mugabe-type corruption is trumpeted on a European level.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsGpkeYvBPY
This comes to mind.
“Qualifications are subjective”
Put simply, that is how a Super One “journalist” lands himself the PM’s job.
The US Presidents handpicks fundraisers as ambassadors only to non-strategic and non-‘important’ places (such as islands, small countriesm etc). The US State Department can’t afford (quality human resources not $ cost) to send experts and seasoned diplomats to these countries.
In fact once Malta became slightly more strategic due to the turmoil in North Africa, a career diplomat was selected.
Minister Vella devalued the importance (and objectivity) of academic qualifications in one swoop. Reminds me of the karta ta l-incova expression. His flawed argument implies:
1. that qualifications attained in Malta and perhaps elsewhere do not say anything about a person’s skills, thus making them useless. What are they there for if not for this reason;
2. other documented skills and work experience are also unimportant since a person is chosen on other not so clear criteria and the person’s qualification and skills for the job are then assessed at the end of the mandate (when it is too late).
The Minister claims qualifications are subjective – so how shall we define his way of selecting people? Would that be objective? Sounds like double speak to me.
I presume, so is meritocracy.
So by Dr. Vella’s screwed up reasoning , we can judge a surgeon , by the number of persons that survived after his operations not by qualifying as a surgeon, and an architect by the number of buildings that did not collapse after 5 years .
On another note … this deserves to be shared (unless you have done so already): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuqe_hyc_H0&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuqe_hyc_H0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxEwi5tCZYk
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Speechless
Ambassador for China: Alex Sceberras Trigona or Reno Calleja?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130717/local/ministerial-declaratoion-of-assets-published.478425
Is this a typical LIDL shopper?
HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER EMANUEL MALLIA
Property – 25% of an inheritance from parents consisting of rents, ground rents and properties. 19 Windmill Street, Valletta, Villa in Sannat, three flats in Msida, Property in Msida Seafront, 25% undivided share of land at Burmarrad, 50% share in a property in Romania.
Investment grade bonds- €1138,909.05
Non-investment grade bonds – €57,406.16
International equities – €15,765.49
Securities – €59,674.57
Money in banks – BOV – €203,056.48; €70,000 bank account, €495,000 cash.
Very intelligent our Minister. Tell us what happens if they make a great fiasco as ambassadors.
Off loading from PL payroll.
See Mallia’s declaration of assets:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130717/local/ministerial-declaratoion-of-assets-published.478425
Who holds €500k in cash? (Stated as separate from bank deposits). Il-Vera Uncle Scrooge.
There are other interesting ones there too.
Qualifications are merely “karti tal-incova.” X’nitnejjku mil-kwalifiki? University degrees are for “abjetti” and “hamalli.”
But what exactly has changed in the Malta Labour Party of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat since the Golden Years of Dom Mintoff and KMB?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130717/local/ministerial-declaratoion-of-assets-published.478425
So Manuel Mallia is a millionaire and still a miser.
Democracy is dead. The U.S. has finally capitulated to non-democratic principles too. Does not bode well. Who is left?
Actually, no.
The US President may hand-pick nominees for certain sensitive ambassadorial positions, but all such nominees must appear before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. See http://www.foreign.senate.gov/about/history/
Minister Vella actually alluded to this system of checks and balances in a “sotto voce” moment during his press conference. He refers to the Senate Committee as a “bord tas-Senat”. Check out 00:30 in the TOM video.
Fortunately for the Minister, his subjectively selected sycophants will not be subjected to any kind of vetting process, let alone a “bord tas-Senat”.
The next time the Minister needs an operation he is going to have it done by the office cleaner, because qualifications are subjective.
Will the Minister for foreign affairs take into consideration the human qualities and non-diplomatic qualifications of PN supporters to check their eligibility and their eventual appointment to diplomatic posts? If Malta is Taghna Lkoll?
Haven’t much to add to the above comments.
But that single sentence does pretty much explain and/or sum up the spirit of all Labour appointments and how amateurish the current government is.
The Minister says qualifications are subjective. So why was he so fulsome in his praise of diplomatic training recently:
http://www.foreign.gov.mt/default.aspx?MDIS=21&NWID=4529