Is this really the same John Aquilina who sat in parliament in Australia?
Published:
September 23, 2013 at 6:31pm
I’m told that the John Aquilina who has been appointed Malta’s high commissioner in India is the very same one who sat in the Australian parliament until recently, an Australian citizen (obviously, otherwise he couldn’t have stood for election) who has been there practically all his life.
What have they done – given him a Maltese passport, or did he already have dual nationality? Please somebody say that it’s another John Aquilina, because this is really getting ridiculous.
If this information is correct, then an Australian citizen long-established in Australia is Malta’s high commissioner there, and another Australian citizen, who even sat in parliament there, is Malta’s high commissioner in India.
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Yes, of course it is the same John Aquilina.
In actual fact, he was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, which is the government of the state of NSW. Later, he served as Speaker of the same.
He has never been a member of the Australian Parliament in Canberra.
yes, its’ correct, it’s the one and same person, sorry
Here you go.
http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2011/guide/departingmps.htm
‘….Aged 61, born in Malta, Aquilina’s parents migrated to Australia when he was six. Son of a shipwright, Aquilina could barely speak English when he was taken to see State Parliament for the first time on a school trip as a nine year-old. He joined the Labor Party in 1970, serving on Blacktown Council 1977-83, Mayor from 1977 until his election to parliament in 1981. Aquilina was an English and History teacher before winning Blacktown at the 1981 election. He served on the Public Accounts Committee 1983-86, its Chair 1985-86, and was appointed Minister for Natural Resources in 1986, shifting to Youth and Community Services when Barrie Unsworth assumed the Premiership. Aquilina was Minister for Education and Training from the election of the Carr government in 1995 until 2001, and was generally uncontroversial apart from foolish moment when he told Parliament a possible school massacre had been avoided, an over-embellished story that became confused with whether the student had a gun or not. Aquilina was shifted to the lower profile Fair Trading and Water Conservation portfolios in November 2001 and left the ministry after the 2003 election, serving as Speaker 2003-07….’
He does have a habit of putting his foot in it, lobbying to keep homosexuality a criminal offence as late as 1982.
Not really Mintoffian, but sod that.
Ok, so the source is Wikipedia.
‘….In the 1982 John Aquilina wrote in the Daily Mirror that it was his electorate’s and his personal view that homosexuality should not be decriminalised in New South Wales and he would vote against it in any case. Gay rights activists Garry Wotherspoon and fabian Lo Schiavo confronted him with a petition with 132 against his stance which was shown on ABC’s Four Corners program. He has voted against any legislation in favour of homosexual rights since
In March 2010, it was reported that Aquilina’s 25–year old son, Jeremy, was charged with five counts of sexual assault and one count of indecency on a 22–year old woman in a park in St Clair in western Sydney…..’
Sweet. Hicks rule down under as well.
Is this the one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Aquilina
When The Nationalist Government of Dr Eddie Fenech Adami enacted The Dual Citizenship Law, Mr Aquilina, who was then an Australian Parliamentarian REFUSED to apply for dual citizenship because he was afraid of losing his seat. I was then adviser to the Malta Government on Migrants Affairs.
I am not aware if he ever applied for dual citizenship.
http://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/documents/doc_download/3358-report-on-investigation-into-various-allegations-relating-to-the-former-south-western-sydney-area-health-service-operation-jardine-second-report-22-sept-2005
This is John Aquilina, Malta’s appointed High Commissioner in India:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Aquilina
John Joseph Aquilina (born 12 March 1950 in Malta), a former Australian politician, is a former member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Blacktown between 1981 and 1991 and the electorate of Riverstone between 1991 and 2011 for the Australian Labor Party.
Between 1986 and 1988 and again between 1995 and 2003, he served in a range of ministerial portfolios including Minister for Natural Resources and Minister for Youth and Community Services in the Wran and Unsworth Labor governments and Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Fair Trading, and Minister for Land and Water Conservation in the Carr Labor government.
From 2003 to 2007, he was Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly, and was Leader of the House from 2007 until his retirement in 2011.
Controversy
In the 1982 John Aquilina wrote in the Daily Mirror that it was his electorate’s and his personal view that homosexuality should not be decriminalised in New South Wales and he would vote against it in any case. Gay rights activists Garry Wotherspoon and fabian Lo Schiavo confronted him with a petition with 132 against his stance which was shown on ABC’s Four Corners program. He has voted against any legislation in favour of homosexual rights since.
In March 2010, it was reported that Aquilina’s 25–year old son, Jeremy, was charged with five counts of sexual assault and one count of indecency on a 22–year old woman in a park in St Clair in western Sydney.
On 10 April 2001 John Aquilina raised the issue in parliament of a foiled plot by a high school student to replicate the Columbine High School Massacre. He alleged that the student’s diary contained plans to kill fellow students and teachers. His staff embellished the story, telling reporters the student had access to a gun. On this, the Police Commissioner contradicted Aquilina’s version of events, and the boy’s family subsequently threatened the sue the Government.
Aquilina was later the subject of an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation that explored possible false statements to the media and political interference in police procedures.[9] The investigation concluded in August 2001 and found no evidence of corrupt conduct. However, Aquilina relinquished the Education and Training portfolio in late 2001 and was shifted to the Ministries of Land and Water Conservation, and Fair Trading.
I asked and got this reply from a friend in Australia:
If it is the John Aquilina who was in Parliament, it was not the Australian Parliament (Federal) but in the NSW Parliament.
As far as I know there was no other John Aquilina in any of the parliaments of Australia, otherwise I think we would have heard of him.
Damn this government.
And those professionals who have served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sat for exams and gained the required experience are being stacked in Malta. One by one they are all returning, apart from those who have some sort of connection with the Malta Taghna Lkoll Party!
By the way, the Ministry is now referred to as, the Ministry FOR For Affairs ….. And it is now the REPUBLIC of Malta.
Indeed, what has the PN to say about all this? They only appear interested in the Commissioner of Police and the AFM promotions.
And what about the UHM? Surely YOU too should express some opinion about these appointments, if indeed, you continue to represent the Diplomatic branch of the Civil Service. For God’ sake, these people are representing our Country overseas! Can you imagine them discussing EU, Commonwealth, UN, etc., issues. They haven’t got a clue, and they hardly care, I’m sure!
You have made a mockery of this important profession:- even the diplomatic community in Malta has, privately, expressed its shock and dismay with these appointments.
Let us not forget the disgruntlement of a number of Labour supporters at the Ministry – they too have had their postings terminated and they too feel cheated by these appointments.
Forever, we will remain mediocre and amature.