Twanny Bronka refers to himself as “Il-Ministru Refalo”
Twanny Bronka with one of his imprisoned birds.
I read this in The Malta Independent’s report about the Gozo Minister and how he called a press conference to say he was ‘hurt’ by being accused of calling a ferry back to port.
I read it three times and then I read the story twice again to see where I might have missed any mention of another Dr Refalo present at the same press conference, perhaps as Minister Refalo’s legal counsel.
Then I realised that Anton Refalo actually spoke about HIMSELF in the third person. The reporter uses direct speech, which means he’s quoted precisely.
What is this habit so many Maltese men have, who hold (self-)important positions but who come from a quite rustic background, of referring to themselves in the third person singular and using their actual name?
It’s completely freakish, and I’m quite certain the psychologists have something to say about it.
“Hadn’t it been for Minister Refalo’s intervention who was in the queue, those individuals who were waiting in the queue would have been left stranded,” Dr Refalo pointed out.
12 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
I suggest that the bird and the Bronka should swap their positions so that the Bronka will be the one behind the bars. He can then spend his time on Twitter, sending out messages about himself in the third person.
O, x’imhabba w generozita’ (Ghawdxija?). Dan x’tahwid hu? Veru jew m’hux li l-Ministru ‘intervjena’ biex il-vapur idur lura? U biex il-kobba tkompli tithabbel il-Gozo Channel harget stqarrija li l-vapur dar lura minhabba decizjoni hazina taghha.
F’sitt xhur il-Malta gabuha veru ‘circus’, kull gurnata nistennew xi buzullotta gdida. Mhux biex nidhku imma biex nibqghu skantati sa liema livell kapaci jinzlu. Halfu li jaqtghulna nifisna bic-cucati, gideb, vendikazzjonijiet, arroganza u izjed li ta’ kuljum jaqilghu.
Mohhhom mistrieh li ghandhom ir-risposta lesta fil-komma: “fi zmienkom sar aghar minn hekk …”). Din id-direzzjoni gdida u l-ghaqal fit-tmexxija li weghdtu qabel l-elezzjoni?! Jista’ jkun li l-poplu jinsa (kif kien qal wiehed minn taghkom) imma hemm limitu ghal kollox.
Kieku kien ghadu haj Mintoff kont nghidilkom issaqsu lilu – hu li minn ‘salvatur’ sar ‘traditur’, min-nies tieghu stess.
Pluralis Majestatis next.
It’s normal that the ferry leaves empty from Cirkewwa at that hour. And the minister knows it very well as also he have been crossing frequently for the past three or four decades.
Everyone knows very well that if a scheduled trip is bound to leave his driver (whether in government or in opposition) will call the Gozo Channel office at Cirkewwa asking the ferry to wait.
Don’t forget that minister Refalo is always driven – the only times I saw him driving were to pick up and drive Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera from and to the ferry during the times when she was magistrate for the Gozo courts. Quite strange as usually magistrates use court drivers.
Guess he called his consultant for Gozo Channel Joseph is-Sisu (former disgraced chairman) to complain and Is-Sisu called the ferry back.
Minister Refalo should be thanked profusely for intervening on behalf of waiting motorists. A truly remarkable public servant.
Minister Refalo intervened on behalf of himself and himself alone. Any benefit to lesser mortals Maltese and even those Gozitans who may have voted for him was purely accidental and no altruistic intervention by Refalo on their behalf.
I was being sarcastic Dr Saliba. Naughty I know.
Ghax dawn zewg persuni differenti. Il-ministru Refalo dak li jikri l-appartamenti u Twanny Bronka dak li jdahhal il-flus tal-kirja. Ghalhekk ma ddikjarhomx il-ministru
Forsi allura anke dak li ghandu xi Euro 800,000 dejn mal-banek huwa xi Anton Refalo iehor? Ghawdex, il-Gzira tat-Tlett Anton Refalojiet.
I think it’s the speech writers. They write a press release and then the politicians just read from it.
The minister should never have contacted the Gozo Channel Office directly. The correct thing to do was to inform the chairman or his ‘accomplice in crime’ the ex-chairman, the following morning.
Alternatively, if he was too upset to wait, he could have phoned one or the other, there and then.
It was typical Labour bullying to phone the duty officer on a late Sunday evening and to later make a treat to have the ‘culprit’ suspended.
I suspect that the minister knows exactly how things work, and must have realized that if had too go through the proper channels it would have been too late to turn the boat around. This is what happens when power is entrusted to his sort.
“The duty manager responsible for Gozo Channel’s operations last Sunday night, when a vessel failed to pick up waiting passengers, was suspended from work “until further notice” and will be facing disciplinary action” – timesofmalta
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.