The health minister should resign. Not because of a tent but because he’s treated like a dish-rag, and with JPO in the mix he never stood a chance.
As soon as Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando entered the Labour Party mix and made himself indispensable to Joseph Muscat’s machinations for power, Godfrey Farrugia should have understood that it was all over for him.
When the prime minister saw how badly received that tent was outside the general hospital, did he ring the health minister and have a private word about its removal, then allow the health minister to speak to the press about it himself?
No. He told the press that he had ‘ordered’ the health minister to remove it, bypassing the health minister completely and leaving him exposed (deliberately) to the embarrassment of humiliating headlines and newspaper reports that he had been overruled so publicly, his authority undermined before the very people who work for him.
The health minister has been reduced systematically to a dish-rag. The prime minister actually seems to enjoy the process of humiliating him, first by introducing a man investigated for corruption into the equation as his de facto boss, and then with this sort of thing.
I really don’t know why Godfrey Farrugia is hanging on instead of departing with dignity. He doesn’t need this, and like most basically nice people he’s out of his league when up against truly nasty pieces of work who plot and scheme and machinate for the sake of it.
Unhappily, I seem to have some insight into how these minds work, but I hope that this particular insight which follows is wrong. However, I don’t think it is.
Back in March, when the new cabinet was announced, I wondered out loud – and maybe even on this website – how Joseph Muscat’s Main Man, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, would tolerate Godfrey Farrugia being made a cabinet minister, which is the one thing Pullicino Orlando wanted so badly to be and the reason why he spent five years killing Lawrence Gonzi by a thousand cuts.
My view is that Farrugia was appointed to the cabinet precisely so that he could be tortured and humiliated, a more refined form of cruelty than leaving him out of the cabinet, and perfectly in keeping with the personality flaws and character traits of both the prime minister and Pullicino Orlando.
It’s astonishing how many people forget that Godfrey Farrugia is the man who cuckolded Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando for several years before the latter discovered the fact, and that Pullicino Orlando lost his first wife, Marlene Farrugia, directly to Godfrey.
When Pullicino Orlando found out about the relationship, he drew a gun on his wife and then threatened to blow his own brains out instead.
It is inconceivable – it simply can’t be countenanced – that Pullicino Orlando would allow this same man to be made a cabinet minister unless it is because this has in itself been devised as a form of torture and punishment.
Yes, I use the word ‘allowed’ advisedly. Pullicino Orlando has more power and influence over the prime minister than Godfrey Farrugia does. He was instrumental in helping Muscat win the election. He knows a lot and as the entire country has seen to its cost, has no scruples in rounding on his allies as and when it suits him. Muscat will have assessed the potential of the same thing happening to him.
As soon as Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando entered the Labour Party mix and made himself indispensable to Joseph Muscat, both Godfrey Farrugia and Marlene Farrugia should have understood that they stood no chance of survival beyond March. I believe Marlene will have understood this because she of all people would know her ex-husband’s fixatedly vengeful personality far better than most.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140110/local/Health-IT-chief-quits-over-work-issues-.502056#.UtBnJ7B3sdV
That is the Ministry For Health’s Chief Information Officer that resigned.
Who is actually doing any governing? The news all seems to be about pricks cocking up.
Today’ version of “lanca gejja u ohra sejra” :
Tinda tiela u ohra niezla
Minn quddiem il-Mater Dei
Min jghid haga u min jghid ohra
Imma r-road map ma tghid xej’.
Spot on.
Godfrey Farrugia should send his resignation directly to Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando with a cc to John Dalli, bcc to the Prime Minister.
Resignation from the party, but not from parliament, like Jeffrey did.
Good idea. And if Marlene does the same, that’s 2 seats down for the arrogant majority.
Ciccio. Great minds think alike but fools never differ. Coincidentally I have just made a suggestion similar to yours under another earlier article.
It must be the first time in my life that I am feeling sorry for a Labour minister.
Edgar, same here and to think that Godfrey Farrugia was an excellent GP.
You should never be sorry for such an opportunist.
Jien nahseb li l-prim ministru xedd par widnejn ta’ hmar lil-ministru tal-finanzi, il-professur Scicluna, ukoll.
Mela Scicluna jghid li id-dhul mil-bejgh tal-passaporti huwa tahmil tas-snien umbghad jigi il-prim ministru u jghidilna li s-somma hija ikbar milli gab Gonzi mill-Ewropa ghal-seba snin.
Hargu ta’ bniedem li mhux professjonali f’xogholu. U l-professur fl-ekonomija b’dottorat mil-Universita ta’ Toronto ikollu joqghod ghal din l-umiljazzjoni kollha minn bicca eks-cuqlajta tal-istazzjon Laburista quddiem il-gurnalisti ta’ Malta.
Issa ara ma jmurx xi hadd jghid lil tal-Ewropa b’li qal Joseph , ghax il-hsara li jaghmel lil-Malta tkun kbira.
Veru wiccom u sormom l-istess, dawn tal-Lejber. Lanqas jafu x’hini misthija bejnietom. Il-kliem jinbidel skond quddiem min ikunu qed jitkellmu.
Rumours are that Godfrey Farrugia will be replaced by Chris Fearne soon.
You may have missed the news (or wasn’t it even reported?) but Chris Fearne has been appointed Chairperson of the Department of Surgery.
The one that has emails sent to @chrisfearne.com instead of to @parliament.mt or @gov.mt ?
It appears that there are only a few exceptions.
Is this for a reason?
Bil-Malti…gie ABZ minnu.
Labour MPs are in it for the money and power that five years of corrupt governance brings along. Not one will dare resign. They will toe the party line on all matters even if it means voting in favour of selling passports for a quick buck (Marlene Farrugia).
Godfrey Farrugia will stay on.
I disagree.
Labour MPs are in it for the money and power except for Godfrey Farrugia.
He is one exception to the rule.
Labour has long arms. They are known to reach below the belt.
Weren’t Godfrey and Marlene one-time PN activists?
After this, every time Godfrey Farrugia takes a decision, his own staff will wonder whether the Prime Minister is going to overturn it.
While Gonzi’s steered the country safely through this century’s worst financial crisis, dealing with the top brass and putting malta on the highest international level, Joseph micro-manages petty issues such as of whether a tent should be permitted or not!
The difference in caliber is astonishing. Yet Joseph will now say that he removed the tent because his government listens, instead of saying the truth – that he had to remove the tent cause the cabinet he selected is incompetent – and half the nation will cheer him
The Ministry spokesman told The Malta Independent that setting up the tent was “positive and proactive.”
Since Joseph Muscat ordered its removal, it follows, by the same government’s own yardstick, that Joseph Muscat is “negative and reactive.”
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-01-10/news/mater-dei-day-care-reception-moving-outdoors-we-are-being-proactive-ministry-3649077248/
But this makes me ask: has someone high up told government spokespersons to use words like “positive,” and other propagandistic bullshit, in their dealings with the media and the public?
This showdown may lead to a cabinet reshuffle.
I genuinely feel sorry for Godfrey Farrugia. It is crystal clear that he is not up to it as a minister and its also evident he has no political savvy and is a genuinely nice guy.
When he broke down a few months ago, we saw it as a sign of weakness (which it was) but in effect this man is living a nightmare. He does not have the ‘hazen’ to be in with such a crooked bunch.
I am sure he and Marlene have been doing much soul-searching on their walks on the Sliema front and I hope they do the right thing by themselves for their own sake. Life is too short.
Most probably this is happening because Dr Muscat forgot to share his road map with Dr Farrugia.
Keep calm! I’m sure that now Dr Farrugia will be given a copy and all will be perfect.
Jien kont bdejt nahseb narma gemel biex jehodni Mater Dei, specjalment issa li l-parking qed isir difficli, gholieli d-diesel u spiccat l-Arriva.
Gietni idea ohra ghas-sajf u ghidt bejni u bejn ruhi, kemm tkun sew dik it-tinda armata fil-Gnejna fejn hemm mitt uzu differenti ghaliha ibda minn cloakroom u spicca f’ restaurant iservi d-delikatezza tal-bram.
Ghandi hafna rispett ghal Godfrey u jiddispjacini li qieghed jigi ttrattat b’dan il mod.
Kien hafna ahjar li kieku hareg mall-PN – kien ikun hafna aktar irrisppettat.
It-tajjeb QATT m’hu postu mall-PL.
Il Ministru ghandu sitwazzjoni serja fuqu meta jigi umiljat b’ dan il-mod.
Biss jiena dejjem inhares lejn l-istorja. Min jilghab man-nar jinharaq. Min jiggieled bis-sejf bis-sejf imut, u dan joghod ghal Labour li ghamel minn kollox u uza kollox biex iwaqqa gvern li kien mixi sew.
Issa hlief tgerfix u tahwid mahnix nisimghu. Waqqana ghac-cajt mad-dinja bl-ideja stupenda tal-bejh tal-passaporti.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Muscat knew and issued his statement as soon as the reaction was gauged.
Dear minister, there comes a time in a person’s life when one says ‘enough is enough’.
There’s a limit to how much ridicule a person can endure and it is amply apparent that you have endured and are still enduring a lot, more than you deserve.
You are more than a decent person and you genuinely come across as really trying your hardest to solve problems but, if you want an honest opinion, you are too naive and too much of a novice in the cut-and-thrust world of Maltese politics.
You don’t have the facility for deceit which some of your peers in the cabinet have.
So, do yourself a big favour and get out of politics now. Go back to what you were happy doing before you were dragged into this mess. Yes, it’s not as glamourous but at least you’ll regain respect, dignity.
And satisfaction. Any more lingering and you might run the risk of becoming a broken man.
Daphne, you have a point. After all, Muscat could have said that the matter could have been handled better, as he did on other occasions.
Good morning, Mr. Saliba.
A well-mannered, politically professional Prime Minister should have summoned to his office the incumbent Minister for Health together with government’s special consultant and thereby requested both gentlemen to solve the tent situation in alignment with the Prime Minister’s own wish.
Nonetheless, the issue once again exhibits the miserable standards of health services administration in Malta.
Look, Daphne, the Minister of Health agrees with you that he should not resign because of the tent incident.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140112/local/tent-controversy-not-an-issue-of-resignation-health-minister.502312
Precisely. He should resign because he has been reduced to a dish-rag.
But instead, this is what he says:
“Dr Farrugia told The Sunday Times of Malta that he never consulted the Prime Minister on this issue “so I understand his reaction”. He said he did not consider the issue a resignation matter.”
““I was reacting as swiftly and proactively as possible, to a fast evolving situation, brought about by an impending surge in influenza afflicted patients that may require hospitalization,” Dr Farrugia said.
“In my haste to have a contingency plan to tide us over till the end of February I understand that I did not explain this temporary measure adequately to the general public or stakeholders.””
Oh, so does this mean that he doesn’t think that it was insensitive to put up tents at the hospital, and that he thinks that the prime minister has only misunderstood his proactive and positive actions?
Il- Mater Dei: ‘Kapricc ta’ Fenech Adami’.
It-Tinda: ‘Kapricc ta’ Farrugia’. Sa tinda wasal.
Il-weekend li gej camping il-Gnejna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtQPyLyK5yE
Gonzi kien izommok fil-kuriduri, dan jitfek barra fil-ksieh go kamp.
Taht Gonzi kellek il-medicini “out of stock” taht Joseph Muscat ghandek iktar medicini out of stock milli taht Gonzi.
A good insight in the roots of this story:
http://markanthonysammut.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-tent-at-mater-dei-signs-of-nepotism.html