Opposition turns down request for pairing

Ms D Galea

Apr 14th 2011, 22:32

How petty and small minded of the PL. It is in Malta's interests that our country be represented in this meeting!
Malta l ewwel u qabel kollox indeed........

mark tanti

May 20th 2008, 21:55

Dear MLP supporters Why don't you realise that it is not in your party interest that your party tries to gain the govt. in the nearby future From what is being known now it is evident that your party is not prepared to govern this country .If the right leader is elected maybe Labour will be in a position to govern within five years but only God knows for how many years if you elect the wrong leader.
Mr A.Fenech it is not the Nationalist who are reaping the fruits of the seeds which they planted but your party who is still reaping the fruit of the seeds which it planted between 1981 and 1987 which fruit consists of loosing five elections out of six plus a referdum. Mr Fenech is this not nice fruit which you are tasting?

Fleur Hili

May 20th 2008, 15:12

Lets face it, Labour have always been vindictive and they will never change. They still think that the P.N. crashed down the 96-98 excuse of a government.
Still thinking that people are so stupid as to believe that they (Labour) want what is best for Malta.
Keep it up and my bet is that after these five years, you will still not have the power to rule the country, no matter who will be party leader.
Thank heavens!!!

Maria Barbara

May 20th 2008, 05:33

Honestly, did you expect MLP to grant this on a silver plate!!!!!!

A Zammit

May 20th 2008, 01:33

shame... shuch a shame...
and who's the loser?!!! MALTA !!

Peter Micallef

May 20th 2008, 00:21

All this bickering amongst individuals as to whether one party is an equal to the other or they did it to us so we'll do it to them, come on guys and gals grow up and show some maturity and common sense. Get off your outdated political bandwagons and soap boxes.

The election is over, like it or not PN are now the Government of Malta, democratically voted in by you the electorate under the constitutional rules of this country.

Yes, the opposition have an absolute right not to pair if they don't wish to. But who are they damaging by not agreeing to pair, the government, no, the country, yes as on this occasion we are now not being represented at a meeting where we should have a voice.

This 5 + 5 meeting should be of paramount importance to Malta as it brings together those countries that would appear to be directly affected by the illegal immigration that goes on across the Mediterranean basin. Now thanks to the small minded parliamentary opposition Malta will not be heard.

Let's hope that the new Leadership and Administration of the Labour Party will bring in a new era of Politics, an era of common sense, an era of opposing those debates and parliamentary bills that they genuinely feel are not good for Malta but equally supporting those that they feel are right for Malta and the Maltese.

A novelty I know, but wow wouldn't that be great. Malta joining the real world at last.

George Cremona

May 19th 2008, 23:56

The Opposition has exercised its rights. The choice to do so is theirs. Nobody is denying the Labour Opposition any of its legitimate rights. The problem with them had been, is being and seems to remain the same one, their failure in regaining credibility.
For instance what happened to that famous vociferous cry for which they were so famous in the past, during Mintoff's years: Malta First and Foremost!!!

Manuel Mifsud

May 19th 2008, 23:31

From the various comments I find that many (if not all) labour supporters keep forgetting that it was Mintoff who brought down their government (of course, PN MP's in opposition voted with him!). So, for the same thing to happen, this time around, they need a PN MP to vote against the government and then Labour MP's have to vote with him/her to topple the government. And is there any fool around thinking that this might ever happen?

A.Gauci Cunningham

May 19th 2008, 23:21

........and by the way who's the culprit of this "intelligent" action which some of you are treating as if it were the next best thing after the fall of the Berlin Wall ? The Pn?? No Malta.........Viva is-suldati ta l-Azzar!!!

André Xuereb

May 19th 2008, 23:16

Pathetic. If the pairing agreement was needed because the MP in question would be on a cruise somewhere, I would understand (that is not to say: agree with!) the Opposition's stance. But to prevent the government from attending a meeting that is important to our country is ridiculous, pathetic even.

SANDO GATT

May 19th 2008, 23:06

@ ALBERT FENECH- "The Nationalists are now reaping the "fruits" of the seeds they planted in 1981" This is the most outrageous comment I have ever read. But what do you expect from a party that loses successive elections and blames the PN. If they were a football team they would blame the referees, the ground, the weather, the ball , the supporters, journalists and obviously their players!!

Vella James

May 19th 2008, 23:04

Pro quota PN should have a majority of half in parliament since 1,500 are equivalent ot half an MP.

Sant's government with over 7,500 majority should have had 2.5 seats in parliament.

And PN, under these conditions still did not agree on Pairing in 1996 - 98, but pretend it now. I think about time MLP tells them to woffle off.

And anyway - it was the people of Malta who decided that they want a weak PN government. Their wishes should be respected.

Carlo Mifsud

May 19th 2008, 23:01

Its funny how Mr Hubert Zammit and all the rest think that Labour should bend over backwards and accept whatever government says in the 'country's interest'! Only last Friday we had an admission from none other than Guido De Marco on how the PN top people including the current president who went to Italy to persuade Aldo Moro not to help the Labour government get more money from the British FOR MALTA! For those who expect the MLP to accept whatever the government dictates, forget it! What do you expect? I would like to hear a valid reason, and stop using the country's interest! The PN forgot about the country's interests years ago and only has an interest to retain power and dish out the dosh to its own people - and that is the inner people! In the country's interest the government has to be kept on its toes and act properly!

G.Grima

May 19th 2008, 22:52

The PN has a mandate to govern. The MLP has been democratically asked to offer its services as opposition. All this in the interest of the Nation. Of course at the moment MLP is more concerned to deflect attention away from the internal mess it is in. So it is expected that the MLP, these professors of democracy who governed (or ruled) these islands against the express wish of the Majority of voters between 1981-1987 would play petty games. The PN overcame bigger obstacles than this. The only pity is that the MLP always saw the smaller picture. Maybe that is the reason why they won the trust of the majority only once out of 8 elections/referenda since Jum il-Helsien!

R. Balzan

May 19th 2008, 22:46

It's interesting how MLP supporters seem to have concluded that Alfred Sant had to call an early election in 1998 as a result of some devious PN plot.... Have you all forgotten how Alfred Sant painted himself into a corner by taking on Mintoff head-on?

C. Scerri

May 19th 2008, 22:35

@Arnold (and the rest - at least Arnold was honest)- Then I advise you to take a trip to the National Library, pick up the newspaper of that time and take a look at events before putting pen on paper.

Or else trust us who were not only present in those times (96-98) but also in the 70's an 80's.

R. Balzan

May 19th 2008, 22:31

How many times do you guys have to be reminded that there WAS a pairing agreement between MLP and PN between 1996 and 1998? Sant had to call an election not because there was no pairing agreement but because Mintoff voted AGAINST the Government in the vote on the Cottonera Waterfront lease.

Albert Gauci Cunningham

May 19th 2008, 22:30

A.DALEY epitomises what's wrong in the MLP.....in a nutshell it goes something like this "We did not lose the election the PN "stole" victory and the people were stupid enough to believe....so to shut the PN and those idiotic floaters up ( and read my lips ONLY FOR THIS REASON) we're going to change our leader and choose a young one with pepsodent smiles better than the ones we already have who will make sure that the PN will lose power today before tomorrow!!!!!! Are we ready to govern???? Who cares!!! As long as we get what the people didn't give us and our dear Leader who we love giving standing ovations to is vindicated!!! Long Live Fredu ---My Leader Permanently (MLP)"

TO ALL MLP BLOGGERS-----The PN did give a pairing agreement which it revoked after a case where EFA was sick!!! Check your facts before running with your emotions!!

And by the way didn't the MLP say that it will ask for certain improvements in return for the Pairing Agreement??....what is the MLP asking for here?? Nothing , Zilch ....only a bagful of bitterness and a chorus of feet stamping and "ha ha ha we're going to make your life miserable" ........truly pathetic and extremely sad!!!! Is this the New beginning??

We're Equal???--------as Maltese citizens YES but not politically no!!!! The PN is 1,500 votes more equal than you, the PN is a legitimate govt. with a Relative Majority.....By the way if you're soooooo sure that the PN didn't deserve to win why on earth are you going through all this trouble to remove Sant???

Noel Barry

May 19th 2008, 22:29

To all those who are saying that the PN stopped pairing between 1996 and 1998 (22 months), at least have the decency to say why. Let me remind you. Pairing existed till the MLP goverment insisted that Eddie Fenech Adami had to be present in parlament although he was seriously ill and he had to go against doctor's orders. This is why pairing was stopped. But dont worry all of you. We governed with a 1 seat majority in 1987 after the regime of Mintoff and KMB and we will do so now. And to a.Attard. Where were you between 1971 and 1987. Where you one of those who gave your blessing for what was happening to hundreds of PN supporters. I was one of them. You just never change .

Albert Farrugia

May 19th 2008, 22:28

Why are the Nationalists here moaning? I am sorry. if the PN wanted to feel more secure, it should have won a bigger majority. We have had an election, and the people gave ONE THIRD OF A QUOTA, more votes to the PN. They won government. Rightly so. But hey. They should remember that even their one single seat is an over-representation. Finally the LAbour Party is waking up.
What do you expect? The MLP becoming a PN 2? Just as Alfred Sant said there was danger of happening?
Now the government has to keep itself on its toes every single day of these five years. That is the result of the last general election.
No more, no less.

john fenech

May 19th 2008, 22:23

It is very clear that most of the contributors to this article do not advocate blue as their favourite colour. Politics is the way to achieve things. Pairing is useful to attain an efficient working schedule in parliament. The government can still function without it.
You are entitled to support your party, but do you believe that NO is a sign of strength? When the dust settles down how do you think you will be judged by those voters that your party desperately needs for it to govern in five years time.
I believe all your party hopeful leaders stressed that they want to bridge the gap to the middle ground voters; do you think such behaviour will convince them?
Lets hope that it want be said ‘We learn from history that we learn nothing from history!’

Andrew Demanuele

May 19th 2008, 22:20

Mr Azzopardi, your tone sounds really empty to me!!Do you think that I, one normal citizen care about what the PN does to the MLP &/or vice-versa. What I want is a government to do what's right in the circumstances presented. That is too what the people want. Would you still want this government to be hackled in a nonsense manner even if it is doing its best? If yes (very much as you sound) you are not a worthy MLP supporter!!!
P.s.You reap what you sow!!Write in good english please!

charles agius

May 19th 2008, 22:01

Just been through the comments below. My greatest fear is that whoever is elected leader will not change the 'laburisti' -or should I say 'mintoffjani' - mentality of the present supporters of the party in oppposition. They will remain a 'cek cik' party, ready to fight the PN , with tested losing tatics. Yes, times have changed. Its the labour party that has not. Maybe when the election of leader is over, and those or the one who really counts for the moderates and the floating voters is 'sanitzed' ie left out, we will see the birth of a really solid, new political formation. All is not lost!!

Joseph Caruana

May 19th 2008, 21:57

Is Labour trying to miss out some opportunities for the Maltese? Isn't this the old style of the MLP machine?

A Abela

May 19th 2008, 21:55

That's the story wistin schembri.
How cheeky of MLP to refuse now!!

Arnold Galea

May 19th 2008, 21:37

Dear Wistin Schembri

If that is what the MLP did to Eddie without a valid reason, I fully disagree with it. There is no other way to go about these actions, but honestly, I do not recall that episode. At that time, I was only 17 and did not really bother about politics.

The best way to talk about politics is being as objective and moderate as possible especially those of us who are not paid up members and/or actvists of any party.

A Daley

May 19th 2008, 21:22

"Obviously the opposition had all the political will to bring down the government on the first opportunity that arose."

These quotes are taken from Professor Guide de Marco's autobiography, "The Politics of Persuasion", page 270, describing the time when PN were doing all it took to bring down Sant’s Govt. with a majority of over 7000 votes.

Labour is finally learning, and learning fast. Bring in the new Leader and work to bring this minority Govt. to an end, as quickly and possible.

J Azzopardi

May 19th 2008, 21:22

PN this is a taste of your own medicine. You did it before during the Sant Govt. Now you are getting what you have reaped in the past. That is also the wish of the electorate. WHAT is good for the goose is good for the gander. In Maltese we also say ...'li min xarrbu kielu l-bakkaljaw' so stop moaning now.

Roderick Vella

May 19th 2008, 21:18

Yes, I agree completely with the decision taken by the Malta Labour Party. Maybe once and for all the pn will stop treating all those who don't agree with as children of a lesser God!

I think this is a very healthy issue for the country in general. At least this time we will not have a minister boasting the government can do all it likes as they have a five seat majority, so they don't need to go to parliament. I think all of you know who that minister was. Now if that was not arrogance, can someone be so kind to illuminate me what arrogance is? Pity he did not bet on the seats majority, considering he likes betting as well!

But on the first days of gonzi's honeymoon he did not feel the need to consult the opposition to join pfp again....................

He did not feel the need to open a call of application as promised in the electoral programme before appointing Gordon Pisani.................

He did not think twice before removing the rebate on environment friendly appliance, another electoral promise,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Or before removing the scheme to help first time property buyers, yet again another electoral promise.................

And after all this he remembers there actually is an opposition in this country! And now he conveniently asks for pairing!

NO WAY!!

Unless you start to treat us as equals just forget it! As I am more than sure that after coming 5th of June you will find a very strong Malta Labour Party with all its supporters united behind it.

JOHN SCERRI

May 19th 2008, 21:10

No need to dig deep to find out what's cooking.

Opposition is using all it's available tools to bull's eye the government and snatch a virtual vote of no confidence while taking advantage of the one seat majority the govt. has .

Cunning way of doing things.......... In the interest of the Nation !!!! ??

Ministers or even parliamentary secretaries should therefore allocate a delegate or spokesman for each ministry in order to avoid missing important seminars and international high level meetings abroad because of the opposition's last minute pairing decisions.

If opposition says no pairing the minister's representative or delegate will go to the meeting instead.

Pairing is , yes , An informal agreement. Such arrangements have to be registered with the whips, who check that the agreement is stuck to.

In some countries pairing is ONLY not allowed in divisions of great political importance.

Sadly enough an indication of how the opposition will be behaving in the future was given today.
Maybe a new leadership team will do things in a different and more constructive manner.

Wistin Schembri

May 19th 2008, 21:08

@ Arnold Galea, Ethelbert Schembri, A Farrugia, Vella James and ALL those who suffer from selective amnesia.

At the beginning of the Sant administration there was a pairing agreement to cover Government (MLP) members when they were abroad on official business and when sick.

It so happened that when parliament was to discuss a motion on Government's proposal for VAT reform/removal, put forward by the Leader of the Opposition (Eddie Fench Adami), the latter was very sick and certified to be so.

Dr Alfred Sant, as Prime Minister, insisted that only Eddie Fenech Adami should present the motion, although he was sick (il-qalb hanina tas-Socjalisti). The Speaker (by the way it was MLP and not a member of Parliament) suspended the sitting to give a ruling.

Eventually, she gave the dubious ruling that only Eddie Fenech Adami could present the motion (one day I will share some views on this ruling). She did not realise that Eddie was alerted and, risking his health, he went to Parliament against the doctors' advice. In fact, Notary Spiteri Debono was going to shelf the motion when Eddie drew her attention that he was there.

The irony of it all is that when the MLP Government had nothing to lose (there was a pairing agreement) did not care less of Eddie's condition (his condition was very serious) and forced him to go to Parliament.

Following this incident, the PN opposition withdrew the pairing agreement.

Maria Pace

May 19th 2008, 21:06

It is indeed very strange that everytime the PN does something,it is excused and when the Labour Party does the same thing, everyone is ready to pounce and throw stones left, right and centre.

In 1996, PN refused pairing so I don't know what all this fuss and worry is all about. It's high time that they get some of their own medicine!

R. Caruana

May 19th 2008, 21:05

What a sad excuse for an Opposition in our Parliament! Everyone knows that pairing had been given by the PN to the MLP in 1996 and was only withdrawn after the government of that day treated the Leader of the Opposition, Dr E Fenech Adami, inhumanly by insisting he attends Parliament knowing quite well he was confined to bed, to move a motion he had tabled! The Government side had refused that the motion be moved by someone else on the Opposition benches.

There's no similarity here. It's just a smell of bad losers.... serial losers to be exact.

ALBERT FENECH

May 19th 2008, 21:01

There is nothing sweeter than an arrogant bully being forced some of his own medicine. The GonziPN is now tasting some of its own bitter-sweet. As ye shall sow, so shall ye reap. And please, no histrionics or crocodile tears (JPO style), nor wringing of hands or beating of patriotic hearts. The Nationalists are now reaping the "fruits" of the seeds they planted in 1981 and 1996 - and they don't like it!!!!! Yes, what goes round must come round - and there is still much to come yet.

Malcolm Seychell

May 19th 2008, 20:59

@ Arnold Galea

The Mlp at the moment are not a party, so they should leave the government to work.

As soon as a leader is elected the it will be a different story.

mark tanti

May 19th 2008, 20:56

No problem what is important is the vote in Parlament not the 5+5 meeting. Even for the future first priority should be the majority in parlament when coming to vote.

Claude Calleja

May 19th 2008, 20:55

Arnold, I do recognise that the election was a close call and all. However, when Opposition gives a hard time to Government, is it not hindering Government, from well, governing? One might argue that the government is inefficient and all, but wouldn't petty manoeuvres
make it worse? Should we analyse and criticise (if need be) EVERY government step? Of course we should, and always! However, like it or not, PN is in government, and it's in all our best interest to squeeze every benefit out of it.

Opposition is only looking bad by being the sore loser, in my honest humble opinion anyway.

martin saliba

May 19th 2008, 20:47

Either some of the people posting comments are very young , were born after 1998 , of have a very short memory. I remember 1998, in maltese we say gebel ma gebel jiltaqa xi darba!

A. Farrugia

May 19th 2008, 20:43

@ Claude Calleja

Let me remind you that Minister Austin Gatt used to treat the opposition disrespectfully since the Government had a 5 seat majority in Parliament. Of course you were silent those days.

Arnold Galea

May 19th 2008, 20:40

Dear Malcolm & Claude,

Do you think that the PN would have given this to the MLP?

This the result of the political situation that the electorate gave and you should not start criticising the opposition for using this tool.

If the electorate chose AN or AD, we would have to accept it but the people did not chose these parties therefore this situation is what the people wanted.

51% wants to give a hard time to the government for its many inefficiencies, hypocrisy, mediocrity and corruption and it will now have it.

If there is a genuine approach from the PN, the opposition should not hesitate to co-operate but to date there was nothing genuine from the PN towards the opposition & others who do not agree with it.

Shame on people like you becuase you only see the opposition's faults.

ethelbert schembri

May 19th 2008, 20:38

History is repeating !! Now the PN is tasting it's own medicine .
That is how the parlament between 96-98 did function...
To be a constructive nation yes we need a positive opposition but we need also a positive executive .
Now the gov need the help and opinion of the opposition not when they signed for the PFP!!

Hubert Zammit

May 19th 2008, 20:34

As usual, the Opposition only cares about its interests instead of those of our country. It's this attitude that will keep it excactly where it is.......in Opposition!!

Anyway, I was wondering.............can't the Home Affairs Minister go anyway and the Speaker uses his casting vote?

A. Farrugia

May 19th 2008, 20:34

@ Malcolm Seychell

You are wrong again. Malta should stop until the Government treats the Labour Party as equal. Pairing will be given on Labour`s terms and not vice versa. The Government enjoys a majority of 1 seat in Parliament. It is evident that without the help of the opposition, the Government cant manage. That's why the Labour Party should be treated as equal.
What you should have said is that the government is enjoying its honeymoon until Labour elects its leader.

The Opposition will be willing to collaborate with the government and give ideas in an open dialogue for Malta to achieve the maximum possible success in the shortest possible time, but the MLP has to be respected as an equal partner.

C. Scerri

May 19th 2008, 20:31

This was going to be an important meeting that I assume was going to discuss illegal immigration, amongst other items. Government should start convening parliament on Friday evening, Saturday whole day and Sunday!

And these people aspire to govern the country sometime in the future?

Chris Farrugia

May 19th 2008, 20:30

Where is the common sense?

Malcolm Seychell

May 19th 2008, 20:26

If labour had some common sense, they would agree on pairing at least till they settle their internal problems.

C. Micallef

May 19th 2008, 20:25

Who is taking these decisions on behalf of the MLP? Alfred Sant?

John Grima

May 19th 2008, 20:24

Not only Malta but Europe, the rest of the world and if possible the whole universe should stop until Labour elects another leader.

A Abela

May 19th 2008, 20:22

can't the speaker give his casting vote?

vella james

May 19th 2008, 20:20

This is how MLP felt when PN refused pairing during 1996 - 98 , nothing less nothing more...

a.Attard

May 19th 2008, 20:17

Claude Calleja what goes around comes around. Remember 1998? How could the opposition give pairing when lot and lot of laburisti are discriminated at work?? Now Labour has power - fix discrimination against 'laburisti' and PN will get pairing

Malcolm Seychell

May 19th 2008, 19:56

Of course Malta should stop till labour elects a leader.!!!

Claude Calleja

May 19th 2008, 19:55

Shame on the Opposition. Someone's a sore loser! Keep it up MLP, you'll surely get my vote next time round!!