Tuesday, 8th July 2008 - 16:25CET
PN accuses Muscat of avoiding important issues
The Nationalist Party this afternoon accused Labour leader Joseph Muscat of sitting on the fence over important issues which the government raised more than two months ago.
Indeed, in order to avoid taking decisions on those issues, Dr Muscat last Sunday spoke in a club about other issues which he said needed to be discussed.
The PN recalled that when, last April, the Prime Minister wrote to the leader of the opposition on various issues, notably parliamentary business, the opposition requested two months to reply, while the leadership election was underway. That time had expired, and the opposition was still dithering.
The PN said Dr Muscat adopted antiquated methods when he turned constitutional and other important matters into items of political challenge at a party club.
A serious opposition did not play to the gallery while avoiding taking decisions, but joined the government, as it was invited to do, to discuss the reforms which the country needed, the PN said.
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It is ironic to hear this from the same goverment that after 4 months has not taken any action against JPO. I think Maltese ought some respect, and have to perceive that their leader punishes abuses not hides it. I cannot comment if JPO's saga is legal, but it surely is unethichal. The prime minister should be the first citizen to condemn these facts from happening in your country and not use tactics to hide the story, as if nothing ever happened. A charismatic leader should have taken action long time before writing a letter claiming opposition is avoiding important issues!!
NOT BEFORE ........COMPRENDE ?!!!
Apparently , the KID , as some BLUE eyed wise guy is calling him , slowly , slowly , is moving towards a CHECK MATE !!
With Alfred, it took us some time to size him up, but Joseph is making our task that much easier.
Look at them jumping all over me warning that Joseph will get better in time. Oh yes. I often hear that in connection with wine making, but what the vintners don't tell you, is that even the best and the most careful ones find out that sometimes the marvelous wine they had expected to draw from the aging barrels, turnes out to be less valuable vinegar!
@ Jonathan Borg: Well said!
Someone told me that while Joe Muscat was speaking at Luqa on constitutional and parliamentary reforms, there was a band march playing outside as it was the feast of Saint Andrew. Joseph Muscat cannot see the difference between a festa, a political banter in Labour clubs and politics of substance.
@ A. Attard: Your comment shows Labour arrogance in defeat. I cannot imagine how even more arrogant Labour would have been had they won.
Reading your comments below, one doesn't take long to conclude why the MLP is doomed to be in Opposition for a long time.
@ A. Attard
Pairing or no pairing, it doesn't matter, Gonzi is capable of Governing unlike the forgotten Alfred Sant.
And what are these new words from the PN ‘fence , balcony etc ‘ did they go in the building industry ??? Or they are still in the vogue of their new ship, Ho! Sorry house of characters !!!
Someone needs to tell Joe Muscat that an opposition party leader doesn't go to party clubs on Sunday mornings telling people what he's going to write to the Prime Minister on the morrow and expect to be taken seriously.
Such important political matters are discussed by gentlemen around a table in an institution of the state not used as part of a partisan slanging match in a Sunday morning political party club tirade.
Needless to say, what Joe Muscat did on Monday was bedevilled by the kind of mistakes only shallow politicians make. A political leader doesn't ask the Prime Minister to reply back on proposals the PM himself made weeks ago and on which the Opposition seemed to be fast asleep.
And Joe Muscat's comment on excise duty on fuels showed, furthermore, that he does not know excise duty on fuel in Malta is a fixed amount and not a percentage.
Joe Muscat is emerging as the ultimate political ditherer; if he does not want to pair with the government, he should just say so. Unfortunately, it's all too clear that even on pairing, he does not want to decide.
Hmm. For accuracy's sake, that should really read: "PN accuses Muscat of avoiding issues it has unilaterally decided are important, while at the same time itself avoiding all those issues which Joseph Muscat has decided, equally unilaterally, are more important than the PN's. Meanwhile, neither the PN nor the MLP is addressing any of the issues considered to be important by others, because they're too damn busy telling us all what they think we should consider to be important, without actually telling us why"
But I admit it's kinda long for a headline...