Thursday, 4th December 2008 - 16:48CET

Video: PN denies soliciting personal data from the government

PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier insisted this afternoon that the PN had not requested the government to forward to it the names and details of persons who submitted complaints at ministries and departments.

Speaking at a press conference, Dr Borg Olivier said an e-mail he had sent to ministers, which Labour leader Joseph Muscat published this morning, actually burst Labour’s propaganda bubble on this issue.

For nowhere did the e-mail say that ministers or government departments should forward data to the PN. What it said was that ministerial customer care officers should forward such information to the Office of the Prime Minister.

“The information was always intended to be either from the PN to the government, or from the ministries to the OPM but never from the government to the PN,” Dr Borg Olivier said.

He said the party had not published the e-mail earlier in order to await the appropriate moment.

He insisted, however, that everything was being done within the parameters of the law, and the PN had a duty to share with the government any complaints which it (the party) received.

Dr Borg Olivier also argued that it was the Labour Party which was in breach of the Data Protection Act when it published an e-mail mistakenly sent to PL General Secretary Jason Micallef.

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Comments

Byron Camilleri (on 5/12/08)

You are a PN Official not a public official for God's sake!

George Cremona (on 4/12/08)

What should a political party do with complaints on public matters addressed to it by individuals?
On the other hand what do such individuals expect the political party to do with their complaints?
It is obvious that complainants expect the political party to forward their complaints to the Ministries concerned for remedial action. What wrong is there in pressing on the Ministries' customer care sections by political parties or any other body to give due and prompt attention to public complaints, irrespective of the individuals' political allegiance? Such practices have been going on by political parties since their existence and without doubt will persist in the future . It is no secret but a fact known by all.

This is what the PN General Secretary Paul Borg Olivier have done. Why all the fuss on this matter by the PL new Leader for?

It would have served Joseph Muscat's credibility better had he and his General Secretary Jason Micallef made a joint public apology for having proclaimed (the latter) that "the next Labour Government would be for Labourites only."

People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at others.

lgalea (on 4/12/08)

To err is human but to persist is DIABOLICAL Pawlu.

Jo Said (on 4/12/08)

Pawlu, Pawlu, why have we forsaken you? Grow up, why don't you?

V Fenech (on 4/12/08)

Do you think you're dealing with puppets and not with a people???

At least Mr.Borg Olivier try to respect our intelligence: whatever you say, you cannot justify your interference with personal data which has nothing to do with your party! Your same party who can't distinguish between the Government and partisan politics.

This has gone beyond the political ethics and against what PN used to boast of!!

Joe Vella (on 4/12/08)

@ Michael Cutajar

Where did you get it from that Paul Borg Olivier acted as an intermediary between the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministries?

My question to you is if anyone calls the Centru Laburista for assistance with a governmental issue, I do not think they would turn him/her away. I am sure they will assistance him/her; and to do so they have either directly inquire or write to the appropriate Government department.

M.Buhagiar (on 4/12/08)

Dr Borg Olivier also argued that it was the Labour Party which was in breach of the Data Protection Act when it published an e-mail mistakenly sent to PL General Secretary Jason Micallef."- Pawlu Borg Olivier

YOU MUST HAVE THE CHEEK SUR PN SECRETARY . Really and Truly ,Yours was a COLOSSAL QASSATA and you and your party are trying to find a way to limit the Damage.

Enzo Caruana (on 4/12/08)

Dr Borg Olivier should remember that governments are there to govern a nation. He must also know that there must be a clear separation between government and party politics and that goovernments are not really supposed to do anything that appears to be favouring one party over another

If the idea behind Dr Borg Olivier's request was to ask ministerial customer care officers to forward personal data to the Office of the Prime Minister, this request should have come directly from OPM and not from the Secretary General of the Nationalist Party.

In true European democracies Ministers recieve instructions from their Prime Minister and not from the secretary general of a poltical party.

You have messed up big time here Dr Borg Olivier.

hENRY GALEA (on 4/12/08)

FIRST WE HAD THE MISTRA SPIN, THEN THE ELEC,TARIFFS, AND NOW THE E MAIL SPIN WHAT'S NEXT.

Michael Gatt (on 4/12/08)

Why don't you claim all that you are saying in court. That will show how honest you are. Dont make us lough because this is a very serious situation.

John Agius (on 4/12/08)

The published email is simply disgusting!!!!!!!!! It is crystal clear that PBO was 'fed' with every single word he had to say in this video. He appears to have learned the words by heart! Anyone reading the email with the slightest sense of objectivity can understand its true purpose. Any attempts by PBO to justify his words in the email just simply add insult to injury. He is already reminding me of poor JPO! Lets see if we have some tears here as well! Shame on PBO and shame on PN!

M. Brincat (on 4/12/08)

This comment outlive PBO:

"Dr Borg Olivier also argued that it was the Labour Party which was in breach of the Data Protection Act when it published an e-mail mistakenly sent to PL General Secretary Jason Micallef."

HILARIOUS!!!!

Maria Dolores Fenech (on 4/12/08)

Dan minn meta s-Segretarju Generali ta' Partit Politiku (l-PN) jitlob lil Ministeri biex jghaddu din l-informazzjoni lil gvern, jekk hu m ghandux interess minn din l informazzjoni???????

Do not insult our intelligence anymore Dr Borg Olivier.

g..c.Forte (on 4/12/08)

Dear Paul, if I am not mistaken you are the secretary of the Partit Nazzjonalista and had nothing to do with the parliament business.You were elected by the "kunsill nazzjonalista" and not from the public. Please do not try to cover up your mis behaviour.We can understand that you just started in your new job. If you made a mistake say sorry and lets keep on going.The more you try to turn things upside down,the more damage you are doing for yourself and for the P.N.

Manuel Micallef (on 4/12/08)

There is absolutely no boundaries between government and PN. He is just now playing with words. It is disgusting and shameful!!

Essentially he is now saying that PN is giving government data and not the other way around!! as if it makes a difference!!

Jeff Inguanez (on 4/12/08)

I read the e-mail on the Labour Party's own website and in the e-mail nowhere does it result that information was or is to be given to the PN but to the OPM.

If you read the whole e-mail it is obvious that Paul Borg Olivier is not happy with the way citizens' complaints are being handled by Ministries and wants a better streamlined system that gives full satisfaction to the complainer.

This with all data staying within the government while the system, again within government, follows the complaint and gives full satisfaction to whoever lodged it.

Government at the service of whoever complains to Ministries is now supposedly wrong, according to Dr Joseph Muscat.

The Nationalists' only fault was that they should have published the e-mail themselves as it shows a party much more in tune with the people than with the stifling bureaucracy Labour keeps advocating.

From the e-mail you cannot but say: well done Paul Borg-Olivier and keep up the fight against the red tape that citizens keep encountering in government.

Noel Cutajar (on 4/12/08)

An animal with two heads? No just the same body with the same head. This is an offence to our intelligence!! Why should the PN GS is so much concerned to tell the Ministries where to address their complaints? Are the government officials in need of instructions what to do from someone outside their sphere of control? As always...the PN die hards would say that Joseph Muscat got all facts wrong...

Ronald Cauchi (on 4/12/08)

.... and the moon is made of blue cheese.Tell it to the marines paul!

E. Anastasi (on 4/12/08)

Nice try Paul. You should have had nothing to do with this affair. Did you forget that you are perhaps the main representative of your party? Has the PN suddenly forgotten that in a democracy one must differentiate between party and government? Is it that lost?? I cannot believe you.

charles zammit (on 4/12/08)

let us for argument's sake take borg olivier's reasoning as plausible, but can he explain why he a member of the nationalist party and not an empowered public executive was directing officers in the public domain to adhere to his directives. yes the new chap has a lot of explanation to do not to us but to the new data protection regulator.

Mark Piscopo (on 4/12/08)

Dear Paul Borg Olivier with this mistake you lost all you credibility! We are very annoyed with this matter!!

d.attard (on 4/12/08)

It is very unlike the NP to let a bolting horse run wild. I can not believe the hollow explanation that is noise so totally out of place at a time that demands humble silence or better still some kind of apology.

Tony Borg (on 4/12/08)

Paul you have two ways out of this mess......either apologise or resign.

Michael Cutajar (on 4/12/08)

why should you act as an intermediary between the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministries? cant this be handled by OPM staff? Definitely it is not a matter for the PN secretary General to take care of. It smells fishy

pull another one paul

Muscat.Patricia (on 4/12/08)

To err is human, to persist not exactly gentlemanly, or in this case in Italian " Sopra c......na bastonate!"

Video: PN denies soliciting personal data from the government

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