Labour discusses rent reform

V Fenech

Jan 5th 2009, 19:57

Joe Vella,

If Joseph Muscat meddled into the social partners/government discussions you would have said that Labour is once again politicising such a national issues. We would see Gonzi crying out on TV that Labour still remains the same. But on the contrary, Labour published its positions in due time and although Austin Gatt claimed that the Opposition's data as false, he refused to publish his data!

Btw the leader in such an issue should be the Government and not the Opposition. Seems that you forgot what type of opposition PN used to be under Fenech Adami!

Still you haven't answered my questions. A hero in escaping facts, you still choose to quote Net News. Either you're wrong or mistaken or else you're using PN's tactics to attack Labour because Labour was very up to date with the rent issue. Starting from a reaction and pointing what was missing in the Government's proposals, Muscat's appointed committee has been working on it since the very mentioning.

And I afford to say that when it comes to unmarried couples, gay marriages, siblings or cohibiting persons Labour went into further details when presenting his proposals!

Joe Vella

Jan 5th 2009, 08:57

@ anthony muscat inglott

"thanks god we have an opposition that is trying to discuss national issues . "

I think you like Joseph Muscat and the PL have been fast asleep. The white paper on Rent Reform have been there for quite some time now. The Social Partners have responded to the White Paper and it seems that a consensus have been reached.

Joseph Muscat and the PL were followers and NOT leaders on the Electricity and Water tariffs debate, and choose to be follow instead of leading once again.

It was the Social Partners that lead ;the debate and offered alternatives to the Government. That is leadership.

Wilfred L Camilleri

Jan 4th 2009, 23:06

Both parties are to blames for this mess! The Labour Party had a chance to reform the rent laws when they were in power but were too afraid to loose votes to do anything meaningful. Same goes for the PN party. The rent laws are a mess and are unfair to landlords and tinkering with existing laws is not a solution. The laws need to be completely overhauled. The government needs to take responsibility for subsidizing rent for those who cannot afford market value rents. The rent laws have always been skewed in favour of renters with landlords having no say or a fair return for their property. Property rights in Malta re not really property rights, they are renters' rights. The Labour Party is a "Johnny come lately" with their discussions. Although it's commendable that they are discussing the issue let's not forget they are also partially responsible for this mess.

lgalea

Jan 4th 2009, 22:52

Joe Vella
Every Labour local club gives an account of all income and expenditure during the previous year at the Annual General Conference.
The same is done by the PL at its Annual General Conference.
They are both checked by auditors nominated by the floor every year.
Members can see the accounts.

Can you tell us where the PN accounts are published?

By the way, why are you so curious about PL accounts?

Whatever the properties were confiscated for they were still confiscated.
As we say in Maltese, kull min jgħolli jdejgħ għandu xi jxomm Joe.

V Fenech

Jan 4th 2009, 21:52

@ Joe Vella

Are you sure? I don't think that such a short question could answer all that I have said but I can understand that from a PN diehard that may know everything about the problems within the Nationalists'party.

@ J Farrugia

It's a pity you only watch Net! Pity you don't know that Labour's committee on this issue has been working since Joseph Muscat came into office as party leader!

anthony muscat inglott

Jan 4th 2009, 21:39

@all

thanks god we have an opposition that is trying to discuss national issues . Before , loads of us including myself , used to say that labour leader doesn't not bother of what is happening in Malta .

Now that there is a leader that is showing to us that he is ready to discuss national issues , we still find people that criticise . Believe or not that is what our country needs , leaders that discuss these issues and even if they do not agree with each other but at least things are brought to discussion . This is a pain for the PN leaders cause now they are facing a different opposition , which in reality they are rolling the ball and making things happen . We have to keep in mind that in the past oppositions from both sides used to be there to stop things from happening whilst now we are seeing the opposite .

Good choice Joseph cause you are acting in the people's interest .

That is why you are preaching that people come first .

J Farrugia

Jan 4th 2009, 21:19

Kmieni hasbuha l-MLP!!! Ilha sena tigi diskussa. tghagglux tafux.

Joe Vella

Jan 4th 2009, 21:00

@ V Fenech

PN purchased those private properties and not had them confiscated like the MLP Government did.

V Fenech

Jan 4th 2009, 19:16

@ Joe Vella

You must be an insider from the Dar Centrali as never in my life did I ever heard of PN making its financial and legal obligations public. The only things we here concerns fines which Net News are awarded each time they are found guilty of misleading facts and harmful allegations. Eeee because I was going to forget...there's another thing which PN managed to make public. I'm referring to the "Xibka ta' Informazzjoni", it's still fresh in the people's mind.

The Leaders debate? Are you referring to something about Labour coming out of Gonzi's mouth!!!! Ok ok now I've understood. You didn't need to make all such fuss, everybody is used to Gonzi's bluff when it comes to Labour issue.

And for your information, PN owns many other clubs which someday were owned by private residents. But the case I have mentioned does not do with neither political clubs nor with projects for national importance.

Trying to twist facts again Mr Vella? Seems that you have understood what I'm trying to explain to you.

Joe Vella

Jan 4th 2009, 18:12

@ l Galea & V. Fenech

The PN have always met it legal obligations and to-date have filled its Financial statement as required with the the appropriate Authorities. Whereas, the PL is content not to file and pay the yearly fine,

For your information, this issue was also raised during the leaders debate, at which time Alfred Sant ducked the issue and didn't answer.

The issue is property that was taken from families to be turned over to the MLP to be used specifically for MLP Clubs. WE are not referring about properties that were confiscated for for projects of national importance.

lgalea

Jan 4th 2009, 16:57

Joe Vella
Has the PN ever published its financial accounts?

Helena Psaila
If Maltese society seeks to protect the status of the family protection of cohabiting couples including homosexual and lesbian couples does not enter into the equation.

c.camilleri
how about properties requisitioned in the 1960's and since 1987 under PN Governments? should they in your opinion be exempt? Don't you think that this would be applying two weights and two measures to similar instances?

V Fenech

Jan 4th 2009, 15:57

What about those people sent away from Malta and prohibited from using their residence during the times of a PN government??

Have you forgot the Ciro del Negro case where this Italian man, despite having his family here, has lost his residence and sent away to Italy??

V Fenech

Jan 4th 2009, 15:55

@ Joe Vella

I wonder if you're living in Malta or not! Did in any time PN published their Financial reports?

Or else you might be saying all these biased words for the sake of attacking the Labour Party. Such a fuss about Labour's said-to-be snatched property and your beloved deputy prime minister was not brave enough to mention a single one of them! He’s throwing his integrity to the dogs.

If PN believes in justice what is it waiting for to encourage the victims of the "stolen" property to make a step further and nail Labour??

If PN believes in justice what is it waiting for to compensate all the victims of injustices during PN governments and whose cases were confirmed as genuine by the tribunal of injustices!

Talking about mottos, did you forget Gonzi's latest?

It goes like this "Nothing was written in stone!"

Chris Borg

Jan 4th 2009, 15:47

@ Helena Psaila. Labour did raise that point...

@C.camillieri. Why just talk about property requisitioned in the 70s? What about property requisitioned in the 60s and post 87?

c.camilleri

Jan 4th 2009, 15:28

Has the return of properties requisitioned by the Labour Govt in the 70's to be used as labour clubs or handed over to labour supporters been discussed?

Joe Vella

Jan 4th 2009, 14:52

@ V. Fenech

Why doesn't the PL lead by example and file the Annual Financial Reports. How many year's the MLP/PL are in arrears? Is one hand enough to count the years on?

The PL is great in coming up with new Mottos. The latest being "Do as I say, and not as I do."

V Fenech

Jan 4th 2009, 12:05

@ Joe Vella

Nationalists always cry for the good of a strong Opposition. Despite all those empty words from another party who should not speak a word about "snatched" properties, you come out with such arguments which have long been settled. For me this is nothing but political sickness!

Helena Psaila

Jan 4th 2009, 11:06

I hope that Labour will comment on the fact that unmarried couples will not be protected under the proposed reform (i.e. if one partner dies, the reform will allow the other partner to be unceremoniously kicked out).

Cohabiting couples include unmarried heterosexuals, homosexuals, siblings, and friends.

The government has no way of protecting these couples, because it has never introduced a process by which these couples can register the fact that they are living in the same house.

Labour please speak up about this, I was disappointed to see that you had nothing to say about it last summer.

Joe Vella

Jan 4th 2009, 10:01

Now, that consensus seems to have been reached, the PL is going to meet to discuss the proposed rental reform.

The Social Partners where the leaders on the Electricity/Water tariffs debate and came up with alternative proposals to the Government; and it is quite obvious the same have happened on the Rental Reform Proposals.

One of the outstanding issues that the PL has the sole responsibility to correct past injustices is the issue of the houses that were confiscated by the MLP Government in the '70's for the sole purpose to be turned into MLP Clubs.

It would be very interesting to know if Joseph Muscat and the PL would return these properties, which were snatched from ordinary citizens to the benefit of the then party in government.