Labour's new ways a big shame!

Joe Cassar

May 3rd 2009, 09:20

Mr Joe Vella,

What you say applies only to sensitive and fiduciary positions - like a minister's private secretary, for example.

Other posts, like members on boards and committees, are supposed to be filled by people who have the qualifications to do a goo job, irrespective of their political colour. However, for the last 20 years, only people with blue eyes have been chosen – even if they know nothing at all about the job they are supposed to do.

Let me remind you that the PN made a specific promise – in black and white in its electoral manifesto – to fill such posts only after a public call for applications. This promise was bare-facedly broken only hours after the election.

The PL is more than justified in refusing pairing until the Gov comes to its senses and discards this arrogance which is making Malta lose its credentials as a democratic country.

Galea. L

May 2nd 2009, 21:46

Joe Vella (Mellieha.)
The issue was that the PN wanted to restart the pairing issue when the real reason was a party function that he wanted to be present at the day after.
Do you expect pairing when Gonzi is riding roughshod over everyone notwithstanding that the election was stolen with only a one third of a quota?

Joe Vella (Mellieha.)

May 2nd 2009, 18:52

@ Joe Cassar

- I guess the Government took Malta back to PPF the same way Alfred Sant Government have taken Malta out of PPF.

- Haven't you ever heard of the phrase the the spoils go to the winners. In a Democracy it is given and a right for the Government to appoint people of the same political persuasion to ensure that its' policies are not only adhered to but also implemented and to reflect its' political ideology. As mentioned before the Government appointed an MLP/PL member and not to a PN membertho the highest office of the land.

- Regardless your third point, I am not sure if you are referring to the latest amendments to the Electoral Act or to the Standing Orders that the Government introduce and adopted by the House recently, So I cannot give my two cent worth.

Joe Vella (Mellieha.)

May 2nd 2009, 18:44

@ Joe Cassar

I never said that pairing is a right, so don't misquote me. Whether you want to call pairing mechanism, courtesy, process or anything else for that matter is irrelevant.

Pairing exists in a Parliamentary system to allow for the smooth running of Parliament. In a civilized society, where there is a Parliamentary Democracies pairing is extended when Government Members or Parliamentary delegations have to be away from the House on Official Business.

In my over 20 years in Canada, were there is the same parliamentary system, never an opposition party being a conservative one, a liberal one or a socialist one refused pairing to the Government of the Day when one or of its' Members had to be away.

If the absence by Mr. Mario Galea was as a result of Party or personal basis then the Opposition was right to refuse pairing, but this was not the case.

The Government as recently as March extended the courtesy to the MLP to adjourn the House early so that the opposition could attend a Party function, Also, the Prime Minister, appointed a member from the Opposition ranks as President.

Joe Cassar

May 2nd 2009, 18:07

Mr Joe Vella (Mellieha), pairing is nort a mechanism. It is a courtesy voluntarily extended by the oppostion to a government that shows it is ready to be reasonable, democratic and consult it on important matters. In other words, it is not a right; it has to be earned.

The PN Gov failed to do that on all counts.

- It took Malta into the PfP withour consultation and before parliament had even met;

- It packed all the boards and committess with die-hard PN activists.

- It is trying to manipulate the laws governing the right to vote to draw unfair advantages.

The PL is more than right and justified in standing firm. The PN has to learn that arrogance does not pay.

J.Mifsud

May 2nd 2009, 17:10

Huh New Labour! New Beginning!

Joe Vella (Mellieha.)

May 2nd 2009, 16:46

@ All PL Appologists

Parliamentary sittings are not like playing a game of musical chairs. One doesn't simply change a parliamentary sitting because a Minister or a Government delegation have to be away on Official Business.

In a Parliamentary Democracy, there is a mechanism caller pairing, specifically to take care when these circumstances arises.

This only proves that the Government was always right when it amended the standing orders of the House to facilitate Ministers to attend business overseas concerning the UE.

However, no Government can foresee a possible epidemic outbreak and Government Minister(s) have to attend Emergency meetings to deal with such urgent and unforeseen issues

Andrew Camilleri

May 2nd 2009, 15:14

Where politics is involved, the truth is very subjective. What you see as truth I see as PL inadequacy. I am not blinkered, blind or a fool. Just look at JMs performance in parliament. It's honestly better then the MADC Panto (and my goodness, that's fun to watch); if only it weren't a politician. It makes for worrying developments in the future.

Galea. L

May 2nd 2009, 14:23

Andrew Camilleri, R. Caruana
My comments to Plumpton also apply to you for denying the truth.

alfred agius

May 2nd 2009, 13:23

Pl offered alternative dates for the parliament siiting but gonzipnners refused the offer. But blindfolded Mr Plumpton, Mr Camilleri, and Mr Caruana are either unaware of facts or prefer to perist in twisting the truth.

Shame on you all

Ramon Casha

May 2nd 2009, 12:51

Oh? And why is it PL's fault for refusing pairing, more than PN's fault for refusing to budge on the date for the parliamentary sitting? If PN really cared about people's health so much, they could have shifted the sitting by one or two days.

Besides, Malta's seat did not remain vacant - the minister sent a representative in his stead.

Andrew Camilleri

May 2nd 2009, 12:48

I can say to those of you below, that you are One-washed. I guess there's no way out of this cycle of accusatory finger pointing, which becomes pretty pointless if you are doing the same thing you are accusing the other person of.

What Labour did is shameful and smacks of self-interest, keeping in mind that PN gave pairing in 1996. By the way, as an aside, I don't really watch Net, and sometimes watch Super One just for the kick of it. Nothing really intelligent ever comes out from that end, anyway.

R Spagnol

May 2nd 2009, 12:18

Really expected better from Mr Plumpton...

The Opposition has proposed several other dates to which the vote could be postponed, however the NP avoids such a sincere call of normality. What is really making Lawrence Gonzi refusing to accept the invitation and move the vote to another date?

It could possibly be a day or two after, nevertheless the Government is still bickering on the pairing issue. Hadn't this issue been resolved with the implementation of the new parliamentary procedure motion?

And if the NP mp's think that the political meeting for health ministers is more important than the upcoming parliamentary vote, why are they giving more importance to this vote so much that they do not want Mario Galea to leave for the meeting?!

I think that whoever wants to be obstinate and would want everything as he dictates, even at the expense of threatening democratic principles, should hang out his head in shame!!

Galea. L

May 2nd 2009, 11:23

Kevin Plumpton
You are brainwashed and Netwashed

R. Caruana

May 2nd 2009, 11:17

Quite correct, Mr Plumpton, and no matter what the PL apologists below say.

To think that not even a month has passed since the PN Government made such a sign of goodwill by acceding to the Opposition's request not to have a Parliamentary sitting on 30 March so that the PL can have its mass meeting in Vittoriosa. How ungrateful! How shameful!

Victor Laiviera

May 2nd 2009, 10:02

Mr. Plumpton has swallowed the PN Gov spin. Malta’s seat remained empty not because of the Labour opposition. It remained empty because the Gov refused the simple, fair and democratic solution of having the vote in parliament on another day – there were several alternative dates and times possible.

As usual, the PN, whether as a party or as a Government, put partisan political advantage ahead of the national interest

a aquilina

May 2nd 2009, 09:43

I think you only listen to NET