Christian Peregin
PM launches scathing attack on Labour MEPs
The country was owed an apology and an explanation as to why two of the three Labour MEPs made a mess of a critical vote on immigration last week, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.
Louis Grech voted in favour, John Attard Montalto against and Glenn Bedingfield did not vote on whether the EU should introduce obligatory burden-sharing. The vote also called for a change to the Dublin II Convention so that immigrants can move freely around Europe without being sent back to their country of arrival.
The voting problem was then rectified, after Mr Bedingfield argued that his voting machine did not work and Dr Attard Montalto claimed that he had confused the buttons.
Dr Gonzi called these excuses "scandalous" and said the Labour party had ridiculed the country in front of Europe.
"Here they speak like lions, wanting to eat everyone and use the veto, and then they make a mistake on which button to press. How can I go to Europe now to make Malta's case heard when the Labour MEPs made a mockery of the country?"
He questioned whether the MEPs even knew what they were voting on or whether they had actually read the documents.
Dr Gonzi said that the elected Nationalist MEPs would be working on four major pillars in the European Parliament: work, solidarity, environment and values.
He explained that the government was willing to let the deficit grow "a little" to safeguard employment.
The Nationalist party would continue to ask for solidarity with Europe on illegal immigration but would continue to emphasise the importance of respecting all people. He said Malta would continue to abide by its ethical, moral and international obligations but would ask for help and support from EU member states and international organisations.
He also emphasised the importance of values and said that his party did not use words like "progressive" but spoke concretely on issues such as the family.
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dusty williams
May 11th 2009, 19:35
R Caruana SHAME ON YOU. RAHHASTU D-DAWL. SE TQASSMU L-BOZOZ GIMGHA QABEL-ELEZZJONI ETC...
P. Schembri
May 11th 2009, 19:35
How about the PM apologising to us Maltese citizens about the half-truths that happened before the EU referendum and the following elections? How about the PM apologising for the barefaced lie on Xarabank that there was already an agreement with the Unions that the water and Electricity tariffs won't be backdated to October 1st, when he knew that it was not so! How about the PM apologising to us Maltese voters for tellings us that Voluntary Burden Sharing is the next best thing to the 10 Commandments when the facts show otherwise? How about the PM apologising to the Maltese for working against the national interest when in the 80's distributed the Malta File to foreign investors so that they don't come and invest here? Of course there are other instances where the PM and the PN should apologise to the Maltese Nation, but we'll leave that aside for now.
R. Caruana
May 11th 2009, 19:14
We got JM's reaction at last, and it's as shameful as can be. First the PL issued a statement saying that the voting system had not worked and today JM admitted at a press conference held at the glass palace that the two MEPs made a 'mistake'. Shame on JM and the PL to admit it now after three days of statements in public waving the voting results to give the impression that all had voted the same way. Shame on the two MEPs for failing the Maltese people in such a way. This is utterly scandalous. These two MEPs should not even be allowed to stand for re-election, let alone find their way back to Brussels. Another massive U-Turn a-la-labour!
Alfred Grima
May 11th 2009, 16:55
Taf tisthi Sur Prim Ministru? Insejt kemm hambaqt ftit ilu dwar din il-kwistjoni fil-Parlament u ppruvajt tirredikola lill-Dr Joseph Muscat. L-akbar ragel hu dak li jammetti li zbalja!
Patrick Cilia
May 11th 2009, 14:52
It is about time that we get some sort of reaction from JM about the whole issue of EU membership and cooperation. The Maltese and the Gozitans all expect an apology from him about the way his party (then the MLP) through his active assistance harped on about the fact that we would not benefit from membership, that we would only recieve 1.5 million euros, that foreigners would take our jobs, that we should have a very loose relationship called the partnership (nobody, even today, knows exactly what this is!); we expect apologies for the fact that on two or three occasions the three representatives from the PL - PES camp made some blunders in voting and tried to cover these up; the fact that two representatives from PL were away from their duties as MEPs - in Mexico and Malta when they are PAID for their work, rather highly...the list is probably endless..I know mistakes are made, I even know that emergencies and absence does happen but I cannot stand the arrogance of people who WILL NOT admit their faults and instead hide behond feeble excuses..shame indeed...can we expect an apology then? I wonder!
Robert Mamo
May 11th 2009, 13:20
Jekk nibdew bl'ispjegazzjonijiet li l-poplu qed jistenna minn ghandek u l-gvern tieghek ma nispiccaw qatt Dr Gonzi. Qatt hsibta din? Il-poplu ghadu jistenna spjegazzjoni min qatel lil Karen Grech, lil Raymond Caruana, l'iktar recenti, ... qatt hsibt biex tapologizza u ticcara mal kaccaturi u n- nassba li qbadtom fiha? ta kemm il weghda ksirt? l, il-Mepa qabel l'elezzjoni, il kbira din, JPO ..... ghajjejt nikteb ..... mhux ahjar tara kif kissirt din il gojjell ta gzira taghna Dr Gonzi. Ilghab FAIR jekk trid tirbah l'elezzjoni tal ewropej.
David Stephen Ganado
May 11th 2009, 12:42
Mr. Magri, You may consider the fact that what is relevant is not whether Dr. Gonzi is correct to be annoyed or not, but whether the MEPs elected on an LP ticket know what they are doing or not!! These MEPs are better paid than our MPs locally and yet they keep making these stupid 'mistakes'! If you dont mind paying taxes for such people, i do. This is not the first vote the labour MEP have got wrong, lets just hope its the last!
alan pace
May 11th 2009, 11:44
Maybe Dr Gonzi forgot that Simon Busuttil rectified his vote 13 times, according to Dr Muscat. Such a fuss about nothing! Facts shows that the in the final voting results the 3 Labour MEPs voted in favour.....
Anthony Magri
May 11th 2009, 10:38
It is funny unless tearful that Dr. Gonzi continues to chase a phantom. The manner of voting of the P.L. MEP has been explained. Gonzi instead of perhaps as other are doing, referring to a misunderstanding -whether gross or petit-he is insisting on bad judgment. His is a calumnious inference. It is bad faith rather than anger. How does he consider his exaggeration done purposely by saying he created over 6000 jobs and was unable to give details? The most he could refer to is 1000 jobs. A very small difference of 5000. His own minister has pointed out this “small” involuntary ! mistake
It's the usual problem of seeing a straw in other's eye and missing the beam in his own eyes.
This is not serious behaviour for a prime Minister. It continues to illustrate an infantile mentality that the people ought to beware of.
Register a vote against the P.N. in the next June elections and Dr. Gonzi will surely find out that he does not fulfill the role of Prime Minister diligently but only as a carnival role.