Friday, 3rd July 2009
No way to consult us, says Labour
The opposition has turned down the Prime Minister's offer to attend for a formal presentation on Mepa reform because, it said, it should not have to make an official request as he had asked.
Labour MP Roderick Galdes said it was the government's duty to consult the opposition and questioned why the latter had to make formal requests in order to be consulted.
"If this is Lawrence Gonzi's definition of consultation, then it is clear that he had not learnt his lesson from the June 6 (European Parliament) election," he said.
Dr Galdes said the Opposition would continue to be willing to contribute to the reform as it had done with other reforms.
The Prime Minister's Office said in reaction it had taken note of the fact that the opposition was once again refusing to take part in discussions on a reform that was so important to the country.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Dr Gonzi reproached the opposition for not having presented its views on the proposed Mepa reform. He said that if Labour wrote to him officially he would authorise an official presentation as that made recently to Cabinet.
He said the Mepa reform had proved to be one of the most difficult and sensitive reforms undertaken by the government so far during this legislature.
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Comments
If PL is arrogant PN are the GODS of arrogance
J Martinelli
If you think that Gonzi Roi Soleil is going to last the next four years don't bet on it.
As for your comments it you want your comments not to continue to be taken with more than a pinch of salt you should leave your far-away Canada and come to live here. Maybe if you feel what the Maltese citizens are feeling you will stop defending the indefensible.
As for discussion, simple ethics dictate that if Gonzi wanted to consult the Opposition he should have FIRST invited it as it is not the Opposition's duty to ask to be consulted.
As for Dr Muscat being PM after the next election, pity is that you will have to continue dusting yourselves all over again since you and Gonzi may not have yet finished dusting yourselves from the last landslide PL victory.
When PL was asked for a constructive opinion about a solution for the high energy tariffs PL conveniently said that it was not their job because they were not in government. They washed their hands because PL was CLUELESS about this issue!!
Are they now suddenly full of clues?
So, let me get this straight. The opposition send a request to participate in this exercise and now they refuse to take part?
Joe Grima, Joseph Muscat is just a pretender to the throne currently occupied by Roi Gonzi and nothing is going to change that, at least for another four years. It is the likes of you and the LP who have to change. Dr. Gonzi was, is and continues to be the same man you knew some time ago.
The Nationalist government has done and continues to do so much that if and when it is Labour's turn to govern, there will not be much more to do - just twiddle its thumbs. The LP is an expert at that when governing.
As it stands, the opposition is stamping its feet and not contributing (has it ever, since Joe Muscat bullishly came out saying "LE GHAL PAIRING!") to a situation that needs the input of all concerned, including the opposition.
What is the real reason ? Lack of ideas ? or a simple poker move, so that after they could cry fowl at the MEPA reforms and then simply say that the MLP was not part of them ?
Shallow reasoning will yield certain reactions,but for the more acute thinker, there is more than meets the eye here.
The message I am getting from Galdes is a simple I dont care attitude because I have to make a formal official request. SO WHAT - WAKE UP AND DO IT, ITS FOR THE COUNTRY AFTER ALL - LET THEN, THE PEOPLE JUDGE YOU (AND THE PN).
But perhaps our PM, as he often does, confuses consultation with mere information and that involves our lumping of THAT already deceided. Just as we are experiencing with the Renzo Piano pantomime.