Labour Party sets up Business Forum

A.Gauci Cunningham

Feb 2nd 2010, 20:20

Not very long ago many on these commentary spaces (myself included) had shown their desire for a stronger labour Party because they said that "....a stronger Labour Party would mean a stronger country". Funny how some of those same people today are ready to shoot down anything the PL comes up with just because it comes out from Mile End Hamrun. Decide!! Either you want a "strong" PL which comes up with new initiatives such as this or you want a weak PL led by leaders who are overloaded with bagage and who serve as the PN's best electoral assets.

Re. Marlene Mizzi---I think Marlene would do well in this business forum. I have no qualms in saying that I supported her candidature in the EP elections with my vote and that Marlene is a definite asset to the Labour Party and to this country!!

r Pace Bonello

Feb 2nd 2010, 18:52

So now we are all workers! Let us all vote for MLP, PL Progressives or whatever.

Alfred Farrugia

Feb 2nd 2010, 16:32

The Labour Party deserves to be congratulated for this initiative. It is a pity that this Business Forum was not launched a few months ago. Ms. Marlene Mizzi could have participated in the World Economic Forum that has just ended in Davos, Switzerland.

http://www.weforum.org/en/index.htm

Why does the Labour Party have to wait until it is elected to try and attract foreign business to Malta? The private sector has room for more investment, and any contribution by the Labour Party should be welcomed. Both political parties should work in the interest of our country independently of whether they are in government or opposition. This is the country of us all.

It is clear that both parties are moving in the direction of “catch all” parties although they still retain some ideological differences. The stronger the Opposition becomes the harder our Government will have to work, to the benefit of us all.

Joe Micallef

Feb 2nd 2010, 16:25

This is a welcome development albeit some 45 years late - but as the saying goes better late then never.

From now on it becomes a question of understanding the substance behind, and as at today, given Muscat and PLs “wanna give all to everyone” attitude, I have my doubts. Unfortunately my doubts are heightened with the appointment of Marlene Mizzi who represents a “political disappointment” for me. I was determined to put her name on my MEP ballot paper because I always held her in high regard as a women who did not wait for discriminating quotas to succeed. However when in her first electoral campaign salvo on the printed version of the same paper she declared that one of her main aims once in Brussels was to embarrass the government, then I couldn’t but relegate her to the status of a politician with a very small “p”.

E Gatt

Feb 2nd 2010, 15:18

Socialism promotes more state intervention and higher income tax.

Is PL trying to rid itself of its socialist legacy to appear more business-friendly? Sounds good but it’s very hard to believe.

Businesses need tax cuts and more privatisation. The global recession has postponed the planned reduction in income tax. This will happen – with the PN at the helm of course.

victor borg

Feb 2nd 2010, 13:56

@R Spiteri
i feel sorry for you like i feel sorry for gonzi pn. Our prime minister is now really with his back
against the wall. He got rid of two of his contestants for the leadership.But what is he going to do with all those unhappy backbenchers?

mario scerri

Feb 2nd 2010, 13:49

Prosit u niehu gost nara nies bhal Marlene Mizzi attivi fil-Partit Laburista.

Martin Farrugia

Feb 2nd 2010, 13:12

WELL DONE, JOSEPH.

Martin Farrugia

Maria Camilleri

Feb 2nd 2010, 12:35

The launching of this forum is good news for business people. The iniatives that are being taken shows that the PL is innovative and champion Dr Joseph Muscat's vision of a truly effective government. Good Luck Marlene.

J. CASSAR

Feb 2nd 2010, 12:22

From now on we will not hear Joseph and Tony blaming the business comunity that they are the cause for rising cost of living. What about now being a member of the European socialist group, the euro socialist would not like the idea of having elite business men and women part of the PL and and mingling with local businessmen. A suggestion to Marlene, please ask the busines comunity especially the self employed to pay immediately all the National Insurance dues, pay all income tax dues and do not keep the vat in your pockets but forward it to the Vat office in time.

A Farrugia

Feb 2nd 2010, 12:14

While Joseph Muscat is totally focused on our country`s needs, challenges and opportunies, Lawrence Gonzi is wasting time and looking back into his party`s bickering and squabbles and the unrest among the Nationalist Party backbenchers, namely, Philip Mifsud, Franco Debono, Jean Pierre Farrugia, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Jesmond Mugliett and very soon, Robert Musumeci.

Joe E Galea

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:48

@R Spiteri: You are simply hilarious. We all know that your only scope in life is to attack anything which is and has anything to do with Labour. Tell it to your Labour leaning workmates. Yes the PL is spearing ahead to work together with the business community in order to have a serious polkicy for business once the PL is in government...and yes to remove the perception by many people like you that the PL works for the blue collars (as Marlene Mizzi put it). What's wrong in removing old perceptions by truly addressing issues? How do you expect people to vote Labour next election, by staying quiet and do nothing? Please give this nation a break and continue eating your sour grapes.

Muscat. Pat

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:42

A desperate search for new "business friendly" policies by Dr Gonzi - led- government will give you no result. Indeed, the Maltese business man is battered and bleeding heavily from the tax onslaught of GonziPN. What the business man is presently getting is brave rhetoric from the PN led TV and Radio stations, and a grim reality from the market place. Whilst taxes for the business man increase-under the guise of tariffs, bills and higher fuel and electricity bills, the spending spree(-il hala-) of the government has no limits!
Even amid the present business gloom, there are occassional flashes of light; the Labour Party Business Forum is one of them.

Ronald Zammit

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:35

Well done for the set up of this Business Forum to be headed by the very compitent and capable Marlene Mizzi. This is a step forward in the right direction and should be of great beneficial to all concerned and to the country in general, no matter what the unti-Labour corrispondences try to impliment with their negattive comments. Prosit PL u keep up the good work!

J Baldacchino

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:23

May I quote from Mr Philip Mifsud, PN Backbencher regarding Labour Party new perspectives.

Mr. Mifsud said the PN was running out of time to repair the damage it has done to itself. “Labour today is not the same opposition it was two years ago. The Opposition is present, on ball, and reactive on many fronts, not to mention it has more intelligence than before,” he said. “The PN has a lot of homework to do.

JOHN AZZOPARDI

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:20

Pass iehor 'il quddiem ghall-Partit Laburista.

Mhux ta' b'xejn li d-Deputat Nazzjonalista Philip Mifsud stqarr pubblikament li l-PN ghandu hafna homework x'jaghmel biex forsi xi darba jilhaq lill-Partit Laburista li miexi jaqdef 'il quddiem fuq issues ta' importanza nazzjonali!!

Simon Cassar

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:20

@ R. Spiteri

"to eliminate the perception" because it is only a perception! Labour has changed and when he will be in power he will work to get the best for Malta, all people, workmen, employers, children, families, the elderly everyone.

This government works only for those with 'blue eyes" creating jobs for his own boys. L. Galea for auditor is an example.

D. Scerri

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:17

This is a very valid initiative because the more the Party listens to various sectors of the society the more it can understand what makes the wheel called Malta turn round. Well done and commitments like these is what makes a party progressive when it opens up to sectors not normally associated with it. PN has always pretended it has some divine right to represent certain areas of the society. Let them know this is not so.

George Azzopardi

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:15

I believe PL are on the right track .. PN are trying to keep up with PL's current's movements but already know that they're going to fail.

M.Gauci

Feb 2nd 2010, 11:14

Well done to the Labour Party, Malta Labour Party, progressivi, democratici, liberali, etc.. or whatever the party is called nowadays (sorry I lost track). This is a step in the right direction. But until labour is made up of old stalwarts which were there when really bad decsions/actions were taken, I shall only take this to be a fox in a sheep skin.

Before labour grass roots like Lewis Ellul start crying foul, I only have to remind him that Alfred Sant made similar things way back in 96 only to show the real labour once in government. Vat, Cash Registers, medicines, drydocks council, giving away public land and creating an out of bounds areas which did not happen thanks to mintoff (basta konna nghidu li wara telqu l-inglizi l-art ma kinitx taghna!) etc.. etc...

A Farrugia

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:57

While Joseph Muscat is totally focused on the country`s needs, challenges and opportunites, Lawrence Gonzi is looking back at his party`s bickering and squabbles and unrest among the backbenchers....Philip Mifsud, Jesmond Mugliett, Jean Pierre Farrugia, Franco Debono, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and very soon Robert Musumueci. No wonder the country is crying out for change.

Maria Grech

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:55

Maybe this business forum will come up with a brilliant idea like that of the Opposition Leader to introduce bulk buying once again. That would be great. One must never forget that it is the present administration that gave room for businesses to grow and be set up by whoever is capable and would want to.

Lewis Ellul

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:47

Well done Labour Party. Naturally any progressive idea will not go down well with the usual PN apologists and might even make some cockroaches crawl out of the darkness to say their piece.

M Coleiro

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:44

Always a step ahead. Finally an arm to rest on for us small and medium businesses.

A.Busuttil

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:41

@R Spiter
you only see BLUE, your wording is all sour grape. Years ago you use to say Labour needs to change, now you are argueing because it changed. Who needs to change and run , run, run ?
Well done PL Well done Marlene, I am counting on you

J. Borg

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:40

start by changing the party flag.....

Anthony Farrugia

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:38

Brilliant but has been done before; not very original.

A. Mizzi

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:32

@R. spiteri (2 minutes ago)
"
about setting up of a supermarket by Labour, why not? Ang Gonzipn will follow suit as it hopes to do with Mobile telephony, even though the Brand Name was nothing short of original



http://pingmobile.com/

http://www.pingmessaging.com/Ping%21/Ping%21.html

R spiteri

Feb 2nd 2010, 10:24

"To eliminate the perception"

That says it all....Labour just wants to look good! with everyone....anytime, anyday.

Maybe one can discuss the setting up of a supermarket by Labour, as proposed by their Vice Captain Toni Abela. That would boost business!