Updated: Floriana benches: PN expresses regret
The Nationalist Party today expressed its regret that four benches removed from the Granaries for the Independence celebrations in September, have still not been returned.
Floriana council in a strongly worded statement earlier today accused the party of arrogance for having ignored its calls for the benches to be returned.
In a letter to the council, the PN said that whilst assuming full responsibility for this shortcoming, it wished to point out that it had been asking its contractor to reinstate the benches since October.
"Unfortunately these repeated appeals have been to date ignored. For this purpose the PN again regrets any inconvenience caused due to these shortcomings and will endeavour to see the benches reinstated by the contractor as soon as possible," the party said.
In its statement, the council said the fact that it had been repeatedly ignored by the party reflected arrogance which was unbecoming of an organisation which should be setting an example.
Such an incident, it said, justified the conditions it imposed on those who organised activities on the Granaries. The pity was that such conditions could not be imposed on the political parties, which were, according to law, free to hold their events without even seeking the council's permit.
The council said it would continue to insist that organisers paid for the damage they caused, and showed a modicum of respect to the community which hosted them.
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Mark Lombardo
Mar 17th 2010, 04:46
@ C. Zammit - Rather than just speaking and complaining about black dust, i hope that we will find your support in reaching our aim of closing the Marsa Power Station, once the new power station in Delimara is completed.
Mark Lombardo
Mar 17th 2010, 04:35
@ C. Zammit - first of all we are all Maltese and we should take interest in all our country - being a local councillor does not isolate you only in your locality. If I wanted to be parrocchial as you seem to be suggesting, I could have asked how many benches are there in Floriana compared with their small population? Surely 4 missing benches is peanuts for Floriana which boasts of Malta's largest square, and numerous gardens and open spaces, with a lot of benches. I wish that the locality of Fgura which has a population of nearly 12,000 had a fair share of open spaces. But my comment was about the attitude taken by different political parties on local issues! PN has apologized for a very minor incident! I would like to hear an apology from the other party about far greater offences. Secondly, if you would like to know about the work of my local council, I invite you to attend to one of the council meetings, and you will be more than surprised!
Joseph Anthony Xuereb
Mar 16th 2010, 23:18
@ cr taliana, you are so right,and im laughing my head off with that comment you made lool
V caruana
Mar 16th 2010, 17:44
Floriana council - backbenchers will give you a hint where these benches are :)
C.R. Taliana
Mar 16th 2010, 10:44
The benches will be returned just before the general election, accompanied by a triumphant fanfare band and live reportage of the event!
C. Zammit
Mar 15th 2010, 23:16
@ Mark Lombardo - Your comments should justify your party's shortcoming??? Please grow up and use your mind to think and 'wonder' FREELY, with no hidden agendas!!
I guess you'd better ask your beloved government about what is causing the black dust, for the sake of your Fgura residents, instead of focusing on other localities!!
Ernest Vella
Mar 15th 2010, 22:21
X'intom bla sens nies. Jekk il-kuntratur ghadu ma poggihomx, hija raguni valida imma li l-PN ser jaraw li jitpoggew mill-aktar fiss possibli...almenu dawn bankijiet mhux murtali min fuq roundabout quddiem l-iskola ta Haz-Zebbug li xi nies, bi flokijiet homor ghamlu meta hasbu li rebhu l-elezzjoni, kif qalilhom certu Jason...il-bankijiet nadfuhom issa imma ehh
Imma kemm tinghaw nies...il-PN fadallu 3 snin...kurragg!!!
amifsud
Mar 15th 2010, 21:17
Very funny how in our country a political party candidate (for the European parliament) gets involved in online arguments about something so mundane......
Anthony Gatt
Mar 15th 2010, 20:45
@ Mary Mizzi - in a letter to the Floriana Council PN assumed full responsibility. Who said PL or Joseph are to blame ? How can somebody be blamed for something without ever doing anything. That is why PN gets criticised. They do a lot !
Mary Mizzi
Mar 15th 2010, 20:18
How does the Labour Party feature in a litigation between the Floriana Local Council and the P.N.? "Just blame all on Joseph and the L.P" . seems to be the mission statement of a deficient Nationalist Party administration with its apologists, sustainers and hopeful pretenders.
Anthony Gatt
Mar 15th 2010, 19:41
@ Tony Mangion - the first two words in all ONE TV news for these last months have been always the same - DAWL u ILMA. But at least not BLA DAWL u BLA ILMA like we experienced for most of the time during the seventies and the eighties !
Andrew Cumbo
Mar 15th 2010, 19:01
Dawn erba bankijiet. Imbghad iriduna nemmnuwhom li ha jwettqu il-weghdi kollha li weghduna qabel l-elezjoni.
G. Mangion
Mar 15th 2010, 18:32
Floriana council, Do You think that 4 benches are more precious than the important issues, very badly affecting the Residents in Floriana ?
Siringi kullimkien
hmieg kullimkien
Out dated, keep clear sign, iron bars on the pavements, OBSTRUCTING, Prams, wheelchiars, and ruining the pavements a swell, ecc, ecc. and the noise being done by constructing work between 13.00 & 15.45 many people should at least have some rest especially, night workers & old people. the list is endless.
lgalea
Mar 15th 2010, 22:41
I wonder whether you would have written the same posting if PL was in Government.
Joe E Galea
Mar 16th 2010, 12:25
Yes take it out on the Floriana Local Council because it mentioned your beloved party in a wrongdoing. What a shame naming the holy PN!!
Mark Lombardo
Mar 15th 2010, 17:19
Only in Malta:
a political party expresses regret for the removal of four benches from a square.....i wonder whether the other political party would express regret for the removal of St Anne Square in Sliema (ex-Magi Kiosk) or for turning private/public property into political clubs (St. Venera/Siggiewi), .........
i keep wondering......
lgalea
Mar 15th 2010, 22:40
I wonder whether the PN will express regret for its big club in Paola on public land instead of giving it to extend the polyclinic, the Ta' Xbiex PN Club, and others. Whether it will express regret for what it did to Malta bringing it again under foreign rule as they always wanted to and making Malta again a foreigners colony and us being ruled over again by foreigners.
M.Farrugia
Mar 15th 2010, 16:28
Should 4 benches make headlines? If a couple of benches help to give more ammunition to Joe Muscat and his Media to attack the PN, mela vera mghandhiex x'nahgmlu f'dan il pajjiz.
Tony Mangion
Mar 15th 2010, 16:18
If these benches were removed for any PL activitity and have not been put in place after 7 whole months, this story would have ended as a very important item of Net News and will be also included in the "Punti Ewlenin" of these same, naive news.
Joe E Galea
Mar 16th 2010, 12:28
The NET TV would come out with a story like JM meeting secretely with a businessman to take the benches to his house and they would make a plot at the same level of Dan Brown's novels.
Anthony Gatt
Mar 15th 2010, 16:15
@ J. Mifsud - you wonder how much of the 80s history is true ? Keep wondering my friend, but in the meantime just ask for details members of the present partit tal-Progressivi u Moderati. Quite a good number are in a position to answer your questions.
J. Mifsud
Mar 15th 2010, 16:00
@ Michael Seychell - What has the PL got to do with all this. I used to doubt MLP supporters who used to say that everything was blamed on the MLP - now reading your posts I realise it is the truth. I wonder how much of the 80s history is true or as you are doing in the present just a shifting of blame from pn to mlp.
Kirill Micallef Stafrace
Mar 15th 2010, 15:46
@ Micallef
If you do not think a government at the mercy of an ever increasing number of disgruntled backbenchers and a massive investment for a theatre that can only be used part-time, are not serious arguments, then how can you be taken seriously! Just because someone tackles an argument in a 'tongue in cheek' fashion, this does not equate in a erroneus reasoning behind the argument in question.
Joe Micallef
Mar 15th 2010, 16:14
No I do not think that disgruntled backbenchers are a serious issue, but rather a healthy one. My take is that despite them having aspirations none seem to think that the PL is an alternative - Not that you need particular brilliance to reach that unfortunate conclusion!
I am in favour of Piano's designs and consider them as bold, creative and innovative solutions to a dynamic capital city (as were Barry's at his time). The argument of limited use is as weak as your first post although I understand that is a subjective opinion motivated by my admiration to the work of a living master who I started following since the construction of his 1990 World Cup stadium in Bari
Anthony Gatt
Mar 15th 2010, 15:22
@ Anthony Mizzi - Don't you think that the benches would have proved more useful in the hot Summer of 1998 ? Thank God it did not happen !
M Cassar
Mar 15th 2010, 15:20
Oh well..it's the contractors who rule Malta and not the government...legislation is futile..Malta welcome to the laws of the jungle where with money you can trample on everyone and everything in your path. A new pavement? No worries just drive your 2 ton truck on top of it who cares if it breaks the taxpayers will fork out some more money..just send the Arms Ltd brigade for some more money.
darren J Galea
Mar 15th 2010, 14:57
...whine it's not my fault it's the contractor's fault. Typical PN strategy of passing the buck. Grow up!
G.Micallef
Mar 15th 2010, 15:40
Hi! Same old song my friend! What a stale comment!
Anthony Mizzi
Mar 15th 2010, 14:46
Maybe the BENCHES were needed as seating for the back-BACKCHERS in the twinning with the Ministers exercise : )
Anthony Mizzi
Mar 15th 2010, 14:39
@Michael Seychell
The Labour Party certainly does not need to get in or commission spin weavers to improve on the public's perception of Gonzipn and the Administration of the PN.
The People are not the impbeciles you depict them to be.
Michael Seychell
Mar 15th 2010, 14:34
Adding to my previous comment, the PN Administration should have had the courtesy to inform the Floriana Local Council of the reason why the benches were not returned in six months.
I sincerely hope that this was an oversight from whoever was responsible in the PN chain , and it should be taken as a lesson to be more attentive in future.
I urge Dr. Borg olivier and his staff to keep in mind that what for the PN administration a request by a Local Council , or even from any individual who may be a member or not of the PN, could be seen as an unimportant , that request could be so important for those who made it, that they will interpret such lack of courtesy as sheer arrogance.
Michael Seychell
Tal-Pieta
Joe Micallef
Mar 15th 2010, 14:17
@ Kirill Micallef Stafrace
Are you the same person that ran for an MEP? If yes, with such comments, no wonder you weren't taken seriously!
In the meantime the PN should reinstate the benches today and forget the crap about asking the contractor!
lgalea
Mar 15th 2010, 14:16
Why should the benches be removed in the first place?
Michael Seychell
Mar 15th 2010, 14:09
If what the Floriana Council has stated is the truth, as a PN Member and Councillor for Pieta on the PN ticket, I appeal to Dr. Paul Borg Olivier PN general secretary to ensure that this issue is solved without any further delay, or rather this should be SOLVED TODAY, unless there is a valid explanation for not doing so.
It is bad enough that the Labour Party as the Master of PERCEPTION is doing its utmost to damage the PN, therefore the Administration of the PN should avoid adding more ammunition to Joe Muscat and his Media.
Michael Seychell
Pieta
Karl Zarb
Mar 15th 2010, 14:29
And you also doubt if the Floriana Council is stating the truth in this issue! More arrogance typical of PN! Ignoring and arrogance, is that damaging enough? So don't blame PL who has nothing to do with this issue. Thank you.
lgalea
Mar 15th 2010, 18:12
There's no need to add ammunition to the PL to shoot the PN to oblivion come next election. The PN and the Prime Minister are doing it themselves.
laurence schembri
Mar 15th 2010, 14:06
'@ Carmel Callus
Typical of your kind, the Council have spent money on these benches, the furniture should be returned in good order, also I agree with A. Schembri, the Council should have a say and lay the law on such activities.
P. Schembri
Mar 15th 2010, 14:05
Did Edward Torpiano signed the statement, Mr. Holland?
Kirill Micallef Stafrace
Mar 15th 2010, 13:57
@carmel
glass house? in Malta ? in our heat? are we going nuts here? Hmmm, well... we are going to have an open roofed theatre notwithstanding the loud protests from all sectors which have fallen on repeatedly deaf ears. I suppose we must blame the backbenchers for that too as our prime minister must have his ears permanently covered in order not to hear the mumbles and grumbles from his own parliamentary group
Joe E Galea
Mar 15th 2010, 13:50
They were donated by Gonzi to the disgruntled backbenchers as part of the deal to shut up. :)
carmel callus
Mar 15th 2010, 13:47
@Dr Micallef Stafrace
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones....
A Zammit
Mar 15th 2010, 13:54
Look who's talking about glass houses!
A. Schembri
Mar 15th 2010, 13:28
If the council was really repeatedly ignored than I am sure that yes this is arrogance. I think that the Floriana council should be the authority of whether or not the granaries are to be used for such activities. At the end of the day, any damage, dirt, traffic, noise, inconvenience etc is all shouldered by Floriana residents and so it is only right that the council should have the last say.
Schembri - Valletta
C.Sammut
Mar 15th 2010, 13:06
They can't be Kirill! Backbenchers' seats are the cushioned type...(from tax payers' money!)
laurence schembri
Mar 15th 2010, 12:58
They need them for the backbenchers Nigel.
Kirill Micallef Stafrace
Mar 15th 2010, 12:50
well they were probably allocated for the use of the ministries that have been ordered to mother the disgruntled backbenchers within the PN. And we accuse the government of no forward planning...