No PN MP will bring government down - whip
No Nationalist MP would do anything to bring the government down, party whip David Agius says in an interview today.
"We don't agree on everything... but the idea that someone is plotting to bring the government down is a fairy tale," Mr Agius tells The Sunday Times.
Every MP on the government benches is now working enthusiastically, especially after the Prime Minister appointed a number of parliamentary assistants to give a helping hand to each of the ministries, Mr Agus says.
Mr Agius speaks in detail about the recent parliamentary squabbles, and proposes that Malta adopts the ‘door system' way of voting used in the UK's House of Commons, where MPs walk through a door according to their voting intentions, avoiding the lapsus of saying 'yes' instead of 'no' or vice versa.
LET US WATCH FOOTBALL CAMPAIGN
Mr Agius also argues that people should have unrestricted football on television, without the need to subscribe to two operators.
An exclusive agreement should not prevent a TV company which owns the rights, from selling content to its competitor, Mr Agius says. There is no justification for football fans to have to pay more than €50 a month to be able to watch both the Champions League and Italian or English domestic leagues next season.
Mr Agius will be approaching other MPs to join him in his cause and he will refer the issue to the Social Affairs Committee in Parliament.
The UK communications regulator had established that all TV operators should have the opportunity to broadcast the leagues on their platforms and ensure a level playing field for other companies which would then compete with their rivals on value for money and service and not according to sports content.
Watch excerpts of the interview by clicking the link above. Read the interview on today's edition of The Sunday Times.
42 Comments
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victor caruana
Jun 8th 2010, 09:22
No Nationalist MP would do anything to bring the government down:
Of course not; they all have been programmed to behave accordingly.
charles philip zammit
Jun 7th 2010, 13:36
even if they openly disagree with what gonzi is doing they don't have enough guts to vote with their beliefs. there are no mintoffs in the rank of the pn. and more most of the grumblers have been kicked upstairs with the taxpayers' money.
m. borg (slm)
Jun 7th 2010, 12:40
Qawl mimli gherf:
Hadd ma jdardar l-ghajn li jixrob minnha.
Eric Gahn
Jun 7th 2010, 11:25
'Kultant trid tuza forsi naqra iktar gentilezza u karezzi': I read that as coersion.
J. Mifsud
Jun 7th 2010, 06:45
I truly like to believe that the above heading insults the intelligence of all PN parliamentarians who have at least a drop of blood in their veins.
How can they be treated as toddlers and so naive?
This heading is only one symptom of arrogance of a party whose days are counted. It could'nt be otherwise.
This heading is tantamount to phrases uttered by leaders of dictatorial regimes.
How can Mr David Agius be so sure that 'No PN MP will bring government down'?
Victor Vella
Jun 7th 2010, 02:29
Like Fredu, Gonzi has a majority of one seat in parlament. Unlike Fredu, Gonzi has four dissidents in the coalition, and not one Duminku. But, Gonzi was wise enough to show the carrot to the dissidents and the stick to the Maltese taxpayers to pay for the cash rewards from their monies. In so doing Gonzi takes the full points while Fredu took the nil points from the tkaxkira he took in 1998. This is all my dear David- please don't copy the above.
Bernard Agius
Jun 6th 2010, 21:06
I think everyone should rally behind Mr. Agius in his efforts to knock some sense in the TV operators to allow wider access to football.
Only a few will afford to pay over 50 Euros / month to watch football.
This is outrageous. I will wait to see what happens.
Grazzi Mr. Agius.
Henry Azzopardi
Jun 6th 2010, 20:45
I think the heading doesn't do any justice to the MP's remark.
The MP said: NO Nationalist MP will do anything to bring the Government down.... which is a tad different than "No PN MP will bring government down"
While the first is a legitimate assertion aimed at showing a united front amongst MP's, the second (i.e. the heading) smacks of arrogance and has led to the deluge of ill-thought statements below.
Editors should be more careful in their choice of words/headings.
HOWEVER, the truth is that this MP has had the guts to call a spade, a spade and is challenging GO to let go of their monopoly on sports rights ... this is a very welcome news as if successful, the campaign will be a great WIN for the consumers.
I strongly believe that all sports fans should adopt a WAIT AND SEE approach - do not get hooked to special offers by the TV operators to tie you down to a 2 year contract with the promise of exclusive access to Italian and UK football on TV.
Robert Mangion
Jun 6th 2010, 20:54
Re politics - ma nifhimx u mhux interessat...
Re football issue - I agree with you 100%. God forbid if from August we have to pay 2 subscriptions to watch football... I stand up to be counted and will WAIT and SEE what happens.
Mr. Agius - we are four square behind you on this and we sincerely wish you success in your endeavours to fight for our rights.
malcolm seychell
Jun 6th 2010, 19:52
Keep on doing your job David and the rest of the PN group.
At the moment you have no competition.
The PL are trying to make everyone believe they will do everything as soon as they get power.
They won't because the world is going to have to face much more problems and the current expenditure of the country cannot go up.
f. agius
Jun 6th 2010, 17:25
@Andrew Cumbo.
DIGA HU TARD HABIB.
Joseph Cauchi
Jun 6th 2010, 16:02
@ J. Diacono,
Our all National Debt is mostly due to local creditors; unlike other countries’ debts which are mostly due to foreign creditors. Ask Greece, Spain, Iceland, etc…
One analogy one can make is like Mr. Malta taking his money out of one of his pockets “A” and putting it back in the other pocket “B” of the same pair of trousers!
Yes, "A" is the creditor and "B" is the debtor; but still the same and one person!
This is what makes Malta’s financial position so strong and thus the envy of our bigger neighbours and partners!
JC.
Andrew Cumbo
Jun 6th 2010, 15:52
Ma hemmx dubju dan diga smajnieh minghand l- Onorevoli Ministru Tonio Borg. Ha tibqaw tmexxu akkost ta’ kollox jigri x’jigri. Nafu li ma tinkwetaw xejn, li timinaw id- demokrazija ta’ pajjizna, bhall ma ghamiltu ftit tal gimghat ilu wara kollox. L- Irgulija politika taghkhom tnisab hafna il- boghod min kif mexa bijha il- Gvern ta’ 96 mexxi min Alfred Sant. Dak in- nhar stajna nagixxu bhall ma qeghdin tagixxu intom illum u nibqaw nigvernaw. Imma urejna bi car li ahna mhux imwahhlin ma siggu tal poter bil-fatti. Morna ghall- elezjoni meta ma kienx iz-zmien opportun, avolja kien hemm hafna li ma qablux, imma l-irgulija u demokrazija hekk kienet titlob. Tikwetax mhux sabih li jaqqa Gvern ghall kull pajjiz fid dinja, hafna izjed ghall li stabilita politika ta l-istess pajjiz. Imma fl-ahhar mill ahhar,il- polpu jideciedi u kapaci jaghzel bejn l-aroganza u l-irgulija politika, biss nispera li meta jigri dan,, ma jkunx tard wisq.
G Camilleri
Jun 6th 2010, 14:53
SUR DAVID. IL-MALTI JGHID ' hadd wara hadd jasal ta' kulhadd' . TIBZAX DAVID, TASAL TIEGHEK U TA' SHABEK.
M Camilleri
Jun 6th 2010, 14:17
Sur David nahseb li trid ticcajta. ma tarax li xi minn membri parlamentari ha nwaqqa l-gvern. kif gonzi kien dahru mal hajt offra ic - cejca lil dawk li ma qablux . mhux hu ha ihallas jew il pn imma ahna bit-taxxi taghna. l-aqwa li salva l-gvern.
Joseph Grech
Jun 6th 2010, 14:17
@P.N. Whip David Agius, I recommend that:
1. You put ethics and principles before political considerations. Setting up a system whereby M.P.s will be treated worse than unruly kids - by making them walk through two separate ''doorways'' to indicate how they are voting during parliamentary sittings is not just undemocratic - it's demeaning so stop considered it.
2. You should insist with the Hon. P.M., the Hon. Leader of the Opposition and 'P.L. whip Mr. Mizzi that it is scandalous that M.P.s are allowed to drink alcoholic drinks exactly prior to Parliamentary Sittings. People are disgusted by this!
3. You need to advise the Hon. P.M. that it is undemocratic to use tapayer money to bail out exMinisters who lost their job following the last election. What he did is not allowable in the Constitution, and he set a bad precedent! Why did you let him do that?
4. Similarly the P.M. should not have given backbenchers taxpayer money for ''overcome work'' at the Ministries to which they were seconded. ''Gagging'' Maltese M.P.s like that is most undemocratic the way I see it.
5. Advise the P.M. to kick out Dolores Cristina if you seek P.N. and national interests!
d.attard
Jun 6th 2010, 13:40
Even if what Dr Agius says is true, one would not brag about it because it only goes to show that the deocratic process has been mumified. What with the general state of our media in the face of all that is going around us...a mention is the best one can hope for and not even this on national tv. No momentum to create awareness...Malta just can not afford the heqq mentality.
D.Vella
Jun 6th 2010, 13:25
Had the parilaimet reflected the will of the people, we would not be in this situation, we should have a coalition between PN and AD. I'm sure AD would not have allowed this situation in Malta. Ministers are not shouldering their responsiblities. A member of parliament should have the right to vote according to his consience and not according to his party. Knowing the presure exorted by his party a lapsus is the only means of voting against his party. If Mr David Aguis planning to remove this right as well, we might as well do away with parliament and have monarcy, where the king (even if its an elected king) makes all the laws, and we the obidient citiziens obey, and pay taxes to keep him and his nobilty in luxury.
E. Azzopardi
Jun 6th 2010, 13:18
As regards subject no 1 : Never say never
As regards subject no 2: All, repeat all, football lovers are behind you on this one. No operator should be boasting that it is has this and that and the other doesn't. The quicker this is acted upon the better.
Joe Fenech
Jun 6th 2010, 13:02
Is there a hidden threat in this statement? Vive la démocratie!!!
Jermy J Camilleri
Jun 6th 2010, 12:51
Couse not sur David.,....and lose all their newly gained perks? Ma tarax!!!!!!!
J Bajada
Jun 6th 2010, 12:50
hey, learn to quote correctly. what dr. Agius said was that its not true that there is someone trying to bring the government down. the title of the article is misleading because it makes the reader think that the mp wouldn't bring the government down, whatever happens. however, this is not the case. dr. Agius wants to say that the idea that someone in the PN is working to the bring the government down is not true. so for you, someone who says he doesn't agree with something, means that he doesn't agree with everything?!
@ david grech
can you please specify where the financial and environment problems lie? do you think we are in the same situation as in Italy, Spain, Greece etc? its incredible. only because ONE news says so, you believe so, without really seeing the truth. i am a human being just like you, but i can see that we are in a positive situation and we shouldn't argue about the state of our country.
if you all consider corruption as this government's weak point, can you please state a place which is not corrupt? there's corruption in our homes as well! everyone is corrupt!
J Diacono
Jun 6th 2010, 14:56
So you think that we are different from Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal etc?/Are you living on the moon by any chance?? Do you know what creative accounting is? Do you know that the public debt is almost FOUR BILLION EUROS and this does not include the debt owed by state companies like Enemalta, Airmalta, freeport, transport malta and many others (which ammounts to billions more) ? And all this mess despite your beloved govt sold all of it's profitable assets like Maltacom,, midmed, lotto, Gas division, tugmalta etc. To make matters worse after almost 25 years of pn govt and countless promises we are still living in a very shabby island with disastrous roads and inefficient public transport, not to mention our mediocre salaries.
Manuel Mangani
Jun 6th 2010, 12:37
Mr. Agius "proposes that Malta adopts the ‘door system' way of voting used in the UK's House of Commons, where MPs walk through a door according to their voting intentions, avoiding the lapsus of saying 'yes' instead of 'no' or vice versa."
Min irid jastjeni jgħaddi mit-tieqa? :)
Carmel Cilia
Jun 6th 2010, 12:17
Mr. Agius there was no need to say it. We have known it all along. The M.P. first loyalty is not towards there country or towards those who elected them' but towards themselves, their families and their party. This statements is nothing short of treason. Such a statement should be considered as unticonstitutional because to make such a general statement means that we the common citizen have no security in what our M.P.s undertake.
This also means that there is no democracy in this country. What am I saying , as if not everybody knows that here in Malta we have democracy for ajust a day before elections.
This did not need any confirmation by a newly elected British high official.Mr. Agius should get whipped for such a statement.
K.Anastasi
Jun 6th 2010, 12:41
I completely agree !!!! Shame on those MP's (any colour) who put party before Maltese citizens who elected them.
V Caruana
Jun 6th 2010, 12:13
Why would any PN MP do anything to bring thr gov. down? Kull min jitniffes kontra, indaħħlu idejna fil-but u nlaħħquh asssistent parlamentari u nwiżnuh. B'hekk jagħlaq Ħalqu! U int poplu ġwejjed ħallas. Barra min hekk "Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox" qatt ma kienet l-għajta tal-PN. "Il-PN l-ewwel u qabel kollox" huwa l-motto. (Fi żminijiet oħra l-Italja kienet tiġi l-ewwel) As regards the transmission of football matches by local providers. Mr. Agius, if this isn't a bla bla bla, you don't have to approach other MPs. Work on a petition. The public for sure will sign no matter what. You must know that is this is done through MPs it will take years before a decision is taken.
dzerafa
Jun 6th 2010, 12:11
@david grech
naqbel mieghek 100%..
fiona cauchi
Jun 6th 2010, 11:14
They will most certainly not bring the government down,but with their behavour they are not certainly helping the government to go up again in a couple of years....
dusty williams
Jun 6th 2010, 10:58
JALLA DAK LI QED TGHID HUWA VERU DAVID U JIENA NAQBEL MIEGHEK100%, PERO DIN IL KUSTJONI DEJJEM TQUM QABEL UL WORLD CUP, JEKK INSEJT ANKE QABEL IL WORLD CUP TAT 2006 QAM DAN KOLLU U BAQA MA SAR XEJN. ALLURA JIEN KIF NISTA NEMMNEK LI TRID TAGHMEL DAN B'MOD GENWIN? JEW GHAX ISSA FTIT FTIT TIBDA RIESQA XI ELEZZJONI ALLURA NIBDEW INDENDLU L KARROTTI MINN ISSA. NAFUK LILEK BIZZEJJED TA JIENA NAF NIES LI INTI SA HANSITRA WAQAFT BIL KARROZZA BIEX TGHINOM JIBDDLU PUNCTURE (GIMGHA QABEL L'ELEZZJONI). GHAMEL DAK LI QED TGHID FORSI NIBDA NEMMEN LIL XIHADD MINNKOM TAL GVERN.
Francesca Muscat
Jun 6th 2010, 10:51
keep up the good work PN! Unfortunately, it's the PL's usual method trying to bring the government dow, but NO WAY. Our mandate will surely grows stronger after the next 3 years.
P.Cassar
Jun 6th 2010, 10:50
SUCH A STATEMENT IS, OF ITSELF, INSULTING TO THE MPs themselves and to the nation as a whole!!!!!
ESciclunacamilleri
Jun 6th 2010, 11:52
it must be a group effort then.
Carmel Agius
Jun 6th 2010, 10:45
Huwa fi dmir ta' kull Gvern, u ministru jew membru parlamentari li jara li jekk il-gvern tieghu ma jkunx qed imexxi tajjeb jew fil-pajjiz jkun hawn l-ghaks, ghandu jirrizenja jew jivvota kontra il-Gvern. Huwa fid-dmir tal-ministri u l-membri parlamentari li jaraw li dak li jsir fil-pajjiz huwa fl-interess tal-poplu malti u ghawdxi kollu u mhux fl-interess tal-partit politiku li jhaddnu ghax fuq kollox lil gvern malti il-poplu jtellghu u jnizlu. Hawnhekk b'dan li qed nghid, qed nirreferih ghal-kulhadd, ghal kull min jkun fil-gvern, f'kull zmien. Huwa zbaljat min jghid li ebda deputat jew ministru qatt ma jista jwaqqa l-Gvern
dusty williams
Jun 6th 2010, 10:51
IMMA DAWN DONNOM CERTI HABIB GHAL BIL FLUS JAGHMLU KOLLOX DAWN ID DEMOKRISTJANI.
david grech
Jun 6th 2010, 10:18
X'hiex? Twaqqghu il-gvern? Le hejj, issa il-problemi li hloqtu, specjalment dawk finanzjarji u ambjentali araw kif ser issolvuhom intom, mhux titfghu il-gebla fuq saqajn haddiehor bhall ma ghamiltu fin 1996!!
J. Debono
Jun 6th 2010, 09:58
Re football campaign.
I'm all behind you, I'm getting tired of switching between one provider and the other provider to watch the premier league.
The worst is if one provider provides the premier league, and the other the Champions league.
In no way am I going to pay two providers.
I will then look elsewhere.
edward bartolo
Jun 6th 2010, 09:54
Quote: "No PN MP will bring government down - whip"
As long as governments, whoever they may be, work in the interest of the Maltese people, it doesn't make any difference as to who governs. Moreover, politics, owing to its very nature, was always an arena of controversy because of conflicting personal priorities.
Marco Debono
Jun 6th 2010, 09:44
"Mr Agius also argues that people should have unrestricted football on television, without the need to subscribe to two operators."
so right
Anthony Mizzi
Jun 6th 2010, 09:44
The PEOPLE will!
They did a good job the last election taking giving Dr. Gonzi a hand in his choice of representatives , by choosing and eliminating the candidates to represent them .…and they will do so again !
The Electorate just left Dr. Gonzi the option to SMS those elected, his Ministerial posts, leaving out Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Robert Arrigo, elected from two districts!
J Brincat
Jun 6th 2010, 09:44
Quote: 'No Nationalist MP would do anything to bring the government down, party whip David Agius says in an interview today'
Unquote: What a breaking news! As if we do not know this. The PN will do all it takes to remain glued to the seat of power.
M.Bonanno
Jun 6th 2010, 09:44
U tal-football Malti cucata ohra. Jien ghandi tal- GO biex nara l-league Taljan imma ma jistax ikun nhallas lil-Melita wkoll biex nara l-Premier Malti.