Prassede Borg, Siġġiewi
Sacrifice must not just be the public's
I just cannot make up my mind about whether the Prime Minister suffers from amnesia or is one who continually slips on banana skins. He accuses the Leader of the Opposition (parliamentary debate, July 1) of using students to attack the government.
Does Lawrence Gonzi not remember the Nationalist Party campaign on schools when Labour in government wanted free tuition? The PN used not just a few students but the entire school population, the teachers and the Church. And when the PN was returned to government they did not give back to the Church one iota of all the achievements that the Mintoff government had won.
The government wanted to be accountable and answer all arguments, Dr Gonzi said. In what way has the government been accountable in the education situation which deprived Malta of EU funds for education programmes? Civil servants resigned but the minister is still drawing her ministerial salary. Is that accountability?
Dr Gonzi felt there was the need for a sacrifice to pay from taxpayers' money for the students who were affected to continue with their studies. But why must it be only the public who makes the sacrifices? Dolores Cristina made none, though she was politically responsible for the €4 million loss in EU funds. Why must the taxpayers always pay for their ministers' negligence?
I do not know how extensive The Times report is of what the Prime Minister said but I did not read one word of defence from him for his Education Minister. Dr Gonzi did not try to find justification for her costly mistake. He too, like me, must be blaming her for the country's loss of EU funds. But why does he not have the courage to sack her?
Is he a man of straw?
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J Farrugia
Jul 5th 2010, 16:53
I think Prassede is mixing up things. She is writing about Joseph Muscat and not about our PM. Facts speak louder than words.
N.Calleja
Jul 5th 2010, 16:10
@ P.Borg and Ifenech Both of you seem to forget that in each and every government department there are thousands of employees who should be accountable to their work personally. Did anyone at the Education Ministry know of certain faults, and if he/she did, did they report specifically to the Minister about it? Your only intention, as it is with Labour shadow minister Evarist Bartolo is to tarnish the Ministers' and the PM's names for the political jealousy they have against anything Nationalist. It is the PL's strategy to bombard each and every Minister, the PM and all their entourage, simply to gain political milage. But they are so far behind that after every election, they are left in opposition!! Because their past is infested with all sorts of corruption.
c. camilleri
Jul 5th 2010, 15:58
Why all this crocodile's tears.?If your party had its way there would have been no money coming from Europe. So you are not in position to write about European funds. As regards the Mintoffian era the less we talk about it the better
fbonello
Jul 5th 2010, 13:29
Since the government is not caring for the citizens, but Dr Gonzi wants us to make sacrifices to make up for the costly mistakes by his ministers, then he is leaving us with no option but NOT to vote PN again. Taxes have reached the limit now. We cannot afford to pay more. Now it is the turn for the P's and top brass civil servant to make sacrifices.
David Buttigieg
Jul 5th 2010, 11:46
I remember those terrible times quite well thank you. I was locked out of my school and denied an education for a whole term and had to (proudly) study in secret in private homes. My school, by the way, was private and not a church school so the banal arguments of the regime where even more banal! The labour party has yet to apologise for forbidding me and so many children to go to school. Denying a child an education is a terrible thing, especially when the only reason for doing is due to a massive chip on the shoulder.
l fenech
Jul 5th 2010, 10:34
I remember quite well the times you are refering to. Gonzi was left with a good legacy but unfortunately he failed the good intentions and started with the imagination of I know best and that's what i am going to do. Forgetting that more that half the electorate is far from in favour of his decisions. I trust that when he puts his head on the pillow at night he registers what he has done up to now and what the population is going through.