Government wants 'golden rule' entrenched in the Constitution

Joe Brincat-LL.D

Mar 7th 2012, 21:47

I do not agree that this amendment should be entrenched in the Constitution. Why this one ? Although present circumstances may warrant such a "golden rule", it may well be that in exceptional circumstances, this rule has to be broken, for the well-being of the citizens.

What worries me in all these regulatory amendments to the Constitution, whether entrenched or not, there is no Constitutional organ which can decide that a particular decision of the government breaches the Constitution. We have had experience of that sort of interpretation by a Prime Minister, endorsed by the advice of the Attorney General, and that was the end of the story.

We already have a part of the Constitution dealing with how the budget should be allocated. But recently history has shown that a Cabinet may decide to raise the salaries of its members, without any reference to parliament, not to say behind its back.

I do believe that time has come to give to the Constitutional Court or create a Constitutional Review Court to which recourse is available even for ordinary citizens to challenge political decisions which run counter to the Constitution.

Mark. Galea

Mar 7th 2012, 11:11

Many people are talking about indipendent Malta ...
PL has a last chance to take us out of the EU, if the PL leader so wishes ... why does he not take heed of the large number of PL supporters who are euro sceptic ... ?

Joseph Camilleri

Mar 7th 2012, 09:11

So much for independent Malta.

Most of us would agree to the golden rule, but having it imposed from without rather than within, isn't quite the same thing. And it is so very ironic that it is the Nationalist government that "wants" it, considering the humungous accumulated debts year on year Nationalist governments were responsible for.

j brincat

Mar 7th 2012, 09:06

"should be entrenched in the Constitution with a two-thirds majority, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Parliament this evening"

Before this why doesn't Dr Gonzi pick up some courage and put a bill to the vote first?

(jb)

Simon Micallef

Mar 7th 2012, 09:04

The most important Golden rule is DEMOCRACY. Parlament is being run like a village tea shop. Shame on this Government , for being afraid to move forward important legislation. The Golden rule should also include the Prime Minister's blame to his neice (Sliema Mayor) and Sliema candidate, for spreading poison against other Maltese who do not share same ideas. Double faced Prime Minister ,talks sweet and tender and acts opposite way round.

j brincat

Mar 7th 2012, 09:00

The PN should have thought about the golden rule a quarter of century ago when they came to power.

It was the last time that we had a surplus budget. From then on they embarked on a spending spree which left us with an astronomical debt of 4 billion euro. To serve this huge debt we (the taxpayers) have to pay €220 million (220,000,000) out in interest payments PER YEAR!


(jb)

j brincat

Mar 7th 2012, 08:53

@Mark. Galea

"u issa jigi d-dear Magic Wand u isolvi kollox"

Would be a Herculean task to sort out all the sorry mess left behind by GonziPN!

As regards your famous magic wand I have one suggestion. Why don't you hand it to Dr Gonzi in the hope that he brings Dr Franco on his side again? What do you think?


(jb)

Mark. Galea

Mar 7th 2012, 08:40

u issa jigi d-dear Magic Wand u isolvi kollox.

pat muscat

Mar 7th 2012, 08:22

Wara 25 sena il-PN skopra l-ghaqal......wara li harbat kull m'hemm, bil-power station 'gdida' obsolete, ghada kollha dejn, u fejn the' state of the art hospital'-leaves patients in the corridors by their thousands; a hospital that took 17 years to build, and whose costs went overboard by some 200 million euros! Gabuna fixxa, u ghandhom il-wicc li mill-gdid jghidu' finanzi fis-sod' jigiefieri 'id-dejn se jintefah aktar sakemm il-buzzieqa tinfaqa.....imbaghad iwahhlu f'haddiehor!

Lawrence Fenech

Mar 7th 2012, 08:18

There is only one Golden Rule Gonzi, the back door.

tony abela

Mar 7th 2012, 07:13

Rightly so! GonziPN should now consider that he has always been in breach of reasonable spirit of the Constitution, as although it was not written he is now insisting that it should have been like this all along. After all, common sense says so, too

Wenzu Vella

Mar 7th 2012, 06:38

Would this golden rule be like the NEUTRALITY clause in the constitution with bigger holes than a sieve?

Malta’s debt under consecutive PN governments got so big that it is very close that of Greece. The combined debt of the government and its entities are over the 7 billion euro mark which equates over 17,000 euro per head of population and this my dear brothers and sisters is growing at an alarming rate.

If the PL gets to govern after the next election inheriting the sovereign debt would be like a poison chalice and it would restrict them from carrying out most of their reform programs.

Mr Adrian Zahra

Mar 7th 2012, 05:07

After 25 years of squandering and mounting debts of over 5Billion Euros and nor paying for the most critical assets of its country (the POwer Station) Dr. Gonzi and the PN want us to submit yet again to the political dictate of foreign more powerful countries so that we hopefully get our finances in shape. "Senti Senti da che pulpito vien la predica"

If we want accountability for future administrations let us have laws and structures with which to prosecute negligence, shortsightedness and inadequacy of politicians and in for a starter in the constitution we define criteria for anyone to be eligible as a finance and economy minister.

How about putting in the constitution, that what is promised before the election is actually done and if not done those responsible will be held responsible of omissions with respect to the constitution with ensuing prison terms. Then we will get certainty of conduct in the interest of the country and not in the interest of the party or the Klikka.

Paul Gauci

Mar 7th 2012, 05:03

What cheek! After 25 years of deficits the Nationalist Party starts talking balancing the budget.

Carmel Bugeja

Mar 6th 2012, 23:24

GOLDEN RULE MY FOOT!!!!

John Doe

Mar 6th 2012, 23:01

It is very clear that Dr. Gonzi does not know what he is talking about.

We have been promised the country's accounts on an accruals basis for the last 7 budgets in a row and yet they never materialised. Once we have these blessed accounts on an accruals (rather than on a cash) basis we will know exactly where we staqnd and whether the golden rule will mean flogging ourselves to death.

Today, no one, not even the Ministry of Finance, knows the true extent of our national debt. Any guess is as good (or bad) as any other.

Alfred Grech

Mar 6th 2012, 22:52

A basic common sense rule would be that each government should try very hard to have a balanced budget. Haven't seen one in Malta since Mintoff's time.

rueben pitre

Mar 6th 2012, 22:10

X'naghgglu f'daqqa wahda biex insolvu il-problemi kollha tal-pajjiz.

Dak li ma ghamilniex f'4 snin, ha naghmluh fi ftit xhur qiesna. Hux vera GonziPN?

pat muscat

Mar 6th 2012, 21:15

After 25 years of unbalanced budgets and a mountain of debt Partit Nazzjonalista wants 'golden rule' !

Mr Joseph Carmel Chetcuti

Mar 6th 2012, 21:00

All this nonsense is about constraining a future Labour government. Let GonziPN lead by example.

P Sciberras

Mar 6th 2012, 20:58

Is this backdated?

joshuarti mercieca

Mar 6th 2012, 20:29

Well done

Alexander Brincat

Mar 6th 2012, 20:22

Do you know what GonziPN stands for?

Gonzi's Projections Negative. This is what happened with all PN governments in all years they have been in government in the last 24 years.

GonziPN leads to zero profit generating entities, loss making and overbudget projects and works and an extensive network of corrupt practices.

CJohn Zammit

Mar 6th 2012, 20:14

There should be an uproar against this move. The Constitution is about human rights, not financial matters.

Entrenching it in the Constitution will be a travesty, and flies in the face of what the Constitution is all about.

Who says that this fiscal policy is the best for Malta and the welfare of its citizens? For all times to come?

This "Golden Rule" is nothing but fools gold. Say NO.

MALCOLM SEYCHELL

Mar 6th 2012, 19:57

Funny coming from Gonzi. He always managed to do a deficit..

Philip Grech

Mar 6th 2012, 19:48

Min irid dawn l-affarijiet bil-miktub, juri li mhux kapaci jimxi jekk ma jsuquxh.

FRANS H SAID

Mar 6th 2012, 19:28

What about the untold million the the Piono project, city gate, etc.? How are these going to affect the debt ratio? What action will be taken so that nothing on this scale of mobey is spent in the future without proper budgeting?

Anthony A. Mifsud

Mar 6th 2012, 19:26

What about the Past Budgets? Is this aGolden rule too? Or is it a one part stratagie to make people forget the six billion Euro that the country or I would say the Goverment accumulated during this regime!
What will the EU do to dissolve this debit ?
When you call for a 2/3rds vote, meaning that you want to off load your problems onto others and later you can walk Scott free, and claiming that you did what's its best with help of the Oposition
U mella mux hekk! Sur Prime.
Tony

Tony Busuttil

Mar 6th 2012, 19:26

so are we going to vote on costitution and leaving other votes on the shelf?
Franco fejn hu???????????

Joseph Brincat

Mar 6th 2012, 19:13

ABOUT TIME , GONZI PN TO HAVE THIS GOLDEN RULE

FOR YOU ( PN ) ALREADY HAD PUT MALTA ON HER

KNEES WITH THE ' DEFICIT ' YOU CREATED I THINK

GOD HAVE HEARD US

T. A. Bartolo

Mar 6th 2012, 18:56

Tick...Tock, Tick...Tock...Hear the knell? Hear it not, for it is the knell that summons our Sovereignty to Europe and sends it to Hell.