DAMN, NOT FAINT PRAISE
I quote from Tuesday's timesofmalta:
"Resources Minister George Pullicino has been awarded damages of €5,000 after a court found that comments made by Jo Said, who drew comparisons between the minister and Lorry Sant, implied that the minister was corrupt."
I wonder, will Labour's bright young things get it? They have many of them, nowadays, such as Deborah Schembri, who got whupped on Bondi+ by Beppe Fenech Adami and got so confused about Labour's past that she started condemning it, before forgetting who she is and looking like someone who wished she was anywhere, but there.
Then they have Cyrus Engerer, who up to a cosmic nano-second before becoming one of Labour's star turns, was a fervent, hand-on-heart Nationalist.
Do luminaries such as these get it?
And what about the ones who troop dutifully up to salute the late Mr Sant's monument, in his home town? Do they get it? Do they have the slightest interest in getting it?
What about the respected ranks of the entrepreneurial types, or the mittel-klass, ghala le, the Marlene Mizzis, the Sandro Chetcutis and all those other shining stars of the business world , do they get it? Does Angelo Xuereb, latterly gravitating towards Labour, or at least an admiration of the Leader thereof, from being a Nationalist, though his route is via the Alleanza Nazionali, for the love of all that's beautiful, get it?
And what about the Soldiers of Steel, the ones who stood shoulder to shoulder with Mr Lorry Sant, some colleagues in Mintoff's Cabinet, others party functionaries or stalwarts?
Do they get it?
Does the Leader, bless his electric blue tie and quizzical look up at the ceiling of the Burj Al Arab, get it?
What's to get, you might ask?
Well, here's what's to get, folks, it's simple. When you are ranked as equivalent to Lorry Sant, that is libelous, which is not very nice, now, is it?
And the supreme irony is that this whole thing was brought into stark relief by someone of whom Labour made such a hero, that Jo Said person, who became something of a cult figure for them.
They really should stop hitching their wagon to such strange ponies.
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Ivan Grech Mintoff
Jun 16th 2012, 15:42
Lets talk about TODAY shall we?
For instance:
1) http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120611/local/Local-council-paid-for-a-staffer-s-theology-course.423734
"Auditors express misgivings over Birkirkara expenses and underpayments"
and
"The Birkirkara local council sponsored a €2,000 theology course for a council accounts employee last year"
"councillors underpaid taxes"
" mayor failed to return a €5,120 overpayment made to him"
and all this "according to an audit report".
And there's more!!
"The audit report noted that “the council should deduct tax at a standard rate of 20 per cent”, citing two government memos to this effect."
The response to this by the mayor is not TO SET AN EXAMPLE, APOLOGISE for any non-intentional mistake but to REFUSE the government's own recommendations and nay, even DEFEND these despicable actions!!
check out this reasoning:
"“I paid 15 per cent on mine, and that’s much more than enough,”
!!!
Ok from now on I suggest we all pay 1% of out tax as "that's much more than enough"!!
I wonder if we'll get away with it too??
and how about this cracker?
“I was asked to repay it to set an example, but there’s no obligation to do so. And when I read that Franco Debono is still getting paid to be a parliamentary assistant, I don’t see why I should pay it back,” he said.
?!!!
So.. if the govt asks me to pay tax I can refuse because Franco Debono is "still getting paid to be a parliamentary assistant, I don’t see why I should pay it back,” ??
You think I can do that too?! Right...!
Halluna trid!!
VAT fraud (MILLIONS) - never to be returned I guess
Direct orders to one particular company or other (nudge, nudge, wink, wink and say no more..)
etc etc.
The country STINKS of corruption and NO ONE EVER is found doing anything wrong.
To me, the POLICE should be sent in to INVESTIGATE ANY INTENTIONAL and CRIMINAL FRAUD of the above. After all, they were called to investigate criminal intent by other "minor mortal" councillors who just took a laptop home).
Now instead of showing disaproval of such actions, instead we'll mention Lorry Sant (of 30 years ago!) forever (for nothing but political mileage) and whilst all corruptionis seento be happening DAILY around us we'll just turn a blind eye to it and pretend NOTHING is is happening so that it may fade nicely away with the other lot...
You want to scare people about 30 years ago?
I suggest that most have already made their minds up based on the PRESENT state of affairs.
However, don't stop: try a few more last efforts "biex tbezza bil-babaw"...
wara kollox, "Flimkien KOLLOX possibli", hux?
And its also highly amusing for us to watch too...
Richard Curmi
Jun 15th 2012, 11:58
Often I read that something or other takes place 'Ónly in Malta'.
However I can assure you that there is a labourite trend that is common at least with the labourites down under as represented by the current PM Gillard. In every speech she refers to the conservatives' past but as soon as someone asks her about something pertaining to the ALP's past she unashamedly just answers 'I don't want to go there".
Eddy Privitera
Jun 15th 2012, 11:36
I always though that FACTS are what matters to prove a case, not perceptions. As far as I know, Lorry Sant has never been investigated and found guilty of corruption. If perception is enough for the Court, then mentioning GonziPN would become an insult too !!!
Ms.D. Galea
Jun 14th 2012, 23:16
Is calling someone "Lorry Sant" an offence in the eyes of the law?
But wasnt he a government minister during some "Golden Era" in the none too distant past and has even a garden named after him?
Joe Vella
Jun 14th 2012, 20:34
I ask then by this judgement, is the Court saying that Lorry Sant was a corrupt politician?
Angus Black
Jun 16th 2012, 20:47
Does the court have to spell it out?
Antoine Vella
Jun 13th 2012, 12:21
I think this was the first time in Malta that the name of a politician was used as an insult.
Guzi Abela
Jun 13th 2012, 11:59
The persons you mentioned are just the tip of an ever growing iceberg. A sensible person would ask himself why is the PN having this haemorrhage instead of painting them as if they were responsible for the Holocaust.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Jun 13th 2012, 11:47
Talking of George Pullicino, he had recently insisted that we should drink tap water and avoid buying bottled water. I assume that once he advises this, he must be drinking the stuff himself. As you are of similar stature, I assume also that you must be drinking tap water. On the evidence, I am not surprised that most people avoid drinking our over-chlorinated tap water - see what it does to you! As for Jo Said, don't you think its time you left the guy alone? He has apologised, he has been lambasted and now fined too - but it seems that that is not enough for the christian democrats.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Jun 13th 2012, 12:06
Water chlorination is adopted worldwide to render surface potable water (and that includes the source of our bottled water), safe when it comes out of our taps in our homes. It renders tap drinking water less wholesome but much safer than bottled water.
Andrew Borg-Cardona
Jun 13th 2012, 12:29
You're an insolent little puppy, aren't you? My word, how the past hurts Labour. I wonder why.
Eddy Privitera
Jun 13th 2012, 13:17
Andrew Borg Cardona: What I have written in this blog about the email sent by Nicholas Azzopardi's father to your Lawrence Gonzi, is not about the distant past but IS THE PRESENT !
I note you haven't commented on this email as yet !
Edward Gatt
Jun 13th 2012, 13:36
Mr Camilleri
I am sure you can ask Labour's darling Joe Grima whether he drinks tap water too.
Mario Scicluna
Jun 13th 2012, 13:56
Bocc, with all due respect, you are surely the least one to mention insolence, as you personify insolence itself!. All one needs to do is to have a different opinion than your wise self, and the wrath falls upon who dares, with the help of the parrot PN apologists of course. Inkella l-Bocc ma jkollux forcini. Poor Mr. Bisazza Street Pullicino, he felt offended hey! The hatred and spite towards the PL knows no boundaries in this blog amongst others wich are dfar worse. Pity really as Andrew is quite a talented chap, perhaps mingled too much with the wrong folk.
Eddy Privitera
Jun 13th 2012, 11:46
Dear ABC, I wonder whether you have the guts to dedicate one of your blogs to the following, which depicts Lawrence Gonzi in a totally different light than the one you always project of him !
this is the text of an email sent by Nicholas Azzopardi' father to the prime minister on 18 May, 2012: -
!" I THANK YOU THAT AFTER FOUR YEARS YOU FELT THE NEED TO TALK TO US AFTER EVERY MP AND OTHERS INCLUDING YOUR BROTHER WHOM I INVITED HOME, SLAMMED THE DOOR IN OUR FACES. MY WIFE AND MY SON NICHOLAS WERE HURT AT THE TAL-BARRANI INCIDENTS AND MY SON A MONTH BEFORE HE DIED FOUR YEARS AGO DID NOT MISS ONE MEETING OF THE PN. TREATED US LIKE DIRT AND WE HAD TO FIGHT OUR CASE ALONE. NICHOLAS LOVED YOU AND ALL OF YOU LET HIM DOWN.
JOSEPH THE FATHER OF THE DEAD NICHOLAS "
Joseph Calleja
Jun 13th 2012, 10:50
The past of decades ago is dead and buried. Do yourself a favour and talk about something more modern more chic perhaps.
W Cassar
Jun 13th 2012, 10:23
Talking about €5,000 it reminded me of much better reading and its now in the present not past.... amazing but true folks!
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120611/local/Local-council-paid-for-a-staffer-s-theology-course.423734
Eddy Privitera
Jun 13th 2012, 12:36
Good of you pointing this out to ABC ! But don't expect ABC to write anything about a Fenech Adami if it's not positive. Or chide Lawrence Gonzi for not insisting that Michael Fenech Adami should return thos €5,000 !
Emanuel Muscat
Jun 13th 2012, 09:06
Bravely 'said' and done!
Please choose the reason of your report below: