Politicians shouldn't decide pardons on matters that may implicate them
Joseph Muscat is introduced as Alfred Sant
Dr Muscat introduced as Alfred Sant...twice
Labour leader Joseph Muscat was twice mistakenly referred to as Alfred Sant today.
The first lapsus was by TV journalist Brian Hansford when he put a question to Dr Muscat at a press conference in Paola in the morning.
The second was by Simone Cini when Dr Muscat was introduced at an interview in Iklin - see video. (Not that this was the first time, timesofmalta admits to having made this mistake too)
The labour leader laughed off the incidents and quickly got down to the business at hand.
He said that he did not have the facts at hand to decide whether a presidential pardon was warranted in the oil procurement scandal. But, he said, it was problematic to have politicians deciding on who got a pardon to turn state evidence in cases where the whistleblower could implicate politicians.
"All I know about this case is what has been reported in the media but this is why we need a Whistleblower Act," Dr Muscat said while being interviewed in Iklin by TV co-hosts Simone Cini and Robert Musumeci.
A businessman who was interrogated by the police on the oil scandal has asked for a presidential pardon. The prime minister last week said he may consider a pardon if it leads to more information on the alleged scandal.
Dr Muscat again pledged that a Labour government would hit the ground running by moving three important laws: a Whistleblower Act, the removal of time-bar on corruption cases involving politicians and a law regulating political party financing.
In what was a veiled attempt at soothing the furore caused by former deputy leader Anglu Farrugia's barb that Muscat's Labour had departed from its core values, the Labour leader took time to thank those who militated in the Labour Party for many years.
"It is easy for these people to scoff when seeing new people joining the party but they understood the message and they have been part of the team effort to create a movement," he said.
On the party's proposal to split Mepa's environment and planning functions, Dr Muscat said he could not understand the Prime Minister's criticism. This morning Dr Gonzi described the proposal as a return to the notoriety of the Lorry Sant years when building permits were issued at a minister's whim.
Environment groups had long been calling for this separation and the Church's environment commission this evening came out in favour of the proposal, Dr Muscat added. "Will Dr Gonzi now say the Church has an interest to please contractors?"
Touching on his party's proposals for the health sector, Dr Muscat said the St Philip's hospital deal proposed by the current administration was different from Labour's pledge to pay for services rendered in the private sector.
He said the present government wanted to rent out St Philip's and increase its capacity. "We will give patients a maximum waiting time and if this is missed the Government will pay for the treatment in the private sector," he explained.
Dr Muscat criticised the PN proposal to partly-refund patients who bought medicines because they were out of stock at the Government dispensary. "Patients will only get a partial refund - the price the government would have paid," Dr Muscat said. Through this system the government would have no incentive to ensure free medicines were not out of stock, he added.
Dr Muscat said Labour would unveil its Gozo plan tomorrow and approve its electoral programme on Wednesday.
47 Comments
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B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 15:09
I like Joseph Muscat because he can take a good laugh and laugh at himself.
Alfred Falzon
Feb 5th, 15:47
@ B Farrugia
If he laughs at himself that's a good sign & 2 his credit!.
Not everybody can do that!
He must however realise now before it's too late that there r serious matters which cannot b taken lightly & need to b broached 2day before 2morrow. No laugh can heal vindictiveness!
D impasse btween genuine Labourites & opportunists within d PL must b broken, a serene atmosphere restored!
aaf
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 14:56
Time will tell,
but past mistakes will not be repeated.
Alfred Falzon
Feb 5th, 11:08
Many have d feeling that d new PL is just a whitewash of SANT-bis, promising pies-in-the-sky that will remain unreachable during d coming legislation or just empty promises floated 4 purposes of vote-catching d gullible!
Small wonder that Dr Muscat was TWICE mistaken by his journalists 4 Dr Sant, for d more time passes, d more they r becoming just like TWO PEAS IN A POD!
Just showbusiness!
aaf
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 14:58
HEMM BAHAR JAQSAM!
carmel cassar
Feb 5th, 10:51
If anyone is expecting big changes he is very mistaken. Once they have the power we will be over filled with excuses, time delays and what's not. Cant anyone see how similar they both are. What you can do I do better, that's their slogan
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 14:57
You mean like GonziPN?
carmelo buttigieg
Feb 5th, 10:48
Again, another confirmation on who proposes in the interest of the majority.
R. Aquilina
Feb 5th, 10:09
It is now official. Our country is being run by " Judge and Jury " politicians. No wonder we are rapidly falling down the league table of the Corrupt and Transparency countries of the world. Third world countries are now above us. What a disgrace !
Joe Pace Asciak
Feb 5th, 09:54
The One Thousand and One Proposals will be unveiled next Wednesday, under the careful surveillance of Aladdin.
G Tonna
Feb 5th, 08:27
Joseph, ma tistax tmexxi partit hekk bin No Reply jew No Comment. Tinsiex Malta taghna lkoll tfisser trasparenza w onesta. Titmellahx bil votanti.
Mr Stephen Borg
Feb 5th, 08:57
So Joseph Muscat cannot run a country with No Reply or No Comment but GonziPN can run a country with No Comment No Reply and by saying that the journalist asking uncomfortable questions are 'PSATAS'. So I understand that you would agree with that.
Mr B Vella
Feb 5th, 08:26
Even the church agrees with Muscat proposal on Environment...........Gonzi in Isolation once again !!!!
Matthew Grima
Feb 5th, 09:38
The church has nothing to do with state politics!
Simon Scerri
Feb 5th, 09:40
Joseph Muscat irrid in-naqqas il-voti (tal-Budget) ghall Ambjent!!
Joseph Grech Attard
Feb 5th, 10:13
@ Matthew Grima - i agree with you 100%. But one had better tell it to Carm Mifsud Bonnici, ex-minister of Justice, who, according to The Times, has said, with Gonzi next to him, that politics should be run on Catholic values!! Gonzi did not deny it. So he agrees!! Two weights two measures ... or hypocrisy?
joseph green
Feb 5th, 07:43
Malta taghna ilkoll , imma mhux ghall Anglu Farrigia.
Eve Axiaq
Feb 5th, 08:47
Anglu Farrugia qed jikkontradixxu lilu nnifsu. Ghax jekk ma kienx komdu ghaliex baqa hemm sa xhin Muscat gaghlu jirrizenja?
joseph green
Feb 5th, 10:28
Eve , skond il kliem ta Anglu stess dan gie imkecci min Joseph , u sa issa ghadu ma merih hadd. Min qed jghid il verita ?
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 15:00
Kieku ried baqa u ikkontesta l-elezjoni.
Hu telaq ghax mhux umli.
joseph green
Feb 6th, 07:40
Xorta ma ghedx min qed jigdeb Sur B.Farrugia
Alfred Falzon
Feb 6th, 11:39
@ Eve Axiaq, B Farrugia
Dr Ang Farrugia dejjem qal il-verita' u mhux ser jikkontestja l-elezzjoni ghaliex mhu tapit ta' hadd!
Il-Partit "Laburista" li skond certu Privitera sar issa wkoll tan-"negozjanti u "zviluppaturi" m'ghadux il-Partit li jiddefendi d-dghajjef kontra s-setghan, anzi min jaghmel hekk jitqaccat 'il barra!
U l-LABURISTI GENWINI xebghu bhal Dr Toni Abela u Dr Cardona!
U kif!
aaf
DUNCAN FABRI
Feb 5th, 07:05
Is-Serjeta, l-korrettezza u l-meritokrazija huma l-akbar merti li rnexielu jdahhal Dr.Muscat fi hdan il-Labour. In-nies qeda bil-ghatx ghas serjeta u responsabilita nadifa u dan it-twemmin qed iressaq hafna aktar nies lejn dan il-moviment.
patrick cutajar
Feb 5th, 06:58
Apparti is-sewwa li qed jghid Dr.Muscat min hu serju ma jidholx f'arrangamenti ma min hu ga mdahhal fil-kaz wara li dan gie mikxuf u implikat.
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 06:52
There would clearly be a conflict of interest
and at the same time they would appear to be above the law.
This is undemocratic
and unacceptable.
Giocchino Attard
Feb 5th, 06:40
I agree with you 100%
M. Grech
Feb 5th, 06:16
Dr. Muscat, many of us are voting for you for the first time and we demand that if PL is elected, we definately want this Whisleblower's Act to be approved immediately!! I was amased on how many long time Labour supporters welcomed me when they always knew how I used to vote.
twanny borg
Feb 5th, 07:04
Sakemm ghandhom bzonnok jilqawk wara jarmuk bhal ma ghamlu lil anglu.
Simon Scerri
Feb 5th, 08:01
There were those who voted labour for first time in 1996,but???? were cheated by Labour. Vat-CET, Taxes more and more, stipends by loan and more and more. Once Bitten twice shy.
Chris Borg
Feb 5th, 08:49
Hi M. Grech...I'm exactly like you. I voted for PN in the last 2 elections but I cant't identify myself anymore with that party. I will vote labour this time round as I want a more serious governement rather than an arrogant one with no long term vision.
And dear Twanny / Simon,...the political of fear does not work anymore.
Simon Scerri
Feb 5th, 09:54
Chris Borg , I do not believe you ever voted PN , your words show,! what a difference the way we live under a PN government in peace, one can express any opinion without violence, business and choice grew. PN ALWAYS A LOMING TERM VISION. Time proved PN RIGHT my friend. People like you won't trick us saying that they were nationalists or voted PN.
Joseph Aquilina
Feb 4th, 23:56
Do not worry Simone, do not worry - we all get confused! Must be the fact that Joseph Muscat's promise of a new lejber is similar to Alfred Sant's 1996 promise of a new lejber .. oh 1996 .. the new lejber sounded so nice! so new! so honest! Well we all know how it ended right! It was the same old lejber and not even the honest do-gooders within lejber could save the day! Simply cannot be trusted!
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 15:03
Joseph Muscat has never promised a new labour,
has never even mentioned this,
he leads a progresive patriotic ,civil rights, anti-corruption movement.
pat muscat
Feb 4th, 22:41
Din bhal tal-gongol, l-qattus u l-grieden! Ma tarax li jekk ,per ezempju- ikun hemm xi Ministru implikat f'dan l-iskandlu ta l-oil kickbacks- kif jista ikun li dan il-Ministru jivvota kontra l-interessi tieghu u favur dik l-persuna li qed tipponta subghajh lejha?
Dan kollu dahk fil-wicc la l-ligi 'Ewropeja' tal-whistelblowers baqghet ma iddahlitx imhabba li GonziPN ma rax fiha prijorita?
Antonio Pace
Feb 4th, 22:32
If we ever needed proof that Muscat lies we got it from his own words. "Dr Muscat criticised the PN proposal to partly-refund patients who bought medicines because they were out of stock at the Government dispensary. "Patients will only get a partial refund - the price the government would have paid," Dr Muscat said." Very untrue indeed.
M BUHAGIAR
Feb 5th, 07:14
You are WRONG Pace . Check what GONZIPN is saying . In the meantime the number of medicine out of stock is on the increase!!
Joseph is right .
Ronnie Callus
Feb 5th, 07:45
U halliena Sur.Pace, mela int mhux f'Malta qieghed jew !!, ma'smajthux lil Gonzi stess jghid dan id-diskors li hu jghati biss il-prezz li tigi lilu u mhux lil izpizjar.U biex zgur in-nies ikollhom ihallsu ghall medicina l-'OUT OF STOCK' qed dejjem jizdiedu u mhux jonqsu.U dan tahseb int mhux qed isir biex iffarfar minn fuq spallejh il-Gvern ??????
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 15:05
Mr. Pace, try to get your facts right at least.
Frank Ciarlo'
Feb 4th, 22:16
This is not the first time " the Labour leader took time to thank those who militated in the Labour Party for many years". Last week he used more or less the same words at a political meeting for youths at the Aria Club in San Gwan.
mark johnson
Feb 4th, 21:53
In this case, if someone has knowledge of a crime they should report it or risk being charged with withholding evidence.
Whistleblower Acts are to protect employees from reprisals if they speak out against wrongdoing in an organisation.
Joe Grech
Feb 4th, 21:51
Joseph Muscat is prominsing three sorely needed reforms: a Whistleblower Act, the removal of time-bar on corruption cases involving politicians and a law regulating political party financing.
Which is why many Maltese have confidence in him and will vote for the PL.
Smooth talking, ever smiling, constantly seen with children or the very old Lawrence Gonzi did not introduce any of these reforms!
Mary Ann Borg
Feb 4th, 21:26
What we shouldnt be doing is copying Cyprus. Joseph Muscat told us to imitate Cyprus just 23 months ago. His whole budget speech was attacking the PM for not following Cyprus. Have a look at the foreign news in The Times 'Small island, big problem' and see one more example of how wrong Joseph was, again. Made in Brussels did it again. If he'll be wrong with the power station, we will all suffer
Mr Stephen Borg
Feb 5th, 08:56
The problem with Cyprus was that unlike Malta which borrows money locally. Cyprus used to borrow money from Greece and we all know where Greece ended up. Secondly one of their major power plants was damaged in a firework factory explosion. So I would ask you to get your facts right and start reading to get the true facts and not listen to hysterical Lawrence Gonzi and his tales.
B. Farrugia
Feb 5th, 15:12
What bugs me most are people who lie.
and don`t know the facts.
Elton Abela
Feb 4th, 20:53
The similarities in the ideas and tactics between Alfred Sant and Joseph Muscat are so evident that journalists are getting confused who is really in front of them!!!
Henry S Pace
Feb 4th, 20:18
The PL electoral programme has now reached the binder.
M BUHAGIAR
Feb 5th, 07:17
Your bubble is about to burst PACE!!
Please choose the reason of your report below: