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Labour’s MEPA proposals a ‘Lorry Sant’, Gonzi says
Prime Minister pledges new regional health clinics in St Julian’s and south of island.
4 February 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
4 min read
PN leader Lawrence Gonzi
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi dubbed Labour's intention to separate MEPA's environment unit from its main operations as a move akin to its 1980s stewardship under notorious minister Lorry Sant, in a statement hinting at Labour's cosying-up to construction magnates.
Referring to statements by Labour's former deputy leader Anglu Farrugia in an interview on Sunday, Gonzi said Farrugia had clearly shown Labour was no longer the party of the working class.
"If Farrugia says that developers have grown closer to Labour, I question the reason why MEPA is being neutralised by Labour," Gonzi said, referring to the PL's plans on reforming MEPA. "I cannot understand why Labour wants to remove the environment from MEPA's remit... MEPA might as well have its name changed to Lorry Sant," Gonzi said, referring to the former Labour minister's disastrous land use policies of the 1980s.
"What Farrugia said yesterday shows the difference between the two parties: Labour's own deputy leader was not even privy to the party's own electoral programme, while in the case of the PN it's the deputy leader who has drawn up the party's electoral programme."
"Joseph Muscat cannot remain mum on the comments made on Sunday by his former deputy Anglu Farrugia, Gonzi said, adding that the Labour leader must come clean on Farrugia's remarks about contractors' links with the Labour Party.
Gonzi today said his government will never promise the earth to voters without losing sight of the need to maintain financial sustainability.
In a press conference where the Nationalist leader presented a slew of statistics detailing his government's record in the care for the elderly, Gonzi boasted of seeing 10,000 pensioners still working after retirement age without losing their pensions.
"In this legislature we introduced a measure that allowed pensions to retain their pensions if they keep working after retirement age, instead of having them under-declare their incomes in a bid not to lose their pensions," Gonzi said.
Asked whether the PN's plans to alleviate the pressure on state hospitals by paying for operations and interventions carried out in private hospitals, Gonzi said: "The PN's electoral manifesto is sustainable. The plans on health are realistic and doable and if the PN is returned to power we would continue offering health services of the highest quality for free."
He added that scepticism exists on the sustainability of providing free health services for all, but this was proven wrong by successive PN administrations.
"It all depends on the choices the country makes. Some countries prioritise the expenditure on defence and other sectors, however we decided to prioritise health and education over everything else. That is why we took the wise decision to put an end to the financial haemorrhage at the Drydocks and channel the money to health," Gonzi said.
Reassuring the electorate that health services would remain free of charge, Gonzi said that his government proved that Labour's 2008 claims that health services would not remain free of charge, "were nothing but lies, as are Joseph Muscat's claims that he had been in constant contact with his former deputy leader Anglu Farrugia since sacking him in December."
The PN leader also admitted that the party had effectively shelved the proposal to provide family doctors for free, stressing that the PN "does not interfere in people's individual choices of their family doctor and allows general practitioners to work freely." He added that PN administrations were committed to facilitating the jobs of GPs, citing the accessibility to patients' medical records as one of the initiatives undertaken to make family doctors' lives easier.
Gonzi said that a re-elected government would build a rehabilitation centre for elderly patients, as well as introduce incentives to have local councils employ pensioners so that they remain active within their community.
He said patients who were forced to purchase out-of-stock medicines from private pharmacies would have their cost refunded, however only at the cost this medicine would have been charged to government by importers.
He also pledged two new regional health centres, built from scratch, in St Julian's and in the south of Malta.
Gonzi said criteria for people who receive assistance pensions for their services to bedridden patients, for example children of bedridden parents or other full-time carers, would be widened so that families can employ carers to take care of their elderly relatives in their homes.
Gonzi also announced the inclusion of eczema as part of the conditions that would be liable for free medicine.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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Dr Gonzi , imissek tistħi issemmi persuna mejta għax ma tistax tiddefendi ruħha . Bħall xejn ma tridx tiftaħar bir-riforma li għamilt fil-MEPA . Qabel kienet bejta ta' tixħim u korruzzjoni u meta giet f'idek saret Santwarju ikbar ta' tixħim u korruzzjoni . Għax kont daqshekk ġifa u ma għamiltx il-liġi tal-Whistleblower ħalli kont tkun taf għandekx korruzzjoni fiha ? Jekk inti daqshekk kont ċert li ma għandekx korruzzjoni , x'zammek milli tagħmilha ? Zbali saru fil-passat , izda inthom għamiltu zbalji akbar u aktar serji , Sur Prim MInistru .
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Sur Prim Ministru sfiducjat, kellek bzonn issemmi b'disprezz lil min hu mejjet u ghalekk ma jistax jiddefendi ruhu? Ma' tahsibx li kien ikun biz-zejjed kieku ghadt li-l-mepa ser terga lura ghal-zmien il-Partit Laburista? Ma tahsibx li xorta kont qed twassal il-messgg fjakk tieghek? Imma le, ridt turi l-hdura li ghandek akkost ta' kollox. Mhux ta b'xejn li il-valuri nsara spiccaw minn dan il-pajjiz kemm ilek tmexxi int u c-cirku tal-hazen li hemm ma' dwarek.
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Why do we have to invoke the dead? Lorry Sant cannot defend himself. What Gonzi cannot understand is that he failed in the MEPA reform although way back in 2008 he said that MEPA will be under his wing. We thought that there will be a leap in qualtity like the country's finances, however now we know that Gonzi between 2004-2008 was not capable to control the deficit and debts and we are still suffering the conswquences and the MEPA turned to a more defined dinosour such as a T-Rex.
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issa ahjar ax anke il knesja qablet ma joseph!! xhi tajd gonz????????
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shame on you Gonzi!
May he rest in peace.
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shame on you Gonzi!
May he rest in peace.
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shame on you Gonzi!
May he rest in peace.
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Thse corruption that we hace experienced by Lorry Sant is a drop in the ocean compares to scandals od corruptoon under PN
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gonzi zgur li ma kienx jitniffes kieku lorry sant ghadu haj. dan bniedem li jittratta nies bhal landa ta zibel jiena hdimt taht lorry sant u taht gonzi u ghandi provi kemm gonzi huwa mahmug kif jimxi mall haddiema. GHAll kuntrarju lorry sant gholla lill haddiema kollha (nazzjonalist u laburisti) ghax dak kien ihobb verament lill haddiem. isthi gonzi li ssemmi bniedem mejjet b'dak in-nuqqas ta rispett. issa wasalt fl-ahhar u qed tiddispra
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Lorry Sant ghamel hafna deni lil MLP ta dak iz-zmien u jien wiehed minn dawk li tqallajt u ma ivvotajtx;ma zmien indunajt li Lorry Sant kien amateur hdejn dawn tal-lum!
Il-lista ta ODZ, il-lista ta pjaciri ma tispicca qatt,l- biljunarji li saru mun fuq permessi fi green areas u ohrajn barra l-ODZ jaghmlu 'a complete mockery' tal-qdusija falza li GonziPN minghalih iridna nibilghu!
Illum, aktar min qatt qabel, nghid li f'dawk l-protesti ta l-80's kienu stigati mill-kuntrtturi li saru biljunarji; waqt li hafna nies onesti Nazzjonalisti, bqaghu b'xiber imnieher ghax meta applikaw ghal permess semplici marrduhom bid-dewmien u skuzi pwerili ohra; waqt li min ried if.tti bil-kbir, billi jaghmel sfregu f'Tas-Sliema u fil-kampanja qdewh f'kollox u maljar!
Bil-Haqq ma irridx inhalli barra li Dr Vicor Scerri li bena villa go wied vergni fl-isbah parti mill-kampanja Maltija. GonziPN:tilef kull kredibilita!
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IS GONZI DREAMING, THIS IS THE YEAR 2013 MR GONZI, IF WE HAD LORRY SANT TODAY BELIEVE ME WE WOULD BE WORKING MORE WE WOULD HAVE NOT LOST OUR JOBS IN CONSTRUCTION, WAKE UP GONZI WHY DONT YOU MENTION AUSTIN GATT INSTEAD OF LORRY, AND WHY DONT YOU PERSONALLY TELL US HOW MANY BUILDING PERMITS CAME OUT ON YOUR ORDER?? I REALLY BELIEVE YOUR TIME IS OVER GONZI. 10 MARCH YOU WILL BE JUST ANOTHER PERSON WALKING NEAR THE CASTILIA.. BYE BYE GONZI X NATIONALIST
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Projection concerns externalizing the issues that we need to deal with ourselves.Usually we project onto others issues and problems that we need to address withinourselves, or are unable to manage properly. Projection is irresponsible behavior aswe dump our problem onto somebody else. We justify these projections by blamingsomeone or something outside for the emotions we do not want to feel. We project our disappointments and problems onto other people, it is somehow their fault, we become a blamer. Ultimately it is the person who projects that loses, as they neverreally sort out their own problems.
http://karlrwolfe.com/psychological-projection.html
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Dr GONZI, To show us that you are against CORRUPTION open parliament and pass Whistieblower's Act.Remember,"He who knows he has enough is rich"
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Stop waking the dead Mr. Gonzi, and tell us about your past. We know what we are going through, that is why it is a no vote from me to you and your clan.
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In reply to Mike Farrugia, MEPA has been playing the tune for the last 20 years. If he uses his special MP3 he will listen to the GONZIPN slogans reverberating in his ears - I wonder how he did not hear them much earlier.
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Dr Gonzi it funny how you mention MEPA and Lorry Sant in the same breath when you have been running MEPA for the last five years or so. The only difference is the name of the parties but Mepa is still doing the same atrocities it did under Lorry Sant. The only difference is that Mepa now bulldozes a girna here and there, with reporters present of course but the rest is still the same. Mepa is an underhanded department run by the rich and famous developers and of course with all the blessing of the government, which is you Dr Gonzi. No Lorry Sant was no saint in my book but that puts you in the same caliber, except you do things a bit more underhandedly. Like the way you are using an ailing Air Malta to taxi citizens living abroad to come and vote for a round trip cost to the TAX PAYER of 35euros a pop. No Dr Gonzi there is not much difference between you and Lorry Sant after all you are a politician at best. By the way Lorry Sant was not one of my favourite people either, on the contrary I detested the man like I detest some of your arrogant Ministers. Good day Sir.
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And may I remind Dr Gonzi, that at the time of the late Lorry Sant, road building and other projects were finished on time. Also there was a lot more seriousness in planning then some people would like us to believe. I can't quite say the same about MEPA and like many I have a personal experience that proves my point. I never thought it was as bad as people said - till I had to deal with it and discovered that it was worse! Kudos to Lupu for reminding readers that MEPA hasn't been around since 1987. Till 1992 the PN also had an EPA and things were better than they are today!
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But permit me to say that the villa in the middle of Bahrija valley was not built by Lorry Sant but by the Ex President of the PN and now a candidate for the next elections! Like wise the Lidl at Luqa was built in front of the old runway! I wonder why there is a warning inside Lidl's parking area warning that they are not responsible for anything that happens with the approaching air crafts! I wonder why!
Anette B Cassar •
Oh Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez. For many years there were the Planning Authority and the Environmental Protection Department. That situation was set up by a PN government. So was that a continuation of the Lorry Sant era? When the two entities merged, it became a bit like having one ministry for the police and justice. Soemthing whihc you were happy to live with for so long Dr. Gonzi even though there was at least a perceived conflict of interest. You only changed this situation when this was pointed out to you by Franco Debono. You know, the irrelevant one.
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So MEPA will become MPA or MP3 to play to the tune.
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It is the most cowardly act to attack a person who is dead and cannot answer you back. In any case most adults now do not remember Lorry Sant but everyone remembers GONZIPN and the corruption in MEPA with, to mention just 2 of the thousands, the award of building permits at Mistra Natura 2000 (the JPO case) in 2008 and the award of the permit for the Qormi Supermarket complex to Zaren Vassallo days into the Election Campaign 2013 and immediately before the revelation of the € 350000 kickback to the PN by Vassallo. Yes MEPA should be renamed GONZIPN and not Lorry Sant.
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Neutralising MEPA? What cheek! Come on man, take responsability for one of your many failures! We all know how ineffectual the so called MEPA reform was! Keep on scaring people of the past, you have little else to say!2 new health centres! Can anyone believe this after PN have done their best to destroy the whole health centre system? And who do you want to change your name to, new-found champion of the working class, Lawrence Domenic Mintoff?
Joseph Pellicano •
Gonzi qiad jitkaza bil PL mihabba Anglu Farrugia, Mela dal buffon nesa xamel lil John Dalli, JPO, Muliett, Franco Debono u il kumplament. Issa lil Anglu ghamluh qaddis madomx jaqlawlu il hmieg.Lis sur Anglu Farrugia haga wahda najdlu, ghamel li ghandek tamel, imma thallix min juzak, ghax tkun qiad is servi ta purcinel fidejn hadiehor.
Joseph Pellicano •
Gonzi boasted of seeing 10,000 pensioners still working after retirement age without losing their pensions.Tridna sew, bil penzjoni u irridu nibqaw nahdmu ghax mahnix inlahqu mal hajja bil penzjoni bis.
