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US embassy cables | ‘Blunt’ Gonzi complained of ‘limited talent’ amongst MPs
Carm Mifsud Bonnici 'not especially competent', Austin Gatt 'abrasive', and Tonio Borg has 'fondness for USA'.
2 September 2011, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
US ambassador Molly Bordonaro and Lawrence Gonzi
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was said to have “lamented quite bluntly” to former US ambassador Molly Bordonaro that the elected Nationalist Party MPs offered a “limited talent pool from which to select ministers that are matched well with their competencies and are able to form an efficient working government.”
The revelations come from a US embassy cable leaked by Wikileaks, detailing the cabinet reshuffle by Gonzi after winning the 2008 election.
According to Bordonaro, Gonzi “wished it was possible to draw ministers from business or academia, something that is not possible in Malta.
“While the PM's point is well taken, the appointments of Borg and Fenech, in particular, are excellent news,” Bordonaro said of the new foreign and finance ministers.
In fact, Malta’s new foreign minister in 2008 was described by Bordonaro as having a “fondness” for the United States.
Proof of this for Bordonaro was the fact that in 1988, before becoming an MP, Borg participated in an International Visitors Program (IVP) on the US Presidential Elections. “To this day, he closely follows US presidential politics.”
Bordonaro’s observations are detailed in new embassy cables leaked on Wikileaks, detailing the new Cabinet that took shape following Gonzi’s re-election in 2008.
Borg’s appointment as foreign minister was “welcome news” since Borg worked closely with the embassy as justice and home affairs minister on Malta’s entry into the visa waiver programme, the refugee resettlment program and the implementation of the PISCES system that collects data on who enters and exits Malta.
“During his tenure at MJHA, Borg was under domestic and international pressure due to an influx of irregular migrants to Malta. Borg lobbied for the establishment of a burden-sharing process among EU members to provide some relief for Malta in managing what it feels to be a disproportionate share of the migrant population.
“While that initiative garnered a lukewarm response, Borg was more successful in his lobbying for additional Frontex patrols in the central Mediterranean to curb the flow of migrants.”
On the other hand, Carm Mifsud Bonnici’s promotion from parliamentary secretary to justice and home affairs minister, was met with little favour by the embassy.
“The embassy’s infrequent contacts with him at MJHA left the impression that he was not especially competent or engaged and unaware of most issues on which the Embassy worked with MJHA, though that may have been partially a function of the job he was in.”
Tranport and infastructure minister Austin Gatt, lauded for closing the deal with Smart City Dubai, was described as “sharp and ambitious, a minister we can do business with (despite an abrasive streak that rankles with some European ambassadors, we find his frankness and straightforwardness refreshing).
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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you reap what you sow.
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@ redJoey
Limited talent in the cabinet,
Gonzi said it, and I guess you believe anything he says.
Godfrey Grech •
Ghall-grazzja t'Alla il-PL qed ifur bit-talenti.
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@marcusaurelio: Jekk jien ma nafx naqra, nahseb int ma tifhimx dak li minghalik taf taqra. Jien staqsejt dwar l-implikazzjoni ta' kummenti li ta Gonzi. L-ebda kap ta' familja ma jmur jiddikjara l-affarijiet tal-familja lill-barranin jekk mhux laqghi! U x'tistenna minn wiehed li fil-clan tieghu ghandu min jiddikjara illi l-Maltin huma cwiec...forsi jien jew int wiehed minn dawn. La Gonzi ghad jikxef ghajnu ma' dawn il-barranin turi biss kemm il-mentalita` tieghu hija wahda servili. U leaks ohrajn illi gew irrapurtati minn din l-istess gazzetta tixhed dan il-karattru fjak. Qabel ma tpacpac kun af ezatt ghal xiex wiehed qieghed jirreferi!
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Grazzi Wikileaks imma qed tghidulna ftit wisq u ftit tard.
Possibli Bordanaro ma ndunatx li Gonzi nnifsu huwa aktar mimli bi pretensjonijiet u pruzutuz milli effikaci.
Tonio Borg huwa laghqi ta' Gonzi u opportunist.
Austin Gatt huwa l-arroganza ippersonifikata u arjuz aktar minn ballun barax. Tonio Fenech mohhu f'butu u kompla jghin lil Prim ikisser il-finanzi.
Pullicino fotta l-ambjent u l-ipjanar ta' l-izvillup kollu l-aqwa li aggevola lil ta' gewwa. Issa qieghed jiehu hsieb il-frieken.
Dolores qerdet l-eddukazzjoni primarja, sekondarja u terzjarja. Imnalla l-istudenti ghandhom il-genituri jsusu fuqhom u jonfqulhom il-belli liri ghax kieku l-illiterizmu mhux sploda aktar milli hu.
Il-Psikjatra Cassar ma jafx x'hinu jigri fl-isptar u l-kura fil-kommunita.
Insomma, Bordanaro, stajt ghamilt hafna ahjar.
Insomma
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There is nothing new with these sorts of comments.
The Wikileaks also commented upon the potential of the then New Labour Party (under Tony Blair) in the UK to be equally as ill-prepared for duties as the Government of the UK. And it also appears that they thought the same about the current Conservative Party (under David Cameron) in the UK to be equally as ill-prepared and unable to offer coherent policies for the future.
This track-backing to commentaries could also be seen as representative of similar comments to other Countries.
It would be interesting to view the comments made about the leadership of Italy and France and Germany at the time of their recent Government changes: I am sure the comments would not be too flattering.
So this is history.
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In summary - a bunch of inbreed stooges. Hard to have people who are LOYAL and COMPETENT. Idiots are more likely to compensate for their lack of talent favouring the political imbroglio so popular in Malta - this would be ok were it not the dirty tricks, vindictiveness, exclusion and sabotage that more competent people have to endure in Malta.
Luke Camilleri •
X' team ghandna... u Gonzi jaf ukoll
U hu maghom biex jaf li huma inkapaci u jaghthom l'Onararja! Jaghtihomx Performance Bonus ukoll il-dawn iC-Cwiec Maltin li hu mdawwar bihom u jsejhilhom Kabinett ta' Ministri Nazzjonalisti b'Whip Copycat!
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Min qieghed jithaq b'min?
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Anyone quoting wikileaks today?
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Bhal dak li qallu mhux kulhadd jaf li dan il-grupp ta' ministri li ghandna llum huma ta' livell medjokru. Pero' l-aktar wiehed medjokru fosthom, sfortunatament, hu l-Prim Ministru Gonzi nnifshu.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
Issa l-PN se johrog stqarrija ohra biex jikkundanna l-insensivita' ta' The Times, il-MaltaToday li gabu rapporti ma tantx komplimentuzi ghall Mifdus Bonnici?
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Hardly a Wikileaks sensation....
Tell us something we don't know...althought that bit about Gatt's 'frankness and straightforwordness' being refreshing is hilarious. This was probably made during the Bush Administration when such comparisons were made on their own presidents standards.
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VCAS1 - No it means that you can't read.
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So does this mean that Gonzi is not only a lackey of the Church but also of the US???
