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Update 2 | Ministry distances itself from MITA officer's 'spontaneous reaction'
Video-still of MITA officer does Facebook rounds after being captured on TV asking for student's name.
7 October 2011, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
3 min read
Adds ministry's comments at 5:04 pm.
Adds Peter Xuereb's comments 2:09 pm.
The man dubbed as the ‘stranger’ who accosted university student Nicolà Abela Garrett after heckling transport minister Austin Gatt for failing to answer her questions on public transport reform, has turned out to be a MITA chief officer.
Peter Xuereb is the chief officer of human capital at the Malta IT Agency (MITA) which falls under Austin Gatt’s portfolio.
In comments to MaltaToday, Xuereb said that he felt that Abela Garrett was causing disruption at the launch of the MITA-University alliance. "It was my personal natural reaction – as one of the organisers of the event – to ask who she was and to see whether she was a University student attending the ICT related event. In fact, her complaint was not relevant to the context of the event," Xuereb said of the student's complaints on public transport.
"It is also evident – from what has been reported in all media and on Facebook – that Ms Abela Garrett did not seek to hide her identity, nor did she seek to keep a low profile. It was she who revealed her identity to the media and on social media.
"I want to stress that my question to her was a spontaneous reaction and that no one instructed me to ask for her name and I was not acting on anyone’s behalf."
Abela Garrett, 20, made media headlines after repeatedly telling Gatt he should be ashamed of himself over the dismal Arriva bus service, after it took her two hours to reach her destination. When Gatt walked away without acknowledging her, Abela Garrett called him a “fucking wanker”.
The incident happened at a University event where Gatt was launching new ICT courses at a ceremony hosted by the e-skills alliance.
Abela Garrett later apologised in an open letter, but said that somebody approached her after the incident, and “forced” her to give him her name. “He continued to say that I should be grateful for my stipend,” Abela Garrett said.
“He continued to say that I should be grateful for my stipend… I wished to remain anonymous of course, but this person, who refused to reveal his identity, forced me into giving my name. Foolish was I for doing so.”
The ministry for IT distanced itself from Xuereb's own-initiative inquiry. "Xuereb is not a ministry official and was not asked by the minister or anyone at the ministry to speak to Ms Abela Garrett or to anyone about Ms Abela Garrett. Mr Xuereb did not speak with the minister or to anyone at the ministry before or after the incident about Ms Abela Garrett," a ministry spokesperson said.
"Ms Abela Garrett was perfectly within her rights to speak to the minister in a public place and her identity was frankly irrelevant to us. Indeed the ministry found out about who she was from reports in the media, also circulated in Facebook and finding out, changed nothing."
Xuereb was incorrectly identified as a university student by One News, leading the University administration to deny having approached Abela Garrett after the student confronted Gatt during his visit to mark the launch of a €250,000 ICT project on campus. One News also reported that Abela Garrett's comments to One News, after the incident, had been filmed by a ministry official.
In the aftermath, a video-still of Peter Xuereb speaking to Abela Garrett was circulated on Facebook, with users asking who the man was and why he asked Abela Garrett for her details.
Xuereb is a Ph.D in information systems management and worked for the Dassault subsidiary Spatial Corp in Germany before returning to Malta in 2010 to take up the role as chief officer of human capital at MITA.
He was previously assistant to the chairman at MITA’s predecessor, the Management Systems Unit, in 1992. Xuereb graduated from Imperial College, London in 1986 in computer science.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Straight to the point plane and simple just as you like them Gatt:
Fuck off Austin!
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Austin Gatt got a taste of his own medicine - he deserves no less.
All his puppet soldiers will fall one by one. Very soon he'll be counting his days to retirement, we'll make sure of that with our effective weapon - our vote.
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I'm amazed at the reaction to what I consider to be a harmless event. I support the fact that someone (Ms. A) should state her view. Even using terms such as "FW" if she feels that's necessary - good on you and tough shit if the MP doesn't like it! And I also support the fact that someone (Dr. X) should take offence of such an outburst, and react in the manner that we can all see on youtube.
Of course, as a foreigner that's never visited Malta, I don't have the attached emotion of Arriva's crap service.... but take it easy guys, you're living in one of the nicest places of the world and it's still a loooooong way before you reach a true right-wing regime.
So good luck to both Ms. A. and also Dr. X. in broadcasting the statements you feel are necessary!
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When, as with Nicola Abela Garrett, a person has her dishonesty documented in the way we have seen, how can anyone believe a word she says? Does nobody have a brain here?
As for the ‘thug’, when things started to get out of hand, it is obvious that NAG intentionally diverted attention away from her own dishonesty and onto him. I bet he wasn’t even asked his name – never mind any of the rest of the things she alleged. Remember – *she* is the one who has the track record of deceit!
People should not believe everything that is printed – especially when uttered by a confirmed fraud.
And @John Smith, don't quote the Data Protection Act when you clearly know absolutely nothing about it!
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When, as with Nicola Abela Garrett, a person has her dishonesty documented in the way we have seen, how can anyone believe a word she says? Does nobody have a brain here?
As for the ‘thug’, when things started to get out of hand, it is obvious that NAG intentionally diverted attention away from her own dishonesty and onto him. I bet he wasn’t even asked his name – never mind any of the rest of the things she alleged. Remember – *she* is the one who has the track record of deceit!
People should not believe everything that is printed – especially when uttered by a confirmed fraud.
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@antoine ****** wanker vella
I hope you'll be assisting those students in tomatoe or egg throwing, it would be real fun if you happen to be there.
Get my gist.
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Mafia Malta if people alow it. we maltese like of course all other nations in Western Europe and the US, still do act similar to this type of harrassment. Find the culprit and do what is necessary to silence him or her.
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Oh yes, I know this guy. Mr Xuereb's father in law is a messenger!
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""I want to stress that my question to her was a spontaneous reaction and that no one instructed me to ask for her name and I was not acting on anyone’s behalf."
Mr Xuereb can say whatever he wants. It's a Free country after all (or supposed to be so).
But believing him, though, is a completely different matter.
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These nationalist ass lickers must be feeling very edgy lately, they know that their days are numbered, every day is a day closer to their downfall.
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Mr. Xuereb should have told Ms. Abela Garret thatl her stipend is the legacy of Labour Government So Mr. Xuereb to say it in English (it's more polite) When you need to fart use your own ass not others. Bloody boot licker, bet he never arrives late at work or has to wait en eternity for a bus. On TV he looked like a pitbull asking all those questions. For God's sake's it is Universit, it is Freshers week and she's a student. What did Mr. Xuereb think she was doing their, soliciting or as an under cover agent of Joe Muscat, maybe she was on a mission for Al Qaeda. Now he is a poodle eating humblie pie and taking all the rap. Bet he had the hair dryer treatment from the boss.
People like Mr. Xuereb assume that the little power they have being the ministers' lackeys will last for ever. If this is so Mr.Abela should remember the song THINGS THEY ARE A CHANGING.
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What happened to labour's demand that Claudio Grech should resign? An other PN parasite fleecing this country. I guess ICON will have one less person at MITA working for them when he is gone. Well they still have Smart City and Microsoft as their agents!
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Mr. Antoine Vella , As you said , you have your contacts with farmers . we did not had any doubts , because by your comment you conferm that you are a big big GIDRA . Niskuza ruhi mall-gdur li ikkomparajt lill dan li-speci maghhom .
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I was expecting the police to have arrested Mr Muscat by latest today.
So far so nothing appears to have happened.
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What a shame - who knows what more bullying Maltese students will have to face.
As I always say - time will show us.
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Antoine Vella You are inciting violence against Dr.Muscat the police should make a note of this.Knowing you, you are just a nanu a coward at that,bet you are never in the forefront but hiding behind your mummy's skirt.Grow up you little imbecile.
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@Antoine Vella
Joseph Muscat is not going to be intimated by pathetic, useless little worms like you.
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Grow up you prat.
Raymond Bonnici •
This guy looks more like a vindictive terrorist than a high ranking public official. It would be interesting if he would tell us why he asked for Ms Abela Garrett's personal details. Maybe he also forms part of some secret service?
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Oh dear. I guess he thought that bullying a student was part of his job at MITA. What shall we do now - give him a payrise, maybe a promotion. I know - let's give him be a PN registered member for free for this year.
BTW - MITA has sent threatening letters to my clients on several occasions telling them they need to transfer their business to their appointed service provider (which was linked to ICON) or these organisations would loose funding.
Good on you folks. I am sure the EU is very impressed on how funding plus tax payers money is being put to good use.
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Dan kollu Bullying mir-REGIM Nazzjonalista.
Tafu kemm hawn BULLIES fid-dipartimenti u korpi parastali ?
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Antoine, are you advising the uni students what they should next? Or is it just wishful thinking from your end? And by the way are you some kind of vegetable hawker, having students asking you for tomatoes?
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Ir-ritratt jifxek il-maskri kollha. Bully sa ruhu, liebes tal-pulit bl-ingravata.
Abdullah alhrbi •
Antoine Vella do you mean to say that students at university are late coming to your lectures because it was really Joseph Muscat who instituted the mother of all transport reforms? Talk of kohlrabi, pumpkins and cabbages, and here's me lighting candles to Demi-God Gatt and the glorious apostle Manuel Delia, wasn't it him through his faithful servant, who wrought that particular miracle?
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Forsi issa s Sur Xuerb idur lejn Dr Gatt u jitolbu jiskuza ruhu ta kemm il-darba l-ghaziz Ministru ghajjar lil laburisti!
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This is Malta in 2011 with the government minders ready to please the dear leader and ready to take all kind of action against all those who in some way or another try to talk against the regime. A mirror image of North Korea.
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Someone mentioned PN students asking for eggs to pelt a politician with when visiting Uni.
As long as this politician or any other visiting personality for all that matters, is not an arrogant bully who is extremely insensitive towards the students needs, then yes, that is what they should do.
Otherwise the students' actions would only account for an antidemocratic and dangerously staged event towards free speech.
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Dear Antoine Vella, I suggest you spare us your mediocre antics. Perhaps you are a follower of those bunch of students who a couple of years ago tried to ridicule Alfred Sant on campus. Theses were undoubtedly glorified by the PN press then!
Now this MITA so called HR executive should no better. Reminds me of the Gestapo in a way. So anxious to please the Minister!
I HOPE THAT GARETH WILL BE LEFT ALONE FROM THE PN apologists and almighty and that she will be able to successfully complete her studies
Joseph Sant •
Is that a promise or a threat Antoine Vella? Just asking.
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Miss Abela int ghadek zghira u forsi ma tafx listorja tal partit tal PN. Darba dawn gieghlu lil wiehed sakranazz jismu Terinu jiehu gurament falz li ra lil Lord Strikland bil fardal tal mazuni. Wara irrizulta li milli qal dan ma kienx minnu u li il partit nazzjonalista gieghluh jiehu guramnet falz. Ghalhekk Miss oqghod attenta ghax jaraw kif jghamlu u jpattuwielek.
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One thing is certain: Abela Garret has set a happy precedent. This afternoon already, two PN students asked me where they could get a load of tomatoes (they know my contacts with farmers). Unfortunately this is not the right season - greenhouse fruit are expensive, but then someone suggested eggs.
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Whatever they choose, something tells me Joseph Muscat's next visit to the campus is going to be fun. Viva l-free speech.
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She called him a "fucking wanker"... so what? Surely he's an adult and can take care of himself?!
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Is Peter Xuereb another untouchable?
Why all this fuss Mr Xuereb? Your boss is sure that you will be enjoying your minimum wage for another twenty years so, why all this fuss?
Thanks God there is no more need for students to tie themselves up in chains!! This is 2011 and instead, they can spend hours waiting for the Arriva bass until sometime, they can see light at the end of the tunnel! Mr Xuereb.......cool and relax. There's always a gut beside you!!
Mark Fenech •
Prosit Miss ħaqqek ġieħ ir-Repubblika tal-kuraġġ li għandek, imma issa qogħqod attenta għax dawn iwaħluhulek bil-pulit. Dawn hekk magħmulin farizej, jgħidulek għandek dritt titkellem, imma kif titkellem lesti ruhek għas-sjuf fuq wara. Naf x'qiegħed nikteb għax għandi esperjenza twila tagħhom.
Illum tista' taqra l-istorja ta' JPO biex tara kif jaħdmu minn taħt.
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One of Gatt's thugs caught in the act. Sleep easy Agostino.
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The eyes of the guy in the photo are proof enough of his 'spontaneous' thoughts.
The fact that the ministry distanced itself from this guys initiative is in itself very significant. Besides not authorised to do what he did, Mr Xuereb's approach was very inappropriate and uncalled for.
Modern day bullies come in all forms, shapes and sizes.
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Police should take action against this cowboy. As far as I know it is only the police, wardens and soldiers have the right to demand anybody's particulars
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Everything is smart in this smart island. Smart technologies, smart city, new ict courses. What a farce! Even the university is so filled with smart professors and lecturers who are just smartly wasting taxpayers funds!
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The girl had every right to complain about the disastrous service that Arriva are giving us .
And Dr Gatt should have answered her question after telling us that the BUZOLLOTTI are over now
Joseph Sant •
Pesce da capita fetit. If his boss is a bully what do you expect Mr Xuereb to be. Maybe he thought it just the right moment to curry favour with his boss and earn the much coveted title of Assistant F....g W...r. He certainly has the right looks for it!
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@R Cass
I am not concerned re the behaviour of Dr Gatt or Nicola.
To be frank I am not even bothered re the issue ie Arriva.
But what this person has done is pure unauthorised evil.
I do hope that he will be dismissed from all authorative positions.
I do hope that the police will take IMMEDIATE action against this coward.
What a shame!!!!
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Dal pastaz minn jahseb li hu ?
M`ghandu l-ebda dritt jitlob il- particulars ta`persuna.
Mela hawn Malta ghandna is-secret service ukoll ?
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Why is this media scrutunizing this man like he is on trial? If he wanted to ask her a private question if she was a student and did not be the one to make her name public what crime has he done? None. Is the scrutiny should not be on the one who had a good point in the question she raised but spoiled it by her rudeness and disrespect. Then it emerges she might have planned it all and is doing political points and is not interested in the topic afterall! I think her parents would not be proud of her mouth!
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Austin has offended us, the citizens, more than once. He never felt the need to apologize.
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Still i think it is inappropriate to call Austin a f*****g wanker.
An incompetent wanker more like.
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Dawn l affarijiet jigru go universita fejn hemm id demokrazija. Ta spiss issiru l Ingilterra u l ebda kavallier ma johrog fin nofs kief ghamilt int. Vera li ninsabu go demokrazija a la China. Minn jaf forsi issa dien it tfajla tintbghad is sibeja w inti tilhaq rettur. The least we expect from you ( I know its hard to do so) is to apologize to Nicola! If I was her perants I will take legal acction against you! A.Gatt is a BULLY himself I do not think he needs you HELU!
Igor P. Shuvalov •
Mr Xuereb stated that :" her complaint was not relevant to the context of the event,"So he is admitting that her complaint had nothing to do with MITA. Then why did he feel the need to ask her for her particulars? The fact that the student's did not seek to hide her identity (Did Mr Xuereb expect this student to wear a hood and cover her face?) - did not give him the right to "force" her to give him her particulars.
And may I ask if it is his usual personal natural reaction to tell university students who complain about something that they should be grateful for their stipend.
And after all MR Xuereb can you tell us why you need this students particulars?
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@ vuci ta sens
The past is history. We take the lessons learnt from the past and apply them to today's world. Stop living in the past. Citing the past won't help shape the future.
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Are the posts being censored?
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Nahseb kien et jejdila li filodu ja jwassala bil jaguar tal pudinu !! :)
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@Martin Borg - I'd be hard pressed to find a Nationalist supporter swearing away at any minister and if they had (in the past) I shudder to think what would have happened. Mr. Xuereb was probably appalled at her behaviour - no conspiracy there.
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I sincerely cannot understand those that criticise Ms Abela Garrett for being so outspoken. She has, through her intervention, taken the role of many, to make sure that her dissatisfaction about a service, whom the same minister and his entourage boasted about for months, is heard.
Do these same people condemn this same minister or any other high profile person that acts arrogantly towards the general public, when this happens?
How many times has this type of attitude been adopted by governmental entities, like WSC or Enemalta? How many ppl are disgusted and dissatisfied by their services and their customer care?
Someone said that Ms Abela Garrett should be ashamed of herself. I say that it is the authorities and their related ministries that should be ashamed for such a disservice towards the whole nation.
It is about time that ppl stop being polite and start biting, this attitude of arrogance has gone too far.
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"I want to stress that my question to her was a spontaneous reaction and that no one instructed me to ask for her name and I was not acting on anyone’s behalf."
Why does Dr. Xuereb feel the need state this?
If as it is stated by Dr. Xuereb, he acting on his own behalf, what interest was it to him to know who the person addressing the minister was. It is not his perogative to do so, more so to the fact that Ms. Abela Garrett was addressing the minister and not Dr. Xuereb, on a subject which is of no interest to either Dr. Xuereb or the event that was hosted!
It is totally irrelevant whether Ms. Abela Garrett's comment was in context or not. The comment (or whatever Ms. Abela Garrett uttered) was stated on campus, where Ms. Abela Garrett is a student. She was on home ground.
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The Police Commissioner should arrest Xuereb for breaking the law. Only police officers can ask for this personal information in public places. MITA should kick him out of his job immediately. Clean your act Dr Gonzi and see that all citizens are respected and treated with dignity.
JPO is spilling the beans on how he was manipulated by your 'men' in the 2008 election campaign. Xuereb is also one of your 'men' so get rid of him now and see to it that he is arraigned for trampling on a student's basic human rights. Abusive public officers like him must get what they truely deserve.
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@vuci ta sens
Post bla sens.
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"I want to stress that my question to her was a spontaneous reaction and that no one instructed me to ask for her name and I was not acting on anyone’s behalf."
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Yea we believe you just as we believe Austin said "No problem" in a different context.
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What a bunch of wanking fibbers.
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Xuereb's intervention had a Gestapo and NKVD smell. A high official paid from public funds suddenly became a secret agent and demanded and got personal information from a poor 20 year old university student. His action is abusive, illegal and infringes basic human rights. In any other free dmocratic country there would have been a public outcry and massive student protest. Here, in GonziPN's Malta we live in a chickem-farm ruled and guarded by pigs.
Public officials break the law openly, use psychological measures to terroriz students and while the university students who are supposed to be the avante-guard of the anti-establishment movements fail misrably to show solidarity with one of their number who was brave enough to confront the supremo of arrogance himself.
And what about the media ? That is the public-financed TVM and the Queen of all sycophants The Times ? They all lie low in the shadow of a creeping authoritarian system as witnessed by the cheek of a public officer turning himself into a Gestapo agent demanding the personal details of an university student...and after this ugly incident he has even more cheek in defending his dastardly intervention that Arriva had nothing to do with Gufo's visit to the University and anyhow, he had to keep law and order.
If these heavy-habded actions were to continue under one guise or another, we'll soon be searching for missing students. The Argentine desparicidos' was sealed when 'repectable' high public officials began to terrorize psychologically university students and nobody cared to notice, let alone protest.
Nicola Abela Garrett deserves praise and solidarity. She dared to shame the big Gufo himself in public. It's a pity that she was left alone....and in the lurch.
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A Poser-Absolute abuse - with no authority what-so-ever.
This guy can not be trusted.
Why has he been made chief officer of human capital at MITA?
What is going on in this country?
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I cannot come into terms why all the usual apologists' insist on attacking the LP for the 80s, these things are happening now 2011 and no one seems to feel the need to pin point these anti democratic tactics. I also did not read anything regarding the scene that the "ignorant and vulgar" students orchestrated when Dr Alfred Sant visited the campus.So now this student is vulgar and rude which I must admit that using that F** W** was a little rude,but back then everyone was clapping and laughing and even giving me the impression that they had the backing from the top. I cannot stand these allround double standards in Malta especially when some people who speak in english can swear their head off and if you do the same in maltese you are stamped as a "Hamallu". Now at least the offence was in english so nobody cannot say it was the usual Hamallu :)
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If her parents didn't teach her good manners and courtesy; someone had to - I'm glad someone gave this publicity seeker and I suspect plant for a certain political party an etiquette lesson. Obviously her parents brought her up to be a typical stereotype; thank goodness there are still a majority of well brought up and behaved supporters of the other party.
