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PBO says Prime Minister authorised use of confidential Cabinet document
PN secretary general Paul Borg Olivier says confidential Cabinet document was in his possession with the Prime Minister’s authorisation
12 November 2011, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
3 min read
PN secretary general Paul Borg Olivier says confidential Cabinet document was in his possession with the Prime Ministers authorisation
The secretary general of the Nationalist Party said that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi authorised the use of a confidential Cabinet document that is not for public use.
Speaking on Radju Malta's Ghandi X'Nghid, Paul Borg Olivier was replying to criticism put forward by Labour's deputy leader Toni Abela.
Referring to Borg Olivier's appearance on TVM' Bondiplus with a confidential document, Abela criticised the Nationalist Party for being in possession of a Cabinet document that should not be public.
"I had the authorisation of the Prime Minister," Borg Olivier said in his defence.
The document in question, discussed at Cabinet level, is a blueprint for the public transport reform.
Abela said this was not the first time that a private document was in the hands of the Nationalist Party, and recalled how Edgar Galea Curmi - the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff - tried to pass on privileged documents to MediaToday's managing editor Saviour Balzan.
The documents were related to the VAT case of former Green Party leader Harry Vassallo and a medical file on Joe Said.
"Edgar Galea Curmi had met up with Saviour Balzan to pass him another private document; when testifying in court over Joe Said's case, David Agius presented a medical file which should never have been in his possession."
Abela also said that he was in possession of Borg Olivier's email asking ministries to pass on all complaints received and details of the persons who filed the complaints. But Borg Olivier denied sending the email.
Speaking about the BWSC contract, Abela said Transport Minister Austin Gatt should resign from the Public Accounts Committee - the parliamentary committee discussing the BWSC contract.
"Austin Gatt was the minister when the contract for the Delimara power station extension was awarded. How can he be sitting on the committee hearing the witnesses?" Abela.
BWSC is the Danish firm awarded the Delimara power station extension contract, valued at some €220 million. Last week, the PAC heard how BWSC middleman Joe Mizzi found Zaren Vassallo's building company - "the largest company on the island" - on the Yellow Pages.
"How does government remain quiet over such claims?" Abela said.
Speaking on government's vote of confidence, Borg Olivier described it as an opportunity to reaffirm where government came from and where it is heading.
"Malta experienced a year of social change, not only with the divorce issue, but also the problems brought by the economic crisis and the Libyan uprising," Borg Olivier said.
He added that the Nationalist Party had a good track record, while the Opposition simply criticises but offers no concrete solutions.
Counteracting Borg Olivier's comments, Abela said each party governing today had a problem: "The ability is not to govern despite the problems around you, but the ability to govern without adding to those problems."
Abela said the confidence vote carried no weight in Malta. "A confidence vote makes sense in a multi-party system, like Italy's. Franco Debono always made it clear that he was going to side with government. The vote was simply a coat of paint to gloss over the problems within the PN's parliamentary group."
Abela said the PN couldn't be focused with all its ongoing internal problems: "Its problems are heavily affecting the consumer."
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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It would be interesting to hear what the PM has to say about this authorisation of exposing confidential documents and the reason why he gave this authorisation.
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Separazzjoni bejn dak li hu ta'l-istat u dak li hu ta' parti hija tad-dahq.
U tafu min hu dal-buffu,hux?
Risposta tinghata f'xi seduta ohra.
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You can listen to the whole show on:
http://andrewazzopardi.org/ghandi-x-nghid-radio-show/
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Some basics about confodentiality as lifted from Wikipedia.
"The Australian Cabinet follows the traditions of the British parliamentary cabinet system, in that the Cabinet is responsible to the parliament to make policy decisions, but Cabinet discussions are confidential and are not disclosed to the public apart from the announcement of decisions. This secrecy is necessary to ensure that items of national security are not made public, and so that ministers can speak freely and disagree with each other during discussions.
Cabinet documents are held separately from other documents, and may be destroyed once no longer in use, or when a change of government occurs. Since 1986, minutes and records of Cabinet meetings are embargoed from public release or disclosure for 30 years
Ministers are bound by a principle of Cabinet solidarity, meaning that once cabinet has made a decision, all ministers must publicly support and defend that decision, regardless of their personal views on the subject"
Incredible! Simply incredible!
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A new twist on cabinet confidentiality. Release as convenient. What a bunch of clowns.
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So PBO is telling us that the PM is an accomplice in this irregularity?
And how come Mr Brilliant Bondi, the one who writes to the EU commission so easily to report on some of his black listed friends, did not hound PBO on this issue?
Priscilla Darmenia •
"Prime Minister authorised use of confidential Cabinet document"
GO TELL IT TO THE MARINES
Mark Fenech •
Why should PBO have cabinet documents. He just represents a political party. Why then the opposition which represents at least half of the electorate, does not have the right to see these documents. Another biased decision by the PM who thinks that laws are not there for everybody.
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It has become a nasty habit for gonzipn ministers and party officials to do as they please and take the people for a ride then scurry back and hide under the pm's skirt.
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@alan zammit
Playing the fool doesn't become you. Since when the General Secretary of a party become a member of cabinet.
Flaunting cabinet dcuments that shouldn't see the light of day before another 30 years is criminal.
Why did PBO wait si long to come up with the excuse and not the same day or day after he was exposed?
Maybe he was waiting for the right time to find gonzi in a good mood which is rare now adays.
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Well talk about secrets of the state aired on PNBondi! the last gasps of a failed gov
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So just to see if i got this right. Gonzi the PM gave PBO the PN secretary permission to take confidential documents onto a biased TV program. Anyone care to explain how this became of national importance?
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Pawlinu ghandek bil miktub minghand il p m ?
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Pawl it would have been more hilarious if you had said that you found this file in the yellow pages. Its true that one of your clan called us cwiec. Am I to understand you believe in that too?!
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PBO has only confirmed what we have known all along – PN as a party and as a government is immoral.
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Nothing that Gonzi and his bunch of merry incompetents do surprises me – they are capable of anything to hold on to power, money and privealge, but I cannot understand the positions taken by JPO, Franco Debono and Mugliett?
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All three have been attacked and vilified at one stage or another by their party.
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Mugliett is really a special case – not only was he sacked from his Ministerial job via an SMS, but his work has been continually ridiculed by Austin Gatt. Yet Mugliett still votes in favour of Gatt – a glutton for punishment or what??
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Franco Debono declared his “no confidence” in Austin Gatt, then a few days later voted in favour of Gonzi and his merry incompetents, including Austin Gatt!! Is that consistency or what?
Luke Camilleri •
Pawlu Paprati jdahal il-Prim Ministru wkol fil Paprati tieghu... kollox bl-approvazzjoni ta' Dr. Gonzi qieghed jghid! !
Kemm ghandna Prim Helu jawtorizza tqassim ta' dokumenti konfidenzjali llill Partit Politiku tieghu!
Xi Hlew, jekk din mhux xi Paprata ohra ta' Pawlu Paprati , veru ghandhom ghax jisthu it-tnejn li huma... skuzawni, insejt li jafhux x'inhui misthija!
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I couldn't believe by ears when I heard PBO saying this on the radio this morning. Were this a truly European country, PBO would have accomplished what the Oppostion and the PN Parliamentary dissidents have so fair failed to do, i.e. brought the Government down!
