Government MP says Carm Mifsud Bonnici 'should stay on'
Government MP Edwin Vassallo says home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici should stay on as minister even if censure motion is approved.
25 May 2012, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo
Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the Opposition's censure motion on home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo said the minister "should not resign even if the motion is approved."
In a bid to pile the pressure on Nationalist MP Franco Debono who been very critical of Mifsud Bonnici, Vassallo said that a vote against a minister equates to a vote against the Government.
He added that the attack on Mifsud Bonnici is an "attack on the government" and said the minister should not give up his post because he still enjoys the confidence of the government.
"If the motion goes through, the government should take note of the vote but home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici should not resign, as there is no real reason for the Opposition's motion of censure."
Speaking to MaltaToday, Vassallo said the Opposition's motion "is not morally valid and is based on superfluous motivations."
As Parliament continued the debate on the Opposition's motion, Vassallo argued that Labour only tabled the motion because a government MP, Franco Debono, publicly declared that he does not agree with the state of affairs in the justice and home affairs sectors.
"The Opposition is taking advantage of this situation and its only aim is to get Mifsud Bonnici to resign," the Mosta MP added.
In his passionate speech Vassallo described the motion as "immoral and a case of moral political violence."
He noted that this is the fourth time the Labour leader Joseph Muscat is pushing a vote of no-confidence in the government or one of its ministers. Vassallo explained that the Opposition has "never stooped so low."
Vassallo said that during the past four years the motion's signatories, Labour MPs Michael Falzon and Jose Herrera had ample time to criticise the justice and home affairs sectors but "now, all of a sudden even what was right has become a wrong."
At the end of Vassallo's address, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi stood up and shook Vassallo's hand and congratulated his MP. Vassallo told MaltaToday that this was a spontaneous reaction and Gonzi happened to be close to him since Vassallo sits right behind the Prime Minister on the government benches.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
Ian George Walker •
Edwin Vallsallo' exhortation flies in the face of all the norms of parliamentary democracy.
Even more shocking is the fact that Lawrence Gonzi immediatly endorsed his call by pointedly shaking his hand.
This is a clear statement by the PN that it is ready to abandon Parliamentary democracy in order to cling to power.
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Ara veru trid tkun politiku ??? bhall dan il minghalih bravu Edwin VaZZallo , biex jghid li anke jekk il-mozzjoni ta censura tigi approvata , il-Ministru Dr.Carm Mifsud Bonnici ghandu jibqa fejn hu u ma jirrizenjax jew jigi mnehhi . B'ragunament bhall dan ghandu biex jiftahar dan ic-cuc malti.
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Nissugerixxi lil Edwin Vassallo li jghid lill-Kurja tohloq partit politiku halli jkun hawn partit li fih ikun jista jhossu komdu. Forsi ma tafx kif jispicca Kapo ta' partit fl-ahhar !
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Tghid l-onor Prim Ministru ma regax hatar lil onor Edwin Vassallo nofs ministru bhal ma kien, ghax ghandu hafna fiducja fih?
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Hemm xi cans remot li l-kummenti tieghi jghaddu?
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Demokrazija PN style. Jekk taghddi l-mozzjoni tal PL nibghqu sejrin daqs li kieku ma gara xejn.Holl xaghrek u gib iz-zejt li kieku hareg biha xi hadd minn naha ta l-oppozzijoni.
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I am not in Edwin Vassallo's mind, but soe of the things he said are not as daft as some make them out to be. If the opposition had a record of presenting motions of censures on ministers throughout the whole legislature it would have been a different story. But everybody knows that these tactics have only been resorted to during the past six months, when Debono's outbursts against the PM, CMB, AG, TB and threats to vote with the opposition became the order. Surely, the opposition would not have acted the way it is acting now, if Debono's loyalty was not in doubt. Why would the opposition presents such motions if they were sure that they would be defeated? No party wants to be ridiculed. It is in this light that EV words have to be taken.
Luke Camilleri •
Familja wahda....Illum int...ghada jista jkun jien!
Ma tantx hemm fejn titfixkel fit -talent!
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Ara Guidaforte l-VAVU u l-BEZZIEGH rega' tfacca. Kemm hallejtna malajr. Jew l-editur jahti? Kemm ergajt ghamilt zbalji!
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Ara Guidaforte l-VAVU u l-BEZZIEGH rega' tfacca. Kemm hallejtna malajr. Jew l-editur jahti? Kemm ergajt ghamilt zbalji!
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dan x'argument huwa Dwinu,mela qbadt n nizla jew,insomma ilek li qbadta ta meta hrigt kontra d divorzju u issa bqajt ghaddej .Poor man
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tisimaw jitkellem lil vassalo tahsbu xi qaddies bir raggira, nessa il hnizrijit li ghamel hu meta kien ministru.
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Once Lawrence Gonzi stood up and shook Edwin Vassallo's hand at the end of Edwin's speech, Gonzi has confirmed that he is as much a rebel-rouser as the Mosta MP !
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Someone should tell this Edwin Vassallo that he says it best when he says nothing at all( apologies to the song)
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Kelama wahda biss nghidlu lil dan id-Deputat Nazzjonalita Edwin Vassallo: Fejn tahseb li qed tghidx inti F'Malta jew gewwa xi pajjiz li d-demokrazija fih ma tezistix? Ghax imkien fid-dinja demikratika, anke fic-Cina jittiehu l-mizuri kollha biex jekk xi hadd jinstab li naqas u jigi ccensurat jirrezenja u fil-kaz tac-Cina jitnehha u forsi jittiehu passi alternattiv kontrih ukoll. Hallina Sur Vassallo vera tridna sewwa. Mela l-ezempju li kien ta' Dr. Mangion fi zmien li l-PL kien fil-gvern 1996-1998 insejtu, xi hadd ghamel zbal u Dr. Mangion refa' rresponsabilta u rrezenja. Dik l-irgulija mela li tigi ccensurat u tkompli fil-kariga. Tghid kull impjegat li hawn f'Malta jekk jigi ccensurat minn min ihaddmu jibqa f'dik il-pozizzjoni jew jitwarrab. Veru gvern li jasal ghal kollox sirtu intom tal-PN.
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Hawn min hu tajjeb ghall-pulitika, u hawn min hu tajjeb biss biex ibiegh il-buttuni u r-ricipetti. X'faqar ta' argumenti!
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Hon. Vassallo what is moral value?
the poverty in Malta is on the increase
people working 3 jobs
waiting for operations years
most of medicine out of stock
Utility bills that no body can pay
sacking 600 Air Malta staff
what is moral value?
an increase of €500 per week
second car for ministers or €7000 instead
direct tenders
building of new parliament and topless theatre
are these moral value, you are very good for Panagerki but stops there.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
"the minister should not give up his post because he still enjoys the confidence of the government."
So according to this MP the Government is above Parliament and the representatives of the people. Is this a new way of interpreting democracy?
Funnily enough the same Gentleman "said that a vote against a minister equates to a vote against the Government". Does this mean that indirectly he is saying that this vote can be interpreted as a censure vote on the Government? And if it so does it mean that the motion approval should lead not only for the Minister but for all the Ministers to resign?
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Li kien ghalih Mr. Edwin Vassallo l-anqas divorzju ma kien jghaddi mil parlament alllavolja l-poplu vvota favur id-divorzju u issa jekk Dr. Debono jivvota kontra CMB iridu jibqa hemm, x'demokrazija Hux?
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Government MP Edwin Vassallo says home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici should stay on as minister even if censure motion is approved --- kif qrajt dawn il-kliem ta' hawn fuq mill-onorevoli edwin vassallo qbadt nidhak u ma stajtx nieqaf !!!!! Issa gonzipn wasal fl-estremita li jqum jiehu b'id deputat (f'giehna) li johrog b'qassata bhal din - li ministru li jkun sfiducjat ghandu jzomm postu !!!!! Dawn it-tejoriji minn fejn gabhom, mill-House of Commons tal-Mosta jew? Isma' minni onorevoli edwin vassallo: ma tahsibx li jkun ahjar ghalik, ghall-pajjiz u ghall-parlament li terga' tmur tbiegh il-papocci, is-sandlijiet u l-krakar il-mosta ghax aktar taqta' figura u ma tkomplix iddahhak in-nies bik !!!!!!!!
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Li ikollok lil Dr.Carm Mifsud Bonnici jew li Cikku il floqqos bhala ministru ma tantx tghamel differenza. L-importanti huwa li il ministeru jitmexxa tajjeb. Importanti ukoll li jekk ikun hemm nuqqas u ikun ippruvat bil fatti, min ikun responsabbli irid jerfa il piz u mhux jitfaw lil ta tahtu. Issa jekk fil parlament johrog li kien hemm nuqqas u il mozzjoni ta l-oppozizjoni tghaddi,u nghamlu kif qeghed jissugerixxi is Sur Edwin Vassallo, coe li niehdu nota u kollox jibqa ghaddej...din tkun DITTATURA bil fjokki u mhux DEMOKRAZIJA Sur Edwin. Irrid nimmagina li kull ministru jigi jaqa u iqum ,jghamel li irid u li jghogbu ghax noghoqodu niehdu in noti u ma jigri xejn...Hallina Sur Vassallo...qeghed titfixkel...
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il psikologu donnu qala stilla fuq il pitazz ..ghax hawn malta hekk ,min jiehu bicca mill cake jiehu l prosit.
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Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo said the minister "should not resign even if the motion is approved." "the minister should not give up his post because he still enjoys the confidence of the government".
Mr Vassallo, if the motion to censure Minister CMB is approved, how on earth does CMB enjoys the confidence of the government? Ahna, ahna jew m'ahniex!
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With all due respect and without an prejudice, if an individual was not apt to the ministerial task entrusted to him/her, than the only possible solution is to resign. It would be better for the individual involved to take this path, rather than prolong the saga and victimization. Mr Vassallo is known for such speeches and trying to blame the opposition as well as those that have been critical over Dr Carm's work is not democratically ethical either. People within such roles should be the first to take action and resign after all they were elected to act in the national interest. Mr Vassallo should come to his senses and understand that being a politician does not automatically imply, member of parliament or government for life. In such dire situations, a country needs ppl that are capable of taking the bull by its horns and produce results. In the absence of this, resignation is more dignified than victimization.
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"Government MP Edwin Vassallo says home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici should stay on as minister even if censure motion is approved"........And who would be surprised when the same Dr Gonzi voted against the Divorce Law even though the people in their absolute majority voted in a referendum for its introduction. By now the democratic credentials of the PN MPs is coming to light.
