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‘Hypocritical Labour turned Malta into worst EU country’ – Busuttil
Opposition leader ups ante on Joseph Muscat, accuses him of turning Malta into the ‘worst’ EU member state.
29 September 2013, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil
Despite pledges of wanting Malta to be the best of Europe, the Labour government has turned the country into the worst member state of the European Union, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil declared.
Addressing party faithful in Mosta, Busuttil said the "Labour takeover of the army", "the appointment of the Police Commissioner" and "the removal of AFM Brigadier Martin Xuereb" were the height of "a dark week" for Malta.
Busuttil also lashed out at the appointment of the wife of the energy minister as an investment envoy, who will be receiving a reported salary of €2,000 per week.
"If any of this happened in a European country, the ruling government would have to shoulder responsibility. And while we had Joe Muscat calling for Malta to be the best in the EU, he has turned it into the worst democratic country," the Opposition leader said.
He went on to accuse the Labour government of being "hypocritical" in its condemnation of the infamous Gonzi administration honoraria increase, while the wife of a Labour Cabinet member will be receiving a hefty salary for her direct appointment with Malta Enterprise.
Busuttil did not hold back from lashing out at former European Commissioner John Dalli and his "surprise return" to Malta on the same day when Peter Paul Zammit was appointed Commissioner for Police.
Dalli yesterday said he returned to Malta on the 6 April when John Rizzo was still Police Commissioner.
Busuttil also accused Zammit of lying: "First he says there was no case against John Dalli and now he says the case is still open. Is there or is there not a case, Mr. Commissioner?"
The Police Commissioner has always maintained that the police investigation in relation to the OLAF report were ongoing but there was not enough proof for a criminal case against Dalli.
Turning his attention onto the Prime Minister, Busuttil said he wished to know whether Muscat "felt comfortable" with the Police Commissioner "closing the case when Rizzo, in agreement with the Attorney General, wanted to arraign Dalli".
"Are you comfortable with a takeover of the army? Do you now expect the Opposition to trust the new Brigadier?" Busuttil told the Prime Minister.
"Are you comfortable with giving a job to the wife of a member of your own Cabinet? Because the Opposition is not comfortable with all of this."
The Opposition, he said, looked forward to the reopening of Parliament and the Nationalist MPs will be there to seek further clarifications on the Chinese deal and why the Cabinet members "lied" in their assets declarations.
At one point, Busuttil and PN MP Robert Arrigo referred to some "50 persons" who had wanted to attend a tourism seminar organised by the PN but did not, "fearful of facing repercussions from the Labour government".
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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I love this guy,,ha ha,,in 25 years does he not know what happened with the PN,was he asleep???can you throw stones if you have a glass house??sorry I made a mistake,,his glass house was broken many times,maybe he is used to it,he feels he does not have a problem because he does not have a house any more!!Muscat told them that he will work with everyone but Busitill did not approve.Everyone knows that in the PN legislation most important PN big heads had close family of close friends in government,,please wake up Mr Busuttil and do the job you are being paid for and not waste time and sturing up troubled.
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As they say,,YOU CAN FOOL ALL the people, but not all the time
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As far ad I know the brigadier took up a post in Brussels with a very good salary + allowances. Is their such a vacancy for me? I would go for it wholeheartedly. Re the minister's wife, her nature of work as an envoy did not require a call. An envoy is an ambassador's equivalent, meaning that in such cases you appoint the person for the job. ME has already done it during the previous administration's tenure in the case of Chris Evans for life sciences and another appointment of an envoy for digital arts, both without any calls. So what's the big deal now? Re Dalli, well the PN had every opportunity on earth to bring him to book if it wanted, but it didn't. So case is now closed!
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Simon's new image consultants came up with and advised him with a 'new' image: 'l quddiem'.
This new slogan tells us how Simon likes to be seen, but we know that he is not 'l quddiem' indeed the opposite, because he keeps defending those who messed EneMalta down to its knees and criticize those Labour policies which might give us lower electricity bills: something Simon voted 'bil-qalb' for!
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Well I have lived and traveled in quite a good number of countries... As I firmly believe that each country is unique and that there are so many things which can be done better in every country, I don't know and I don't want to know which one it is either because I ignore if any such a comparative study has ever been compiled, but Malta is certainly NOT the worst EU country!
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Did not Simple Simon apologise to those who were unjustly denied promotion etc during the PN administration at the Independence day "confession"?How many political appointments in ALL sectors were carried out at the expense of those who deserved the appointment? Enough to force him utter an apology, albeit for his political needs.
Now he is telling us that the country has become the worst in the EU - what drivel is this chap churning out, his days as PN leader must be counted untilPN wants to slide into oblivion
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Simon Bustuttil is reverting to the same old dirty tricks of the Seventies and Eighties. First, it was going to be blood in the streets if the PL won. Next came the Libyan connection, of course conveniently forgetting that Gonzi was the last European head of government to go over and hug Gaddafi. Then it was the Yellow Peril, you remember, the old PN chestnut of the godless yellow hordes taking over Malta. Of course he expressed "shock" at Ms Mizzi, a highly qualified individual, being allowed to serve her country. Once more, forgetting the obscene appointments perpetrated under his regime. And to top it off he even hinted at the oldest fear mongering subterfuge the PN loves to use: "Fearful of facing repercussions from the Labour government." What is next a waiter vowing that he saw JM wearing a Masonic apron?! Regrettably for Simon, the church isn't going to come to the PN's rescue this time around. Simon must really be feeling the heat to be so desperate to say anything to win that third MEP seat. His hold on the royal purple must be even more tenuous then anyone thought. It is sad and disgusting that this party could sink so low and worse, it's still sinking. Would Fenech-Adami and DeMarco finally show their hand and end Comical Simon's reign of
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How sad this guy is! Why don't they make an event to raise funds and send him on long holiday! He surely needs it badly!
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How sad this guy is! Why don't they make an event to raise funds and send him on long holiday! He surely needs it badly!
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Xmun, as I had occasion to advise in other news stories comments boards, it would have been better if you remained asleep, rather than coming up with such puerile negativity, which embraces the opinion that the PN is kaput.
Joe Tanti •
In my previous comment I said that thepast leaders of the PN must be turning in their graves seeing in whose hands is the party leadership reins, but let me add that his deputy leaders are smirking behind his back waiting for the chance to confine him to obscurity.
The Italians have a saying "Dalla stale ala stele" from the stalls to the stars.But in the case of Simon (Not me) Busuttil it is quite the opposite and also very appropriate.If he was a racehorse he would have been long put out of his misery and led to the glue factory.
Quo vadis PN.
joseph mercieca •
Chew on this Simon:
“To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.”
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Are you comfortable with giving a job to the wife of a member of your own Cabinet? Because the Opposition is not comfortable with all of this.
Simon sure you are not happy with all this.
Uou weould have been happy if the Nationalist Party did not get its vote of lack of confidence by an overwhelming majority of 36,000. Had you known wehat the result was going to be in all probability you wouild have remaioned as an MEP. Re Mrs Mizzi, it was OK for your administration to give her a job which meant that she was found trustworthy and capabled but not for this administration since you know that she is going to be an asset,, Re the salary that you mentioned just tell it to the marines. Have you forgotten Dolores Cristina's son. Tell us what was his salary. Tell us abouit his competence, he messed everything up and students were unable to obtain the scholarships that you worked so hard for. What about the Hospital interview werte Cristina son in lawe was involved. Don't tell me that you have such a short memory. Simon I sorry to say that most of the Maltese including labourites used to loook upon you as a capable man and really deservred the MEP post but unfortunately for you you lost your credibility in such a way that had you to contest again in all probailty you won't be elected. You are really showing the Maltese Nation what you are made of.
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mil illum il hemm gazazu ser insejjahlek ghax veru ghandek argumenti vojti u hlief teqred ma tafx.kif ma tisthiex.
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Din kienet gimgha fejn rajna lil Dr Muscat jikber fl-istatura internazzjonali u lil Dr Busuttil icekken lili nnifsu fl-ambjent lokali. Mhux ta' b'xejn li rasu dejjem tikber!
Paul Sammut •
Geez what idiocy. Once P N stood for a grande (P)artit (N)azzjonalista. They are shamelessly rendering it mean (P)ermanent (N)egativity.
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Simon nahseb li raqad fuq in-naha l-hazina dal-ghodu.
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Busuttil is at it again. Scaremongering, lying, cheating with figures and in short following the Christian Democratic Principles of disowning Christ and his teachings for their modern day principles of everything goes in politics. The PN was the one that turned Malta into the worse EU Country and now we are slowly, but very slowly trying to recover from the terrible mess, corruption, cheating that the PN Governments left behind. Gambetta kulljum ma taghmilx hazin ghal Simon the Holy to try and stop the Country from sliding down the slope of impossible recovery from the massive debts that Busuttil and his partners left the Maltese people handing on their heads. Causing instability through lies is politically correct in their Christian Democratic eyes.
Joe Tanti •
YAWN...YAWN...Can someone give this baby his dummy,is this man for real? Have the glorious (sic) PN stooped so low in having hin as a leader? Poor ex-PN leaders like Mizzi.Borg Olivier and also Gwido must be turning in their graves knowing in whose hands are the reins of the PN.
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Simple Simon continues to issue banalities from the orifice in his body where the sun doesn't shine. Trust this buffoon with a future government? Ummm, thanks, but no thanks
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This poor man's political acumen decreases by the day. He really needs a break.
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The PN young boys in charge of media, are giving their puppet leader snippets of rhetoric their past leaders were using to destabilize the country in the eighties, when they wanted power at any cost, even blood.
Their philosophy is, what has worked in the past will work in the present.
This is the same philosophy that these young boys favoured during the last election campaign. A few white lies there some here, keep on at it until some or most of it sticks in the people s collective psyche.
Well this philosophy has cost their party dearly, but instead of learning from this 'talk misthija' defeat, They kept the young boys there, and got rid of the more seasoned and loyal ones (to cut down costs!) with DCG' s and Boccia s blessing, as these 2 in particular just love this type of rhetoric
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvzHGYSv8kw&list=PLA387F4A6AA765B38
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You are not doing proper criticism as an opposition should, nor will you be winning elections. The man in the street is not interested in a minister's wife employment affairs, transfers of employees, etc, indeed, not even scandals, but what a political party can offer alternatives in terms of future opportunities, projects and most of all , lowering of bills, and what will be left in HIS POCKET !
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You are not being credible in your criticism as an opposition should and you will not be winning the next election. P
David Bongailas •
So hang on a minute let me get this straight.......Malta is the worst EU country (whatever that means) because Martin Xuereb was removed from his post ?! Never thought Mr.Xuereb was so indispensible for this country!!
