Busuttil asks whether Muscat has lost control of his ministers
Army promotions and minister’s bad behaviour continue to dominate agenda
7 October 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
Gozo minister Anton Refalo
Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said he expected that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat lives up to the standards of accountability he had purported to uphold upon his election to power.
Busuttil was speaking in Dingli, when asked about the prime minister's refusal to take questions from the press today following a week dominated by allegations of an army 'takeover' and the behaviour of Gozo minister Anton Refalo.
"Has he lost control of his Cabinet, or is this evidence of the behaviour of his ministers? Muscat has again evaded answering when put on the spot," Busuttil said.
Busuttil said the three promotions to an army major, Jeffrey Curmi - first to lieutenant colonel, then to colonel, and finally deputy AFM commander - had dented public trust in the Armed Forces of Malta, which recently saw its deputy commander stepping down after a transfer to the Safi migrants' detention centre and the retirement of Brigadier Martin Xuereb, on the same day of the promotions.
"The army does not enjoy the people's trust because of the way these promotions took place to see a new AFM commander in place," Busuttil aid, hinting at the forthcoming appointment of Curmi as AFM commander.
Curmi, formerly the head of the AFM's explosives ordinance unit, was first promoted lieutenant colonel during a selection exercise that promoted six others to the same rank, and then unilaterally appointed colonel by the home affairs minster.
Busuttil also said he would not take a stand on whether Anton Refalo, Gozo minister, should have to resign after he was discovered to have ordered a Gozo Channel ferry boat back from its journey mid-way, to collect passengers - amongst them himself - and take them to Gozo.
"I'm expecting Muscat, who promised the highest standards of accountability, to put his words into action. When the same incident happened under a Nationalist government, there was a resignation. We expect the same of public officials," Busuttil said, referring to the resignation of the former Gozo Channel chairman Joseph Grech.
Grech was appointed 'consultant' on the Gozo Channel company by Anton Refalo upon Labour assuming power.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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keep doing frejeg Simon ! the worst PN leader ever!! STRAIGHT TO THE WALL AGAIN SIM!
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Simple Simon should ask himself, was it right for his friend Gonzi to govern without a majority ?? Was this not "polite" dictatorship ?
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joe.buh. Mela vera ma tafx taghmilhom il-paraguni biex taghmel sweeping statement bhal dan.
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@joe.buh: Mhux bizzejjed kissirtu lill-Malta f' dawn l-ahhar 25 sena? X'meritokrazija haddimtu inhom? L-istess cirku ta' nies, maghrufa bhala il-KLIKKA, kienu jaghmlu musical chairs u jbiddlu s' siggu min zmien ghal zmien. Appuntajtu lis-Segretarju ta' Fenech Adami, RCC, bhala Ambaxxatur tal-EU b' poteri ghola minn Ministru, jekk mhux ta' Prim Ministru - u dan minghajr ma gie vutat mill-Poplu u haseb li hu ghola mill-Poplu ghaliex anke il-Parliament injorha. Poggejtu lill-Alan Camilleri u l-mara tieghu fi Brussels b' pagi fenomenali, appuntajtu diretturi, CEOs u Chairmen tal-EneMalta u Istituzzjonijiet ohra sabiex joqghodu jpingu minflok jaghmlu minuti tal-laqghat, fil-qasir, qazzistu l-Alla li halakhom u l-poplu kiniskhom il-barra. Issa beda il-veru tindif tal-pajjiz.
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Jien ma nafx s'tilef Joseph: imma ghandu kapital politiku biex ibiegh!
Imma li naf zgur hu li Simon tilef il-kontroll fuq il-finanzi li kellu l-partit u tilef ukoll il-kontroll fuq il-logika...dejjaqna jghid xi haga redikola kuljum: gurnata aghar min ohra!
Biex se nghabbu Simon?
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How can Simon expect anyone to take him seriously when he forms opinions from a Newspaper than he makes conjectures and when challenged to substantiate what he is saying he runs away like a little kid.
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Jiena wiehed min dawk li ma rajt xejn gdid f'dan il-gvern tal-MERITOKRAZIJA.
Kullhadd jaghmel li jrid. Il-poter telgha ghall rashom wisq. Min hu ta' gewwa ok.
Ergajna morna lura ghaz-zmien ta' 25sena ilu.
Prosit il-cosmetics.
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Dear Simon. I think it is you who lost control of your opposition cabinet. Pretty soon you will also lose your place as it is evident that the party is being run by Jason Azzopardi and Bepple Fenech Adami. They are the only ones to speak. Where are the rest? Or you are afraid that they come out with a 'cucata' bhal ma jaghmel Tonio Fenech.
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Lil Simon Busuttil se ninnomiah ghall-ahjar BUFFU tas-Sena. Jiftah halqu u kull darba jaxxaqha.
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Nahseb Simon irid idahhak. Mela nesa minn kien tilef il-kontroll tal-ministri u halla lil kulhadd jaghmel li jrid! Ghandu habta Simon ikollu memorja qasira, jew jghid li ma jafs jew li ma jiftakarx.
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My dear Busullotti. What have you done in respect of Mario Galea, Claudio Grech, George Pullicino, David Agius and last but not least Tic Toc Tonio Fenech? Good thing for you that the main flopper AG Aust has nothing to do with politics now. And by the way when you were appointed Deputy capo and AG Aust was active and you were rubbing shoulders with him did you ever dare prompt AG Aust to resign? I am waiting for your reply. Please be man enough as to do so.
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Simon Simon, drama Queen.
Mountains out of molehills, just to see his name on the papers daily, lest the people forget about him altogether.
Its you dear Simon who does not enjoy the people's trust, remember March '13
36,000 and growing
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Simon Simon
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Xmun, tahseb li Muscat gralu bhal Gonzi wara sitt xhur biss?. Ara Gonzi anki mill-politika telaq wara li hadd u hadd ma ta kasu. Hanqa ta HMAR qatt ma telghat is-sema.
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@ simon buzullotti
Nahseb iktar int bdejt titlef il kontroll fuq il membri parlamentari tieghek ghax wiehed minnhom diga mar fuq il one tv fejn deher car li ma jaqbilx ma dak li qed isehh fil pn. Ibqa sejjer hekk u partit ser tfarrku iktar mili hu.
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My dear Simon, don't be simple minded. You have promised to clean up the arrogance, downright lying mob at the PN and you were so infected that you have become worse than the lot - not that there is much difference either. After 25 years when the Army Promotions were dominated uniquely by PN appointees it is time to balance the injustices meted out to those that were brushed aside despite their seniority, meritocracy and the like. Your Party in Government invented the Security Clearance Excuse to eliminate those that your Party considered to be too light blue to be trusted. You denied security clearance to as high officials as Colonels in the Army to get them out of the management system. DISGRACEFUL, SHAMEFUL AND TOTALLY AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS. The PN discriminated against masses of very worthy people in the Army and the Police. Now your Party has lost its credibility and its support of the People and you simply have to lump it. It is time for true Justice and meritocracy. Let us not forget that it was your PN Prime Ministers who were found guilty of breaches of Human Rights by our Constitutional Courts. Truth is mightier than the sword.!
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I ask Simon Busuttil: Have you lost control of your mind? Your hypocrisy shines like the brightest sun and everybody can see through you.
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Min jaf x'inhu jghid issa s-Sur John Bencini: http://election.josephmuscat.com/we-are-convincing-through-positivity/.
Min ihawwad l-izjed f'dal-pajjiz jahasra.
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Jiena nahseb li mhux MUscat tilef il-kontroll tal-Ministri tieghu, imma il-PN ta' Busuttil tilef il-boxla wara t-tisbita tad-9 ta Marzu. Tal-PN kuljum joqolqu fuq xi trivia biex jaghttu xturhom u d-dizastru finanzjarju li jinsabu fih.
