PN wants more consensual politics - Claudio Grech

Pours cold water on plans for a new mental hospital

Nationalist MP Claudio Grech said that the Nationalist Party intends to put forward a motion for the setting up of a Committee on Health.

"The Nationalist Party believes that the health sector is a crucial one. For that reason, it has put forward a motion so that the two main political parties take effective measures so that a consensual type of politics can be developed when it comes to the important and strategic matters in this sector," he said.

Grech explained that the main aim of this committee will be to discuss policies on health issues, and matters of importance to patients.

"We hope that such a motion will show the kind of political maturity which the party, in its capacity as the Opposition, would like to showcase during this legislature. Whilst it will continue its role to scrutinise and be critical of the government, it is also offering its participation in a proactive way," he said.

"Consensus in this field would mean that the prime policies and the principle decisions could be discussed between the two political parties. This, in turn, would ensure long-term politics instead of policies limited to individual legislatures," he said.

Grech said that the health sector had great opportunities to develop in medical terms, as well as technological ones. He said that these can "contribute to a higher quality in, and more sustainable health services in our country".

"PN also believes that the setting up of such a committee, and its consequent meetings, should serve as a place wherein Unions, NGOs and individuals representing the private sector could discuss important issues in the field. In this way, we would really be able to formulate a consensual type of politics," he said.

Grech also poured cold water on plans for a new mental hospital, saying that it was ironic how there was no mention of it in Labour's electoral programme.

"It is a bit strange how this proposal is not mentioned anywhere in the government's electoral programme, and it is therefore dubious how much the proposal has any strategic foundations. For this reason, the PN reserves its position until the government gives more details about the project," he said.

"In the opinion of the PN, the priority should always be the patients and not the institutionalisation of them," he said.

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SINCE WHEN DOES THE PN WANT CONSENSUAL POLITICS? DID THEY EVER PRACTICE SUCH A MISNOMER IN THE 25 YEARS THEY WERE RULING THIS COUNTRY? NOW THEY WANT CONSENSUAL POLITICS WHEN THEY ARE PRACTICING THE MOST DIVISIVE POLITICS IN THE PN HISTORY EVEN IN OPPOSITION. ON THE ONE HAND THE PN IS FIRST DIRECTING SOME OF ITS MEMBERS TO CREATE A DIVERSION THAT WOULD PUT BLAME ON THE PL GOVERNMENT, THEN CRITICIZE BLACK AND BLUE AND THEN SOME OTHER BRIGHT GUY COMES UP WITH CONSENSUALITY. ISN'T THIS PHARISAIC TALK. ?? HOW CAN THE PEOPLE OF THESE ISLANDS BELIEVE YOU WHEN YOU SAY ONE THING ONE DAY, THEN RETRACT THE NEXT DAY, THEN AGAIN ATTACK ON THE SAME THING THE THIRD DAY AND THEN REQUEST CONSENSUAL POLITICS!!!!!
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PN wants more consensual politics - Claudio Grech. Tidhru. Say it again Claudio!
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Mr Grech believes that a government has absolutely no right to take initiatives that were not mentioned in its electoral manifesto? This is strange political ideology as the electoral manifesto would tie the government's hands for five years in not doing anything positive that has not been promised. Isn't this a policy of bureaucratic lethargy? Frankly I am disappointed to hear such incredible opinions. As to consensual politics, have we not heard this many many times and it's never done? Then after elections we realise that we have not done much public consultation and each time we says oops! Thus the oops ideology is the most popular one in Malta!
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Uereka, someone in the Nationalist Party seems to see the light. This more or less has been offered by Dr J. Muscat at the beginning of the legislature, but rejected by tyhe Opposition leader. Let's hope that this is being made in good faith.
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Luke Camilleri
Grech should pour cold water OVER HIMSELF and wake up to the reality of what his Party left OR DID NOT LEAVE BEHIND! Some things were hidden or even camouflaged and are only coming out now! How could the Labour know all from the Opposition when so much was left hidden away or put aside ?
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HA, HA! Claudio, now is that for real? Or could there be a real future leader somewhere in there? Unfortunately, he is not an avukat. That would translate into an enormous drawback for the mouldy PN. Or would it, in today's enlightened times? Are the under 35's PN supporters still made up of the fundamentally conservative lot they always were? Or are the times changing? Only time will tell. Would we witness a real revolution these next 4 years?
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Am i to understand that another hospital will be built near Mater Dei? Did i get this right? has anyone done a traffic impact assessment? It takes one, hours to reach to University, and parking is impossible, likewise to Mater dei where already the car park is far too small and we now we are planing another hospital. Please re consider the proposed location.
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Consenual politics? Dejjaqtuna bin-negativizmu taghkom u bin-nuqqas ta mea culpa ghal frakas li hallejtu fil-pajjiz!