Opposition will not support ‘sale of passports’

Simon Busuttil equates the sale of passports to giving away ‘Malta’s soul’.

20 October 2013, 12:00am
by Miriam Dalli

2 min read

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil will not support the "selling of passports" as this was "immoral" and equated to the "selling of Malta's soul".

Addressing a political activity in Santa Venera, Busuttil and a number of PN MEP candidates criticised the citizenship scheme as proposed by the Labour government, insisting that this was being done without the proper measures being taken onboard.

Busuttil said the Opposition would be ready to support the government if the latter worked on an individual investment scheme and people applying would be thoroughly scrutinized and showed their commitment to Malta.

"And now the Prime Minister wants to sell the scheme to countries known for being tax havens," Busuttil said. "This is wrong for our country's reputation and we will not allow him to mar our reputation."

According to Busuttil, the Prime Minister was going to a conference that would promote the sale of passports and will be meeting with prime minister from Caribbean countries - countries whose international reputation was that of a tax haven.

Busuttil accused the Labour government of being "populist".

"Its decisions are based on what sounds best with the public. This government is repeatedly caught in contradictions because, seven months later, is still in election mode. He is more focused on campaigning rather than governing."

Busuttil added that even though the electorate voted for a change in direction, "there is no direction yet".

He said that the government's stand on the citizenship scheme and migration worried the Opposition. The Opposition, he added, was also concerned over how government backbenchers "were being given jobs to keep them quiet".

Busuttil said Labour MP Silvio Schembri was receiving four different pays and now, Labour MP Luciano Busuttil, will be appointed as the new chairman of the Malta Sports Council.

The leader of the Opposition also said he will be in Brussels this week for a summit of the European People's Party (EPP). The summit is being held ahead of the EU leaders summit.

"Muscat said he won't leave the room until he achieves results. I hope he therefore comes back to Malta with a solution and I also hope he doesn't tarnish Malta's reputation while we wait and see how the government will face this summit," Busuttil said.

Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...

More from Miriam Dalli

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But you have already sold Malta and us to the €U haven't you?

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Malta's soul was done away with when GonziSimonPN sold our kids future through the 5 billion euros of debt that they saddled us with! The 5 billion euro of debt is going to be a permanent tax tied around our kid's necks! The interest rate and its paying back is going to stiffle our growth and damp our resources for many years to come! Yep, 5 billion of debt so that the blue eyed boys at Enemalta ,Arriva, and elsewhere sucked dry the marrow from our bones!

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Which reputation would that be Simon? The one where Malta placed in the third division of the corruption league under the PN?

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This is as was expected. What ever a Labour Government does is wrong. Whatever a Nationalist Government does is right. Isn't this correct Dr Busuttil. Example from the past. The Old Age Pension way back in the 40's against it because it will be used to buy wine. Vote for women, against, women's place is in the kitchen,Compulsary Education, against it, if the children of the populace will learn to read they will read bad books (not spiritual ones) and go to hell. The clearance of the Mandragio, no the tenants were accustomed to that way of life.Payment of wages to Public Service Employees whose work is in the open for example street cleaners when it rains and they will not be able to work unless they want to get wet with all the consequences that this may bring. Need to mention more?

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""This is wrong for our country's reputation and we will not allow him to mar our reputation." I agree with you 100% when it comes to selling our livelihood for a price but I disagree with your statement about not marring our reputation. Malta's reputation was long marred by crooked, politicians, crooked Meps, crooked judges, crooked businessmen stealing from the Tax Payer by taking bribes and so forth and so on. As a matter of fact Malta was named as the most corrupt country in the EU and that was under the PN government, and the beat goes on and on Mr Busuttil. The selling of our Nationality will be another scandal initiated by the government.

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we are already giving when we give citizenship to migrants why not sell it to those who can pay and live in Malta and bringing more wealth to the nation

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It is becoming amply clear that XmunPNers are out to obstruct whatever measures this administration comes up with. This seems like history repeating itself. It must have been concluded that this is the only way to recoup the energy of those fervent, fundamentalist PNers that consider rubbishing any Labour Party initiative as their mission in life. Xmun this IS not the way outta of the rut you are in! Why are you so intent on digging a deeper hellhole?

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I can't understand how the opposition supports asylum seekers but not passport selling. Asylum seekers need protection, fine, but they come into our country w/out a passport and for all we know they can be bad criminals too. Passport buyers will help get the country's financials on track and someone would know who they are. How's that for a deal?

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simon taf x hini ir reputazzjoni ta malta fuq l immigrazzjoni illegali?? li malta hija maghmula min erba laqa ta l unjoni ewropeja u li ghalhekk tista tigi ittrattata ta dustbin ghax mux ha tghid le hekk kif l unjoni ewropeja tinponi fuqa! imma issa l affarijiet qed jinbidlu!

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Dr Busuttil there,'s more than one way to tarnish Malta 's reputation, just as there's more than one way of selling the countries soul, like national debt for example. Having said that, I agree that passports / citizenship should not be bought but earned for the right price, I hope that the Interior Ministry will make this clear not just to those buying the passport but also to us who own the passport by birthright