Disgruntled Labour candidate gets placated with public appointment

There's no better way to get yourself appointed to a public board or committee than to post a Facebook rant: in recent weeks, Labour candidate Brian Bezzina was in the news over a typical outburst against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat posted on his Facebook wall, after his reported ejection from the party's headquarters following a fiery meeting at Mile End.

However, the tourism and real estate entrepreneur from Mosta, was last month appointed on the Tourism Appeals Board in what seems to be an attempt at mollifying the angry candidate who publicly declared that he had "lost faith" in Muscat.

On 22 September, Mosta local councillor Brian Bezzina took to his Facebook wall to proclaim: "Prime Minister, I lost faith in you after speaking to (tourism minister) Karmenu Vella and today (transport minister) Joe Mizzi who told me there was no money / You promised me heaven on earth / Now I do not want anything / I am not a mercenary / If I was it would be ok."

It reads like a bad poem, but an effective one at that. A few days after his Facebook post, Bezzina was once again in the news following reports of a fiery meeting that took place at the Labour Party's headquarters in Hamrun.

According to reports, Bezzina demanded the resignation of Gozo Minister Anton Refalo in the presence of Muscat. The call was related to the 29 September incident during which Refalo instructed one of his canvassers to call back a Gozo Channel ferry boat that had left Cirkewwa with no passengers or cars aboard, only to return to Cirkewwa to pick up the minister and other passengers. In the following days, Refalo came under intense pressure over his alleged role in ordering the ferry back to port.

Apart from this meeting, Bezzina was then reported to have been forcibly ejected from the party headquarters after a heated argument involving both Muscat and other Labour officials: news reports said that upon being escorted out of the building, Bezzina destroyed his party membership card and vowed that he would never set foot in the headquarters again. 

However, on 11 October, the Government Gazzette announced that Bezzina was appointed on one of two Tourism Appeals Boards, made with effect from 18 July 2013.

Five days later, Bezzina returned to his Facebook page, only to this time sing the prime minister's praises and thank him for the faith Muscat had showed in him.

In the same status, he denied the media reports on the meeting at the party headquarters and wrote: "it never crossed my mind to rip up the party membership. Principles and values remain unchanged. At times individuals might disagree, but in my case this was addressed".

Bezzina's business 'Roma' is well established in the field of incoming tourism. He unsuccessfully contested the 2013 general election on the Labour ticket on the 11th and 12th districts.