The government of a country is not the private affair of its officials. No government official should be allowed to conduct any government business on private email accounts, off-site servers or coded messaging services that cannot be centrally decoded and administered by the appropriate government agency. In other words, no government business should be conducted [...]
Keith Arnaud in court today appeared to be the only one in the country not to notice that the United States government, clearly frustrated for being ignored for two years while the country is lied to by our own government saying the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case had not yet been resolved because the FBI [...]
It is incredible to me how oblivious the police officers testifying in the various cases related to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia seem to be to their responsibilities and to the consequences of their negligence. Former police commissioners are lining up in front of the inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination to explain, in [...]
In the prosecution of a criminal case it is the judge’s job to be impartial between the cops and the robbers. For us out here we’d always want to root for the cops so they put the baddies in jail and keep us safe. I am not even remotely inclined to help Yorgen Fenech or [...]
Right. First full day as prime minister for Robot Abela and he's already having a pitstop at Joseph Muscat's. If you thought this would be a turning of some page, here's how the book is being written.
The new prime minister kept an entire country waiting for almost an hour longer than the announced time for his inaugural “address to the nation”. Before he came on, TVM played a soft-porn rendition of the national anthem intended to remind us, as if anyone needed reminding, that [...]
Neville Gafà is guest of honour at the swearing in ceremony of Robert Abela. It looks like the new prime minister will go out of his way to let everyone know Keith Schembri will remain right where he's been for several years now, firmly above the law. Robert Abela should disabuse himself of the impression [...]
Joseph Muscat’s government broke with convention and had his office and the offices of his ministers employ an estimated 700 people from outside the public services in “positions of trust”. Joseph Muscat did not invent employment contracts at the pleasure of the minister for people from outside the service. I always make it a point [...]
This blog started on the 6 June 2017, a couple of days after Joseph Muscat was confirmed as prime minister. The atmosphere of the time was poisoned and frustrated by the government’s manifest intention to use the election to clean its slate and pretend that all that came to be known before that ballot could [...]
Robert Abela takes office at 3pm this afternoon. He is pleading for sympathy because he’s new to the job and wants to be given time to find his feet. And yet he pledges to be a prime minister of “continuity” meaning he was elected on the promise there would be no hiccups. The contradiction does [...]
These are the concluding remarks at Saturday's Repubblika general meeting by the organisation's president Vicki Ann Cremona. https://youtu.be/-2FOzl6GMJ8
This poignant intervention was delivered by Daphne Caruana Galizia's friend and colleague Andrew Borg Cardona. https://youtu.be/ZEO8ilqjX14
Eve Borg Costanzi gave a contribution on justice reform while Michael Zammit Maempel focused on press freedoms at Saturday's general meeting of Repubblika. Scroll down for the text of the rule of law chapter in Repubblika's new manifesto. https://youtu.be/RbbL0Lno_S0 https://youtu.be/uaz-K4F-EJ0 Equal Justice, Guaranteed Liberties Repubblika would like to contribute to the continuous efforts [...]
Michael Piccinino spoke about social inclusion at Repubblika's general meeting. The social policy chapter from Repubblika's new manifesto is below. https://youtu.be/CyzRXUVhV24 6. An inclusive, just and humane society. Repubblika believes that no society can be healthy until even a single person remains excluded. We believe that we are all responsible for each other and [...]
Joanna Spiteri Staines spoke at the Repubblika General Meeting about environmental policy. The environment chapter from the manifesto is below. https://youtu.be/rPrnDhQ--aY 5. An Environment that is enjoyed by All No one lives in isolation. Whatever we do or otherwise, we will always live within an environment. The difference lies in the quality of the [...]
Joe Farrugia, who is also Director General of the Malta Employers' Association gave this contribution to the discussion on Saturday. Scroll down for the economy chapter in Repubblika's new manifesto. https://youtu.be/ksaDNO-NHRw 4. A New, Honest and Sustainable Economy Rather than proposing a specific economic theory, we are hereby listing all those values that we [...]
Leonard Bezzina discussed reforms in education while Josef Lauri discussed the broadcasting media landscape in Malta and needs for change there. Scroll below for the education and information chapter of Repubblika's new manifesto. https://youtu.be/VfJb3G1Nncs https://youtu.be/UnBdtY6RQlI 3. Training for a participative and responsible citizenship Democracy comprises a series of institutions and processes, including elections, [...]
Edgar Depasquale delivered this contribution at Repubblika's General Meeting. The text from the manifesto under the Constitutional Reform heading follows. https://youtu.be/GZfCmQSkBms 2. Structural and Constitutional Developments The time has come for us to examine the Constitution of Malta, the fundamental pact that makes of us a civil and democratic state. We need to reflect on, [...]
Patrick Tabone intervened at the General Meeting of Repubblika on Ethics in Public Life. Scroll down to read the text in the manifesto. https://youtu.be/HSJg8BU75NQ Public Life based on and guided by ethical principles We all have the right and duty to contribute to public life. Although we do this to different degrees and in different [...]
https://youtu.be/lGdM9CpL0Uk Here is the introductory section of the manifesto adopted yesterday: A New Malta, A New Republic During the last few months and weeks we have undergone an experience that is unique in the history of our country. We saw the upsurge of a national movement that was not led by a political party. We [...]