Saturday, 19th July 2008 - 10:34CET
Public awaits liberalisation benefits - Muscat
Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said that the public will be awaiting the benefits of liberalisation during a meeting with supporters in Marsa.
Meanwhile, continued Dr Muscat, Labour will be looks at liberalisation as the tool to increase competition for the benefit of consumers.
It is therefore the government’s duty to make sure that this occurs while clarifying its plans for public transport.
Furthermore, Dr Muscat condemned all violent action taken by protesting drivers during the past week. As a result, he continued, Malta missed out on work and business.
“Our country doesn’t need bullies on the streets and neither in the Cabinet,” insisted Dr Muscat. “From the start, the labour party insisted that the public will suffer rather than the government if action had to be taken (by drivers).”
On a separate note, Dr Muscat expressed his condolences to relatives of the dead fishermen found at sea yesterday while expressing his satisfaction for the recovery of Simon Bugeja, who was found alive.
He also congratulated former labour leader Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who recently celebrated his birthday.
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Comments
Comments are sometimes so "bla sens".
Dr Muscat stated facts on current happenings and the tragic story of the Fishermen.
Did one notice he spoke in the name of the public(see heading).
@J Buttigieg / C Camilleri / N Barry / K Spiteri / L Muscat / :Mentioning the past was out of subject in the context of the article.
@ Jack Skelt / Pauline Barabara:You really have a way with words.Being destructive is an our old way of sayind"Whatever the goverment does,is wrong".Have a look at the out come of the strike,who lost ? The striking THUGS and we The Public,without mentioning the loss of millions of euors in all sectors of Trade.
but praise our authorities for the way they handled a delicate situation which
might have escalated beyond control at any moment.
The whole police corp should be praised for managing the situation with
minimum force so that nobody gets hurt. I understand that many people were
caught in traffic jams and they pretended that the police should bulldoze
the buses out of our roads but this was not the way to act.
Praise should also be given to our courts who acted correctly and firmly
by keeping under arrest those bullies who broke the law.
This is why we should never generalize when few members of these institutions
do not behave correctly.
Dr Muscat this is how we Maltese want to see our police corp operating i.e eliminating from our country any kind of bullying wheter it is political or any other form of bullying. Regarding cabinet bullies I suggest to Dr Muscat to make some research in our Parlament history to see who were the bullies who phisically attacked NP members in parlament when in opposition.
He tries hard but has so far been very unsuccessful.
Labour are doomed once more nobody takes them seriously
It is a democratic and positive way of putting one words on a paper, in our case we just use our computors to leave our comments.
But in reality I wonder how many of the commentators really use the public transport. In my case, I don't have a car and I commute by the same public transport, therefore I know what type of transport we have.
Years ago I challenged the then Minister of Public Transport Censu Galea, that together we use the public transport for one day for an experience. He did not take my challenge. I explained to him that if he did not use the public transport then how the hell does he know about it and in that case wanted to justify the increase in fares. He mentioned something about rotten apples ( as there were some drivers who gave a bad service). He failed to see my point of view and he lost a golden opportunity to rectify our amatuerish public transport.
So many years after, we still have the same type of service which I think that with even liberalzation won't improve.
Try to use our public transport service and you see!
So I will ask: Please do not come back again. Since the Maltese economy has not improved, even with your coming and going, I find your efforts are a waste of time.
On second thought you wlll be welcome, to improve your English, if it is at all possible.
Your argument that 'strike was avoidable, hence full responsibility lies with the govt.' suggests that there is a right to violence together with a right to strike.
It is within your right to criticise government's way of handling the issue.. but ignoring the part played by the violence suggests that you too are one of those being blinded by political colour.
Fully agree with your analysis. One colour is frequently used by objective persons. Had the government discussed the liberalisation of the hearses directly with their association, it would have been possible to reach an agreement around a square table. The strike and all its negative consequences were uncalled for, although of course the transport owners have all the rights to protest about their sector. Finally a sum of 230,000euros will be paid to a small sector; this was paid out of our taxes. Think what has to be paid to the other sectors now that a high benchmark has been set.
Reforms such as these should be applicable in a future date and regulated by law. The level of ministerial discretion is so high in Malta that we rank like a Monarchy or a dictatorship. Had this reform been made through legislation, Parliament would have discussed the issue. In our case, Parliament was totally surpassed.
If the government wants to liberalise other sectors it should make a law to that effect and state that it will come into effect, say in 2013 so that all stakeholders would take steps to adjust to the sector’s competitive forces.
Talking about bullies and violence - how come all those bombs, (letter bombs included) between 1980 and 1987 stopped suddenly after the 1987 elections?
!. Yes if they would have talked, and came to a resolution.
But that didn't happen.
2. If the Police Commish John Rizzo would have taken strong steps to protect Castille. The trouble makers that were on Castille,would have been arrested, swiftly on sight and the rest would have protested peacefully. If you noticed they gave up only after arrests were made.But when they seen they attacked one of the most important places in Malta, and got away with it.Than they assumed they have the country on it's knees.It's only when arrests were made that things calmed down. Although not enough arrests were made.And thugs are still on the street bragging about, how they put us on our knees. If something happens to one our ministers by a violent Transit Worker. It would be on John Rizzo . The police did a great job, but their boss held them back, or he didn't have enough equipment.Either way it's his fault. John Rizzo knew this was coming.
Liberalasation had nothing to do with it. That's an EU LAW.PM Gonzi or Victor Spieteri can't change that.
Both of you provided us with a few laughs simply by showing your true colours on a hot summer day.Perhaps the heat blocked your grey matter completely.
You're both to be pitied...like Victor Spiteri & his lot.
Babs as you always said....education may solve most problems. Pl teach Barbara and Skelt a few intelligent comments.
TONY FORMOSA
TONY FORMOSA
@Michael Debono don't put down Maltese abroad, yes we do have a say in our country. We keep coming back for visits and putting money in Malta's economy.Maybe you should tell us not to come back home.Or maybe pull our Money out of Maltese banks.Think before you answer.
@Mario Bonnicci and Laurence Schembri Should he decide to ask us not to come back again. For the Nations interest please ask JOSEPH and Minister DeMarco if that would be healthy for the Maltese economy?Or ask Minister Tonio Borg what if they pull their money out at once what will happen to the Maltese economy and MalteseBanks.
1...Strike was avoidable, Hence full responsibility lies with the government.
2...The strike was handles very badly hence all the damage that we will carry on our shoulders for many years.
3...The end of strike does not mean that public transport will get any better any time soon if ever.
4...Government tried to bully and the balloon exploded in his face. The government lost control for full 3 days of the country. The whole country lost on revenue and reputation.
Those who say the government deserve praise are plain out of their mind. The government failed the whole country on all fronts. And in the end there are no winners just us citezens who lost
Drivers: Lets talk or we strike
Austin (Silga) Gatt: You dare threaten me with a strike, no way am I going to talk to you so go ahead and strike
Stirke starts, millions are lost in buisness, people aggravated.
Austin (Silga) Gatt: Ready to talk now?
Drivers: Ok then
Strike over, and dear oh dear so many who worship at the altar of Austin Gatt really believe that a strike could not have been avoided.
Joe Muscat cannot stomach this hands-down victory for public opinion brought about by the strong pair-of-hands of this government.
He just couldn't avoid a dig at Austin Gatt because deep down he did not want the government to win this standoff.
Yes, we should have more 'bullies' to deal with protection, restrictive practices, and the lack of competition Labour supports. Softies just cannot do it.
Well done Lawrence Gonzi and Austin Gatt!
When it comes to privatisation of the Drydocks and reform of rent laws, public opinion will again be with the Nationalist government.
The Nationalists are bringing about not just change, but change for the better.
Joe Muscat, on the other hand, keeps sitting on the fence - as he did yesterday, equating bullies with 'bullies'.
If he were bringing about a new political season, he would have given unreserved support and congratulations to the government.
But Joe Muscat keeps showing that he's the presumptuous ‘politikant’ who's wearing a suit two sizes too large!
Sour grapes I'd say!
What do you mean labour sympathisers? Are you refering to Victor Spiteri?
Do you know who attacked Castille in the late 80's ?
Check the facts beofre you speak
This A Farrugia whoever he is but who comes to vote though living for years abroad apparently knows what political party every Maltese living in Malta supports.
People like this ought to frighten us since they have supernatural powers. They may provoke a disaster just by gathering their thoughts and pronounce a Hoo-doo!
do yourself a favour and go back to elementary school. You should by know realize that this country does not want to have such a service any longer. we need a more modernized and efficient service that is also good for the environment.
The government did the right thing whilst you are talking trash.
get your stories straight mate
Those were just people who were promised a thing just a few months ago before the election, just to be publicly betrayed a few months after, when the promises had no more raison d'être!
Hypocrisy? I guess so ...
How can your comment be so partisan? Most of the maltese happen to have an opposite opinion than yours. This opinion is backed up by the way these road bullies have been left to do whatever they wanted for the last 20 years, and the letters sent to them each time a referendum or a general election was going to take place.
Anyways can you explain to the rest of us how you concluded such statistics? Maybe somebody can hire you as an NSO officer. You seem to have the right credentials.
May I remind you also, that whoever classifies labour supporters as hamalli, injuranti etc. is generalazing, is being obtuse and consequently less credible. Labour's ideology has a social concern for the well being of the Maltese and when these ideologies were respected, the whole community prospered.
``who srtiked``....``Castille``...do yourself a favour, go back to school.
Better still, change colour and you might learn something!
Look who is talking about partigianism!! Your comment is full of it.
So those who striked were all labour supporters??!! And all labour supporters are violent people??
You really must love labour Mr. Farrugia.
Why talking about bullies in the cabinet, Dr. J. Muscat?
Do you think that Dr. A. Gatt (not to be bully) just stay hands across
looking GALLARIJA?
Dr. J. Muscat do like the cross ie. look upwards and downwards then
to the left and right, then talk.
The Strike which cost the country millions was avoidable, so the government should bear full responsibility. The country spoke loud and clear no place for bullies no where, espicially in the cabinet.
As for liberalisation hope that we see the benefits and there are no deals under the table