Malta u l-politika

Fil-politika hija normali li wiehed jaqla kritika, u generalment huwa accettabbli li l-kritika tigi mill-kamp politiku oppost. Imma meta politiku jizbalja, anzi jizbalja bl-ikrah, il-fruntieri tal-kritika jispiccaw u anke dawk ta’ madwarek jew ohrajn li normalment jaghtuk appogg jaslu biex iduru kontrik.

Dr. Austin Gatt mhux l-ewwel darba li sab ruhu fil-mira ta’ kritika u gudizzju iebes. Impressjonanti huwa l-fatt li kemm il-darba, l-kritika kontra Dr. Gatt kienet qawwija hafna u t-titli li tawh, xejn ma juruh bhala politiku serju.

Tghid il-kritika kontra Dr. Gatt hija ngusta, jew b’dak li ghamel kien haqqu aktar minn hekk?

On The Dot

The way Nationalist Party Secretary Dr. Austin Gatt spoke on television last week seems to indicate he is out of touch with what is going on in Malta.

The Times 23.11.92

Kamra tal-Avukati

Chamber of Advocates deplored and condemned in the most categorical manner the remarks the minister (Austin Gatt) had reportedly made. The chamber feels that the Minister of Justice demonstrated a pronounced lack of dignity and judgement.

The Times 13.11.99

Il-Qorti

Court rules that Austin Gatt defamed Dr. Alfred Sant in speech at the general council of the PN on 7.12.1997

The Times 13.11.2002

The Times

The picture being projected by Information Technology and Public Investment Minister Austin Gatt is one of gloom and doom. … For the second time in the space of six stormy months for Gozo Channel, we have been treated by Dr Gatt to the woes of the company which, as everybody knows by now, is losing close to Lm1 million a year.

Editorjal, 4.5.2004

The Times

If Dr Gatt wanted to score political goals, he should have done that in a party political club on a sunny Sunday morning not in Parliament where the people expected him to own up to the glaring shortcomings displayed by the (Enemalta) corporation over the shortage. No, Mr Minister, the people are not interested in the least in shortages experienced in the time of the Socialist government. … if the minister does not feel he ought to assume full political responsibility for what happened, as indeed he should, he could at least join Enemalta and apologise to the public.

Editorjal, 4.3.2005

Sea Malta Chairperson Marlene Mizzi

She told the Prime Minister that when Sea Malta fell under Minister Austin Gatt's portfolio, it was immediately evident that the line had no future.

The Times 21.6.2005

The Times

It is no fault of the newspaper (The Times) if the minister (Austin Gatt) is so isolated from the mainstream of public opinion.

Editorjal, 16.11.2005

MHRA

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) said yesterday it was “surprised” at the speech given by Public Investments Ministers Austin Gatt during the opening of the Amitex Fair last Thursday. “This speech showed once again the lack of awareness by the government of the current state of the industry, today's international tourism trends and MHRA's position on the subject of low cost airlines,” the association said.

The Sunday Times 30.4.2006

Marisa Micallef

Although this is the government of Gonzi, if things go on as they are it will be remembered as the government of Gatt, who is over dominant in the media, and overbearing in whatever he touches. Can he please tone it down and stop making anyone who disagrees with him feel like they are a bit of dirt? Can he please stop eclipsing the rest of the Cabinet as if he is the only one working in this country, as if he is always right, has all the answers and we all just have to put up with his approach because he is efficient and a doer, which I have no doubt he is. Since when does efficiency preclude humility?

The Malta Independent on Sunday 7.5.2006

Saviour Balzan

Listening in to parliament debate the sale of public land to Tecom, I could not believe my ears: Malta’s own Thatcherite minister Austin Gatt, arrogantly but also amusingly declared he did not see the need to drag the debate on about the transfer of public property to the Dubai company because after all “we, the PN have a majority of five seats.” Gatt’s brusqueness unleashed the expected outburst from Labour MPs, perfectly reasonable in such circumstances….  yes, Labour are not off the mark when they argue that there are two measures, one for the sins committed by a Nationalist and one for the sins of a Labourite, and two weights. … Austin Gatt’s cynical comments do reverberate as being quite funny in the staid landscape of our parliament democracy, albeit equally as sad. They should not happen again and instead of being upheld by his colleagues, he should be lampooned.

MaltaToday 4.6.2006

Roamer

It takes courage of the wrong kind, such as that displayed recently by Dr Austin Gatt, to claim, as he did, that our public broadcaster has invested in the quality of its product.

The Sunday Times 22.4.2007

The Times

Why the minister (Austin Gatt) preferred to direct an MP to a multitude of pages and technical language rather than give a straight answer is anybody's guess. … The issue here is neither Tecom nor Maltacom. It is about the terminology used by Dr Gatt and whether clearer language should be used to ensure that the impression given to the public is the correct one. … The point is that, alas, some announcements are solely aimed at hitting the headlines in order to get political mileage rather than giving the full picture.

Editorjal, The Times 11.7.2007

Edward Fenech (Alternattiva Demokratika)

The vile and personal comments passed by Austin Gatt on the Leader of the Opposition during the PN general conference last Sunday deserve public condemnation. Dr Gatt is a Cabinet minister. He should stop behaving like the worst of his canvassers.

The Malta Independent on Sunday 14.10.2007

Robert Musumeci

“I admire Austin Gatt on his attributes for performance, but the way I communicate is certainly different.”

So you don’t agree with what he said in relation to Alfred Sant?

“Absolutely not.”

MaltaToday on Sunday 28.10.2007

The Sunday Times

Minister Austin Gatt has never been known for his tact, nor his diplomacy. But this time round it is his sense of timing that is being called into question. His grasp of recent events seems to be a little suspect too. Last Friday, in the last of a seemingly never-ending series of articles in The Times attempting to justify the imposition of a new regime on water and electricity rates, he stated: “We are basically catching up with time. Successive governments have consciously under-priced energy and water tariffs... Now, with sky-high oil, millions of euros in investments to burn clean fuels and upgrade generating and distribution plant(s), reality has caught up with us all.” This boomerang statement immediately raises eyebrows on three points: one, the successive governments he is talking about are ones he has formed part of. Indeed, he himself has been responsible for Enemalta for some years now. Second, the main justification he cites for the necessity of imposing changes in the manner he is proposing, “sky-high oil”, has evaporated before his very eyes - since the price of oil is now around $70 per barrel, compared with $150 last June. Third, the government has done next to nothing in recent years to encourage lower fuel use. On the contrary, it withdrew a worthy scheme to incentivise the purchase of energy-saving white goods.

Editorjal, 19.10.2008

Gejtu Vella (UHM)

Mr Vella had described the water and electricity tariffs as “a whole mess mastered by Austin Gatt”.

The Times 4.2.2009

Sidien tal-Karozzi tal-Linja

Bus owners are up in arms at what they are calling the Transport Minister’s “downright deceit and shameless spin” in the dispute about the payment of government subsidies last year.

MaltaToday midweek 11.2.2009

Joe Psaila Savona (ex Segretarju Parlamentari Nazzjonalista)

When he (Joe Psaila Savona) was being replaced as Air Malta director he was not even notified and only found out because someone who was replacing him told him so during a wedding ceremony. The incident happened when Austin Gatt was Minister in charge of Air Malta. “But what do you expect from someone like Austin Gatt? Should I have made a big deal about it?”

The Times 14.12.2009

The Malta Independent

Minister Austin Gatt’s belligerent speech at last Saturday’s signing of the public transport agreement with Arriva beggars belief, even in a country used, or over-used, to Dr Gatt’s verbal intemperance.

Editorjal, 24.11.2010

The Malta Independent

Dr Gatt was an absolute failure as roads minister … – one only needed to look outside yesterday morning to confirm that.

Editorjal, 2.2.2011

Sindku tal-Floriana

Speaking during a press conference, Nigel Holland lambasted infrastructure minister Austin Gatt, branding him as “blatantly arrogant” for repeatedly taking decisions without any consultation.

Maltatoday.com.mt 5.5.2011

The Malta Independent

Dr Gatt is arrogant, rumbustious, sometimes needlessly confrontational.

Editorjal, 19.10.2011

Dr. Franco Debono MP (PN)

Nationalist MP Franco Debono declared this evening that in spite of his attempts to be reconciliatory with the Nationalist Party in recent weeks, Minister Austin Gatt clearly wanted confrontation and “with him in Cabinet I will not support the government.”

Timesofmalta.com 13.7.2012 16:03

Dr. Franco Debono MP (PN)

Can this country tolerate a minister (Austin Gatt) and his band of merry men in various government boards and entities playing musical chairs, committing one blunder after the other, not resigning after BWSC, not resigning after Arriva, burdening the Maltese population with cruel water and electricity bills, declares he is not even contesting the next elections, and he continues to act and is allowed to act by the prime Minister as if he is an untouchable li hadd ma jista ghalih? "What does a Prime Minister expect if he allows someone to ride roughshod over everyone and to bully his colleagues with impunity? Isn't that a bad example not just to the whole country but also to the parliamentary group? Where is team spirit? "Why is Austin Gatt allowed to have multiple political lives, whilst others ideas and opportunities have to survive multiple abortion attempts? "Austin Gatt's attitude, which for years has brought feelings of utter disgust in thousands of Maltese people, including Nationalists, is the attitude which has caused untold harm to the PN parliamentary group, the party and the government. Someone who is confrontational by nature does not become a doer because he exhibits his bullying tactics and gives vent to his anger, with the excuse of getting things done. The public transport reform, without Austin Gatt's bullying character, would have succeeded.

Timesofmalta.com Friday, August 3, 2012, 09:52

Fil-vot ta Austin astjenejt ghax bdejt nifhem il-hsara kbira li karattru bhal Austin Gatt ghamel lil pajjizna matul is-snin. L-istorja ghad trid tkompli tikxef dan l-ammont kbir ta’ hsara minhabba l-karattru konfrontattiv ta l istess Austin ‘ghamiln pipi’ Gatt.

francodebono.com 13.9.2012 @ 20:08:05

John Pace (ex Enemalta Manager)

Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt caused the loss of a potentially favourable gas investment some 10 years ago, according to a former Enemalta manager. Writing in The Times today, John Pace recounts how negotiations with Italian energy giant Eni fell through when Dr Gatt replaced Josef Bonnici as minister responsible for Enemalta. “(Dr) Gatt immediately made administrative changes in Enemalta, including a change in how fuel was procured. This resulted in the formation of a powerful lobby by the fuel oil importers who would stand to lose millions of euros if the power stations converted to gas. This lobby may have influenced the decision but I think the real reason was elsewhere. I think it was political jealousy,” he adds.

timesofmalta.com Friday, January 18, 2013, 06:31

MLP motion calls for Dr.Austin Gatt's resignation

by Paul Cachia, di-ve news (pcachia@di-ve.com)

Austin Gatt dimisses MLP's motion, saying it is based on a lie

VALLETTA, Malta (di-ve news) - June 06, 2006 - 1430CEST - The Malta Labour Party presented a motion in parliament on Tuesday calling for the resignation of Investments Minister Austin Gatt. In the motion, presented by deputy leader Charles Mangion and Labour Whip Joe Mizzi, the Labour party accused Dr.Gatt of bypassing the House on the issue of the Maltacom sale. Last Wednesday, Dr.Gatt told parliament that the government had a safe majority of five deputies in the House, so it was sure that the resolution on the transfer of land from government to Tecom would pass anyway. The motion stated that this was arrogance and irresponsibility from the Minister's part and called on the Prime Minister to condemn without any reservation the declaration made by Austin Gatt. It also called on all members of parliament to show their loyalty to the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, IT and Investment Minister Austin Gatt dismissed the Opposition's call for resignation, saying that the Opposition took advantage of Maltacom property transfer to create another gimmick. Dr. Gatt added that the motion lacks solid arguments. The Investment Minister published the agreement between government and Tecom on the transfer of land ownership. He said that agreement stipulates within six months, government must get parliament's approval to transfer public land. Austin Gatt refuted claims that he breached parliamentary regulations on transfer of land. In reaction to the incident, the Ministry for Investment, Industry and IT has meanwhile said that it is normal for the government to seek the approval of the House of Representatives for the transfer of the full legal title of its properties to the Company, but it is absurd to expect parliament to approve the transfer of land prior to government's final decision on the ownership of that property.

In its statement, the Ministry also published a full transcript of the exchange between Minister Austin Gatt and Labour Whip Joe Mizzi:

JOE MIZZI: “[the transfer of land] could only take place in parliament. Should a motion be presented in parliament?”

AUSTIN GATT: “Yes, technically a motion must be present in parliament. I perfectly agree with you. But since government has a majority and we have always succeeded in maintaining it, not like when there was a one-seat majority, we are sure that the resolution would pass from parliament”.

JOE MIZZI: “This is arrogance and irresponsibility. This is a serious issue. An agreement has been reached and there are issues that should be brought up in parliament but it seems that things have not followed the normal course. There must be a resolution in parliament”.

AUSTIN GATT: “We agreed that eventually a motion must be presented in parliament. But don't you think that you are living in a different world if you think that government is not in a position to guarantee that a resolution would pass from parliament with a majority of five?”

Il-kwistjoni m’hijiex jekk il-mozzjoni tghaddix meta tittiehed votazzjoni fil-parlament fuqha. Probabli li tghaddi. Il-kwistjoni kollha hi dwar kif il-Gvern (f’dan il-kaz permezz ta’ Dr. Austin Gatt) qieghed ihares lejn il-parlament fid-dawl tal-maggoranza parlamentari kbira tieghu. L-akkuza ta’ arroganza mill-Oppozizzjoni Laburista f’dan ir-rigward hija gusta ghax il-proceduri parlamentari ghandhom jigu irrispettati indipendentament minn dak li qed ibassar il-gvern. Allura l-parlament ghalfejn qieghed? Galadarba l-Gvern ghandu maggoranza kbira jista jghaddi minn fuq kulhadd . . . ghalinqas hekk jahseb. Imbaghad jattakkaw lill-Oppozizzjoni Laburista ghax tikritika l-gvern regolarment!! Allura l-Oppozizzjoni tista ma taghmel l-ebda mozzjoni kontra l-Gvern ghax xorta mhux se tghaddi. Allura taghmel sarima ma’ halq l-Oppozizzjoni u ma thalliha tghid xejn? F’hekk gibnih il-Parlament?

Dan il-kaz ifakkarni fil-kaz tal-power station ta’ Delimara meta waqt li kien se jibda d-dibattitu fil-parlament dwar il-post fejn kellha ssir il-power station, f’Marsaxlokk kien diga beda x-xoghol preliminarju bil-gafef. Il-parlament serva biss biex taparsi ssir diskussjoni meta fil-fatt il-Gvern Nazzjonalista kien diga ddecieda dwar il-lok tal-power station. Veru kaz li ghall-Gvern Nazzjonalista, l-akbar istituzzjoni tal-pajjiz ghandha l-anqas rispett.

Dr. Austin Gatt jaghmel dawn l-affarijiet ghax jaf li l-Gvern ghandu maggoranza qawwija fil-parlament. U l-maggoranza tal-poplu warajkom Dr. Gatt? Tinsiex li l-PN tilef l-ahhar erba elezzjonijiet popolari.

X’jaghmillek il-poter!!!

Waqt laqgha tal-Public Accounts Committee tal-25 ta’ Lulju 2006, il-Ministru Austin Gatt ordna lill-cameraperson ta’ One News biex iwaqqaf il-filmat li kien qieghed jigbed inkella jordna l-arrest tieghu, dan minkejja li l-cameraperson kien diga kien awtorizzat mill-kumitat biex jigbed filmat tal-bidu tal-laqgha.

The Journalists' Committee has called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives to ensure access to the media following “threats” by Investments and IT Minister Austin Gatt during an incident with a Super One news cameraman. The committee strongly objected to the way Dr Gatt “confronted” the cameraman on Monday evening, saying the minister had threatened the cameramen with arrest. Committee chairman Karl Schembri said the minister's “aggressive intervention” went beyond his power and it was of grave concern that a government minister resorted to such an attitude with the media. – The Times 26.7.2006