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Nationalists take umbrage at Muscat’s deft put-down
Labour leader’s fast riposte to Net TV journalist who had opposed EU membership riles the Nationalists.
24 January 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
The Nationalist Party has accused Labour leader Joseph Muscat "of attacking and ridiculing" a Net TV journalist who questioned Muscat's EU credentials.
Jesmar Baldacchino, formerly a Smash TV journalist, was only about to ask Joseph Muscat as to whether so many education programmes financed by the EU would have been possible were it for his opposition to the EU back in 1998.
A quick-witted Muscat instantly chipped in: "So were you as far as I remember," leaving Baldacchino - a former Labour candidate - helpless for a second or two before continuing on his question, undeterred.
It was a harmless moment in which Muscat 'owned' the reporter in question.
Muscat's fast riposte has however earned him the PN's rebuke: "Muscat should be ashamed of himself. When a Net News journalists said Muscat had voted against EU membership, Muscat launched into an attack of the journalist and attempted to mock him.
"This is unacceptable behaviour from the Labour leader, who instead of being accountable of his actions, launched into an attack against journalists. Muscat talks of a new style of politics, but his actions show otherwise."
In April 2012, Baldacchino attended a PN public discussion in Birkirkara seated prominently next to the Prime Minister, cheering him along. Then the head of news of Favourite TV, he had contested the 2003 general election with the Malta Labour Party on the third district, but was not elected. His candidature came at the height of the debate on EU membership, where Baldacchino even formed part of the Campaign for National Independence, an anti-EU front established by Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, the former Labour prime minister.
In April 2012 he was quoted by The Times saying that "although he was against EU membership, he still believed the PN worked hard to help Malta acquire what it could as an EU member state."
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In my opinion Dr. Muscat did the right thing. Journalist whose aim is clearly to try and ridicule Dr. Muscat as Jesmar Baldacchino and "Matthew" (a GonziPN journalist) have been doing, deserve to taste some of their own medicine !
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Ara il vera ipokriti bhalkom Alla ghad irrid johlok !! insejtu lil Gonzi iwaqqa azzuvjet lil Charlon Gouder fuq il fosos tal Furjana u inthom iccapcpu u tajtu ? Imbaghad xqal hazin Joseph ghax qallu li hu kien kontra il EU ukoll.
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Well! Well! Well! Baldacchino and the PN have been taken to task, and caught with their pants down and sh*t showing. And we now know they don't like being shown up in front of TV, especially as this Baldacchino fellow was becoming easily their best frontman in press conferences!!
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I cannot understand all this fuss is all about. So Jesmar can convert in favour of the EU membership and Joseph Muscat cannot. So we are back to the 60s with the PN. I think I am changing my mind about the PN. This is not the Party that I remember. The PL is becoming more appealing.
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And what, pray, was Mr Baldacchino's reason for the question? GonziPN has become really pathetic.
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Dawn bis sejita jew? ghallura meta austin pipi gatt, il gurnalista tas super one qalla {ghamillna pipi} tajd hadu alihom? morru ja qabda giddibin u gagbini
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I don't think that Mr. Baldacchino was asking the question on behalf of Net News because he sincerely did not know the answer. Nor did he ask it because he wanted to help the viewers understand something important. Net News blundered when they sent an ex-anti-EU guy to ask JM about his ex-anti-EU views. The question was pointless anyway - because it asked JM about a hypothetical situation that is not the case any more. Was he hurt when JM smartly put him in his place? If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen, Mr. Baldacchino!
Lawrence Covin •
Proselytism at its best. Oqbra mbajda, farizei. Jitkazaw, hej, tarax! kemm huma sensitivi fuq il-kancer, hux, imma ala biebhom iweggughx nies li tilfu membri tal-familja ghax 'dahlu gol-hajt'! Aqbzu l-hinn, ja qabda qammilin.
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So. Big deal. What does that make of Baldacchino? A sanctimonious arse to obtuse for anything. What does that make of the PN? A bunch of hypocrites playing virgins off to the Blue Lagoon.
David Bongailas •
Brilliant answer by Muscat. So much so that Baldacchino and the Dar Centrali are still licking their wounds. I very well remember Mr.Baldacchino bringing forward very weak arguments against EU membership on Smash TV back in 2003. Does he or the Dar Centrali believe we forgot all that ? Is this the best the PN can do ?
Those in glasshouse shouldn't throw stones.
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Joseph could also have told him that if we weren't EU members, we would have been able to afford more with the €1.5 billion we lent/guaranteed to prop up the Euro. We also could have afforded much more if we stopped paying the €6 million monthly membership fee.
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Heqq, mazzun, specjalment minn dawk li derra KMB, jibla mall-ewwel is-sunnara: once a mazzun; mazzun tibqa!
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With his track record Baldacchino should have known better and gonzipn should know even more to send an ex-labour candidate to bait Joseph. Gonzipn is now being run by a bunch of Ametures. RCC, Austin and Saliba are like the biblical salt that lost its taste.
Luke Camilleri •
At the end of the day the Maltese Electorate elected 4 Labour MEPs to 2 GonziPN MEPs to, as Simon Says -– ‘If I wanted to lie I would have stayed in European Parliament’!
: ) Viva L'Ewropa ( :
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Tghid dawk kollha li telqu lil Partit Laburista telqu ghax iridu jbillu subghajhom f'xi haga u jafu li taht Joseph Muscat ma jkunux jistghu u allura marru mal-PN ghax qeghdin jisimghu bir-ruxmata abbuzi u skandli u tixhim ta' eluf kbar u forsi, forsi jghidulek xi darba jmiss lili ndahhal idejja fil-fonti (mhxu ta' l-ilma mbierek) imma ma tafx inti fejn ikun hemm il-flus. Il-PL SULDATI TA' L-AZZAR IRID U MHXU QASBA TIXXEJJER MAR-RIH u ghal kull wiehed li telaq mil-PL gew 10 minn mal-PN ghax qeghdin jaraw is-serjeta u l-onesta li jrid imexxi biha Joseph Muscat u jiena ghalhekk ser nivvota ghall-ewwel darba lil Partit Laburista u jiena fil-familja ghandna 8 voti.
Anette B Cassar •
Fair comment by JM I think.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
So passing a quick-witted remark for the Nationalist Party is launching into an attack of the journalist and attempting to mock him. Get a life!!
