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OPM confirms election flights will be kept despite Air Malta restructuring
Subsidies for cheap flights during elections will be paid to national airline, over fears of restructuring cut-backs.
4 February 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
It is a norm that during elections Air Malta issues reduced fare tickets as an incentive for Maltese living abroad to take part in the polls.
The Office of the Prime Minister has confirmed that past arrangements held during elections and referenda will be maintained whenever the nation decides to go to the polls.
The comments are in stark contrast to what Air Malta chairman Louis Farrugia had warned shortly after announcing the airline's financial results this year. Under a cloud of a €33.9 million operating loss, Farrugia said that any request for cheap tickets or additional flights would "severely impact further on the company losses" and that the national carrier "cannot afford it".
But it is a norm that during elections Air Malta issues reduced fare tickets as an incentive for Maltese living abroad to take part in the polls. And they attract thousands to the island: some 3,057 came during the 2008 general elections, while the less popular MEP elections attracted 1,377 voters.
"A Nationalist-led government believes in accessibility for those temporarily living abroad can vote if they want to. All arrangements used in past elections and referenda still apply," a spokesperson for the OPM said when asked whether the incentives will still be in place, despite Air Malta's restructuring.
A scroll through the parliamentary questions of December 2009 reveals that government had subsidised Air Malta at least twice when it had offered reduced fare tickets at the price of €35 and operated extra flights.
During the 2008 general elections, Air Malta received €1,015,724 in subsidies from government. During the 2009 MEP elections, it received €442,345.
Apart from offering reduced fare tickets, Air Malta also operated extra flights. During the MEP elections, the extra flights had cost government €92,600. The €442,345 also included €251,828 paid to Air Malta to compensate for the loss made by offering tickets at the special price of €35.
Contacted by MaltaToday, Air Malta failed to comment on the subsidy scheme it receives. Despite Farrugia's statement in which he categorically ruled out cheap tickets if snap elections are held, the national airline's spokesman said that "it is a government decision whether to offer reduced fare tickets during elections."
And reassuringly, the OPM reiterates that it's the exchequer that makes up for Air Malta's losses: "Air Malta didn't incur any additional costs as government covers the income lost between the normal flight costs and the discounted price."
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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Who is going to check that only those who are really eligible to vote really vote. By eligible I mean those whose residential status is Malta and not those who have been living abroad for a large number of years pay their taxes there and still come to vote because their names appear on the electoral register. Why should the Maltese electorate be influenced by those who no longer live here? And this is CRUCIAL when one considers that in the last election the PN won by a mere 1500 votes. Why doesn't the Pl make pressure for the ID cards to be changes? They have been saying that the matter is at hand and yet we are on the eve of yet another election and the Maltese would still we voting with ID cards which expired in 2007. Pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse that's what we are!
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@antoin vella of course people like you would be happy to get a short stay at home from,let say, Vienna at the cost of the tax payers' money. Just imagine if the US government was as stupid as your PM and organise flights for US citizens to go back home to vote. It is a shame when airmalta has a crisis, government is told to cut €40 million from its projected budget and then goes and spends tax payers' money to get a couple of hundreds of gonziPN supporters to come and vote.
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@antoin vella of course people like you would be happy to get a short stay at home from,let say, Vienna at the cost of the tax payers' money. Just imagine if the US government was as stupid as your PM and organise flights for US citizens to go back home to vote. It is a shame when airmalta has a crisis, government is told to cut €40 million from its projected budget and then goes and spends tax payers' money to get a couple of hundreds of gonziPN supporters to come and vote.
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This is how much Gonzi and his PN have the country's interest at heart 1) ignores the constitution when his govt loses majority and his right to govern 2) decided that it will be the PN who will decide if he will stay in Govt or not 3) invents PN election so that he can procrastinate and win time for Elcom to arm itself with the tricks of the trade 4) deprives us (alright, don't choke ) of the best minister ever seen ,called Austin Gatt, so that Gatt conentrates on election gimmicks, leaving the Ministry without a Minister 5) spends OUR money on cheap flights so that the blue eyed boys and girls, now emigrated to Brussels, will come and dictate who will govern us 6) leaves the country and Parliament in limbo , while he and his team of arrogant men and women clutch and hug their seats at the cost of the country's stability and wellbeing. Isthu jekk baqalkom zejt f'wicckom.
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@Antoine Vella. The definition of DEMOCRACY consists of a much wider spectrum. I suggest that you try to make some research about what is the real mening of DEMOCRACY! Probably you will find that the current GonziPN administration need quite a few lectures about DEMOCRACY! It's a pity that Profs.DeMarco is no longer among us, because he would surely gives a detailed explanation of DEMOCRACY!
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Can Maltese nationals who are abroad, and has got a right to vote, vote in Maltese embassies, or through electronic mail? Why there's always has to be some kind of stupid decision by politicians!! I think that Mr.Louis Farrugia knew what he was talking about, since he has had a very successful career with the Farsons Group! But some idiot at the OPM thinks differently, since they are so tied to the administrative power of this island!
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Can Maltese nationals who are abroad, and has got a right to vote, vote in Maltese embassies, or through electronic mail? Why there's always has to be some kind of stupid decision by politicians!! I think that Mr.Louis Farrugia knew what he was talking about, since he has had a very successful career with the Farsons Group! But some idiot at the OPM thinks differently, since they are so tied to the administrative power of this island!
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At this moment in time, when we are being advised of the hard times ahead of the Eurozone and some EU members during this year, we expect some concrete action to minimize as much as possible the expenditure. After all Malta's budget for 2012 is 40 million euros over the expected EU budget and the Gonzi PN Govt. already gave a hint who is going to carry the brunt for at 10 million euros. Whose next we do not know.
Oh when we boast that malta is one of the leading countries in IT, i wonder what keeps the political parties from introducing a system, where they will be no need for eligible voters working overseas to come to Malta.
Ok, they maybe other instances where Air Malta can cut its cost and I am not in favour of denying anyone the right to vote. i am all in favour of a free democratic country, with equal rights to all to elect the Government they deem fit. But some deep thinking can find a solution for this problem, in such a hard year ahead. The Gonzi PN Government should lead by example. Delivery, Gonzi, not just blah, blah, blah and then resort to tax the maltese/gozitan citizens. Or else you should have gone to the extreme and added the percentages of the VAT, once the PN is not that frantic to cling to power. But pls do not take us for a ride, no more.
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The PN will, as it has always done, use Air Malta to bring o'seas Maltese to vote. The question remains the same. These o'seas Maltese that come to vote are they truly eligible to vote. This is where PL should focus.
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Jekk l-Unions li jipprezentaw il-haddiema jaccetaw dan il-hmieg ta` dan il-gvern korott juru kemm huma bla koccli. Jekk dan jigri ghandu jsir boycott kontra l_-Air Malta. Nibbojkotjawha bhal ma huma huma fi zmien l-ahdar EFA.
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Jekk l-Unions li jipprezentaw il-haddiema jaccetaw dan il-hmieg ta` dan il-gvern korott juru kemm huma bla koccli. Jekk dan jigri ghandu jsir boycott kontra l_-Air Malta. Nibbojkotjawha bhal ma huma huma fi zmien l-ahdar EFA.
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Where are the UNIONS who convinced the workers to make more sagrifices. Surely the unions did not have in their minds to let the company / OPM bring the blue eyed boys to vote.
HOPE THESE UNIONS WILL WAKE UP FROM THEIR SLEEP.
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Where are the UNIONS who convinced the workers to make more sagrifices. Surely the unions did not have in their minds to let the company / OPM bring the blue eyed boys to vote.
HOPE THESE UNIONS WILL WAKE UP FROM THEIR SLEEP.
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PN has more to loose than PL if flights are cancelled. But lets face it - Airmalta has been used as the country's bitch by both sides and this decision is just more proof of this.
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This is good news for democracy and was only to be expected. In fact this is what I wrote on the 20 January, two weeks ago: "The government will of course pay for these flights; it's a vital aspect of democracy. Whenever possible (such as in Brussels, London, etc) polling stations will be set up abroad. In other cases the government will pay to ensure that democracy is upheld."
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Incredible. As Governments across the European Union are trying to find ways to reduce and contain costs in an attempt to balance the books our present elected administrators are burning money they don't have as fast as they can. It strikes me that they are so convinced that they do not have a snowballs chance in hell of being reelected that they are basically making sure that those who inherit the country after them will be shackled with the most insurmountable debt mountain ever. I wonder whether the opposition are keeping a track of where the debt level was at the tail end of 2011 and where it will be come the next general election. That would most certainly be one heck of an eye opener for the electorate.
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Government has an obligation to make it easy for ALL eligible voters to express their vote in a general election or national referendum. That is why it provides hundreds of polling booths across all the national territory. That is also why overseas voters should have the facility to vote in an Embassy closest to their place of residence. In the absence of such arrangements, however, it is obliged to offer cheap and easy access by air to those residing abroad to make it to Malta in time to cast their vote.
Air Malta never pays an extra cent in the organisation of these arrangements. The cost to the taxpayer is only a small fraction of the total forked out to set up a general election (see the printing of voting documents, overtime paid to Electoral Office staff, AECs, Counting Agents, etc.).
As to the availability of opportunities to vote in Embassies, I'm not exactly sure as to which of the two major parties is actually dragging its feet. The PL should be quite happy to monitor voters physically voting in the Island, instead of controlling those voting in Embassies overseas, especially when it's a known fact that Embassies are manned by diplomats appointed by the incumbent PN.
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Dan hu kollu genn! Tghidx kemm ghandu ghaqal Wenzu!
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Government has an obligation to make it easy for ALL eligible voters to express their vote in a general election or national referendum. That is why it provides hundreds of polling booths across all the national territory. That is also why overseas voters should have the facility to vote in an Embassy closest to their place of residence. In the absence of such arrangements, however, it is obliged to offer cheap and easy access by air to those residing abroad to make it to Malta in time to cast their vote.
Air Malta never pays an extra cent in the organisation of these arrangements. The cost to the taxpayer is only a small fraction of the total forked out to set up a general election (see the printing of voting documents, overtime paid to Electoral Office staff, AECs, Counting Agents, etc.).
As to the availability of opportunities to vote in Embassies, I'm not exactly sure as to which of the two major parties is actually dragging its feet. The PL should be quite happy to monitor voters physically voting in the Island, instead of controlling those voting in Embassies overseas, especially when it's a known fact that Embassies are manned by diplomats appointed by the incumbent PN.
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Mind-boggling incredibly stupidity in the extreme. Why oh why oh why in this day and age do you fly people around the world to vote in an election? Where else on the planet is this done? What is the excuse for this insanity? Don't you see you are loosing more votes by this sort of stupidity than you gain from the ones you fly in?
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Tajjeb, I have friends in Australia who have the right to vote too? Since the government is subsidising from our taxes the flights by airmalta, now they have to subsidise ALL AIRLINES, otherwise it is pure discrimination. What is good for the goose is good for the gander...
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Il-Pl imissu jghamel stharrig sew u jara li ma jergax jigri bhal l-elezjoni tat 2008 ghax jien naf fic-cert li gew nies biex jivvotaw li ma resqux hawn mMalta ghal sentejn u gew biex jivvotaw mil Germanja, il-mara kienet mil Albanijja, ma keliex dritt tivvota, jien jekk il Pl mhux sejjer jiehu biss-serjeta din is-sitwazzjon, inutili immur nivvota ghax Il-Pn jerbah zgur kif qal Godfrey Grima gurnalist ta li stoffa, jien kieku nivvota PL imma sorry jekk nisma li se jerga jigri l-istess ma immurx nivvota,sorry Pl immma jekk mhux sejrin tghamlu il homework, jien minhiex preparat immur nivvota.
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Obviously! How then do you expect the PN to win the elections? Why do you think that the ID cards have not been changed? Would the PL do the same mistake again and agree with the PN for the extension of the time to vote? How would be in charge of these arrangements?
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I would like to say to Hon. Effettivament Tonio Fenech: you do not have the well being of Airmalta but to win votes for the Election - shame on you and GonziPN.
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@rcasha ..... The use of embassies is not made because no nationalist supporter , say living in Manchester would travel to London to exercise his right to vote. It could be from Genoa to Rome or Frankfurt to Berlin. Nationalists expect their party to provide all the necessary comforts to give their party the vote as one can see from our nationalist MPs who protest about this or that to get a piece of the pie, being it a chairmanship or a ministry Tealady,,,,,,,oooops sorry ministers assistant. Despite all this is at the tax payers expenses.
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I bet that nationalists sympathisers abroad already know the month,at least , the elections will be held to have them prepare themselves.It has been a mystery how labour supporters never seem to find seats of maybe a few do.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
But of course votes are more important than AirMalta and the country's financial situation for the present Government albeit the Nationalist Party.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
But of course votes are more important than the AirMalta financial situation for the present Government albeit the Nationalist Party.
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Whether it is Air Malta or Government that forks out the extra monies, the load is always on the taxpayer. It would have been a good and commendable move should all those coming to vote are eligible to vote. But past experience has shown that even emigrants who have not satisfied the conditions (six months residence in the last two years) have voted. These included nuns in Italy and UK who only come to Malta to vote. The PL's Electoral office should move its ass and take note of these irregularities.
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Severely impact further on the company LOSSES.You see why Europe is in debt,because all politicions are "Me all right F::: you jack". And they want the people to make AUSTERITY.
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Ma tafx li ser jergghu jsiru titjiriet issusidjati mill-Air Malta, x'jimporta li bhalissa qeghda f'xifer ta' irdum basta jigu dak in-Nazzjonalisti kollha li hemm barra biex jivvutaw ghax ibqa cert li 90% minnhom huma tal-PN. Proset x'mizur kapci niehdu meta l-kumpanija tinsab fi krizi u l-istess kap taghha qal li ma tiflahx ghal dawn l-affarijiet. Dan ifisser certifikat iehor ta' li jien ma jimpurtanix basta naqdi lil partit.
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Mhux ta' b'xejn il-kumpanija marret ghal-gh.....L-id il-leminija ma tafx x'qed taghmel ix-xellugija
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Mhux ahjar kieku l-ewwel ikunu certi min minn dawk li jigu minn barra huma legalment eligibbli li jivvutaw. Smajt b'hafna kazi fejn Maltin ilhom jghixu barra minn Malta snin twal, ghad ghandom l-ID card skaduta Maltija u ghadom jidhru fuq ir-Registru Elettorali. Imma jidher li l-PN ghandu x-xamma tal-voti minn dan il-grupp ta' nies u jahseb li forsi jistghu ixaqilbu r-rizultat ahhari kif ghamlu d-darba l-ohra. Minghalih!
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This PM will bend every rule, break every promise,cheat every which way,lie till he's yellow in the face,spend what is not his,divided instead uniting.Anything steal take or borrow to keep him in power.OPM = Obscenities with People's Money.
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I agree that Air Malta should not fork out the difference, but frankly neither should the taxpayer. Why not allow them to vote at the nearest embassy instead?
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After all it is VOTES that count
Why not have whoever is entitled to vote in Maltese elections exercise this right in Maltese embassies?
The national airline is shedding 500 jobs yet OPM comforts us that it is the Exchequer that pays.
Cold comfort because the Exchequer is a euphemism for our TAXES.
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I THINK there is a small misunderstanding... the word government i presume (maybe i am mistaken) in the part "government covers the income lost between the normal flight costs and the discounted price" should be replaced by the word TAXPAYER :)
Please correct me if i am wrong. Have a good day!
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So one might ask. WHO is actually in charge of AirMalta, Gonzi or Farrugia? If the Gonzi is running the show, then Farrugia has no validity in remaining with the company and should be retired.
