Update | Norman Hamilton's resignation letter was not confidential as claimed by PBS CEO

Norman Hamilton, television personality and Managing Director at Hamilton Travel, announced his “immediate and irrevocable” resignation as Personal Consultant to PBS’s Chief Executive Officer Anton Attard this morning during ONE TVs Breakfast News Programme.

Referring to a comment made by Attard to The Times this time about his resignation letter, Hamilton said it was never ‘confidential’ as claimed by Attard. “My resignation was personal, yes, but never did I say it was confidential. I had written personal and confidential across the envelope so it would be read by Attard but never stated anything about the contents of the letter itself being confidential,” Hamilton told MaltaToday.

This was Hamilton’s second year as consultant to Attard and said he had accepted the position on a conditional basis.

For personal reasons, Hamilton also insisted that he did not receive any form of remuneration and that his contribution would purely be on a voluntary basis.

“First of all, I love Maltese music, all singers and musicians. I believe that the Eurovision is the only real vehicle for them to become known and receive promotion,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton told MaltaToday that said that he had anticipated clashes with Attard from the get-go. “I had the foresight when I was initially asked by Attard to become his Personal Consultant which is why I only took the position on these conditions.”

Hamilton said that the proof was in his resignation because it had nothing to do with money. “If I were getting paid for the job, people would say, I was paid sufficiently for doing nothing and decided to leave when I was done. But I was not tied by anything and could resign when I wanted to.”

Hamilton claims that the decision was taken after a continuing lack of consultation with him regarding various controversial decisions “unilaterally taken by Attard.

Working with Attard did not cause problems initially and Hamilton said that during the first year, everything was “fair and square” with Attard consulting Hamilton as expected.

“Things changed in 2012. I took it for a long time and I couldn’t take it anymore. I was not consulted about any of the juries for the Malta Song Contest. I was never asked to give my suggestions. I gave a choice of names but it was thrown away.”

Other decisions made by Attard without Hamilton’s agreement included the replacement of backup singer Ylenia Vella. “I had no idea what was going on. The singer was replaced by another and I was not informed.”

Hamilton said other reasons included the fact that there were hardly any meetings held with Attard with just three over a period of a year. “And it was three too many.”

Hosting a weekly talk show, Bla Agenda, on Labour Party’s ONE TV, Hamilton said that one of the many reasons given for his resignation from the post was that he no longer felt comfortable working with Attard who Hamilton described as "a political animal".

Hamilton was also not informed about a legal letter sent to One Publications which did not allow ONE TV to publish anything about the Eurovision, “past or present”.

“I was also disappointed by the fact Attard never protested to the Eurovision authorities regarding the slaughter of strays in Azerbaijan. I feel he should have. If the problem of stray animals was so great, they should have been caught and put down painlessly. Not slaughtered the way they were,” Hamilton told MaltaToday.

Attard was also accused of a gross lack of respect toward Hamilton possibly arising from differing political opinions.

Asked what he referred to as “political differences”, Hamilton referred to other comments made by Attard to The Times that, “partisan politics has clouded Mr Hamilton's judgment in a number of ways”.

Hamilton said: “It’s like the pot calling the kettle black considering he is a politicial strategist within the PN.”

Hamilton said that Attard was the Managing Director of the Nationalist Party owned NET TV for years and is a “well known political strategist within the PN.