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Norman Vella: political overtones of the overnight TV sensation
TV presenter Norman Vella says his redeployment to the civil service was political, so was his secondment to PBS a political decision by the OPM.
1 July 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
4 min read
Norman Vella, loved by some, hated by others...
The former PBS presenter Norman Vella claims the decision by the Office of the Prime Minister to revoke his deployment at the national broadcaster was a "political" one.
And going by information received at MaltaToday this week, the TVHEMM presenter may be right, because the civil servant's five-year stint at production house Where's Everybody? was granted exclusively by the head of the civil service; and a subsequent secondment to PBS that was approved by the Nationalist prime minister in 2012. A political decision, if there ever was one?
Vella - a futsal referee who worked at the immigration department - was catapulted into the world of broadcasting through the popular prime-time chat show Xarabank. But with his daily foray presenting TVHEMM in 2012, he opened himself up to accusations of displaying a strong political bias and employing a simplistic line of questioning which annoyed some audiences.
"In this line of work, it is inevitable that there will be people who like you and others who don't," Vella told MaltaToday in his answers to the questions he wanted sent by email.
But while Vella claims his ousting from PBS is "political," some might say that the former Nationalist government's lax application of the public service rules for Vella was equally political.
According to information seen by this newspaper, Vella was granted an additional two years beyond the maximum three-year unpaid leave by the then head of the civil service "personally". Personally: because there was no policy governing any unpaid leave for civil servants beyond three years.
Godwin Grima gave Vella an additional two years of unpaid leave since the public service management code had not been updated.
When Vella was informed that his five-year unpaid leave had been exhausted, it was PBS chief executive Anton Attard who asked that Vella be seconded to the national broadcaster, for which approval came directly from the Office of the Prime Minister.
Vella, who hosted the popular daily show TVHEMM, received an email from the OPM this week saying he was to report to the Department of Immigration, where he was previously employed, as from next Monday, "on grounds of public policy."
"I received no reason which explained this decision. The email came from the OPM, and as far as I know, the OPM takes political decisions!" Vella said in his email answers.
Vella, who added that he felt touched by the "enormous solidarity received from people of all political colours," claims he had been forewarned that the home affairs ministry - now responsible for PBS - had asked the OPM to take this decision.
Vella worked as a journalist for the Union Press in the past: his father, Karmenu Vella, was unceremoniously booted out of the General Workers Union, perhaps catalysing his son's own antipathy towards the union press.
At Where's Everybody? he later became a member of the team behind the creation and production of the Bijografiji series, receiving a number of TV awards but not the admiration enjoyed by other journalists who shun the TV limelight.
His one-year unpaid leave to join Where's Everybody? was approved in May 2007 and subsequently renewed in June 2008 and August 2009. In May 2010, Vella wrote to the principal permanent secretary, "to explore further possibilities to continue working in the private sector" while retaining his position in the public service.
The request was discussed in a meeting between PPS Godwin Grima and the head of the Management Personnel Office, where the director of employee relations recommended that Vella's approval be extended beyond three years "on account of the experience he is gaining, which will be beneficial to the public service."
However, since the public service management code had to be updated for the maximum three-year unpaid leave to be extended, Vella was granted his extension on a personal recommendation from civil service head Godwin Grima in June 2010.
Another extension for his fifth year came in July 2011.
The policy was eventually updated on 18 May 2012 to allow all civil servants up to five years' unpaid leave to try alternative employment.
In August 2012, the Commissioner of Police informed Vella that his entitlement for unpaid leave had been exhausted.
It was at this stage that the Public Broadcasting Services' chief executive asked that Vella be seconded to the PBS, for which approval was then granted by the Office of the Prime Minister in September 2012.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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In 1985 I was seconded from Kalaxlokk to the Ministry of Finance and Customs and many used to ask me what was the difference in pay and no one would believe me when I answered nothing and when I sat for the clerk examination and passed instead of a rise in pay it was a decrease. To be honest I was appointed to a board with just Lm50 a month. So Mr Vella's grade is that of a senior clerk. Where I'm working there are senior clerks ; I wonder whether they earn as much as Mr Vella
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Come on Norman do not try to play the martyr...your biased comments on an anti Labour stance were so ludicrous and obviously simplistic that they made me laugh.....who knows maybe your biousness contributed to the massive loss of Gonzi PN
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Dear Norman -- you should not be surprised by this, since we are witnessing the systematic removal of all those who were in some way associated with the previous government. Yes, it is gross political descrimination, but there it is. Welcome to 'Malta Kollha Taghna'/'Malta Taghhom Biss'! Perhaps all those affected should take their compaint against this 'new phenomenon' to the European Court as a class action against the Labour government for employment termination on the grounds of political descrimination. This would create quite a stir, and would put government's grossly unjust actions in the international spotlight, as they deserve to be.
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Mr Norman Vella, I know this is not much of a consolation but EVERYTHING done in Malta is political and take that one to the bank. Both political parties do the same thing when they get elected. PL, PN they are no different, it depends a lot on which party you favour. So maybe next election you get your show back. The sad part is that there are others who abused their Host position on PBS and they are still there. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
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It was customary for the former Principal Permanent Secretary Godwin Grima to act with preferential treatment to those he liked. The others whom he disliked were very frequently sidelined or thrown into the gutter of the Civil Service.
Mario Pace •
From what i written he was given a 3 year unpaid leave, then extended to 5 and policy was changed to allow up to 5 years unpaid leave. So, one can deduct that the period was exhausted. So, if Mr. Vella saw that he was performing well in his new venture why didn't he resign from his post in the Civil Service? Surely, one cannot say that he continues in his new venture and also the government keeps his place in the civil service.
I say, who was doing his work at the immigration office? Or there was someone else employed to do his work?
Mario Pace •
From what i written he was given a 3 year unpaid leave, then extended to 5 and policy was changed to allow up to 5 years unpaid leave. So, one can deduct that the period was exhausted. So, if Mr. Vella saw that he was performing well in his new venture why didn't he resign from his post in the Civil Service? Surely, one cannot say that he continues in his new venture and also the government keeps his place in the civil service.
I say, who was doing his work at the immigration office? Or there was someone else employed to do his work?
Emmanuel Mallia •
And he gave the impression, but only the impression that he was not politically biased !
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il hames snin unpaid leave li taw lill norman vella kien ABBUZ POLITIKU .. dal bniedem mhu xejn specjali min haddiehor, u ghalhekk ghandu jerga imur fuq xogholu minghajr ebda preferenzi .
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Norman Vella was not a professional presentor nor journalist. The way he conducted TVHEMM was unprofessional. On occassions his mannerism and speech was insulting and degrading towards the women/men on his show (do you remember the model wearing a plastic dress with a live fish?). In any other country if a presentor presented himself in such a manner the wormen rights movement would be protesting left right and centre. But not in Malta!
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Habib tieghi ghandu t-tifla taghmel xoghol ta' paramedika professjonali. Sabet opportunita` barra minn Malta u l-gvern taha 6 xhur 'unpaid leave'. Qalulha li jekk ma tirritornax wara dawn is-sitt xhur titlef l-impjieg! U dan diga ilu hames snin!
Two weights, two measures. Hekk sew, eh? Meta r-regoli mhux l-istess ghal kulhadd? X'ghandu specjali Norman Vella?
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Sur Norman, kieku ridna nibqu l-istess konna nergghu neleggu lil GonziPN imma l-poplu ried il-bidla. Irringrazzja l-Alla li nehhewk minn hemm ghax kull meta kien ikolok xi laburist quddiemek kienet tkun se tghaddik daqs kemm kont tissahhan mieghu. Ma kontx xejn gurnalist, kont akkolta tal-PN. Gurnalisti ta veru jistaqsu u jhallu l-poplu jiggudika u mhux titqanzah sakemm tisma dak li trid int.
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Mr Vella abused the system and pretends to keep abusing it as if it was his divine right. He's lucky he got his government job back. With his so called expertise and professinoalism he should have been kicked out on his butt and made his own way on.
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The former Principal Permanent Secretary Godwin Grima and the former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi unilaterally approved unpaid extensions that go contrary to the Public Service Management Code to a Senior Clerk. The Public Service Management Code's regulation on unpaid leave was extended from three to five years to accommodate a Senior Clerk. Under GonziPN rules were stretched, bent and disregarded in accordance with the political colour of the civil servant involved. Both Grima and Gonzi appointed all the current heads and chairmen of every department and entity in Malta so everyone can conclude what sort of merit these two applied during the last 9 years of PN government. Imagine the anguish suffered by those who have been consistently left by the wayside for so long and who are also being forgotten by the current PL government who now holds all the records and can easily draw up an exact picture of what transpired. Let us hope that those who had it good will not continue to do so, and those who have been politically discriminated by these two eminent persons are given the break that they deserve.
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La hu daqshekk tajjeb u daqshekk popolari bi stazzjonijiet bhal RTK u Net jibku it-tluq tieghu ma ghandhux ghal fejn issibha difficli issib xoghol iehor f'dawn l'istazzjonijiet.......jithallas bit televoting questions.... jekk ma jistghux ihallsuh CASH tan-NET ;)
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So Godwin Grima approved the five-year stint of unpaid leave did he? I know of a case of one public officer studying for a degree who was not granted one day beyond the three years granted in the Public Service Management Code. This is disgraceful, and should be thoroughly investigated.
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Isma lili l-anqas biss kienu nfurmawni li l-programm KORSA kien se jwaqqfuh wara daqstant snin jixxandar. Sempliciment mort darba x-xandir u sibt li l-programm tawh lil haddiehor. Ma kienx hemm raguni validi hlief ghax jien laburist. L-aqwa li kienu jindirizzawni bhala l-espert taz-zwiemel f'Malta. U Halluna tal-PN.
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Your secondment turned out political after the three year grant!!! YOU and NO one should getmore than that!....I left Malta and was granted 3 years....why should you get more?????....next time resign as I did...but now be honest and don't blame labour for this if you REALLY consider yourself a professional journalist!
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Your secondment turned out political after the three year grant!!! YOU and NO one should getmore than that!....I left Malta and was granted 3 years....why should you get more?????....next time resign as I did...but now be honest and don't blame labour for this if you REALLY consider yourself a professional journalist!
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Deo Gratias! Ghaliex qed jehodha tant bi kbira dan il-paladin nazzjonalista? Mhux bizzejjed li kien ilu dawk is-snin kollha vaganza min mac-Civil biex joqghod japologizza fuq it-TV? Kos, meta wiehed iddarrieh jiekol ix-xghir, tippruvax tbellalu l-hurrieq! Min jahseb li hu dan Norman xi alla tal-Media....hallina nghixu Norman u ifhem li kollox ghandu limitu!
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Sur Norman Vella, ma nafx ghaliex hadta daqshekk bi kbira? Int Senior Clerk ergajt mort postok, jien kont principal u mhux baghtuni naghmel xoghli imma baghtuni ingorr il-kaxxi fil-Qorti fejn suppost issir Gustizzja. Jien kwalified fl-IT u ikkomputerizajt deptartiment, ghallimt in nies u wara gejt arrestat. Id-Direttur dak iz-zmien ma ridt li jien nerga immur lura d-dipartiment avolja ma sabux fuq xi jinkriminawni (Frame Up iehor tal-Partit nazzjonalist u is-sudditi tieghu). L-Allowance ta System Administrator qatt ma tawghuli ghas semplici raguni li Laburist. Imma min ma kellu xejn lanqas o’level fl-IT Alla ibierek ghola ghal skala 9, min skala 14.
F’dipartimetn iehor gejt mehhed min Direttur Generali f’B’Kara li ittini f’idejn il-pulizija, dan gara lil haddiema ohra u anki kien hemm min marad inhabba fih. Alla hares kellha isssir investigazzjoni serja hawn. Nies li jahdmu hemm qatt ma imurilhom tal VAT meta ikunu fuq il-Monti. Mela dan mhux konflitt ta Interess, jew jekk ikun xi Laburist biss ikollu il-konflitti ta interessi?
U mill-Housing Auhtority jien gejt imkecci minn Assistant Chairman bil kliem “Aqbad hwejgek u dabbar rasek. (1987), u dahlu lil wiehed tal qalba u Alla ibierek dejjem ghamluh Manager. Kien hemm ukoll minn labourer sar Manager.
Issa tafu xi ihoss haddiehor, pero nemmen li ghad fadal fuq li fadal ingustizzji li iridu jissewwew. Min seraq irid irodd dak li mhux tieghu, u li ha meta ma kellux dritt ghalih, fosthom l-ex Prim Ministru Lawrence Gonzi u shabu li hadu 500 ewro fil gimgha. In-Partit Nazzjonalista jemm fid-Demokrazzija ta “Might is Right”. Huwa dejjem tajjeb u haddiehoe dejjem hazin.
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So his secondment from the civil service to PBS was political, also directly approved by the OPM - hence justice has been done to the full. Moreso, the public service management code did not allow civil servants to take more than three years of unpaid leave, and he was approved 5 years. He couldn't have had it better. Norman tefa' l-gebla fuq saqajh ghax kieku kien imparzjali fuq stazzjon nazzjonali ma kienx ikollu problemi. Imma wara kollox kulhadd jaf x'hin it-target tieghu.
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Norman forgets that he was not working on NetTv but the national station. His position as a presenter was put in jeopardy, when he did not stick to being impartial. I watched his interview with Franco Debono, it was an insult to broadcast standards. Politically motivated or not it is the right move. Furthermore the collective agreement of the civil service should be reviewed as taking unpaid leave for some 5 years to go work somewhere does not sound right and a loophole to abuse the system.
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Now is the time. Now we will see what was behind all this.
See this link and see why he got all these approvals:
http://youtu.be/6Pwgp6ECkTo
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Now is the time. Now we will see what was behind all this.
See this link and see why he got all these approvals:
http://youtu.be/6Pwgp6ECkTo
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mr vella was one of the many reasons why the pn took a hammering in the last general election.
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A political appointment approved by Godwin Grima with illegal extensions necessitated a political decision to stop this gross violation of the civil service code of practice. It is time that such actions do not just stop at terminating abuse but at actually investigating such abuse by top civil servants and arraign them in Court on such abuses. This is what has been promised by the present administration and so far we have seen no sign of such a promise being honoured.
