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Labour MP says ‘pride’ prevented parties from reaching IIP agreement
Government should have sought consensus on citizenship scheme from its conception, Labour MP Marlene Farrugia says.
25 January 2014, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
3 min read
Labour MP Marlene Farrugia
Labour MP Marlene Farrugia today held that government and opposition should have put their pride aside and reached bi-partisan agreement on the controversial citizenship scheme.
On Monday, before Parliament discussed the European Parliament resolution which called on Malta to amend its citizenship-by-investment scheme, the Individual Investor Programme, Farrugia told journalists that "government should reconsider its position."
Speaking on Andrew Azzopardi's radio show Ghandi xi Nghid, Farrugia clarified a number of comments she posted on her Facebook page in the aftermath of the tense debate on the scheme held in Parliament earlier this week.
Writing on Facebook, Farrugia - whose partner Godfrey Farrugia is health minister - said" "We all agree that the investment scheme of this kind could have been conceived without ridiculing the country."
Asked to clarify her comments, the MP said: "What I meant to say is that if the scheme can be amended to remove the perception that it is a scheme which sells passports, let's do it in order to avoid this negative criticism."
"Had we sought consensus from the scheme's very conception, we would have avoided all the problems that were created."
Asked why consensus had not been reached between both parties, Farrugia said that a compromise was easily within reach "but pride prevented both political parties from finding an agreement."
Farrugia also warned that Malta was possibly facing European Commission infringement proceedings, and called on both parties to reach agreement on the scheme which "enjoys the entire country's backing."
The MP in fact reiterated her support for the investment scheme, but Farrugia said that government should launch a programme that would not attract negative attention as the IIP undeniably did, commanding the attention of the world press at one point.
The MP has had to fend comments on the social media from Labour voters shedding doubt on the her loyalty to Labour, which enjoys a nine-seat majority. In a comment posted online, the MP said: "You can present a motion for my expulsion from the party whenever it suits you. Don't forget to tell party delegates you want me out because I believe Malta should come first and foremost... before Joseph (Muscat) and Simon (Busuttil) and before you, my friend..."
Asked yesterday whether these comments were a sign that she had had enough of being a Labour MP, Farrugia said, "No, not at all."
"Parties change and evolve, however it's up to individuals to decide what is in the country's best interest... if Labour had to kick me out it would betray the party's calls for inclusion and national unity."
The MP over the last year has voiced discreet dissent on a number of issues such as the botched attempt to push back migrants and the Mistra Heights development.
"My criticism has always been constructive and my support to the government is guaranteed.
"But I also have my dignity and I put the country's dignity above anything, including politics. If we really believe in the [Labour] movement that pledged to put the country's interests above partisan politics, we should seek consensus on issues which affect the whole country."
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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Rather than pride on the part of the PL I think that it was arrogance and confrontational attitude on the part of SB which led to the current impasse and divisions. SB does not seem to understand that he is in opposition and leader of a party with the lowest percentage minority representation in parliament for 50 years. He reminds me of a harking back to the left and right confontational approach to politics in the post war ideological battles. If there was goodwill on his part with such a consensual character as that of Owen Bonnici and a PM willing to effect changes to the IIP program a solution was close. Now in a sense SB is out of the reckoning and in the cold other than to stamp his feet and make undemocratic threats. The PL is right in from now on focussing on discussions within the EU commission and to explain widely to the people the benefits of this scheme as well as the inconsistencies and hyporisy in the arttitude of the PN.
Rita Pizzuto •
Look I don't for one second question MP Marlene Farrugia's sincerely. I just question her political immaturity sometimes. Marlene you should know more most of us how the PN works. It is not consensus they want but to do their bidding. You are not the only one who does not like the tag being used by the PN , that is that the govt wants to sell Maltese passports.. It is used by the PN to denigrate the scheme because they know that it could help Malta alleviate the billions of euros in debt that they put Malta in. Marlene must be sad as much as anyone to see Malta's name kicked around by the Exponents of the PN. She should know how they work. Don't you remember when they produced The Malta is Burning publication? These people's intentions are far from onest. Maturity Marlene! Maturity is what is needed and not the LP to surrender to these prophets of doom.
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@Guzepp
ha haha ha give the man enough rope!!! and what ?? ha ha jerga idendilkhom bih imam lil tal pN kollha f daqqa, kif dendilkhom u rabat coff lil dak il partit fallut miserabbli,miskin,corrot u elf aggetiv iehor fid 9 ta marzu is sena l-ohra .plus 36 k ...and counting !
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Ghaziza Marlene jhekk forsi ghaddeja mil Menopausa ahjar twarrab u ma tibqax tparla u taqa ghaz zuffjett. jaqaw ipretendejt xi ministeru wkoll ghalek dal paroli vojt ?Kemm jaf xinhu jghamel Dr.Muscat tefghek isahhan il bank . PAPRA.
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Kemm hi brava hux.... tahseb li hi brava biss!
Thobb tkun u tridha ta' Prima Donna , u kif jghidhu "Some say it best by saying nothong at all.... "
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Very refreshing to see that the labour mps are not all show window dummies and that one can actually express an own opinion and dare to blow the myth that the PM has the backing of the maltese on the iip scheme. I was just about to say a politician with balls but that would have been very disrepectful to Mrs Farrugia who stands head and shoulders above her male colleagues. It is very clear that she is torn between the loyalty to her party and her obligations to the electorate and is not afraid to admit it.
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@fwarjahraq: Nobody has to do anything to see Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat trip. He is immature enough to accomplish that on his own. Give the man enough rope and sooner or later he will find a way to hang himself, the same way PM Lawrence Gonzi did.
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Kemm qtajt figura ahjar tghum mal-bram!
Kemm qed trabbi klandestini go darek?
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I agree with the opinion expressed somewhere below that said Marlene is imitating Franco, however, in my opinion not really coming over as sincere as all that. Dear Onorevola, I am sure you are aware that oil and water do not mix. Hence how can you expect Xmunu to agree to a scheme that will help lift Malta's out of it's financial doldrums? Believe me, it has nothing to do with pride! But all to do with political expediency and election successes calculations! Relax Onorevola, and try again.
Priscilla Darmenia •
“Consensus” is a fine word, however some politicians are more interested in (first) their personal gain (second) their party’s gain and (lastly) the country’s benefit.
Paul Sammut •
One hell of a loose cannon.
Mark Fenech •
Din aktarx li kellu jkun jisimha NARCISSIA. Ħallina, għax il-ħobż minn ħalqna nikluħ u nafu għaliex qiegħda tgħaddi dawn il-kummenti, biex iżżomm in the limelight. Miskin Godfrey, tant għandu x'għamel u mħabba u flok tgħinu bil-kwiet, tara x'tivvinta. Tidher li tħobb toqogħod dejjem fl-oppozizzjoni inti, biex tmaqdar biss. Naħseb qatt ftaħt ħalqet fl-aħħar leġislatura meta l-PL kien fl-oppozizzjoni? Meta tmaqdar dejjem għati opinjoni li tista' fil-fatt timmaterjalizza, issa jekk il-PN huwa kontra fil-prinċipju jista' xi darba jasal biex jaqbel mal-Gvern Laburista. Lil dawk li ħamġu Malta quddiem il-barranin imissek tmaqdar u mela lil wisq maħbub PM tagħna. Ħallina ħa ngħixu, issa meta jiġu l-barranin mur belgħhom xi dar milli għandek taf, u mbagħad kompli kkritika lil PM tagħna.
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How can the PL reach consensus with Simon Busuttil and the PN once they see in the IIP a very big THREAT to their own political future ? If you haven't realised this, I am afraid you still haven't any idea about the PN, despite the fact that your political roots were in that party.
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Dear Marlene Farrugia, it is good that the Labour has you, as such members are needed. but please be careful as the "tradituri" opposition are howling to see Dr Joseph Muscat Prime Minister tripping, as till now they have only seen red in anger and they cant stand staying out of power to feed themselves and their friends leaving the people gaping
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"Had we sought consensus from the scheme's very conception, we would have avoided all the problems that were created." Five stars to MP Marlene Farrugia. Very outspoken and to the point. Finally a woman politician with integrity and guts. Enough to tell it like it is and not afraid to say so. I do believe that Ms Farrugia is telling the truth even though it goes against party lines. My question to her is why did she vote for the passing of the Passport for Sale Initiative in the first place. She said herself that she objected to the Scheme and yet she voted for it. I am sure there are rules that say to vote with the party line, but some rules are made to be broken and the vote for the Passport for Sale Scheme called for rules to be broken. Nobody in a Democracy should be told or forced on how to vote and politicians should not be any objection.
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Do you think that keeping african immigrants coming in is in the best interest of our country too? Most people don't think so, and yet we are forced to let them occupy our country, which is very bad.
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Mhux ahjar tmur sal-Missjoni, ghadhom bzonn ta Dentista hemm.
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I think now, the Hon. Pullicino, is trying to water down her previous outspoken comments because they were just that: outspoken.
She knows that the Opposition never intended to accept anything that the Government proposed and she is seeing this now. Even if the Government accepted what the Opposition proposed (which should never be as the Opposition cannot legislate or dictate legislation) the same Opposition would have ridden roughshod over the Government. That same Government who has the right to govern, not with a measly majority of 1500. The aim of the Opposition is not pride but to put as much spokes in Government's wheels as possible. At all costs, the PN wants people to forget how great their defeat was almost a year ago. And to grab as much power as possible since they don't want a repeat at the MEP elections.
Dr. Pullicino is a true patriot and wants the best for her country and she manifests this with her words which she does not say to please, but because she feels for her country.
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Marlene Farrugia likes to be in the news and therefore ignores how things evolved. It was not the LP which took the scheme to Europe but the Nationalists. It was their MEPs who raised the spectre of criminals coming to Malta to buy passports. May I suggest she makes a search of what Metsola did in the European Parliament when ostensibly the two sides had agreed to talk. If the PN wanted consensus or agreement how is it that they launched such an obscene attack on the scheme in Strasbourg? Is that how you sit down to negotiate by turning Brussels against Malta? Or does Ms Farrugia, in her apparent little knowledge of how the issue evolved felt her dignity touched only by the way the government introduced the scheme but not at the way Casa declared that they will destroy the scheme in Europe. If Ms Farrugia really, and not for appearances sake, like to call a spade a spade, she should be chastising the PN for wrecking a scheme which would have benefited the people and not continue on a system which under the PN punished the taxpayer without providing him with a future. I heard she is going to retire at the end of this legislature. I hope she keeps her word because I cannot stand to see more unfocused MPs in the House. Of course my wish that we get MPs with brains will not be granted. But one less the better.
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One cannot comprehend how the Hon Marlene Farrugia comes out with these arguments. Being a late insider of the PN she knows very well that no consensus can ever be reached because the PN's only intentions are to demolish and annihilate the Labour Movement from existence.
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JIENA LI INCLUDEJTEK FIL VOT TIEGHI GA QIEGHED JIDISPJACINI, GHAX QALLAJTLI L,FWIED.
JEKK XBAJT GHAX MA TITLAQX U TIPPROVAX TILGHABA TAL BRAVA IZJED . MILL BIDU BDEJT TIZZATTAT BIEX TIDHER.
GA SIRT HANQA TA HMAR
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Jurgen one wonders whether you have fallen in the same class as Ivan Camilleri of the TOM in regards your journalistic efforts. Malta today readers expect some respect shown to the Right Hon. Marlene Farrugia. Your description of the Minister of Health- Godfrey Farrugia as a boyfriend is disrespectful since everyone knows they are lifetime partners.
On the subject of Ms. Farrugia’s comments regarding the IIP, the Maltese people ought to be thankful for her sincerity.
It’s about time that finally someone from the government side has the wit and the courage to be transparent with the Maltese people.
It has become quite apparent that this scheme was introduced in such a hurry and irresponsibly that it is bound for failure in its present form.
There is a lot of work and agreements to be worked out before this IIP scheme could be implemented.
Unfortunately Ms. Farrugia encountered a questionable call about her loyalty to the party by someone who is moderate and progressive, yet considers speaking the truth as a deficit against her character.
The Maltese people ought to consider themselves lucky to have someone like Ms. Farrugia to represent them in parliament and is aware of the pitfalls of a scheme that cannot bear fruit unless the government, the opposition and the EU are in agreement for its implementation.
As it stands right now, only the Prime Minister is convinced that the scheme is full proof, unfortunately he is lacking the hindsight to take a step back and review his optimism from someone looking in, rather than someone looking out.
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Tejd qeghda tiprova tikkopja lil Franco Debono?
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Jekk int trid tghaddi xi messagg lil PL int ta gewwa u tista liberament barra min hekk il partner tieghek hu ministru u tista tghid lilu biex iwassal xi ilment tieghek. Li tmur fuq facebook u tonxor il hwejjeg mahmugin hemm ma huwa xejn hlief li inti trin tinghogob ma lavversarji taghna.Jekk iddejjaqt fil PL taf xghandek taghmel u titlaq bil kwiet. Int trid tigbed il linja tal partit ghax qieghda hemm biss sahha tal partit. Ajma hej mur giebek ministru.
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qabset dil papra,mhux ahjar kif jibnazza ftit tmur taqbez qabza sal gnejna,il bajja ta l-gharwenin Marlene?
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Although i have admiration towards outspoken attitude of Labour MP Marlene Farrugia, i do not quite share entirely her comments. Pride was the second phase of the problem. When the Prime Minister communicated the original IIP scheme, which i feel did not take its tempo to rub its effect, the Opposition insisted on doing the scheme their way and that was not an approach to a reconciliation. The Opposition demanded that the IIP scheme be tuned to their conditions. This is arrogance and not pride by the Opposition. Pride followed by the the stand legitimately taken by the Government which again followed by further arrogance of the Opposition to the extent that they sold our principles to our competitors in Brussels. Am sure that we have now reached a stage where a reconciliation with Brussels is the best way out.
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And we, the mere mortals, who only just manage to add 2 and 2 cause we are not those Onorevoli who know it all, call this first as playing to the gallery and then 'conveniently' backtracking.
