Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/651042
4 CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Noting that Mizzi was responsible from both the energy and health sec- tors, Busuttil questioned why one person was handling two so big portfolios. "Both ministries cost a lot," he said, adding that he would have never allowed Mizzi to run for deputy leadership knowing that he held an offshore company in Panama. Mizzi is also responsible for Pro- jects Malta, a government entity that seeks to work in partnership with the private sector on various projects. "Mizzi's ministry is lo- cated at the Auberge de Castille, which houses the Prime Minister's Office." Busuttil has demanded several investigations into major govern- ment decisions, all of them con- tracts signed by the Energy Min- ister. Asked to specify where the crime of corruption might be, he said that the doubts emanated from the setting up of the Panama- nian company – a company that will be closed once a tax audit in- vestigation is concluded. "He signed all these big contracts on the sale of Enemalta, the sale of BWSC, fuel procurement, fuel hedging and the privatisation of the Gozo hospital, St Luke's and Karin Grech. "There is a huge question mark hanging over Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri's heads, both of whom work from the Auberge de Castille. Don't you think that an investigation should be carried out? I have no doubts that the truth will out and responsibility has to be shouldered." Likewise, Busuttil wants respon- sibility to be shouldered over the Old Mint Street expropriation saga. Following an affidavit signed by the former director of estate management, Carmel Camilleri, in which he alleged that a Falzon aide would pressure him, Busuttil called for Falzon's resignation from parliament. "Responsibility must be shoul- dered and as far as I know Michael Falzon is still a member of parlia- ment," Busuttil said, adding that former PN MP Joe Cassar had va- cated his parliamentary seat "for much less". Reiterating that economic suc- cess on its own was not enough, Busuttil also argued that the La- bour government had betrayed citizens on the most sensitive issue: the distribution of wealth. "The money was instead given to the Café Premier owners and the Gaffarenas whilst more people are at risk of poverty," he charged. Labour slams 'negative' Busuttil In reaction, Labour accused Bu- suttil of being "against everything at all costs" and challenged the "desperate" PN leader to come clean on who is involved with party president Ann Fenech's legal firm in the registration of companies in Panama. Describing the PN leader as a coward, Labour said "Busuttil should stop hiding behind Parlia- mentary immunity and repeat out- side the House the vague, deceitful and slanderous claims he made." maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 9 MARCH 2016 News Students presented Christmas lunch as a traditional family value – Matsec report JAMES DEBONO CANDIDATES sitting for the so- cial studies examination in May last year struggled with defining "traditional family values", an ex- amination report reveals. "In various instances students confused habitual family 'tradi- tions' with values of the traditional family, claiming that their family had the tradition of eating Christ- mas lunch at a specific restaurant, instead of explaining what the traditional family is," the report states. But according to the report a few candidates did convey ideas that are normally associated with tra- ditional family values, including the notion that "marriage is for life". According to the report, the great majority of candidates failed to grasp the meaning of "family- friendly measures". "Instead of indicating measures that can achieve work-life balance, most candidates wrote about so- cial benefits, counselling, support to grand parents, public parks, family outings and dinners, good relations among family members, and in some instances animal friendly measures and the impor- tance of being friendly with neigh- bours." Only a few referred to help to working parents through flexible or reduced working hours, tel- eworking, parental care, maternity leave and child care centres. Candidates also failed in this question to elaborate on the social changes that have led to the for- mation of different family types. "Many candidates tended to list new different family types rather than reflect on the social changes which have brought them about" and "quite a few referred to the industrial revolution, globalisa- tion and political programmes as causes of social change". In one question examination candidates were requested to de- fine 'culture' and describe the main elements that help identify Maltese culture. The majority of the candidates gave some examples of the ele- ments that constitute culture, but at times struggled with identifying the four main elements that iden- tify Maltese or any culture, that is, language, customs, technology and values, thus rendering their definition of culture problematic. Some candidates relegated cul- ture to just "il-quccija" (a family tradition), "l-ikel Malti" (Maltese food) and/or "l-ghana" (folk mu- sic). In line with this, statements such as "l-ghana taghmilna Mal- tin" (folk singing makes us Mal- tese) or "il-fatt li ahna nghinu lill-proxxmu jaghmilna Maltin" (helping others makes us Mal- tese). The report considered these examples as an indication of the "weak command some candidates had over the subject matter and underscore the poor analytic and critical skills of the examination candidates". The report praises candidates who referred to the process of glo- balisation and cultural pluralism. It also notes that candidates did not understand the role of the 'De- partment of Employment and In- dustrial Relations' (a government department) in the industrial relations framework, and indus- trial disputes in particular. When asked to write about the role of the social partners, terms such as 'collective bargaining', 'collective agreements', 'industrial conflict', 'industrial actions' and 'industrial relations' were very rarely used. On the other hand some es- says were replete with incoherent phrases such as: "unfortunately not all work is pleasurable and that is why we have social part- ners"; "social partners are forms of cooperatives", "if a group makes a pressure on their bosses and on the place of work, the bosses will end up giving in"; "a strike is when all the workers rebel against their work". In an essay on the challenges fac- ing young people some candidates made sweeping statements, such as: "iz-zghazagh ma jafux fejn ser jaqbdu jaghtu rashom"; (young people have no idea on what to do with themselves) "iz-zghazagh tal-lum tilfu il-valuri taghhom" (young people have lost their val- ues); "all the problems they [youth] encounter are never taken seri- ously by anyone in the older gen- eration". In contrast to the above, some candidates offered insightful con- tent and discussed a number of current challenges such as, 'cyber bullying'; 'tough competition at work'; 'examinations stress' and 'obesity', in their work. Most of these candidates also made refer- ence to the ways through which such challenges may be addressed. On a positive note the report ob- served that candidates seem to be "acquiring more civic sense". This was expressed in the answers with statements such as the following: "It is our duty to look after the environment". "It is our duty to achieve better education which is translated into progress for the country", "We can do voluntary work to help and encourage those in need" and that "greater diver- sity in the population can result in more people capable of acquir- ing high status jobs and careers in sports, art and the performing arts". The tradition of having Christmas lunch at a specific restaurant was confused with values of the traditional family Busuttil calls on Michael Falzon to resign from Parliament YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt