Former Labour Minister Joe Grima took exception for the presence of journalist Norman Vella at the Labour Party Christmas reception held today at the PL headquarters.

Writing on Facebook, Mr Grima said the PL did the right thing in making no distinction among journalists and invited them all, but Norman Vella, who presents TVHemm on PBS, should not have accepted the invitation.

Mr Vella’s, Mr Grima wrote, “is the sworn enemy of the Labour Party and never finds anything good to say… it was not right that he went for drinks with the same people he demonises and to whom he tries to cause damage.

“If it were for me, I would have thanked (the PL) for the invitation and I would not have gone. Dr Gonzi invited me several times for receptions. As a critic of his administration, I do not feel comfortable to go for a drink with him… I feel that I am being a hypocrite. That is why I thank him for the invitations but do not go.”

“At least,” Mr Grima continued, “Peppi and Bondi who attend each year did not go. I do not agree with them politically but they did the right thing not to go.  Don’t WE with the hundreds of thousands of euros they make have money for a whiskey to give to Norman Vella?”

Mr Grima was a Labour minister in the Dom Mintoff days. In September he resigned from his position as a presenter on Labour's One TV station after comments he made about a priest, also on Facebook.

Mr Grima was among the guests at the PL party who heard leader Joseph Muscat say that one can still work with the Labour Party even though he or she are in disagreement. “This is the positive message the Labour Party wants to give,” he told those present.

“We will not close ourselves inside but we will go around towns and villages to meet with people and present our proposals to them. The PL will be adopting an open door policy where everyone is free to put forward his or her ideas for a constructive dialogue,” he said.

In a comment in reply to what Mr Grima wrote on his Facebook wall (see below), Lou Bondi said that he did not attend the PL party because he is not well. He said he informed the PL of this, saying that he “has always been welcomed by the last three Labour leaders, including the present one”.