A future Labour government will have no problem reappointing valid people with Nationalist tendencies, said Labour general secretary Jason Micallef in an interview with Herman Grech in The Times of yesterday week.

The context, of course, was damage limitation following its own goal when Charles Buhagiar posted a video of a restricted meeting for supporters on his website and anyone could hear Mr Micallef say, “now that we are all Labourites here”, that a future Labour government will be a “government for Labourites”.

One is left wondering who the real Mr Micallef is – the one who speaks in such a partisan way at a closed doors meeting, or the one who gives interviews to The Times.

In his speech at Mr Buhagiar’s do, Mr Micallef also voiced an insistent criticism that many Labour supporters make of the 1996 – 1998 Labour administration under Alfred Sant – that this was a naïve attempt at running the country without replacing the chairmen appointed by the previous PN administration.

The next Labour government, Mr Micallef said, will be a “no hesitation” government, (bla tutubar), which translated means the next government will remove all or almost all PN-appointed chairmen.

In his Times interview, Mr Micallef added that “this time around, we won’t exclude Labourites”, that the 1996-1998 Labour administration was “insensitive” to the years of injustices suffered by Labourites, and that there is a core of 50 staunch PN supporters who have moved from one chairmanship to another, such as Michael Falzon or Lawrence Zammit.

But just to refresh memories, here is a list of people appointed chairmen by Prime Minister Alfred Sant from 1996 to 1998. Readers can see for themselves how many of these were PN appointees kept their post and how many have hold Labour views.

Kordin Grain Terminal – Chairman: Michael Sant

Transport Authority – Chairman: Reno Calleja

Medigrain – Chairman: Freddie Micallef

Mid-Med Bank – Chairman: Alfred Mifsud

BOV –Chairman: Reno Borg

Air Malta – Chairman: Louis Grech

Maritime Authority – Chairman: Edward Woods

Water Services Corporation – Chairman: Raymond Vella

ETC – Chairman: Tonio Portughese; Deputy: Alfred Grixti

Gozo Channel – Chairman: Salvu Brincat

Maltacom – Chairman: Tony M. Meilaq

Sea Malta – Chairman: Carm Farrugia (who resigned)… later Marlene Mizzi

Housing Authority – Chairman: Victor Galea

Financial Services Centre – Chairman: Edward Scicluna

Enemalta – Chairman: Martin Bonello

MDC – Chairman: Maurice Mizzi

IPSE – Chairman: Lino Callus

METCO – Chairman: Norman Zammit

Maltapost – Chairman: Alfred Sladden

Central Bank – Chairman: Emanuel Ellul

Casma Ltd – Chairman: Harold Walls

PBS – Chairman: Former Chief Justice J.J. Cremona

Dr Sant kept at their posts:

Freeport – Chairman: Marin Hili

Planning Authority – Chairman: Alfred Fabri (who could not be removed as his term of office was not yet over)

Malta Stock Exchange – Chairman: Frederick Mifsud Bonnici