Snippets from AD’s electoral manifesto: (26) Appointment of the Judiciary

The following extract is taken verbatim from Chapter 6 of AD’s Electoral Manifesto

Judges and magistrates should no longer be appointed by the Government but by the President of the Republic and subject to confirmation by Parliament. This would ensure checks and balances between the executive power (exercised in this case by the President of the Republic) and the legislature.

L-Estratt segwenti hu meħud kelma b’kelma mill-Kapitlu 6 tal-Manifest Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika

L-imħallfin u l-maġistrati m’għandhomx jibqgħu jinħatru mill-gvern iżda mill-President tar-Repubblika u soġġetti għal konferma mill-Parlament. Dan jiżgura sistema ta’ checks and balances bejn is-setgħa eżekuttiva (eżerċitata f’dan il-każ mill-President tar-Repubblika) u l-leġiżlatura.

Snippets from AD’s electoral manifesto: (25) Nuclear issues and radioactivity

The following extract is taken verbatim from Chapter 14 of AD’s Electoral Manifesto

Nuclear Issues and Radioactivity.

As no Maltese Government has ever pronounced itself directly in favour of nuclear energy the nuclear issues which we must face are imported ones.

First on the list would be radioactive waste which is not much in quantity and being primarily generated by sites providing services using nuclear medicine such as X-Rays and radioactive treatment plants used in treating cancer patients. This is an aspect normally considered within the context of waste management policy and in view of the small quantities of waste involved this is normally exported.

The main nuclear problem which Malta must face and address is related to nuclear plants in other countries. The Mediterranean will in the near future face a proliferation of nuclear plants with Malta being transformed into a nuclear sandwich in the centre of the Mediterranean.

Following the Fukushima disaster in Japan the whole world is much more sensitive and conscious as to the negative impacts of nuclear plants. This has led our Italian neighbours to renounce nuclear energy for the second time in 25 years through a referendum. However we will now have to face the problem in our southern flank where various countries are planning to import nuclear technology from France an EU member state. It is imperative that Malta within the European Union structures emphasises that when the export of nuclear technology is carried out this has to be accompanied by a sense of responsibility and regulation through treaties as a result of which the countries receiving this technology bind themselves to the same rules applicable within the European Union.

As in other countries there is in Malta a presence of the radioactive gas radon. This is an issue which the Department of Environmental Health supervises but in respect of which little if any information is made public. Alternattiva Demokratika will endeavour to give more importance to this matter.

L-Estratt segwenti hu meħud kelma b’kelma mill-Kapitlu 14 tal-Manifest Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika

Issues Nukleari u ta’ Radjuattivita’.

Billi s’issa l-ebda Gvern Malti ma ppronunzja ruħu direttament favur l-enerġija nukleari l-issues nukleari li rridu niffaċċjaw huma dawk importati.

Fuq quddiem nett hemm l-iskart radjuattiv (mhux ħafna fil-kwantità) u li huwa prinċipalment iġġenerat minn impjanti ta’ mediċina nukleari bħall-X-Rays u magni tar-raġġi radjuattivi użati fit-trattament tal-kanċer. Dan l-aspett huwa normalment ikkunsidrat fil-kuntest tal-politika dwar l-iskart u minħabba l-kwantità żgħira ta’ skart ġġenerata tkun teħtieġ l-esportazzjoni.

Il-problema prinċipali nukleari li trid tiffaċċja Malta hi konnessa ma’ impjanti nukleari f’pajiżi oħra. Fil-Mediterran fi ftit snin ser ikun hawn proliferazzjoni ta’ impjanti b’Malta issir qiesha sandwich nukleari f’nofs il-Mediterran.

Wara d-diżastru ta’ Fukushima fil-Ġappun, id-dinja saret iżjed sensittiva u konxja tal-impatti negattivi ta’ impjanti nukleari. Dan wassal biex il-ġirien tagħna fl-Italja permezz ta’ referendum ċaħdu l-enerġija nukleari għat-tieni darba f’25 sena. Imma issa rridu niffaċċjaw problema oħra fin-nofsinhar fejn hemm pajjiżi li qed jippjanaw l-importazzjoni tat-teknoloġija nukleari minn Franza, pajjiż membru tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Huwa importanti li Malta fl-Unjoni Ewropea tieħu posizzjoni li twassal biex mal-esportazzjoni tat-teknoloġija nukleari, meta din issir, tkun esportata ukoll ir-responsabbiltà u regolamentazzjoni fil-forma ta’ trattati li permezz tagħhom il-pajjiżi li jirċievu t-teknoġija nukleari jintrabtu mal-istess regoli applikabbli fl-Unjoni Ewropea.

Bħal diversi pajjiżi oħra Malta hawn ukoll il-preżenza tal-gass radjuattiv radon. Materja li hi sorveljata mid-Dipartiment tas-Saħħa Ambjentali imma li dwarha ftit hawn informazzjoni pubbblika. Alternattiva Demokratika timpenja ruħha li din il-materja tingħata iktar attenzjoni.

Snippets from AD’s electoral manifesto: (24) Access to renewable energy

The following extract is taken verbatim from Chapter 13 of AD’s Electoral Manifesto

All buildings should have enough space to include renewable energy apparatus such as solar panels.

Every building needs to conform to energy efficiency regulations with full use of double glazing. Water heaters should be obligatory, including in existing buildings where there is space on the roof.

A scheme should be put into place enabling everyone (unlike the present were there are limited funds) through subsidies to those medium and lower incomes to purchase and use solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels. State housing estates and social housing projects should be subsidized as well as those having lower and medium incomes.

The installation of photovoltaic systems that generate electricity through the sun should be encouraged by making low interest loans available to the general public. These loans could be paid back over a long period of time. The feed in tariff should be to the advantage of the consumer. Payment for loans may be in the form of extra energy the consumer produces.

Liberalized height restrictions introduced in the Local Plan of 2006 has meant that many properties now lack access to roofs to make use of solar energy sources. A revision of these height restrictions should guarantee that dwellers have access to sunlight.

L-Estratt segwenti hu meħud kelma b’kelma mill-Kapitlu 13 tal-Manifest Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika

Kull bini ġdid għandu jkun żviluppat b’mod li jkun hemm spazju fuq il-bejt għal panelli fotovoltajiċi u solar water heaters. Kull bini għandu jikkonforma ma’ liġijiet dwar l-effiċjenza fl-enerġija b’użu sħiħ ta’ insulazzjoni u double glazing. L-installazzjoni ta’ solar water heaters għandha tkun obbligatorja, inkluż f’ bini eżistenti fejn hemm spazju fuq il-bjut.

Għandu jkun hemm skema miftuħa għal kulħadd (u mhux kif jiġri bħalissa fejn l-iskema hi limitata għal min japplika l-ewwel) ta’ sussidju li tgħin lil dawk bi dħul baxx u medju biex jinvestu f’solar water heaters u panelli fotovoltajiċi. F’housing estates u social housing il-gvern għandu jagħmel tajjeb għall-ispiża.

L-installazjoni ta’ sistemi fotovoltajiċi li jiġġeneraw l-elettriku mix-xemx, jistgħu jiġu inċentivati permezz ta’ self b’interessi baxxi li jitħallas lura fuq numru ta’ snin. Il-feed-in tariff għandha tkun kemm jista’ jkun vantaġġjuża għall-konsumatur. Ħlas lura ta’ self jista’ jsir permezz tal-enerġija żejda li jipproduċi l-konsumatur.

It-tibdil fil-għoli permissibli tal-bini introdott bil-Pjani Lokali fl-2006 wassal biex ħafna propjetajiet tilfu l-aċċess għall-enerġija solari. Kull reviżjoni tal-pjani lokali għandha tassigura li ma tnaqqasx l-aċċess għad-dawl tax-xemx.