Greening the Constitution

Within another ten months, the presidency of George Vella will have come to and end. His enthusiasm for a Constitutional Convention, so far, did not lead to any known tangible results. Covid-19, definitely did not help.

The debate of entrenching environmental protection in the Constitution, thereby reducing or completely removing governmental discretion as to when it can act, is healthy. It signifies recognition that we cannot trust the executive with exercising reasonable discretion, as it has not to date been reasonable in the way it has acted on environmental stewardship.

Let us start at the very beginning. Our Constitution, in its second chapter, contains declaratory provisions which establish a number of basic objectives of government, amongst which the environmental objectives to be attained. The environmental objectives, which were amplified in a recent amendment to the Constitution, moved by then Environment Minister José Herrera, are, in terms of the Constitution itself, fundamental to the governance of the country. They cannot, however, be enforced in a Court of Law. This means that in practice these environmental provisions of the Constitution are for all intents and purposes a dead letter. They need to be enforceable, the soonest, as my party has repeatedly emphasised both in its electoral manifesto in various elections as well as in its submissions to the now stalled Constitutional Convention.

It is now being suggested by the PN that the environment should be a human right entrenched in the Constitution. What does this mean? I think that what has been stated so far is a wrong choice of words. The environment cannot be and is not a human right. What they most probably mean is that access to a protected environment should be a guaranteed human right.  This is a tall order and it signifies that the PN has to reverse a substantial number of its policies in order to be credible: first on the list it needs to reverse its commitment to the 2006 rationalisation plan for consistency. We will wait and see what they really have in mind.

Environmental protection in the Constitution should, in my view, mean ensuring that humans respect the eco-system of which, together with plants and other animals we all form part. It should mean protection of biodiversity, both fauna and flora as well as their habitats. It should also signify the protection of the aquifer as this is not and should not be considered as private property. It also signifies a recognition of the national value of historical heritage.

Unfortunately, the Constitution emphasises in the minutest of details the need to protect private property but then it ignores the significance and the intrinsic value of the eco-system of which we form part and which belongs to all of us.

Reference to the natural environment in the Constitution should be eco-centric and not anthropocentric. This means that when considering the environment, the Constitution should deal with the protection of the rights of nature and not human rights. It is about time that we should start thinking about the rights of nature and link this with the rights of future generations who have a right to breathe unpolluted air and drink unpolluted water and enjoy nature in all its aspects. This is our common heritage and we should handle it with care.

Environmental references in our Constitution should ensure that after years of preaching sustainability we can, maybe, translate our beliefs into legal tools in order that governments are bound to implement sustainable policies.

As things stand the Constitution provides guiding principles when dealing with environmental issues. This has proven to be insufficient as none of the Maltese governments since 1964 has acted in accordance with this constitutional guidance.

If we are to learn anything from the current mess it is that the way forward is to spell out clear environmental objectives which tie the hands of governments.

Greening the Constitution could be a first step in bring our house in order. At the end of the day, however, the Courts must be in a position to be able to instruct government to carry out its duty when it has failed to do so.

published on The Malta Independent on Sunday: 4 June 2023

Wara nhar is-Sibt: flimkien ma’ Sandra

Nhar is-Sibt, f’ADPD kellna bidla fil-tmexxija. Sandra ħadet postha bħala Chairperson tal-Partit.

Kif stqarret tajjeb fid-diskors tagħha, fit-tmiem tal-Laqgħa Ġenerali Annwali, irridu nħejju l-partit għal għada: biex ikun iktar effettiv u biex jikkomunika aħjar mal-votanti.

Il-partit illum hu differenti milli kien għaxar snin ilu. Tul is-snin sar aħjar. Imma dak li għamilna qatt ma hu bizzejjed, dejjem jinħtieġ ħidma iktar. Skond ir-riżorsi li jkollna għad-disposizzjoni tagħna.

Is-sena l-oħra, jiena, flok ma qbadt u warrabt hekk kif ħareġ ir-riżultat tal-elezzjoni ġenerali, ftaħt diskussjoni interna fil-partit. Diskussjoni li pass pass wasslitna għall-bidla meħtieġa. Mit-tibdil li għamilna fil-passat, ħafna drabi sfurzat fuqna minħabba riżenji wara l-elezzjoni ġenerali, tgħallimna li fil-waqt li l-bidla hi realtà li rridu niffaċċjaw kontinwament, kien aktar għaqli li nħejju ruħna għaliha flok ma noqgħod nistennew li tiġi fuqna u tkissirna!

Sandra offriet ruħha għall-vjaġġ li jmiss tal-partit. Vjaġġ ta’ ħidma importanti ħafna. Vjaġġ li ilha li bdiet sena imma li l-bieraħ qabdet ritmu li għandu jwassalha biex tiggwida lill-partit għal riżultati aħjar tul is-snin li ġejjin.

Tul is-snin għamilna passi l-quddiem. Mhumiex biżżejjed. Dejjem hemm il-ħtieġa ta’ iktar.

Inkomplu l-mixja tagħna flimkien ma’ Sandra.

Ara ukoll fuq dan il-blog

B’sodisfazzjon inħarsu l-quddiem: 28 ta’ Marzu 2022

Jistaqsuni: meta ser twarrab? : 31 ta’ Marzu 2022

Għada s-Sibt. : 26 ta’ Marzu 2023

Għada s-Sibt

Għada s-Sibt għandna l-Laqgħa Ġenerali Annwali tal-partit.

Kif ħabbart żmien ilu (is-sena l-oħra fil-fatt) naħseb li jkun għaqli li t-tmexxija tal-partit tgħaddi f’idejn persuna iżgħar minni. Persuna li tista’ twassal lill-partit sal-elezzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew u dik tal-Kunsilli Lokali s-sena d-dieħla u sal-Elezzjoni Ġenerali madwar 4 snin oħra.

Naħseb li dan hu fl-aħjar interess tal-partit li jsir. Issa hu l-aħjar waqt għal pass bħal dan. F’partit żgħir bħal tagħna hu għaqli li t-tibdil meħtieġ nagħmluh gradwalment, fil-mument addattat, bil-pass tagħna, biex inkunu nistgħu nieħdu l-ikbar benefiċċju possibbli minnu!

Aħna jkollna elezzjoni tal-uffiċjali kollha tal-partit kull sena. Din is-sena mhux ser nippreżenta ismi għal kariga ta’ Chairperson tal-partit. (Aħna m’għandniex Kap iżda Chairperson! Qafas sempliċi ta’ tmexxija bla ħafna kumplikazzjonijiet u xinxilli.)

Meta nħares lejn il-ħidma li għamilna flimkien tul is-snin, sar ħafna xogħol, mertu ta’ kulħadd. Imma għad baqa’ ukoll ħafna x’isir.

Da parti tiegħi għalkemm mhux ser nibqa’ fil-kariga ta’ Chairperson tal-partit fi ħsiebni nibqa’ attiv fil-partit biex nibqa’ nagħti l-kontribut tiegħi fil-ħidma li hi tant meħtieġa li tibqa’ issir.

Ir-riżultati li ħdimna għalihom mhux dejjem jidhru. Ħdimna ħafna, numru żgħir ta’ nies f’ambjent li hu mfassal għal żewġ partiti politiċi biss. Ambjent li lilna jarana żejda u jostakolna l-ħin kollu.

Is-sena l-oħra, ftit wara l-elezzjoni ġenerali ftaħna kawża kostituzzjonali dwar is-sistema elettorali imfassla b’mod li toħnoqna. Din il-kawża qed toqrob lejn it-tmiem u huwa ittamat li fl-aħħar kwart tas-sena, wara s-sajf, ikollna l-ewwel deċiżjoni. Hi triq twila li irridu nimxu flimkien.

Mhiex triq faċli, imma hi triq li mxejniha pass pass. Kultant b’diffikultà kbira. Hemm min jikkritikana għax jixtieqilna l-ġid. Lil dawn ngħidilhom grazzi. Nagħtu każ kull ma jingħad. Hemm min imaqdar. B’dawn nieħdu paċenzja.

Tagħna hi ħidma li tirrikjedi paċenzja, inkluż li anke tissaporti kritika inġusta li kultant ifajjar min hu mgħaġġel, bla sabar, inkella ma jafx l-affarijiet jew saħansitra moħħu biss fih innifsu.

Repetutament immorru għand l-Awtorità tax-Xandir dwar il-mod kif il-medja politika tinjorana. Jagħtuna raġun, imma bla rimedju.

Dan hu l-ambjent li fih ħdimna u għadna naħdmu, ghax qatt ma qtajna qalbna. F’dan l-ambjent fl-aħħar elezzjoni ġenerali ġibna 4747 vot, kważi d-doppju tal-elezzjoni ta’ qabel. Mhux biżżejjed. Imma fil-klima li qed naħdmu, b’kollox kontra tagħna, bla riżorsi, hu raġjonevoli.

Dan mhux ambjent li ser jinbidel mil-lum għal għada. Però qatt ma qtajna qalbna. Sadanittant il-ħidma tkompli.

Għada s-Sibt ngħaddi s-siġġu lil Sandra li nawgurala ħafna ħidma fejjieda.

Nieħu din l-opportunità biex nirringrazzja lit-tim kollu li ħdimna flimkien. Grazzi lil kulħadd.

L-Awtorità tax-Xandir: għalfejn qegħda hemm?

Xi ġimgħat ilu iddeċidejna bħala partit li nħarsu sewwa lejn il-media politika (ONE u NET) u l-fatt li dawn kienu qed jinjorawna. Għalihom qiesna ma neżistux. Hekk jixtiequ fil-fatt, għax jidhrilhom li l-eżistenza tagħna hi xkiel għalihom. Jidhrilhom li ntellfuhom.

Meta ilmentajna mal-Edituri tal-ONE u tan-NET dwar il-fatt li ma jirrappurtawniex, it-tnejn li huma, għall-ewwel weġbuna bl-istess mod: dak li jxandru hu fi-diskrezzjoni editorjali tagħhom.

Sussegwentement, imma, in-NET bidel id-diska. L-ewwel beda jxandar xi affarijiet żgħar, imbagħad beda jxandar ftit iktar. Li ġara kien li ċempilli s-Segretarju Ġenerali tal-PN Michael Piccinino. Niftakar kont Brussels u ċempilli biex infurmani li qalulu bl-ilmenti ta’ ADPD u li hu kien ta’ struzzjonijiet biex dawn ikunu indirizzati. Kien pass tajjeb il-quddiem.

Kien hemm kambjament fuq in-NET. Beda jkun hemm rappurtaġġ avolja mhux ta’ xi kwalità. Kif mistenni joqgħodu attenti biex filwaqt li jirrappurtaw, ħafna drabi fuq fuq, iħallu barra fejn jinqaras il-PN. Dik kont nistenniha, avolja, jekk irridu xandir sura din trid tinqata’ ukoll.

Fil-kaz tal-ONE imma bqajna l-istess. Baqgħu għaddejjin b’ċensura politika totali fl-interess tal-Partit Laburista u kontra l-obbligi li jirriżultaw mill-liċenzja li għandhom.

F’Marzu kellna deċiżjoni li kienet l-ewwel waħda tax-xorta tagħha fejn l-Awtorità tax-Xandir laqgħet ilment ta’ ADPD u ordnat lil ONE ixandru rapport qasir dwar dak li kienu iċċensuraw. Dan kien ġie imxandar, b’geddum sal-art! Is-suġġett dakinnhar kien dwar l-isptarijiet, dwar Vitals u Stewards Health Care!

Il-bieraħ kellna kaz ieħor, dwar il-fatt li xi politiċi qegħdin viċin wisq ta’uħud fin-negożju u li dan hu perikoluż għad-demokrazija. Il-bieraħ l-Awtorità tax-Xandir ħabbret li laqgħet l-ilment tagħna. Qaltilna li għandna raġun. Imma din id-darba ma tatx rimedju. Ma ħarget l-ebda ordni lil ONE biex ixandar fil-qosor dak li kien ġie ċċensurat.

Ngħiduha kif inhi: dan it-tip ta’ rimedju hu essenzjalment wieħed simboliku imma hu meħtieġ.

Imma ma jagħmilx sens li l-Awtorità tax-Xandir tgħidli li għandi raġun, imma fl-istess nifs tgħidli biex nieħu paċenzja.

Għax ngħiduha kif inhi: f’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi għalfejn għandna awtorità?

In-Nigret : iktar raba’ tajjeb ser jingħata għall-bini

Bħalissa għaddejja diskussjoni dwar applikazzjoni PC 049/19 dwar art agrikola fin-Nigret biex din tinbena. Kellmuna bosta dwar dan.

L-art hi kbira: 11,500 metru kwadru (iva ħdax-il elf u ħames mitt metru kwadru), ftit iktar minn għaxart itmiem.

Hemm kważi 1500 oġġezzjoni għal din l-applikazzjoni li dalwaqt tkun deċiża.

Ftit jirrealizzaw li d-deċiżjoni ilha li ittieħdet mill-2006 biex din l-art tkun tajba għal bini. Id-deċiżjoni ħadha l-Partit Nazzjonalista fil-Gvern permezz tal-Kabinett ta’ Lawrence Gonzi: fuq quddiem il-Ministru George Pullicino.

Dakinnhar Alternattiva Demokratika u l-għaqdiet ambjentali oġġezzjonaw. Il-Labour fl-Opposizzjoni, dakinnhar, fil-Parlament ivvota kontra, imma hekk kif tela’ fil-Gvern ħalla kollox kif kien.

Fl-aħħar programm elettorali ADPD biss insitiet li din l-art m’għandhiex tinbena.

Ir-rapport tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar tlesta u jġib id-data tal-11 ta’ Mejju 2023: jirrakkomanda li l-art għandha tinbena: tlett sulari.

Fil-Gżira: grazzi lil Conrad

Illum ADPD morna l-Gżira fil-ġnien mhedded minn pompa tal-petrol.

Hu tajjeb li l-Kunsill Lokali tal-Gżira immexxi mis-Sindku Conrad Borg-Manché ħareġ għonqu biex jiddefendi l-ġnien tant meħtieġ għar-residenti.

Il-ġnien hu pulmun essenzjali li jeħtieġ li jikber mhux li jiċkien!

Hi ħasra li f’din l-istorja kollha l-bqija tal-Partit Laburista ħa posizzjoni kontra r-residenti. L-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, immexxija minn Bord maħtur mill-Partit Laburista fil-Gvern, irid jieħu biċċa mill-ġnien għall-ħtiġijiet tal-pompa tal-petrol. L-Awtorità tal-Artijiet qabbded lill-Avukatessa Ramona Attard, President tal-Partit Laburista, biex tiddefendi d-deċiżjoni tagħha dwar il-pompa tal-petrol.

Hi ħasra li l-affarijiet żviluppaw b’dan il-mod.

Għax f’fora oħra l-Gvern tal-Labour qed jgħid affarijiet oħra.

Hu tajjeb per eżempju li tnieda investiment sostanzjali fil-ħolqien u ż-żamma ta’ spazji urbani ħodor. Apparti li l-affarijiet jistgħu jitmexxew aħjar, l-idea hi tajba. Fuq kollox kien ikun ħafna aħjar kieku l-inizjattiva qegħda f’idejn il-Kunsilli Lokali, flok f’idejn Steve Ellul ta’ Project Green li iktar hu interessat li jħejji soda għalih għall-Parlament Ewropew!

Qabel ma noħolqu spazji urbani mħaddra ġodda kien ikun iktar għaqli li nipproteġu dak li għandna.

Grazzi lill-Kunsill Lokali tal-Gżira u lis-Sindku Conrad Borg-Manché li kienu kapaċi jiddefendu il-ftit li għandna. Moħħna hemm għax l-istorja ma spiċċatx hawn!

Illum fl-Awtorità tax-Xandir

Illum wara nofsinnhar kont flimkien ma’ Ralph Cassar u Sandra Gauci fl-uffiċini tal-Awtorità tax-Xandir biex nippreżenta ilment kontra l-ONE li għal darba oħra naqsu li jirrappurtaw konferenza tal-aħbarijiet ta’ ADPD.

Kienet konferenza tal-aħbarijiet indirizzata minn Sandra u Ralph fejn tkellimna dwar il-periklu għad-demokrazija meta in-nies tal-politika jkun viċin wisq tad-dinja tan-negozju.

Tkellimna dwar ic-chats ta’ Rosianne Cutajar u Yorgen Fenech kif ukoll bosta affarijiet oħra. Imma l-ONE għal darba oħra iċċensurawna.

Ħadd minn ONE ma ġie l-Awtorità tax-Xandir biex jiddefendi ċ-ċensura li qed iwettqu repetutament kontra tagħna. Ma nafx għalfejn ma ġewx, forsi fl-aħħar irrealizzaw li ma jistgħux jagħtu spjegazzjoni kredibbli dwar il-mod partiġjan li bih qed jopera l-ONE.

Nistennew d-deċiżjoni għax minkejja li l-ONE għażlu li ma jiġux l-ilment instema’ xorta waħda!

ADPD dwar il-ħruġ ta’ liċenzja għall-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni

Ftit iktar minn xahar ilu ħadna sehem fil-konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar ir-riforma meħtieġa fl-industrija tal-bini.

F’dawn is-sottomissjonijiet nemfasizaw li :

• Esperjenza, kwalifiċi u taħriġ – it-taħriġ għandu jkun kriterju essenzjali għall-kisba tal-liċenzja u dan għandu jkun wieħed partikolarment meħtieġ għal min m’għandu l-ebda kwalifika formali;
• Ċertifikat ta’ kondotta – għalkemm hemm numru ta’ reati li jitnaddfu minn dan iċ-ċertifikat wara numru ta’ snin, riżultat tal-liġi dwar iċ-ċertifikati tal-kondotta, il-Bord tal-Liċenzji għandu jara li jikkonsidra l-informazzjoni kollha dwar l-applikanti li tista’ tkun ta’ rilevenza fil-qasam tal-kostruzzjoni;
• Imġiba, ilmenti u inċidenti – l-informazzjoni li l-Awtorità dwar il-Bini u l-Kostruzzjoni takkumula dwar is-siti ta’ kostruzzjoni għandha tingħata importanza kbira għaliex l-imġiba fl-operat ta’ kull applikant għandha jkollha relevanza kbira fid-deċiżjoni dwar il-ħruġ tal-liċenzja;
• Assigurazzjoni – din tista’ sservi bħala double-check fuq is-sistema tal-liċenzjar għax tgħarbel ir-riskju ta’ kull applikant u potenzjalment tista’ tirrifjuta li tassigurah fejn dan ikun meħtieġ.

Jekk trid tara s-sottomissjonijiet ta’ ADPD fid-dettall: agħfas hawn

Il-ONE (illum) jiċċensura lil Alfred Sant

Dal-għodu Alfred Sant indirizza l-konferenza ġenerali tal-Partit Laburista. Fl-aħbarijiet tal-lejla tal-ONE ma smajt xejn dwar x’qal. Meta fittixt skoprejt għaliex.

Il-Times online dalghodu irrapporta dak li qal Alfred Sant: tkellem dwar il-korruzzjoni, dwar l-abbuż li qed isir minn kumpaniji multinazzjonali mis-sistema tat-tassazzjoni Maltija biex jevutaw it-taxxi f’pajjiżhom u dwar l-impatti tat-tibdil fil-klima.

Korruzzjoni? Ma tarax! Aqta’!

Meta nara li l-ONE ma jiddejqux jiċċensura anke lil Alfred Sant, xejn ma niskanta li jagħmlu ħilithom biex jippruvaw jiċċensuraw lilna tal-ADPD ukoll.

ONE: ġurnaliżmu tal-ħabbagozz!

Without transparency, accountability is hampered

Earlier this week I was called by the Auditor General to his office in order to discuss the request for an investigation which I had submitted to his office some 15 days ago on behalf of ADPD. My request for an investigation was relative to the contract of service entered into between the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS) and the Honourable Rosianne Cutajar, then a Labour member of parliament, now turned independent after being squeezed out of Labour.

As pointed out earlier in this column (The role of members of Parliament: TMIS 2 April), the issue is not an investigation of Rosianne Cutajar. It is rather an investigation into the operation of the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS): whether it has engaged a consultant to its CEO to carry out responsibilities in respect of which the said consultant had no knowledge or competence, as is public knowledge.

An examination of the contract entered into between the Honourable Cutajar and ITS lists the areas of responsibilities which she was expected to shoulder: primarily issues of financial management. These responsibilities fall substantially outside the competences of a qualified Italian secondary school teacher. The contract in question is one which was hidden from public view until it was released by Shift News on the 23 March after it had obtained a copy as a result of a Freedom of Information request.

The inquisitive and investigative free press is shining a light on secretive acts carried out by the public sector: this is what transparency is about. Without transparency there is no way that we can ensure a shred of accountability.

The Auditor General informed me that he had called this meeting to hear my views, prior to his taking a decision on whether to proceed with the investigation and subsequently inform the Speaker of the House of Representatives of his findings.

Good governance does not stand a chance of ever taking root if this is how decisions are taken in the wider public sector. It is about time that all decision-takers start shouldering responsibility for the decisions they take. This ITS contract is one small example of abusive behaviour which needs acting upon immediately. It is not only politicians who must be accountable.

The management of public funds is tied with a duty to act in a responsible manner. All those who manage public funds must be in a position to account minutely for their actions. At the end of the day, it is the Auditor General who is entrusted by Parliament to monitor and report on the matter. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will be informed exactly what happened and who is actually responsible.

Transparency and accountability work in tandem. A lack of transparency is normally the first step to try and ensure that accountability is avoided.

Transparency is the indispensable foundation of good governance. In contrast, bad governance is generally wrapped in secrecy through the withholding of information which should be in the public domain. Without transparency, accountability is a dead letter; devoid of any meaning. A lack of transparency transforms our democracy into a defective process, as basic and essential information required to form an opinion on what’s going on is missing. After all, accountability is about responsibility: it signifies the acknowledgement and assumption of responsibility for our actions. This cannot be achieved unless and until transparency reigns supreme.

Whenever government, or public bodies, are secretive about information which they hold, and refuse or oppose without valid reason requests to release information under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act they give ample proof of their governance credentials.

Transparency is a journey, not a destination. We have to work hard at ensuring transparency continuously. It is a long journey, one which never ends.

Rules and laws will not bring about transparency. It will only result whenever each one of us opts to do what is right and not what is expedient. Our actions speak much louder than words.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 16 April 2023