The PLPN stables and the MDA

The Malta Developers Association has today announced the appointment of Dr Deborah Schembri as its Director General.  She takes over from Dr Marthese Portelli who has now taken up another appointment elsewhere.

Before taking up the role of Director General of the MDA Dr Marthese Portelli was a PN Member of Parliament. She was also a member of the Planning Authority Board on behalf of the PN parliamentary group. She was also Shadow Minister for the Environment and Land Use Planning.

Dr Deborah Schembri on the other hand was Parliamentary Secretary for Land Use Planning on behalf of Labour.

With these appointments there is one thing which gets clearer by the minute. Politicians from the PLPN stables are not allergic to the MDA.

Kliem Deborah Schembri tal-biki.

 

Deborah Schembri ġiet rappurtata li qalet li hemm min jiddejjaq b’dak li jinkiteb. Hemm min iweġġa’. Dak, qalet Deborah hu abbuż u mhux libertà tal-espressjoni. Iffaċċjati b’din is-sitwazzjoni u b’mod partikolari meta r-rimedji legali ma jkunux ċari, uħud, qalet Deborah Schembri jikkunsidraw li għandhom jieħdu l-liġi b’idejhom.

Imbagħad hawn min jistkanta kif jitnaqqru d-drittijiet demokratiċi.

Qatt ma hu gustifikat li xi ħadd jieħu l-liġi b’idejh. Imma meta persuna attiva fil-ħajja pubblika bħal Deborah Schembri tasal biex titkellem b’dan il-mod jintwera bic-car l-istat li fih qiegħed il-pajjiż.

Kliem Deborah Schembri m’huwiex biss perikoluz għax jista’ jkun ikkunsidrat minn uħud bħala li jiġġustifika jew jiskuża l-użu tal-vjolenza, imma hu fuq kollox irresponsabbli għax tagħti dan il-messaġġ ċar u bla tlaqlieq.

Il-libertà tal-espressjoni hi dritt fundamentali. Għandna dritt li nkunu kritiċi ta’ kollox u ta’ kulħadd. Hu ovvju li meta tikkritika ser ikun hemm min jiddarras, min jieħu għalih. Min ma jridx li jkun ikkritikat, jimxi sewwa u ftit li xejn ikun ikkritikat! Imma kulħadd hu soġġett għall-liġi kemm min joffendi kif ukoll min ikun offiż. Għax iva id-dritt tal-espressjoni tfisser ukoll id-dritt li toffendi, imma imbagħad trid terfa’ l-konsegwenzi legali ta’ egħmilek.

Ma hemmx bżonn dritt tal-espressjoni għal min ifaħħar. Għax it-tifħir ma jweġġa’ lil ħadd. Il-ħarsien tad-dritt tal-espressjoni qiegħed hemm għal min hu kritiku, b’mod partikolari kritiku ta’ dawk fil-poter kif ukoll ta’ dawk li jinċensawhom. Il-kritika bil-fors tweġġa’, ġieli ftit u ġieli ħafna. Ħafna drabi tweġġa’ għax dak magħruf minn ftit isir magħruf minn ħafna.

Id-diffikulta ta’ min jikteb, ħafna drabi, hi fejn taqta’ linja bejn dak li hu privat u dak li mhux. Mhux kull ġurnalist hu tal-istess opinjoni. Jiddependi ukoll mis-suġġett li jkun qed jiġi eżaminat.

Imma politiku li jdeffes lill-uliedu żgħar kontinwament għall-attenzjoni pubblika m’għandu l-ebda dritt li jilmenta jekk dawn jitfaċċaw ukoll taħt il-lenti, għax il-biċċa jkun ġiebha b’idejh.

L-istil ta’ min jikteb ivarja. Hemm min jikteb b’mod dirett u jsemmi l-ismijiet ta’ dak, dik u l-oħra. Hemm imbagħad min jikteb b’mod sarkastiku u jikkritika billi jgħaddi biż-żmien. Jikteb b’nofs ċajta u juża’ l-umoriżmu bħala arma li taqta’. Huma stili li jikkuntrastaw u li jogħġbu jew idejqu persuni differenti.

Din hi d-demokrazija li kontinwament qed tiżviluppa quddiemna. Ma togħġobx lil kulħadd. Tirrikjedi ġurnalisti b’kuraġġ u politiċi b’ġilda ħoxna li ma jieħdux għalihom għal kull ħaga ta’ xejn. Imma fuq kollox hi l-bażi tad-demokrazija tagħna għax bla ġurnaliżmu serju m’aħna xejn.

Il-libertà tal-espressjoni irridu ngħożżuha kuljum. L-ebda politiku li jiddubita minn dan ma jixraqlu li jissejjaħ demokratiku.

Sens komun: fil-Mosta u f’Marsaxlokk

 

 

Matul dawn l-aħħar ġranet, Alternattiva Demokratika kienet qed tikkampanja kontra żvilupp massiċċ li ġie propost kemm fil-Mosta kif ukoll f’Marsaxlokk.  Din hi kampanja li ilha li bdiet ħdax-il sena, u tibqa’ għaddejja,  kontra t-tkabbir taż-żona żviluppabbli proposta minn George Pullicino, dakinnhar Ministru responsabbli għall-ambjent u l-ippjanar għall-użu tal-art.

Nhar il-Ġimgħa, f’Marsaxlokk, kien ta’ sodisfazzjoni li s-Sindku Horace Gauci, elett f’isem il-Partit Laburista, ingħaqad magħna ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika waqt konferenza stampa b’appoġġ għar-residenti Tal-Marnisi Marsaxlokk.

Hi kampanja biex is-sens komun favur l-ambjent jipprevali fuq id-deċiżjoni li kien ħa l-Parlament fl-2006 meta l-Gvern immexxi mill-PN mexxa ‘l-quddiem proposta biex żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art li kienu barra miż-żona ta’ żvilupp, ma jibqgħux iktar ODZ u minn dakinnhar jibdew jiffurmaw parti miż-żona ta’ żvilupp. Dan sar mingħajr ma ġew eżaminati l-impatti ta’ deċiżjoni bħal din, lejliet li kellha tidħol fis-seħħ id-Direttiva tal-Unjoni Ewropeja dwar il-kejl tal-impatti strateġiċi ambjentali. Li ma sarx dan l-kejl, ifisser li l-impatti kumulattivi tal-iżvilupp li kien qed ikun propost kienu kompletament injorati.

Nhar it-Tnejn 20 ta’ Marzu l-Kumitat Eżekuttiv tal-Awtoritá tal-Ippjanar ħa żewġ deċiżjonijiet kontrastanti dwar żewġ meded kbar ta’ art. Dwar l-ewwel waħda, art agrikola fil-Mosta tal-qies ta’ 38500 metru kwadru l-proposta bi pjan ta’ żvilupp kienet rifjutata filwaqt li dwar it-tieni waħda ukoll primarjament agrikola u b’qies ta’ 17,530 metru kwadru, l-propost pjan ta’ żvilupp kien approvat.

Fiż-żewġ każi ma sar l-ebda eżami tal-impatti soċjali, ekonomiċi u ambjentali u dan billi l-professjonisti tal-ippjanar li taw il-parir lill-Kumitat Eżekuttiv tal-Awtoritá tal-Ippjanar kienu tal-fehma li d-deċiżjoni tal-2006 tal-Parlament kienet kemm ċara kif ukoll finali. Sfortunatament ma dehrilhomx meħtieġ li jeżaminhaw dan minn lenti kritika.

Fl-2006, il-Parlament kien iddeċieda li dawn iż-żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art ma kellhomx iktar ikunu meqjusa bħala barra miż-żona tal-iżvilupp (ODZ). Il-grupp parlamentari tal-PN kien ivvota favur din il-proposta, u dan jispjega l-għaliex dak li taparsi kkonverta favur l-ambjent, Simon Busuttil, għadu ma fetaħx ħalqu dwar dan kollu.  Imma l-Partit Laburista, dakinnhar fl-Opposizzjoni ma kienx qabel u kien ivvota kontra li din l-art tkun tista’ tingħata għall-iżvilupp. Għalhekk Joseph Muscat bħalissa qiegħed f’posizzjoni imbarazzanti.

Il-Partit Laburista għadu tal-istess fehma, jew bidel il-ħsieb? Għax issa waslet is-siegħa tal-prova. X’ser jagħmel? Għax anke jekk ikun meqjus li d-deċiżjoni tal-Parlament tal-2006 titfa’ ċerti obbligi fuq il-Gvern u fuq l-Awtoritá tal-Ippjanar, xorta hu possibli li l-impatt tal-iżvilupp massiv li ġie propost ikun imtaffi.

Id-deċiżjoni tal-20 ta’ Marzu tal-Kumitat Eżekuttiv tal- Awtoritá tal-Ippjanar li biha l-applikazzjoni dwar l-art fil-Mosta kienet rifjutat hu l-mod kif għandhom isiru l-affarijiet. Hi deċiżjoni li s-Segretarju Parlamentari Deborah Schembri għandha żżomm quddiem għajnejha meta l-każ ta’ Marsaxlokk jiġi quddiema biex tikkunsidra jekk tagħtix l-approvazzjoni tagħha. Jiena naħseb li s-Segretarju Parlamentari Schembri għandha tibgħat il-każ ta’ Marsaxlokk lura quddiem l- Awtoritá tal-Ippjanar biex ikun ikkunsidrat mill-ġdid.

Żvilupp massiv ta’ din ix-xorta m’għandux ikun possibli meta hawn tant propjetajiet residenzjali vojta. Anke f’Marsaxlokk stess l-aħħar ċensiment, dak tal-2011, juri li 18.7% tar-residenzi huma battala filwaqt li 5.9% tagħhom jintużaw biss kultant. Nistgħu nibqgħu nibnu bil-goff meta għandna din il-kwantitá ta’ propjetá vojta?

Għandna bżonn ftit sens komun fl-ippjanar ta’ l-użu ta’ l-art. Sens komun li jagħti piz u konsiderazzjoni tal-impatti fuq il-komunitá kollha qabel ma jittieħdu deċiżjoniiet bħal dawn.

Fiż-żewġ każi, l-Mosta u Marsaxlokk, qed nitkellmu dwar raba’ li kienet tinħadem u li issa intelqet minħabba l-pressjoni kkawżata mill-iżvilupp. Dan hu process li jeħtieġ li nwaqqfuh minnufih. Illum qabel għada.

 

ippubblikat f’ Illum –  2 t’April 2017

Green sense is common sense

 

In the last few days Alternattiva Demokratika-the Green Party- has been campaigning against over-development at both Mosta and Marsaxlokk. It is the renewal of an everlasting campaign, started 11 years ago against the increase in the development zone piloted by former Environment and Land Use Planning Minister George Pullicino.

In Marsaxlokk last Friday we were joined by Labour Mayor Horace Gauci who arrived at, and addressed an AD press conference in support of the residents of Il-Marnisi, Marsaxlokk, in view of the impact of the rationalisation exercise in the area.

It is a campaign to see green sense prevail over the rationalisation exercise, as a result of which, in 2006 on the proposal of a PN-led government, Parliament included around two million square metres of land within the development zone overnight. This was done without a strategic environment assessment having been carried out to examine the proposals. It was on the eve of the coming into force of the Strategic Environment Assessment EU Directive which, just days later, would have made such an assessment compulsory. Not carrying out such an assessment signifies that the cumulative impacts of development were ignored by not being factored into the decision-taking process.

On 20 March, the Planning Authority Executive Committee took two contrasting decisions in respect of two large tracts of land. Regarding the first – 38,500 square metres of agricultural land at Mosta –  the scheme for a development proposal was turned down, while in respect of the second – 17,530 square metres of largely agricultural land in Marsaxlokk – the proposal for development was approved.

In neither case was any assessment of the social, economic and environmental impact carried out, as the professional land-use planners advising the Executive Committee of the Planning Authority consider that Parliament’s decision in 2006 was definite and any assessment unnecessary. Unfortunately they did not think it appropriate to examine the matters before them critically.

In 2006, Parliament had decided that this two million square metre area of land, formerly considered as ODZ land, was henceforth to be part of the development zone. The PN Parliamentary group had  voted in favour of this proposal, which is why the pseudo-environmental convert Simon Busuttil is completely silent on the issue. However, the Labour Party Opposition voted against the proposal, thus placing Joseph Muscat in an awkward position today.

Has the Labour Party changed its views? The chickens are now coming home to roost.

When push comes to shove, and notwithstanding the PN mantra that “ODZ is ODZ”, the PN always seeks to consent to ODZ development, as long as such development is given the go-ahead when it is in the driving seat!

But what about the Labour Party today? Even if it factors in the views of those who maintain that the 2006 decision ties its hands, it can certainly take mitigation measures that would substantially reduce the negative impact of the 2006 parliamentary decision which favours such massive over-development.

The decision of the Executive Committee of the Planning Authority on the 20 March to reject the proposal for the development of the tract of land in Mosta is the way forward. It should be taken on board by Parliamentary Secretary for land use planning Deborah Schembri when the Marsaxlokk case is placed on her desk for her consideration. I respectfully ask Ms Schembri to request the Planning Authority to reconsider its decision and hence send it back to the drawing board.

The proposed reconsideration should be undertaken primarily because such massive development is not required: it is not necessary to sacrifice so much agricultural land. (I am informed that on the site there is also a small stretch of garigue with a number of interesting botanical specimens.) The results of the 2011 Census indicated that 18.7 per cent of Marsaxlokk’s housing stock was then vacant and 5.9 per cent of it only in occasional use.  Why should we keep adding to the vacant housing stock through proposals for massive development projects?

We need some green sense in the planning of land-use. We need some common sense in considering the impact on the whole community before far-reaching decisions are taken.  In both cases mentioned above, the land that has been the subject of proposed  development schemes is agricultural land that has fallen into disuse as a result of development pressures. This process should be reversed forthwith, and the sooner the better: it is only common sense.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday – 2 April 2017

Joseph tweets a selfie from Girgenti

A week ago, during a short break from a very “fruitful” meeting of the Labour Party Parliamentary Group, Joseph Muscat, the Prime Minister, tweeted a selfie. The selfie included a number of hangers-on who promptly re-tweeted Joseph’s selfie, announcing to one and all that the Labour Party Parliamentary Group was meeting at Girgenti, the Prime Minister’s official residence in the countryside.

In the tweeted selfie, standing in the front row, perched between Planning Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri and Civil Rights Minister Helena Dalli stands Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, the Cabinet member who around 18 months ago piloted the Financing of Political Parties Act through Parliament  Throughout the past months, the Honourable Owen Bonnici rightly proclaimed this as a milestone. How come his own government and his own political party ignored the implementation of this milestone?

It seems that Joseph, the tweeter from Girgenti, was either not properly advised of the implications of this landmark  legislation or else ignored completely the advice he received.

On Tuesday I visited the offices of the Electoral Commission and met Joseph Church, the Chief Electoral Commissioner. Together with my colleague Arnold Cassola, I drew the attention of Mr Church to the fact that the Parliamentary Labour Party was making use of government property contrary to the provisions of the Financing of Political Parties Act. On behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party in Malta, we requested that Joseph Muscat and his Labour Party be investigated for acting against the provisions of the landmark legislation: Joseph Muscat for permitting the use of the Girgenti Palace and the Labour Party for accepting to use it as a venue for one of the meetings of its Parliamentary Group.

As I have already explained during a Press Conference held after the meeting with the Chief Electoral Commissioner, as well as in the daily edition of this newspaper [Girgenti: demarcation line between party and state. TMI 23 February] the use of the Girgenti Palace is deemed to be a donation, which in terms of article 34 of the Financing of Political Parties Act is not permissible to be received by a political party from the state. Joseph Muscat the Prime Minister could not grant such a donation, and Joseph Muscat the Leader of the Labour Party could not accept it.

Unfortunately, this incident communicated by tweet sends a very clear and negative message: that Joseph Muscat and his Labour Party consider themselves to be above the law. The law which they rightly described as being a “landmark legislation” was intended to apply to one and all.  Joseph Muscat and his Labour Party seem to think otherwise. In fact, the Labour Party is not even yet registered as a political party as the Electoral Commission, some months back, considered that it does not satisfy the conditions laid down in the legislation.

Some may consider that Alternattiva Demokratika is splitting hairs when raising the matter. I beg to differ, as a very basic principle is at stake: the demarcation line separating the government from the governing political party. This is what lies at the core of the complaint submitted by the Greens to the Chief Electoral Commissioner for an investigation in terms of the provisions of the Financing of Political Parties Act.

I am informed that the Electoral Commission will be meeting next Wednesday when it is expected to consider the request to investigate Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his political party for ignoring the provisions of the Financing of Political Parties Act.  It is the moment of truth for the Electoral Commission. Eight out of nine of its members are political appointees: four nominated by the Prime Minister and another four nominated by the Leader of the Opposition. The ninth member of the Commission is the chairman, a senior civil servant.

It is time for all nine members of the Electoral Commission to stand up and be counted. As a constitutional body, it is the Commission’s duty to defend the values of a modern day parliamentary democracy. Whether it will do so is anybody’s guess. I will definitely not hold my breath.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 26 February 2017

Kompetizzjoni : min hu l-iktar maħmuġ?

 

Bħalissa għaddejja kompetizzjoni bejn il-Partit Nazzjonalista u l-Partit Laburista dwar min minnhom hu l-iktar maħmuġ.

Jekk tisma’ lill-kelliema tal-PN jitkellmu jkollok informazzjoni dettaljata dwar katalgu ta’ ħmieġ li bih hu mifni dan il-pajjiż. Inevitabilment, jekk tkun smajt lil tal-PN biss jitkellmu tikkonkludi kemm hu żventurat dan il-pajjiż!

Min-naħa l-oħra, wara li tkun smajt lil Owen Bonnici jew lil Deborah Schembri, bi qdusija kbira, jitkellmu dwar l-aħħar każ ta’ Jason Azzopardi, bil-fors li tibda titkellem waħdek u tibda tistaqsi bejnek u bejn ruħek jekk hux qed tisma’ sewwa. Għax, tgħid: dan Jason li qed jitkellmu dwaru mhux dak li jippontifika dwar il-korrettezza? Ara trid tkun vera wiċċek imdellek biex titkellem bħal Jason Azzopardi, joħroġ żewġ rapport dwarek l-Awditur Ġenerali u qiesu ma ġara xejn.

Min hu l-iktar maħmuġ? Tagħmel xi differenza dwar min hu l-iktar jew l-inqas maħmuġ? Għax għalija l-grad tad-differenza fil-ħmieġ bejniethom hu irrelevanti. It-tnejn maħmuġin u m’hemmx x’tagħżel bejniethom. Ma tistax tafda lil ħadd minnhom.

Jieħu għalih min irid.   

A stinking amnesty

 

The planning amnesty which Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri launched last week to regularise development illegalities that cannot be addressed through a proper application of planning policies is a throwback to the Stone Age of land use planning in Malta.

While land use planning in Malta has been and  always will be the most controversial of activities of public bodies, it has to be stated that, since 1992, the Planning Authority (warts and all) has developed into the most transparent government authority. It could be much more transparent but no one in his right senses doubts that, to date, it still surpasses all the other government departments and authorities in issues of transparency.

Applications for the issuance of a development permit are publicised through a site notice and on the Planning Authority website, as well as in the Malta Government Gazette. On the Planning Authority website one can also examine the exact proposal, as all the drawings submitted can be viewed online. On the basis of this available  information, it is possible to submit to the Planning Authority observations about – and objections to – the development proposal , which observations and objections have to be addressed when the final report on the particular application is drawn up recommending approval or refusal of the development proposal.

To date there is one exception, commonly referred to as the DNO  (Development Notification Order) application which is a fast-track application process. Generally, this type of application is non-controversial and involves minor or straightforward applications. However, recently the Planning Authority considered that it was advisable to reduce the number of cases to which the DNO process applies, thereby widening the number of proposals for development which are subject to public consultation.

Legal Notice 285 of 2016, published under the authority of Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri, stands in stark contrast to all this and stinks. Entitled Regularisation of Existing Development Regulations 2016, these regulations establish the procedures to be followed in order to regularise existing development illegalities. We have to thank Dr Schembri for small mercies, as she excluded illegal ODZ developments from the regularisation process. However, she did not consider it appropriate to similarly exclude illegal developments in UCAs (Urban Conservation Areas) or illegalities concerning scheduled or protected properties.

Nor is there a distinction between minor illegalities and major illegalities. Had the proposed regularisation process sought to sanction minor illegalities, matters would have been substantially different and most probably the proposal would have been acceptable. This would be so even though most of the minor illegalities would most probably not require an amnesty. Most can easily be dealt with within the parameters of existing policies and regulations. These cases of minor illegalities are, in fact, the perfect camouflage for the major illegalities.

To ensure that this camouflage works as planned, Legal Notice 285 of 2016 makes short shrift of the transparency process by ensuring that it is not applicable to applications for the regularisation of illegal developments. The legal notice, in its regulation 5, emphasises only one exception, which is those cases where an illegal development was subject to an enforcement order. In such cases where an enforcement order would have been issued “following the submission of a formal complaint by third parties” the said third parties will be informed that an application has been submitted for the regularisation of the illegalities and they will be given the opportunity to be considered “interested parties”.

In all other cases, contrary to the provisions of the Development Planning Act of 2016, no one has the right to be considered an interested party. This can be stated with certainty as being a specific objective in view of the fact the regulation 3 of Legal Notice clearly spells out its objectives, which are: “to lay down procedures by which any person may request the regularisation of an existing irregular development.”

The legal notice makes no provision either for access to information about the proposals submitted or on the timeframe for submissions of observations and/or objections by interested third parties other than by the solitary exception referred to previously.

This is the state of affairs which led four environmental NGOs – Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Friends of the Earth (Malta) and Ramblers Association – to submit in Court a judicial protest in which they insisted that the government cannot ignore the transparency provisions of the Development Planning Act 2016 when considering whether to regularise illegal development. These applications have to be publicised and the public has a right to scrutinise them as well as submit comments and objections when they consider these to be appropriate.

There is only one simple question to ask: why this stink?

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday – 4 September 2016

Tletin sena lura, ma Deborah Schembri

 

L-iskema li tħabbret il-ġimgħa l-oħra mis-Segretarju Parlamentari Deborah Schembri dwar il-ħruġ ta’ permessi ta’ żvilupp fejn hemm bini illegali jew irregolari hi inkwetanti għax tagħti daqqa ta’ ħarta lit-trasparenza fil-proċess tal-ippjanar fl-użu tal-art.

Sal-lum dettalji dwar l-applikazzjonijiet (tip, użu, lokalità u identità ta’ żviluppatur) ikunu ppubblikati u hemm żmien stabilit sa meta kull persuna li għandha interess tkun tista’ toġġezzjona għall-iżvilupp propost. Wara, sal-lum hemm ukoll il-possibilità ta’ appell.

Dan m’huwiex possibli li jsir f’dawn l-applikazzjonijiet dwar il-bini illegali. Ser jagħtu ċans biss lil min żmien ilu jkun għamel rapport u li a bażi tiegħu tkun ħarġet ordni ta’ infurzar (enforcement order).  Dan imur kontra il-prinċipju bażiku stabilit fil-liġi tal-ippjanar: l-informazzjoni għandha tkun pubblika kollha. Għax jekk l-informazzjoni ma tkunx pubblika l-iskrutinju pubbliku ma jistax isir.

B’daqqa ta’ pinna Deborah Schembri bagħtet l-ippjanar ta’ l-użu tal-art tletin sena lura. Fejn kollox isir bil-moħbi.

Min qal li l-aqwa fl-Ewropa?

Lil Michael Falzon qabżitlu ċ-ċinga

Wara li ħadet il-ġurament tal-ħatra, Deborah Schembri, Segretarju Parlamentari għall-Ippjanar u s-Simplifikazzjoni tal-Proċess Amministrattiv bdiet fuq nota tajba. Qalet li m’għandniex niżirgħu dubji dwar ir-rapporti tal-Awditur Ġenerali. Għandna l-obbligu li nitgħallmu minnhom. Huwa kumment f’waqtu u jpatti ftit għall-ħsara istituzzjonali bil-kummenti goffi ta’ Michael Falzon nhar l-Erbgħa hekk kif irriżenja minn Segretarju Parlamentari.

Falzon, li kien ilu jaqla’ ġo fih xhur sħaħ, żbroffa l-bieraħ meta xebbaħ partijiet mir-rapport tal-Awditur Ġenerali dwar l-esproprijazzjoni ta’ 36 Triq iz-Zekka l-Qadima l-Belt Valletta ma’ diskors tal-Kap tal-Opposizzjoni. Falzon soltu jkun meqjus fi kliemu, iżda l-bieraħ qabżitlu ċ-ċinga.

Huwa tajjeb li l-istituzzjonijiet nirrispettawhom. Meta naqblu mal-konklużjonijiet tagħhom ma hemm l-ebda diffikulta biex nuru dan ir-rispett. Ir-rispett reali nuruh meta l-konklużjonijiet ikun iebsa u jesponu d-difetti fit-tħaddim tal-amminstrazzjoni pubblika.

Huwa tajjeb li nifhmu lkoll li din hi l-funzjoni tal-Awditur Ġenerali : li jgħarbel il-ħidma u l-infieq tal-amministrazzjoni pubblika biex jassigura li flusna qed jiġu użati kif inhu xieraq. Il-ħidma tal-Awditur Ġenerali dejjem ser tkun ta’ kontroversja. Ġieli ftit u ġieli ħafna. Bil-fors irid ipoġġi subgħajh fuq il-feriti u d-dnubiet tal-amministrazzjoni pubblika. Jekk ma jagħmilx dan ikun qiegħed hemm għalxejn.

Ikun xieraq li napprezzaw il-ħidma tiegħu għax, kif ngħidu, hi dejjem ħidma għat-telgħa. Għalhekk il-kumment ta’ Deborah Schembri l-bieraħ kif floku. Huwa tajjeb li jkun hemm min jisma’ aħjar x’għandu xi jgħid l-Awditur Ġenerali. Huwa b’hekk li jista’ jkollna amministrazzjoni pubblika li tagħti servizz aħjar, lil kulħadd.

F’Paceville: min għalaq għajnejh?

L-inċident tas-Sibt f’Paceville huwa tat-tkexkix. Jinkwetani ukoll bħala missier. Għax dejjem b’imsarni f’saqajja meta uliedi jgħiduli li sejrin Paceville!

Inkiteb ħafna dwar x’wassal għall-inċident.

Meta tqis kollox jidher li n-nuqqas ta’ moniteraġġ huwa l-kawża ta’ kollox.

Issemmew emergency exits li ma ħadmux. Issemmew żgħażagħ taħt l-età li kienu hemm meta ma kellhomx.

Min joħroġ il-permessi għal dawn l-istabilimenti x’qiegħed jagħmel biex jassigura li l-kundizzjonijiet fil-permessi jkunu osservati?

F’Mejju 2012 il-Parlament Malti permezz tal-Kumitat għal Affarijiet Soċjali ippubblika rapport : 8^th Committee Report  Lejn Iktar Sigurta’ u Bon Ordni f’Paceville (More security and order in Paceville) li jelenka numru ta’ suggerimenti li safejn naf jiena baqgħu fuq l-ixkaffa.

Għamlet tajjeb il-Membru Parlamentari Deborah Schembri il-lejla li tat lista twila ta’ inċidenti li seħħew f’Paceville tul is-snin. Għax il-problemi ilhom magħna snin kbar. Għafejn ilna dawn is-snin kollha nagħlqu għajnejna?

Nittama li niftħuhom sewwa, illum qabel għada.