Opinion • 27 April 2003

Green, red and frost

KURT SANSONE pins his hope on George & Co. and ponders on the years to come

Fenech Adami’s new cabinet is not exactly what I would call a dream team but the decision to create an environment ministry is one that must be commended.

For long the environment has been the Cinderella of successive government administrations. Prior to 1996 the environment was lumped with the all-important and least environmentally friendly of ministries that of infrastructure and public works. Between 1996 and 1998 environment fell under the foreign affairs ministry while after 1998 the green portfolio found itself being lumped once again with infrastructure in a ministry that included responsibility for large projects, until it was hived off to a parliamentary secretariat under the home affairs ministry.

What we have today is a ministry solely dedicated to the environment and that is a good thing. Equally important was the choice of minister. George Pullicino is young and interests himself in environmental matters. He is also an architect, which puts him in the ideal position to understand the competing and often conflicting views of environmentalists and developers.

However, in his new post he must make his presence felt. While respecting the autonomy of the various authorities and agencies under his portfolio, not least the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, Pullicino must throw his weight about more often, if you will excuse the pun. He runs what will probably be the ministry that requires most attention in the years to come and the responsibility bestowed upon him requires decisions to be taken and followed through.

In the next few years much will have to be done to upgrade the environment by curbing pollution, preserving natural habitats, implementing a more effective land-use policy and regulating waste.

It is in this framework that I do not agree with government’s strategy to exclude the implementation of the waste management strategy from the environment ministry’s portfolio. Waste is an area that requires dynamism, action and continuous communication with the people and I cannot see these objectives being achieved successfully under Ninu Zammit’s infrastructure and resources ministry.

Decisions concerning waste management were conveniently postponed because of the election, but now time is pressing. The landfill site must be identified and work has to commence immediately. Furthermore, waste separation seems to have stalled on the Swieqi pilot project. If Maghtab and Qortin are to be closed by the end of 2004 as committed, much more has to be done to educate people on how to separate domestic waste.

The situation is also complicated for industry, which produces the more dangerous waste streams. No concrete plans have been laid out on how the various industries will be disposing of their waste and that is worrying.

The European Union will serve to spur us towards higher standards not least by providing the available expertise and funds, but the implementation of those standards will be solely up to us. All people with green hearts are pinning their hopes on George & Co. I only hope that he finds enough energy and the right co-operation from other ministries to deliver the goods that have long been denied the Maltese people.

Permafrost

In Siberia the extremely cold temperatures literally reduce the whole landmass into one big frozen state. The situation lasts all year round and little does it permit the growth of vegetation. This phenomenon is called permafrost.

The Labour Party risks becoming the permafrost of Maltese politics if it does not change. It is useless whining about how big and strong the party is unless it is strong enough to be able to become once again a party of power.

The party must change. It must reach out to the independent media and make peace with people it has sought to destroy. The party must also moderate its language to attract back to its fold middle-of-the-road voters, whose decisions are based on rationality rather than emotions.

Most of all the Labour Party must change its track on Europe. It must ditch its almost paranoid anti-EU hogwash and come to accept that Malta has much more to gain from membership than it has to lose.

But a change in policy on the EU won’t be enough. I cannot see Alfred Sant, George Vella and Joe Brincat preaching the EU after having so wholeheartedly lambasted Malta’s membership bid. Neither can I visualise Manwel Cuschieri suddenly having a change of heart on EU matters. If the MLP does change its stand on EU membership, which I hope it will do, it must also change the singers.

Only new people untainted by the hysterical anti-Europeanism that characterised the party over recent years can instil credibility. The new Labour leader must inspire peace of mind and must personally believe in the EU project. Staunch Labourites may find this hard to stomach but unless they want their party to slowly sink into permafrost then they must come round to accept the fact that change is inevitable.

Eternally commanding 47 per cent of the vote, or for all that matters 49 per cent, will get the MLP nowhere as long as the PN manages to transcend the 50 per cent mark.

In five year’s time the PN would have had nearly 20 years in power and God forbid it gets another term in office. Malta demands a strong Opposition party that projects itself as a government in waiting. Malta needs a Labour Party led by new faces and solidly behind the European ideal. And the time for change is now.