Editorial • 13 July 2003

The decision that needs to be taken

Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s outburst over the choice of temporary landfills proves that deference and dissidence are not alien to the Nationalist government.

Yet, his comment that the cabinet’s decision of its choice landfill sites will lead the PN government ‘to suffer,’ smacks of short-sightedness and attention seeking.

Dr Pullicino Orlando is a Nationalist with a green tinge at heart, but he has the history of having been long enough in the Nationalist Party to realise that since 1987 environmentalism has not been the PN’s forte.

When the geological gem known as Ix-Xaqqa at Ghar Lapsi was being demolished and decimated and at some point illegally mined as a quarry – Dr Pullicino Orlando was not waving any flags of disapproval.

That is not to say that he was in favour of the way this unreasonable mining was allowed to take place. And that is not to say that the man, a dentist by profession, does not have a genuine interest in protecting the natural environment.

Dr Pullicino Orlando complains that the siting of the temporary landfills will be a mistake. But he does not acknowledge that there may be little, or no, alternative to this decision.

It is clear that if Minister Ninu Zammit does not push for these temporary landfills Malta and Gozo will not meet the deadlines imposed by the EU commission on waste management and Maghtab will not be closed down in time.

The fault definitely lies with Mr Zammit’s predecessors who failed to put their foot on the gas and get things started on time. It is, however, also true that these temporary landfills were not part of the waste management strategy and no studies have been made public showing how the sites were chosen.

Dr Pullicino Orlando screams out in NIMBY fashion, but does little in suggesting alternatives.

He calls on his government to consult the representatives of the seventh district, though it should be known that in parliament he has been more absent than present in the last months – it must be said due to his professional commitments.

It must be also be added that this is not the first time that Dr Pullicino Orlando has called for an inclusive political party.

Yet when he was offered the golden opportunity of being part of the inclusive team by taking up the post of a junior minister he declined because he said he did not have the time to spare!

Back to the landfills

The time frame for Malta is tough. The engineered landfill is something innovative and new for Malta.

If it were not for the fact that the ‘supervision’ for the setting up of these landfills is under the watchful eye of the EU Commission, we would share the same scepticism of Dr Pullicino Orlando. But this time it is different, unlike the case of the 1987 power station at Delimara which was supposed to replace the Marsa power utility. This time Maltese politicians will find it pretty hard to default - but then again everything is possible.

At this stage, what we dearly need is some consensus. For it is clear that Malta’s midget size and extra large population does not present us with grease free solutions.

Yes, we need watchdogs and due respect for time targets but the last thing this government needs are prima donnas with chips on their shoulders.