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In essence history repeats itself. In 1985 it was the BDAs with Lorry Sant, in 2006 it was the ODZs with George Pullicino. In 1985, the environmentalists were beaten up and vilified, in 2006 they were called irresponsible. In 1985 they ignored the protestors, in 2006 they did the same. Now, spot the difference.
This week, George Pullicino spent some precious time speaking about how Labour had no credibility in its opposition to the new development zones, lambasting them for their incoherence and hypocrisy.
It could be true, but it is rather irrelevant. The vast majority of Maltese and Gozitans wish to see no more buildings because they love their fair land and wish for an end to this rampage.
Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando did one better. Interviewed in this newspaper, he said he voted for the development zones because one could not leave the decision making process to the Labourites should they be in government.
I could throw up. Does Jeffrey sincerely believe that the Nationalists have the right to govern until kingdom come? The fact is the Nationalist government has spearheaded new development against the wishes of the vast majority of Maltese for the last 18 years. And the only people who seem to have been enthusiastic about the new development zones were the Prime Minister, the regiment of yes-men and the editors of In-Nazzjon and il-mument. Not even the traditionally greedy speculators favoured more surplus speculation.
This debate over more land has now hit a new low. George hits out at the greens, and Sant hits out at George with unsubstantiated accusations. Environmentalists have been vilified, attacked and ridiculed. They have been called Labourite stooges and labelled as insensitive to the social dimension. I think that if the government ever had any intention of trumpeting its ‘environmental’ credentials, it had better think twice because it has none left.
In the last three years we have seen plans to build new artificial islands, new fish farms, more applications at MEPA, more plans for new roads, no change in hunting and trapping enforcement, no decrease in waste production, plans for golf courses and more and more projects that can only serve to convince us that speculation and development is at heart of this government’s vision.
Watching and listening to Pullicino’s body language and voice when under fire, I could only sense insecurity. The worst example of Kim il Sung type rhetoric came from the editorial of il-mument. A salvo of missiles were launched at Din l-Art Helwa’s figurehead exponent Martin Scicluna, attacking him personally for writing what he had to write in a newspaper about the plans to increase building development.
In typically unmitigated churlishness, the editorial questioned why Scicluna who lived abroad at the time had not been present for the protests held against the excesses of minister Lorry Sant in the eighties. I could not believe my eyes.
I recall being the organiser of the protests against the Building Development Zones created by Dom Mintoff and captained by the late Lorry Sant. I do not recall the editor of il-mument protesting there, neither do I remember George Pullicino nor do I remember seeing Lawrence Gonzi.
Instead the Labour media accused us of being against “social justice”, being against new homes for the workers, pretty much the scourge of the working class: that was from the Weekend Chronicle, edited then by Joe Vella, who today is a leading representative for the fossilised Press Club.
When it comes to verbal abuse the two episodes carve up great parallels; the Labour period excels itself for the gratuitous violence.
But in essence history repeats itself. When we were beaten at five consecutive spots in Valletta in full view of the police and press in 1985 by Lorry Sant henchmen, no one came to our rescue. And later when we were arrested by the police for questioning, I do not recall any Nationalist politicians coming over to express solidarity and support. When we finally decided to institute judicial proceedings against Lorry Sant’s thugs in the Maltese courts, we had no one to cheer us. Indeed, it was the complete opposite: the then deputy leader of the Nationalist party, intervened and suggested to our lawyers that we drop the charges.
We refused and the colourful character of His Royal Highness, the one and only Piju Camilleri, and other thugs, were found guilty and ordered by the courts to pay a ridiculously petty fine. And when later I decided to wage war on Lorry Sant together with Wenzu Mintoff and others, there was no Nationalist grouping or heroes to support us.
That’s the kind of footnote that shows you what really lies behind this caste of politicians, and the sort of power they wish to wield.
Fast-forward to 2006, and today we are seeing yet again an extension of building zones. Now the development zones proposed by George Pullicino are infinitely smaller in size than the 22 building development areas proposed by Lorry Sant in 1985. But like Lorry Sant, Pullicino has ignored public opinion and bulldozed through the maze of public opposition. He may not be corrupt, but he has surely ignored civil society and the feelings of the people.
And George thinks that by getting this so-called ODZ rationalisation off the ground, he has done us all a favour. Absolute bollocks.
He says that he is not corrupt like the late Sant, and I believe him. But who is talking about corruption here? We are talking about land use and the decision taken by our politicians to consign this island to a panorama of cement. Everywhere you look from the ugly grey towers of Bertu Mizzi at Tigné to the glistening phallic like Hilton towers of George Fenech, one sees our politicians’ great heritage. We are not talking of Lorry Sant’s time but of the era of the Nationalists, for heaven’s sake. Let us give this dead man a break.
The uglification of Malta at Tigné, at Manoel Island, in Gozo at Kempinski, Chambray, at Delimara, the ravaged hill at the foot of Mellieha, Selmun, at the Freeport and in Birgu next to the Casino – all took place not under the governance of the late Lorry Sant, but under Fenech Adami and Lawrence Gonzi. The illegal quarries and lidos and the proliferation of hotels on our coast, the sprawl from our towns and villages, the destruction of Tower Road and Spinola and Balluta, was done under the captaincy of this government. And the consumerism, the increase in buildings and households are double what was created and constructed between 1971 and 1987. And the number of archaeological sites that have been destroyed in the last twenty years supersedes the number destroyed in the previous twenty.
So you can’t help recoil in disgust at reading what the party apparatchiks at Pietà dish up in il-mument… because the attack on Martin Scicluna was uncalled for and unacceptable.
Scicluna is not a party man. He is a former senior civil servant who served with the British government and who has served as defence and security consultant for respective Maltese governments. He is also an active spokesman for Din l-Art Helwa, an articulate, determined, polite gentleman.
And now he is targeted by il-mument with the blessing of the party leadership. What a bloody disgrace. It just shows to what low levels the political parties will stoop to silence opposition to their doctrine.
Recently, when talking to a senior government official, I was reminded that some of the people who were preaching against the development zones were living in palatial dwellings with swimming pools.
“Who are you talking about?” I asked. “Martin Galea (President of Din l-Art Helwa) is one such example,” they said, to which I answered: “I cannot understand what swimming pools have to do with the credentials of being or not, a critic of the extended development, but as far as I know Martin Galea does not have a swimming pool in his Sliema apartment.”
Don’t you just love wallowing in irony? Just another of those Marxist concepts you find dribbling off the lips of many in the new breed of Nationalists, nurtured by their guilt of not having made enough cash themselves.
Justyne Caruana is not a dumb blond, but if she continues to act the way she has, there’s a good chance that someone may rudely suggest to her of being one. This Labour MP from Gozo has overreacted to the persistence of a certain PN journalist, after journalist Amanda Ciappara did a ‘Charlon Gouder’ by asking, pestering and asking and pestering here again with the same boring question.
And Justyne cracked. Apparently, Justyne cannot take the flak from the media.
And if she cannot, she should consider retiring from her post and leave the frontline to more astute players (of whom I am afraid have no suggestions, of course.)
I have noted that the European delegation in Malta still has a bored looking soldier in camouflage and armed with a Kalashnikov guarding the villa. I am informed that most of the time, the staff are busy looking at each other and wondering what to do next. But the unforgettable moment at the EU delegation was when Joanna Drake arrived late for a meeting, to find her guests waiting for her outside the locked villa.
That was not all. The soldier stopped Dottor Drake and asked her who she was. I am not quite sure why.
Needless to say the stupefied Drake was not amused.
The Americans do not like to negotiate with the people they do not like, said a BBC journalist. And the Israelis could not give a hoot about international obligations and opinion, and continues to kill innocent women and children.
Needless to say, I feel relieved that the MCA have chosen an Israeli contractor to organise the legal interception for the Maltese Security Service. If anyone needs any convincing that Verint is company we should not trust, just read our front-page article. And typically for Malta, no one will question if we should leave telephone and email interception in the hands of an Israeli company. I am sure that all the Arab and European diplomats will be feeling very much at home in Malta.
To trust the Israelis with such sensitive information is sheer madness.
But our government is absolute pathetic when it comes in its dealings with either the US and the Israelis.
Thank you for all the snippets about Bertie Mizzi emailed to bertumizziOBEbiography@mediatoday.com.mt Please send your comments now, before the Israeli company chosen by the Malta Communications Authority for the Security service start operating.
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