More than just absurd

It is now official: Norman Vella is a martyr. 

Described as a hero by blogger Victor Calleja, who has not quite realised that a journalist who turns into a publicist is a calamity, but a publicist who turns journalist is a friggin catastrophe.

But Vella is an unholy martyr at that. 

If there was ever a TV presenter who should have been banned from the airwaves it was Norman Vella - a biased and unpleasant pro-Nationalist personality. He also comes with a sour facial expression which I have to say does little justice to him.

The son of disgruntled former GWU official Karmenu Vella - a very good friend of Labour backbencher Marlene Farrugia - Vella proved to be the perfect early evening puke pill on TVM.

Norman presented TV Hemm, a Monday-to-Friday programme which specialised in rubbishing Labour and painting the PN as God's gift to mankind.

His odium was unbearable, his prejudice difficult to handle.

Let us stop there a moment. He denies ever having done anything wrong when acting as an immigration officer (where he should have been in the first place). If he did anything wrong it was allegedly sending out an SMS to the Queen of Bile, informing her that a posse of Labour communications coordinators had left the departure lounge in Luqa.

I cannot prove it, nor can the police, but if he did that, it is so typical of that group of sycophants who love to feed the Queen herself with details which are most of the time irrelevant but gossip for a middle-aged fascist lot.

The police, in their sloppiness, have made a martyr of Norman Vella. They could have easily ignored the man, who was arrested only after an anonymous call told the police that Vella was busy playing with his mobile.

Nationalist MEP Therese Comodini Cachia and Richard Cachia Caruana acolyte Karol Aquilina were quick to rush to Mr Vella's rescue.

In the photo opportunities, two other lawyers made it a point to also make an appearance, Andrew Borg Cardona (who works with the Queen of Bile's husband) and Paul Borg Olivier, the former PN general secretary who contributed in no small way to see the PN register its biggest debt crisis ever.

That the PN officials feel no shame in associating themselves with Norman Vella is so typical.

When I met Simon Busuttil after his election as party leader, I made it very clear that many considered his association with the Queen of Bile as one stumbling block to embrace the PN.

I also made it very clear that I held the PN administration responsible for winding up the frustrated Queen of Bile. Well, that was the past. 

What is not past is that Norman Vella is now being described as 'Martri tal-liberta' on Net radio. I honestly think some people are losing the plot.

The truth is that it is not the alleged SMS that Norman Vella should be featured for.  He should be analysed for his disturbing TV shows, which dominated the airwaves as guests were treated to coffee brewed by another TV host.   

Perhaps next time Victor Calleja decides to get all excited for Mr Vella he can put things into perspective. Vella was no different to Eileen Montesin, the darling of the Mintoffian years who turned television into a puke box. 

The silly arrest of Vella allowed everyone to conveniently forget this very important point.

***

The Xemxija Heights have been sanctioned for development by a MEPA board - where some its members have clearly a brief to wave a definite green light to developers and development.

There is no doubt that the two political parties have no policy on environmental issues. I should say, actually, that they do have a policy: to ferment a construction frenzy because they believe that is the only way to keep the economy going.

The original outline development was for 900 apartments and the new permit is for 700 apartments. The Transport Authority, under former Labour CEO James Piscopo, has decided to keep its mouth shut and not to object.

I am not quite sure whether this is intentional or not.

But what is clear is that the new apartments, apart from being horrendous, will lead to the multiplier impact of new development. What is most evident is that there will be pressure to develop a new road system which will allow for traffic through Manikata. 

Well, a few years back we had a heroine who waved a placard with the words, 'Vote George, Get Lorry'. I wonder if she still feels needs the urge to return to the fore and replace the wording accordingly.

The truth is that if you ask me, the difference between the PN and PL is rather superficial. One bunch think that they are God's given right to mankind, and the others simply believe it is their time.

Just listen to Anne Fenech. She defended the Kuwaiti development at the MEPA meeting and said that this project would be bring work and investment. She even hit out at Din l-Art Helwa. She also falsely accused DLH of not having objected to the original project. I'm afraid Anne Fenech is wrong about this. Great news: she sounded like a traditional politician, but in fact she was behaving like a lawyer. 

Because it appears at different times of the day, she is one thing and then another.

Really, Anne Fenech should be told that most people think that the Kuwaitis should take their money and build their high rise in the empty soulless desert that covers their huge oil reserves.

She had no qualms at all defending the developers represented by the Kuwaitis and the Montebello brothers. She should have: she is president of the PN executive and her colleague Ryan Callus had strong words against the project. She should have supported him or alternatively, stayed at home.

Dr Fenech has said that she has no conflict of interest. Well that is what she thinks. Like all other politicians of either political party, it is not up to the politician to decide when a conflict of interest arises.

As Dr Fenech talked, the MEPA lawyer Robert Abela was nodding and passing comments, he too has a brief to defend MEPA policy to the hilt. Once again he has been awarded the MEPA legal contract. Hundreds of thousands have been paid to his firm, run by him and his wife, the executive secretary at Labour. A political post that has no function and no real value apart from the aesthetic consideration.

And just in case you forgot: Robert Abela, who happens to be the President's son, had the gall to state that before the election, the PN was always appointing the same old faces. I guess he was not talking about himself, just about all the other buggers who were as lucky and blessed as him.

Dr Abela's firm has had the legal operation at MEPA for the past 15 years - all without a single call for tenders. Wow.

***

Now, I hold no brief for Daniel Holmes - I do not feel especially comfortable about drugs - but it is useful to point out that Holmes is doing 10 years for cultivating some plants of cannabis. It is a crime in most countries.

The severity of the sentence contrasts with the justice meted out to murderers. One particular murderer who walks the road as if there was no tomorrow is Dione Mercieca. He killed his partner and he runs his business as if it were not a problem. He sips his coffee in the morning and smiles at people. Good for him. He only shot his partner at short range and admitted to the crime.

I get it. Growing cannabis plants in a flat is more serious than blowing someone to kingdom come.

I'm certain this was spelt out to Dione Mercieca (once upon a time an unofficial Eddie Fenech Adami bodyguard) by his lawyers Beppe Fenech Adami and Joe Giglio.

So next time you are worried about shooting your partner in the head with a shotgun just calm down. You should only worry if you have Cannabis sativa growing in a clay pot in that sunny spot on the terrace.