Compromised by big business

I can only say one thing for certain: If in 2006 there was a group by the name of Repubblika and Adrian Delia was an active PN politician, not only a lawyer, we would have expected a judicial request for a magisterial inquiry into the politicians and senior government officials, who drew up the local plans and the rationalisation of areas for development in Malta and Gozo.

But in 2006 we had a Nationalist government and to some it appears we were living in Shangri-La where everything was virginal and no sinful acts were committed. Indeed, sin, just for the record, landed in Malta after 2013.

What happened under the watchful eye of George Pullicino, then Planning Authority minister and his prime minister Lawrence Gonzi, was scandalous to say the least. The rationalisation exercise gave people great opportunities that made them multi-millionaires overnight.

Throughout that period, I was inundated with allegations and claims of meetings at the Stamperija (the PN HQ) that went into the long hours of the night. Nothing could be proven because there was no inquiry and no investigation.

But to use former PN leader Simon Busuttil’s quote, ‘I am morally convinced,’ that there was corruption.

Yet, this in no way exculpates Labour. From 2013 until this day, the Labour administration has, as I said last week fine-tuned all this and opened the flood gates for a massive development spree. It did not take long for Joseph Muscat’s administration to learn the tricks of the trade and become masters in this field.

All this has led to the continuation of Malta’s demise under glaciers of concrete and buildings and suburbia, making this an ugly country to live in. It has rendered the Planning Authority a body with no real independence. It simply says yes to the projects we should be saying no to, which is why people take to the street to protest.

This, coupled with the explosion of foreign workers and an untamed economy, has made this country claustrophobic and unliveable.

So, whereas I blame George Pullicino for 2006, the present situation can only be attributed to the government of the day and the people who make these bad policies that have become reality. What is worse is that a government that professes to be a social democratic party is in truth far to the right when it comes to day-to-day matters. This convinces me that the whole democracy game is no more than a tournament between two teams. 

One happens to be red and the other blue. One happens to be led by Abela, the other by Grech. 

There is a lot of prejudice about other political leaders because of their pedigree but let us be fair; 14 years ago, neither Grech nor Abela were in the political arena.

So, I cannot really judge people because of their colour or roots.

I could say that I disagree with Roberta Metsola on her silence on Gaza and Lebanon and perhaps on her choice of certain people around her. But so what!  It does not mean that she is not fit to be Queen.

I know so many Labourites, whom I would like to embrace until I hear them openly chant unashamed adulation towards Donald Trump. I feel relieved of never having been a member of either of the two parties.

I cannot really distinguish anymore between Left or Right because there is no Right or Left.

The problem is not the traditional stickling issues, which are not legal as yet such as abortion and euthanasia, but the drawing of clear lines of demarcation between big business and political parties’ policies or devilish machinations.

Bending the local plans is one of them.

Today, it is more than apparent that the Labour government is willing to bend over backwards to big business at all costs. Labour’s answer to being more social and greener is through the token politics of creating miniscule gardens tucked in between unsavoury building complexes. A way of saying sorry for fucking up Malta and Gozo.

There is no emotional or environmental quotient in the government’s soul.

What is even more worrying is that the political parties and party leaders are not only tight-lipped about donations (see front page story) but seriously compromised by the support of big business especially construction companies.

It is high time, that we nip this in the bud.

If anyone wants to give money to a party then so be it, but it has to be above board.  And one important point: Cash donations should be illegal.

We need to change the game plan. If we want to make politics, motivational and serious we must remove all the warts and ifs and buts. 

There is an expiry date to everything in life… everything.

There are those who believe that they can get away with murder. Sooner or later, it resurfaces to haunt you and when it starts to haunt there is no way of stopping it.