Honesty is the best politics

A week ago yesterday I addressed the Nationalist Party General Council held in Gozo. I started off my address by reminding the audience how Gozo has benefitted from EU funds. The rebuilding of arterial roads, and the accompanying rubble walls on the sides, among various other initiatives, have enhanced Gozo’s nostalgic aesthetics  while retaining its traditional and natural look.

I couldn’t resist the temptation of thanking Karmenu Vella for making this possible. I must say, it took him some time – ten years to be exact – to inform all and sundry of his everlasting pro-European credentials. This came as a surprise for many, in particular due to the public statements he made against accession in the days to the run-up of the EU referendum. Could Vella’s timing of his confession, just-in-time prior to his grilling, be a coincidence? A no-brainer, right? The timing of such a statement makes its credibility all the more inadmissible.

Vella perhaps thought, or was guided to believe, that such a pro-EU statement, could win him the support of the European Parliament. What he didn’t perhaps realise is that for most members of the European Parliament, his suitability and level of preparedness were what mattered most. It is on this basis that his competence ought to be determined. Nonetheless, I still find it very hard to believe his statement.

In any case, the Nationalist Party has stated its support for Vella’s nomination, even if the Prime Minister tried to indicate otherwise. May his five-year term as European Commissioner truly convince him of the European project, just enough to realise that his anti-EU stance was the wrong choice for Malta.

A tribute to a mission accomplished

As the new Commission is voted in, Outgoing European Commissioner Tonio Borg will return to Malta with a mission accomplished. In spite of his short tenure, he has successfully managed to pass the Tobacco Directive through the European Parliament. Its implementation is now at an advanced stage, pending at the Member States for transposition. This is perhaps Tonio Borg’s principal achievement as European Commissioner – his ability to close-off the Tobacco Directive saga is good news for everyone. While the European Union is now better equipped to regulate the tobacco industry, on a personal note, Tonio Borg can boast of a mission accomplished!

Piano delay

A few days before D-Day, an announcement was issued by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Joe Mizzi to inform all citizens that the Parliament project will not be inaugurated in time. The Government had promised that the inauguration ceremony would be held today.

Something went terribly wrong. We were informed that the reason behind the delay is the fault of the previous Government. Oh! And now they’ve blamed it on the Gozitan rock. How convenient! Perhaps Mizzi should issue another statement to inform his most loyal citizens that Labour is no longer in Opposition, but has been promoted to Government. It has been occupying this post for a year-and-a-half. Eighteen months should have been ample time for Labour to finish off the Piano project.

While one could justify blaming the previous administration for any shortcomings during the first months of the legislature, it is very hard to retain credibility when such excuses are made a year-and-a-half later. Most certainly, effective and professional project management ensures timely monitoring such that any delay is flagged up as early as possible. No professional project manager realises that a deadline extension is required with a week left to project-hand-over.

Mizzi’s press release one week prior to inauguration day is certainly not good governance. It portrays an unprofessional way of management. Unless, of course, such an announcement was intentionally left to the eleventh hour to hype up the nation in an effort to alienate the people of more pressing national issues.

MEPA at fault

An excerpt from Carmel Cacopardo’s blog made the rounds this week. The severe thunderstorms that hit the island last week reminded us just how fragile and susceptible to storms our islands may be. Cacopardo showed a photo of a loose vessel with its cordage broken as a result of the storm.

I do not even wish to ponder upon the consequences should such a big vessel have drifted away in the storm and possibly collided with the stationary floating storage unit on the other side of Marsaxlokk bay. The distance between the Freeport quay and the stationary FSU will furthermore be shorter in the event (some seven times a year) when the FSU is being replenished by a secondary filling vessel.

While severe storms such as the one that hit the island last weekend are not frequent, it will only take one event for disaster to strike. The Nationalist Party had stated this repeatedly, but the Government seemed too arrogant to give a hoot. I have repeated this during the MEPA hearings, insisting that it is irresponsible to issue a permit for the permanent berthing of an FSU inside Marsaxlokk bay without a maritime impact assessment having been undertaken. Unfortunately, the Government and the members on the Government-appointed MEPA board, with the exception of the environmental NGOs representative, Alex Vella, seemed too much in a hurry to get the permit through.

Last week’s incident vindicates the concerns raised by the Opposition, Alternattiva Demokratika and other NGOs. I just genuinely hope that the ‘we told you so’ scenario never materialises.