Irrational about rationalisation

The so-called "rationalisation process" probably contributed to the heat many of us felt over the past weeks much more than the southerly winds that have been stifling our islands lately. The behaviour of many of those involved in the rationalisation saga resulted in an understandable feeling of widespread bewilderment.

The government has failed miserably in its half-hearted attempts at explaining its actions. We have been slow in responding to the innuendos that characterise the Labour Party's response to any government initiative. Some of us have allowed the heat to get to us and resorted to unwarranted attacks on representatives of certain NGOs.

Everything points to the need for a more coordinated and definitely a more professional approach to our attempts at public relations. We cannot, for instance, expect a minister with all his human limitations to simultaneously handle the massive information campaign that one would have expected in this case and coordinate the mammoth task that was involved on a practical level. We were dealing with a situation that has been floating around in limbo since 1988!

We cannot continue to assume that everyone is going to understand our actions and motives without detailed explanations to an increasingly more informed and questioning electorate. We must go out of our way if necessary to address any genuine worries in a calm and rational manner.

On the other hand I feel that certain NGOs are risking losing their credibility unless they start to control their over-enthusiasm. I never expected any environmental NGOs to give their approval to more building development and they had every right to protest. But resorting to inaccuracies will only damage causes they so genuinely wish to fight for.

The myth that we were rushing the process because of the July 21 deadline was dispelled when the vote for the approval of the extensions to the development zones was taken five days later. It is pertinent to note that a drawn-out process might have led to rampant speculation so an element of urgency is not only understandable but also laudable.

The myth that a number of "friends of friends" were going to benefit from the extensions was dispelled when the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) posted a list of all the beneficiaries on its website.

The hypocrisy of our opposition was rarely as glaringly obvious as it was in this instance. Opposition spokesmen had the gall to march with genuine environmentalists who organised a well-attended demonstration while insisting on the inclusion of an additional 60,000 square metres of zones for development. Crocodile tears were shed for zones such as the Tal-Papa area in Birzebbuga which a commission appointed by Alfred Sant during his short stint as Prime Minister had identified as suitable for development on a much grander scale.

Any MLP campaign would be incomplete without the usual stomach-churning dose of mud slinging. A trip organised by personal friends of Environment Minister George Pullicino in an attempt to help him get over the loss of his mother was depicted as an exercise in corruption.

Dr Sant had promised to consider all applications for inclusion in the development zones on a case by case basis. I know for a fact that certain Labour MPs and candidates have been going around promising permits in their efforts to ingratiate themselves with their constituents and this made me determined to shout "aye!" when the time came to vote on this delicate issue. I hope that by doing so we will have prevented the MLP from using our most precious commodity, land, once again in its attempts at gaining popularity by favouritism.

On the other hand, if there is anything that proves beyond doubt that the exercise carried out by Mepa was completely devoid of any taint of favouritism it is Dr Sant's declaration that a particular Nationalist MP was very angry because he had sold his land shortly before learning that it would be included in a development zone.

If only we could all learn from our mistakes and start to look for common ground rather than battlefields our country would be a much better place. And level-headed compatriots would heave a collective sigh of justified relief.

Dr Pullicino Orlando is a Nationalist member of Parliament.