Grand harbour plans
There seems to be some difference between the two major parties as to the way they will tackle the Grand Harbour development. A few weeks ago the government seems to have discovered that there is indeed in Malta a place called Grand Harbour and,...
There seems to be some difference between the two major parties as to the way they will tackle the Grand Harbour development. A few weeks ago the government seems to have discovered that there is indeed in Malta a place called Grand Harbour and, following 20 years thinking this was just a mirage, decided all of a sudden to print on expensive glossy brochure we paid for, depicting 20 harbour projects - representing the 20 years of a head-in-the-sand exercise. In a matter of days, a grand plan materialised to turn nothing into a harbour. No pre-planning consultation with the area's local councils and other stakeholders was made but... someday we'll listen to the people - by 2015.
Labour has been holding all kinds of public and business meetings with all concerned and has Grand Harbour development plans dating to the beginning of this year. But then social democracy consults the people too much! And I pity Lawrence Gonzi for listening to his strategy group telling him to repeat that Labour has absolutely no plans. For these have been shown and explained on One TV and radio - which are very much followed by Nats and floaters. I believe that the PN strategy group is advising Dr Gonzi on how to destroy his credibility and he must dump these presumptuous experts of gaffe. The PN plans claim to be more credible as the party has the experience of dreaming of plans, paying for their representation on paper and enjoy their montage mirage. These include the Valletta theatre, the Valletta bus terminus, the city gate, the new Parliament building and the Valletta lift. While waiting for the latter, please learn abseiling and paragliding.
On dismantling
PN boss Dr Gonzi practises electioneering strategies as old as the hills. For example, he likes to sit and chat with kids - probably following advice from the spiritual director of the intelligent strategy group (inspired by Gospel suggestions of "Let the kids come to me") and the convener of the same group (when not on a luxury Mediterranean cruise). When asked by kids what he liked to do as a boy, Dr Gonzi was reported as saying that he liked to dismantle things. Who am I to argue with a Prime Minister's opinion?
Household budgetary survey
I hope that whoever calculates the cost of living includes in its basket only available products - for the sake of correctness. Suppose the NSO includes medicines and foodstuffs that are no longer available, it is obvious that these will be shown as having remained at the same price with a bottom line of "slight upward adjustment in the cost of living". But the NSO will probably be on the ball and always regale us with state-of-the-art statistics.
Dumping and creating ministers
The much-awaited reshuffle has not taken place, but the Prime Minister has come up with a better idea. He is promoting some backbenchers to create a new prospective Cabinet (or more probably shadow Cabinet) - thereby provoking a furious reaction among those ministers who feel they still have a lot to contribute - by 2015. Among the prospective ministers we find Janice Chetcuti - who recently had a dressing-down from Phil Noble for quoting what he never said. This must have embarrassed a little the ladies' circle of the PN - whose PRO she is. Of course, one cannot judge a prospective minister by one gaffe. Indeed, Janice has redeeming factors like being in the team of Uffiççju tad-Demokrazija u l-Valuri of the Education Division and also editor of Animal Magic.
Quotable quotes
One of the best comments in an editorial I have ever seen was the one in this paper on September 6. "Fortunately for Malta, more and more voters are joining the ranks of those who are discerning enough to shun the arrogant, the inefficient and those whom they think are corrupt". Hear, hear! Also during the Independence anniversary Mass, Archbishop Emeritus Ìuzeppi Mercieca declared in no uncertain terms that politics "should be free of all shades of corruption". Hear, hear and hear!
Cultural Talibans
Some people with an inferiority complex call "Taliban" those who speak of local culture. Thus, when the Prime Minister said in an interview with Australian ABC radio last August that great importance must be attached to Maltese cultural integrity, cultural identity and cultural sovereignty, was he being a Taliban? And when the respected writer and enthusiast of Maltese traditional music and dancing Ann Borg Cardona promotes Maltese culture is she also being a Taliban? What about the group Etnika's successes? In reality, Talibans are those who destroy temples, statues, shrines and all kinds of works of art. And Maltese culture is a work of art.
One opinion, two tolerances
In the same radio interview above, reported in Sunday Profile August 12 , Dr Gonzi expressed concern about illegal immigration in Malta. In answer to journalist Monica Attard's question "Is it creating ethnic tension in Malta?", Dr Gonzi replied: "Yes, it is unfortunately". He added: "The boats are all the same size. The engines are all the same quality. The boats are always with 27, 28 people. Most of them, 25, would be men, one would be a woman, pregnant, six months pregnant, the other will be a woman with (a) child. They are all very well organised, you know". Dr Gonzi continued: "What concerns us is, because of the number of illegal immigrants landing on our shores, we must make sure who these people are because (of) the danger of there being a terrorist or somebody wanting to make... to commit a crime, that danger is high".
As you can see, I have not expressed any opinion but only quoted Dr Gonzi (without even modifying the strange mixture of present, future and conditional tenses). But anxious cowards looking for a scapegoat and afraid to criticise the Prime Minister will use furious censure to find fault with me for... simply quoting.
Abortion and Malta: What Europeans think
Le Monde, a usually well-informed source of information, says in its issue of September 7 that abortion in some countries, including Malta, is illegal "sauf exception" - indicating that there are exceptions to this illegality. This is rather confusing - especially because the article's title is accompanied by the words "Bruxelles Bureau Européen", giving the impression that this information is official. I have not seen a correction of this statement by the Malta government.
Sweeping debate
Without doubt, Alfred Sant won his October 1 debate against Dr Gonzi hands down. The latter came out as boring, tired, and irritable. Also how can Dr Gonzi possibly contradict Dr Sant that education also includes books?! It was a veritable drubbing. Indeed, Dr Gonzi would have done a lot better for his party if he had not participated at all. I believe the PN will change its leader on the morrow of the election - even before breakfast.
Native Dakota wisdom
"When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount and get a different horse."
Dr Licari teaches psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and geolinguistics at the Department of French of the University of Malta.