15,000 + 3,000

Our riposte to the vandals was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Last May's vandal acts on the trees in the Foresta 2000 site in Mellieha outraged us so much that we Maltese stumped up the money and resources, led by the government together with civil society and private business, to re-plant the Foresta 2000 site five times over.

Those who vandalised 3,000 trees under cover of darkness can now see 15,000 new trees paid for and planted by ordinary Maltese on a gorgeous autumn afternoon.

Was that reaction enough, vandals? A site of shame for six months has now become a green shrine again, multiplied in numbers and people's commitment.

Environment Minister George Pullicino personally, the Environment Ministry, its Parks Unit, Birdlife Malta and Din l-Art Helwa have all helped galvanise the feeling of shock and turn it into an enormous force for good. Agenda bookshop participated in the initiative and planted 3,000 trees by encouraging its Kids' Club to participate in this great initiative.

Foresta 2000 has been an example of how green action should advance: Inclusive and extensive. People want to live green and do something about it if they are given the opportunity by the authorities and helped practically by civil society and private industry. They showed this 15,000 times over.

And then there was the National Park in Ta' Qali, as well. Another 3,000 trees, to make it 18,000 in a few days. Very, very well done.

Several people who have contacted me this past fortnight have been commenting about my last column when I opined that next year's general election can be a boon for both political parties, strengthening Lawrence Gonzi's hand with a team having a better mix of experience and youth, and improving Labour as well, making it the modern social-democratic party it ought to be by jettisoning its present leadership that should have, anyway, been changed five years ago after two electoral defeats.

I was struck by the many Labourites I know who yearn for a change of leadership in their party. One of them even went as far as telling me that, with Labour's best people out of the party - be it George Abela, Alfred Mifsud, Lino Spiteri and several others - no one can possibly argue that they have all been wrong and the present leadership is right. It seems many Labourites I know yearn for a new beginning - in Labour.

So the speculation about a possible election in December was just that, speculation. I actually wondered how some people were expecting Dr Gonzi to ruin what will be, by most expectations, a bumper Christmas after a bumper budget. A December election would have been misinterpreted as a sign of fear of the euro, when, in fact, preparations for the euro continue apace and include excellent agreements with importers and producers covering thousands of everyday items that will be price-frozen voluntarily until March.

Did some people really expect the government to call an election before the reduction in income tax and the increase in children's allowance are fully felt and start working their way through to an even better feel-good factor?

I also wondered how some people want the Prime Minister to tell them whether he is or is not going to call an election. A serious Prime Minister, when he does actually decide on an election, first advises the President and then tells the press corps, not the other way round. And a serious Prime Minister never says that he is not calling an election. That was Gordon Brown's mistake, to go on prime-time television telling an interviewer that he was not going to call a November election. Dr Gonzi stayed well away from such a non-announcement. When he decides to call an election, we can anticipate to be told after the President has been advised.

We should expect a serious government not to throw constitutional propriety to the wind, as some people seem to want. The shallowness of some people who are more interested in the election date, rather than in what will happen after the election, is glaring.

eddiea@onvol.net