Transparency at Attard local council

Reference is made to the letter from John Bonnici, labour councillor for Attard, dated January 4, 2009, entitled 'Attard residents deserve better'.

We do not intend going into the merits of whether Mr Bonnici's article should have been published in the local council's Christmas magazine or otherwise.

However, it must be pointed out that our executive secretary had in fact distributed to all the local councillors a printed notice advising that all articles should be handed in up till the December 5, 2008, which was further extended to December 10, 2008, to make sure that any councillors who were interested in contributing to the Christmas magazine would have ample time to do so.

Mr Bonnici's article was delivered to the council on December 12, 2008, not respecting the deadline given and for this reason his article could not be included in the magazine distributed before Christmas. Furthermore, the editorial board decided that the language used in the article was not in line with the festive spirit in this edition of the magazine. If Mr Bonnici was so keen on having his article published he was free to publish it in the local media.

We think it is incorrect for Mr Bonnici to state that it is the council's intention to keep residents in the dark about the financial situation or any other matter regarding the council as he knows that the public has total access to the council's documents at all times. Furthermore, minutes of council meetings are also put on the council's notice boards around the village and this procedure has been followed for the last couple of months at Mr Bonnici's request.

As Mr Bonnici is aware the Attard council is not overspending and it is ensuring that its funds are being used for our daily basic services. The council's expenditure is continuously monitored in order to keep the general expense as low as possible. The Nationalist Party believes in transparency and its councillors will always abide by this principle.

As a local council which believes in discussion and team work, it is frustrating that Mr Bonnici gives the impression that he is the only one campaigning against overdevelopment and environmental issues in our locality. The council has met with the authorities concerned on many occasions even protesting by means of press releases and press conferences in support of this campaign.

We recently asked the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) to include our council in the consultation for the drafting of a new Central Local Plan. Almost daily, we are objecting to overdevelopment permits in our locality.

A number of enforcement orders have also been issued to control overdevelopment in a large quarry bordering our locality. Unfortunately, Mr Bonnici was not present for the meeting we had with Mepa when these enforcement orders were confirmed.

Mr Bonnici is responsible for a number of sectors in the council - namely public transport, public services and public order - unlike many fellow Nationalist councillors in other Labour-led localities who are given no responsibilities. Since we believe in being pro-active, Mr Bonnici should con-centrate on proposing and suggesting new ways to improve our services.

Mr Bonnici accuses PN councillors of creating undercurrents and backstabbing plots in an attempt to remove the mayor from office. This statement is false as Mr Bonnici knows that whatever misunderstandings crop up between PN councillors are always dealt with internally.

Mr Bonnici knows that had we been part of a backstabbing plot as he suggested, we would probably have agreed to his request for a no confidence vote in our mayor when he suggested it.

This was not done. Within the Nationalist Party, such matters are discussed openly and above board and we will never revert to sending anonymous letters as is the norm in Labour quarters, when Labour mayors had to resign when such a strategy was engaged.

Mr Bonnici knows that all seven Attard councillors agree on most things during our council meetings and the article issue was an isolated incident for which he alone is to blame.

However, he should understand that such matters can easily be resolved from within the council and such exposure in the press will not resolve misunderstandings.

Furthermore, Mr Bonnici should verify that what is written in his letters to the press depicts what he would really like to communicate.