A call to caution

The proposed project at the St John's Co-Cathedral stole the headlines in the past few days. By now, most of you have already formed an opinion about the whole saga.

In my opinion, some reflections on this case are called for. It is a gross mistake that the process became so politicised. Following Labour's parliamentary resolution, the project ended up being dissected in the political arena instead of having it evaluated by the competent authority. This is surely not the first time, and it will not be the last either, where parliamentary members will be in favour or against a particular project.

However, a particular project should not be pursued or dropped depending on the extent of parliamentary support it manages to garner. If that were to be the case, we can simply scrap Mepa and let the politicians decide. Politicians should not be precluded from expressing their views during a particular planning process but we should be very wary of encouraging a situation where politicians are once again given the power to decide planning applications. Even if, for a moment, this were to happen, there would be the need for legislative changes because our law specifies that such authority lies with Mepa. It is highly contradictory that, on the one hand, everyone ostensibly seems to favour an autonomous planning process while simultaneously expects politicians to judge development applications.

In this regard, it is the environmental NGOs that need to ensure that the planning process is not, once again, stifled by politicians because, if this were to happen again, the effectiveness and relevance of the NGOs themselves would be whittled away - February 13.

Live and let live

Eluana Englaro, 38, was killed in Udine, Italy yesterday. Eluana had been in a coma since being injured in a car crash in 1992. I consciously said she was killed because she did not die a natural death - last Friday a decision was taken to remove her feeding tubes and let her die. The news of her death was announced just as the Italian Senate was urgently debating a law that would have forced the medical team to resume feeding her.

I am not finding it easy to talk about such a sensitive issue. Since 1999, Eluana's father had been battling with the courts to let his daughter die rather than continuing to live in a vegetative state. It is practically impossible to put oneself in her father's shoes and to try to imagine how heartbreaking it was for him to see his daughter reduced to such a state. But is it just that the state or, rather in this case, the court (because it delivered the ruling) lets a person die of hunger? After all, Eluana was not on a ventilator and, consequently, would have died immediately had the apparatus been turned off - she was left to die of hunger.

The comment made by the Vatican spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, struck me: ''Now that Eluana is at peace we hope that her case, in the wake of so much discussion, becomes a motive for us all to responsibly search for better ways to care for the weakest people in society, with full respect for the rights to life, love and attentive care" - February 10.

Many happy returns

The PN parliamentary group yesterday paid a visit to the President of the Republic at San Anton Palace on the occasion of his 75th birthday. This was the last birthday President Eddie Fenech Adami would be celebrating in office and we felt that it was fitting that we mark this special occasion.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi presented the President with an engraved silver platter which read: "Before God and before you all, we can say that we did our very best". Dr Fenech Adami had uttered these words when addressing a Mass Meeting in Birkirkara on May 2, 1982. The President was genuinely moved. I can understand that it is not going to be easy for him to exit the political scene after so many years of work and service: a gentleman whose name will be carved in golden letters in our nation's history - February 8.

What a relief!

It's high time! That's what I imagine the residents of Sliema Road, Kappara said to themselves as works got underway to repair the road. And that is to say nothing about the hundreds, if not thousands, of drivers who use this stretch of road on a daily basis.

As a member of Parliament, contesting the general elections in this constituency, I periodically used to receive a number of complaints about the bad state of the road, which was exacerbated by the heavy vehicular traffic that regularly made use of the thoroughfare while Mater Dei Hospital was being built. This was made worse by the heavy rains we have had in recent weeks. In fact, only recently, I had drawn the attention of the minister responsible for roads, Austin Gatt, and wish to thank him for his prompt action to ensure that ADT were given the financial resources needed to commence the necessary repairs.

Thankfully, work has finally started. Now employees from the Works Division, falling under my portfolio, will also be involved in doing up a substantial part of the road's sidewalks, thus ensuring a facelift that befits a major traffic artery like Sliema Road - February 6.

Mr Pullicino is Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs.

www.georgepullicino.blogspot.com