Paul Cardona, Chairman, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Birkirkara
FAA's opposition to project
• In the fiercely confrontational world of Maltese politics, The Sunday Times has always been counted upon to give a fairly independent view. It is therefore very disappointing that an editorial should, for the second time, compromise its independence.
A few months ago, The Times editorial reflected content on the St John's Foundation website and last Sunday's editorial again repeated some of the St John's Foundation's arguments verbatim.
The editorial echoes the chairman of the foundation, Mgr Philip Calleja, in accusing FAA of being "misinformed", and yet when asked to substantiate this claim, Mgr Calleja was not forthcoming. On the other hand, our contention that the project involved excavation under St John's has been proved correct by the project's plans.
Similarly, the FAA challenged the foundation representatives' insistence that the EU funds would be lost to Malta if the project were cancelled, a claim which has now proved incorrect.
The Sunday Times editorial also repeated the hackneyed line used by FAA denigrators since the NGO was set up, namely that the FAA has a "tendency to seemingly object to any project being proposed".
The editor should have known that the FAA has not objected to a great number of major projects. To give just five recent examples: it did not object to the Mellieha Holiday Complex expansion due to the hotel's good track record in environmental care. The FAA did not object to the Metropolis or Savoy Gardens projects due to their strong element of regeneration of depressed areas. Similarly we have not objected to major structural works to scheduled buildings like the Art Nouveau building facing Independence Gardens in Sliema, as these will ensure its rehabilitation after years of abandonment.
These and the Freeport extension are only a few of the projects we have not objected to, which proves that the claim that the FAA objects to any project is just another attempt to inhibit us from objecting on important issues.
As for the FAA giving the debate a personal direction, we wonder what The Sunday Times editor makes of the highly strident campaign against individual members of the FAA committee.
Rather than giving the no doubt mistaken impression that The Sunday Times was acting as an apologist for the foundation, we are sure that the public would have greatly appreciated the editor questioning certain glaring irregularities.
Editorial note:
Independence endows this newspaper with the capacity to form views. The democracy we live in enables it to express them. Mr Cardona is giving the no doubt mistaken impression that the FAA is intolerant to opinions that do not coincide with its own.
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laurence schembri
Feb 23rd 2009, 00:53
@ Ms Busietta
I was under the impression that the said project was stopped by none other than the PM on the Archbishop`s commendations, at least this is what Lawrence Gonzi want everyone to believe.
Why you and your ilk are trying to make a Maid of Orleans out of Astrid Vella I have no idea.
Franco Farrugia
Feb 22nd 2009, 17:17
@ Ms Busietta - Being an educated and an academic myself, I would be the first one to prefer the opinions of 'experts' rather than those of the man in the street.
However, in these last years here in Malta, we have become sick to the core, seeing these 'experts' behind the many blunders that have been taking place around us; and getting wealthier in the process.
Whether one likes it or not, the Maltese people - the electorate! - have become disillusioned with people in office, people in authority, so-called 'experts', etc ...
FAA has done nothing but good. FAA has done nothing but highlight the monstruosity of such prospective projects. I have been writing to argue against said projects since August 2008. Then, I didn't know who was behind the project accept one member of the foundation, a monsignor. So much for those who claimed that people were against the project simply because of the ppl behind said projects.
It is telling that the establishment was in favour of said projects .. and here I also refer to some writers and also, sadly, The Times, which did not keep an open mind, as behoves an independent newspaper.
A Borg
Feb 22nd 2009, 15:46
Dear Mr.Paul Cardona, I do not see your need to explain your yourself. FAA had popular support of people like me, although not experts in historical or architectural matters yet have some common sense and a love for my country.
Yes, FAA was instrumental in stopping the whole St John's Foundation ‘Hole’ project and we love you for it.
Mary Rose Busietta
Feb 22nd 2009, 15:32
So FFA has not objected to a number of major projects! Who or what makes FFA think that they control development in Malta? What makes them think that they run Malta ? Can they let the rest of us know how many people voted them into power.
An FFA member who called herself a "sheep" and Astrid Vella her "shepherd" described herself yesterday on this webpage to be " a silly housewife with nothing better to do but join FFA to kill time." How nice
As for FFA co founder Astrid Vella her answers on this webpage in response to the letters of
Mr Musumeci , Mr Andre Zammit and Dr Alex Torpiano,all experts in their field, turn into lessons which run Astrid 1 Astrid 2 Astrid 3
With all these amateurs turned experts around one wonders why we need a university.
J Martinelli
Feb 22nd 2009, 14:57
Mr Cardona chose to quote The Times, "The editorial echoes the chairman of the foundation, Mgr Philip Calleja, in accusing FAA of being "misinformed".
Maybe The Times should have replaced 'misinformed' to 'refused to be informed'?
Recently, Daphne Caruana Galizia wrote that she investigated this very issue and was told that the FAA was "invited twice , if not three times" to review the project but never bothered to show up.
Maybe Mr. Cardona could elaborate on this tit-bit?