Piano meeting is no big deal - PM
The forthcoming meeting between the Prime Minister and Renzo Piano is a normal encounter between a client and an architect and there was nothing secretive about it, Lawrence Gonzi said this morning.
Dr Gonzi, who was being interviewed by The Malta Independent editor Stephen Calleja, said that during this meeting, which was to be held soon, he would see a more detailed plan.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to be able to boast of Valletta.
“My, your, capital city deserves a good entrance. We deserve to have a grander city. And this work will not just make Valletta grander but it will also create employment for our people.”
The Prime Minister said that the works at the entrance of the city would complement other works in Valletta which have been completed or which are in hand. These included St George’s Square, the restoration works near the National Library, the organisation of Pjazza Regina and the restoration of the Palace Facade.
“Our dream is for all offices to get out of Presidential Palace for this to be converted into a showcase of Maltese treasures.
“We have never accepted mediocrity,” he said.
Asked what he would have done different in the years of his premiership, Dr Gonzi said he would have timed the reforms better.
The explosion in the price of oil, he said, had not been forecast and it had badly affected the country. However, Malta managed to ride the wave and the country was now trying to transform that challenge into an opportunity.
He said that he always tried to take decisions according to what the country needed. His decisions, he said, had to permit the country to remain focused on employment. This was also a way of strengthening marriage.
Dr Gonzi said that during its 10-day conference, the Labour Party did not mention employment, workers, factories and competitiveness.
Labour, he said, still told his government that it had been wrong about the shipyards’ decision.
“They wanted us to remain losing €40 million a year,” he said.
Earlier, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said that there were factories from the pharmaceutical and other sectors in Malta which wanted to expand their operations and their investment would be announced in the coming days.
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Astrid Vella
Feb 7th 2010, 21:50
@B Sant: There are still plenty of jobs to be created in construction, but in ways that protect Malta, not destroy it. Shifting Parliament to an existing building like the Auberge de Baviere or Conference Centre would leave enough funds to restore some of Valletta's beautiful old palaces that are literally falling to pieces.
It is also pertinent to note that Government has a stock of 15,000 houses passed over to it in the devolution of Church property and still locked away in the Joint Office. Why these are not put on the market is easy to imagine - speculators must be protected at all costs! Why are we not restoring them to provide social housing, instead of destroying our old centres like Bormla, with modern blocks of flats?
Interestingly, this would mainly provide work for a local workforce, familiar with traditional restoration methods, unlike the multi-national teams that our large developers seem to be using these days.
B Sant
Feb 7th 2010, 21:20
why do we have always to rely on property development to cerate jobs- cant we try to dare and think outside the box for once in a 100 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if gonzi wasnt liquidity in this economy he has to find ways and means to release all the cash held in property investments which has clogged up the country from any other alternative and less specualtive investmnet
Anthony Pace Gouder
Feb 7th 2010, 20:27
BLA KLIEM http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2507371 http://www.panoramio.com/photo/24840435
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5075387
m.seager
Feb 7th 2010, 20:03
"Never accepted mediocrity " ..??
So of that is the case why then are plans for the Freeport extension being approved??
Why not reclaim land from the other side of the Freeport i.e on the weather side rather than the lee side??
oh I know why..
It would cost too much...
So let the locals suffer I guess,not to mention the enviroment which still has not recovered from the last major dredging works or for that matter the noise pollution 24/7 (but I must say that that is random, even though mainly at night). The fact that pollution from sea vessels contributes to the amount of half of the cars worldwide amazes me and we still don't fine them as other ports do in the rest of Europe.
Lets not mention that hazardous cargo is stowed at the front (bow) of the vessel so that if an
incident occurs the bow is meant to explode as far away from the crew as possible and drop away into deep sea! (should we build bunkers in case?)
Why then put the new extension so close a residential area??
IS THAT MEDIOCRE??
pat camilleri
Feb 7th 2010, 19:49
Dear Dr Gonzi,This is a great opportunity ti tell Mr Piano that we do not require his services, as the majority of the maltese do not want to go ahead with his plans. We want the derelict palaces to be restored and used, the city gate restored to a style suited to our barroque capital city,Parliament housed in restored old palaces,I can suggest at least one young, enthusiastic, maltese architect who would be eminently qualified to carry out the restoration.We are waiting anxiously for the final decision, which will have many repercussions.
Anthony Pace Gouder
Feb 7th 2010, 19:31
It would be sensible for sincerity's sake , that Dr.Gonzi finds enough courage to tell him ( Profs. R Piano) that regretfully and for the second time running , his plans have been disapproved . Rfejected by the great majoriy of the Maltese Citizens .
We will NEVER accept mediocrity , very well said by the Client Dr,GONZI himself ! (vide paragraph VII)
AND ANOTHER THING ..... the Oil Price Explosion was in June of the year 2008 !!! That's 20 months ago, since then the price fluctuated AROUND an adequate , acceptable level .far below the "explosion" price!
Joseph V. Grech
Feb 7th 2010, 19:20
Dear and Hon. Prime Minister
I am still hoping that you will please consider VERY carefully the wishes of all the Maltese. Ask the great Mr. Piano (I say this in all earnestness) what HE himself thinks of the project which we Maltese have made him produce. How can the people's earnest wishes be met - the roofless theatre is certainly open to much criticism - and honestly now, don't you yourself think that this criticism is rather too well founded to ignore?
Also, why not build a single beautiful community / national building instead of the two smaller blocks that are planned respectively ;for the Parliament and its Offices?
Personally I believe Parliament should not be located at the entrance to our city. Please appreciate: Freedom Square is not the right place for it.
There are many pluses in the project Mr. Piano presented but it makes sense to make the whole thing more practical, more useable.
Consider very carefully please.
Ivan Visanich
Feb 7th 2010, 18:47
Love the first sentence...With which and how much money is this encounter going to cost us the taxpayers ?.
Thisrd paragraph....First both political parties ruined Valletta entrance,once built the yellow garage and that horrible garage door ( valletta gate ) and the other those ugly flats above the burger king and now this client is meeting this architect to hash up everything again for the third time !!!!!
Sixth paragraph,gonzi is dreaming of moving all the offices out of the presidential palace. Never ever in my life have ever seen a parliament building in an entrance to a capital city especially one like ours.Why not castille or Fort St.Elmo ?.
Joe Busuttil
Feb 7th 2010, 18:12
Nothing secretive? Who was it who said that the talks were going to be secretive? Please,Gonzi,give our city the grand buildings it deserves. It is our money you are spending. Listen to what the majority is saying.Mr Huber,can you see through your heavily tinted glasses? Can you honestly say that we are getting our money's worth in this project? Or that our city will be grander with Piano's plans?
vincent a galea
Feb 7th 2010, 18:11
I know it is useless because for some odd reason, his (their) mind is made up! But being a Sunday afternoon, with time to waste, I would like to ask one simple question to our dear Prime Minster:
"WHAT IS WRONG IN HAVING THE NEW PARLIAMENT IN FORT ST ELMO?"
It will still create work! It will save this unique and historical building from further decay and turn it into a monumental edifice, it will place the Nation's most important building (PARLIAMENT) on a majestic site overlooking one of the world's most beautiful natural Grand Harbours, with the blue Mediterranean beyond.
Just imagine driving dignitaries along the Valletta bastions as a backdrop, and with beautiful Marsamxett Harbour and Manoel Island en route, rather than into cramped Freedom Square and all the hustle and bustle that is the City's entrance!
O Gesu ahfrilhom, ghax ma' jafux x'inhuma jaghmlu!
A.A. Zahra
Feb 7th 2010, 17:51
@ Mr. Igalea: it is very clear for everyone, from what you have relentlessly been writing, that your opinion is politicized, and too much politicized on all, and I mean all issues, ideas, plans and projects related, directly and indirectly, to this administration, all this with your improper style of mentioning other bloggers with their surname without any title...(which is rude ..)
victor vella
Feb 7th 2010, 17:25
@ Mario Camilleri
Mela insejtu kliem Dr Gonzi meta qabel l elezjoni qal
Hemm barra qieghed iberraq, gej l inkwiet.
nahseb li kien ga qed jara it terrimot li kien gej, u mhux it terrimot ta Dr Muscat ta.
victor caruana
Feb 7th 2010, 16:48
“We have never accepted mediocrity,” he said
HEE HAW!!!!!!!
lgalea
Feb 7th 2010, 16:26
J. Huber
You may wish to note that I have my own political opinion and I certainly don't hide it, my opinion is not politicized on such issues regarding our cultural heritage. I mentioned the Prime Minister because it is the Prime Minister who is rolling over the people and their public opinion with this mad project that is going to ruin our capital city apart from were the money is going to be found (through our taxes no doubt). Isn't it ironic that we are going to be taxed and pay for the destruction of our cultural heritage and our capital city? Why doesn't the government spend the money and concentrate on repairing our fortifications which are in a dilapidated state instead of engaging in white elephants? A look at our fortifications makes those who have our cultural heritage at heart weep Mr Huber.
Paul Borg
Feb 7th 2010, 15:01
@ J Huber. Apart from L Galea's politicized opinions it is a fact that after the euphoria of the launch of the Piano plans when most people, including NGOs praised them so they would look good, now that the realitty is sinking in, very few people speak in favour of the Piano Plans any more.
Who can be pleased with a Parliament palace that is going to cost us at least 50m at this time when everyone is suffering from the economic crisis when there are much cheaper options? How can we accept a roofless theatre when architect Trevisan said he could build us one with a roof for 16E millions.
Now I find out that the traffic is going to come in from St Mark's Street and go UP Old Bakery Street towards GWU. This is the biggest madness.
Please, J Huber, can you give me honest answers to how you 'objectively evaluate' the above, with no blue-tinted glasses on please.
Mario Camilleri
Feb 7th 2010, 14:15
@gonzi
the explosion in the price of oil had not been forecast??? are you living on planet earth or what? maybe thats why all the promises before the last election because the forecasts were wrong!!!!
our government has loads of millions to spend on a useless piano project but does not have money to give back to those who bought a car and paid double registration.
pharmaceuticals are opening in malta because they are given tax incentives not because we are competitive.
james grech
Feb 7th 2010, 13:58
"a normal encounter between a client and an architect"..a client? So it is clear that Dr. Gonzi is nurturing this as if it was his own baby, his own city...He is in total oblivion that this is OUR capital city...he cannot decide without consulting ppl...this is dictatorship at its worst.
J.Borg
Feb 7th 2010, 13:30
"Dr Gonzi, who was being interviewed by The Malta Independent editor Stephen Calleja, said that during this meeting, which was to be held soon, he would see a more detailed plan."
Will see a more detailed plan....then why was the presentation by MrPiano held and the long days of the exhibition of the project......weren't these detailed plans?
Why doesn't the Prime Minister speak freely and tell us exactly if there are changes in Mr.Piano's plans as many MALTESE PEOPLE desired!
James A. Tyrrell
Feb 7th 2010, 13:14
@J. Huber. Obviously you are blinded by partisan politics, as you seem to think it's fine to burden the people of Malta with a huge bill for something, which is unnecessary.
lgalea
Feb 7th 2010, 13:07
J. Huber
Judging by all the comments made on The Times and all the surveys carried out you seem to be in a very tiny minority Huber. If you are happy with Gonzi squandering our taxes for a destructive project I and the vast majority of Maltese citizens are not.
K.Abela
Feb 7th 2010, 13:04
@J.Huber
I am sorry for you but Mr.Galea used the word US in the right context. Because it will be us who will be paying for this project, despite the fact that we do not have a saying about its contents, irrelevant of how many so called consultation had been made.
M.Brincat @all
Feb 7th 2010, 12:46
When someone has a car loan, he doesn't go around buying villas.
So dear prime minister, halt this project. I remember surplus being mentioned. Oh was that before the election? At the same time when you were seeing the big waves coming?
Contradiction much?
J. Huber
Feb 7th 2010, 12:35
@IGalea
Speak for yourself and avoid using the word us. There are also people who are are able to evaluate matters objectively because they not blinded by partisan politics.
lgalea
Feb 7th 2010, 12:21
It is a BIG deal Gonzi because it is not you who is going to pay for this MAD and UNWANTED DESTRUCTION project but US through OUR taxes.