Exit Louis, Enter Michael

In a few days' time we shall bid farewell to Louis Galea in what amounts in practice to his departure from the local political scene. He will be sorely missed. A man of strong values and an acute sense of loyalty, Louis was, towards the end of the 1970s and the early 1980s, a major catalyst in the transformation of the Nationalist Party. Together with Eddie Fenech Adami, he brought to the fore the social vision of the party and shaped it into a popular movement whose foundations were the Christian Democratic principles.

Louis was and still is a person of vision who knows how to transform that vision into concrete action. During Cabinet meetings, I could not but admire his skill at analysing the political scenario.

There is no denying that Louis left his mark with the reforms he spearheaded first as minister responsible for social policy and subsequently as minister for education between 1998 and 2008.

As social policy minister he masterminded the introduction of personalised services whose pivot is the person and his needs. Louis also established the agencies that supported such services and which we now take for granted.

As minister for education he implemented far-reaching reforms and was instrumental in the reintroduction of the College for Arts, Science and Technology, Mcast.

Michael Frendo will now take on the position of Louis Galea as Speaker of the House of Representatives after a unanimous decision of the PN Parliamentary Group yesterday.

Michael belongs to the generation after Louis in the PN and the generation before mine. I have known Michael for many years from when he was active in student politics at the University. He was first elected to Parliament in 1987 and always went about his duties with utmost dedication. He passed through a tough patch when he was subjected to a vilifying campaign, which he, however, fought back thanks to his strong character traits.

I have no doubt that Michael will be an excellent replacement for Louis and is well suited to carry on the work that Louis commenced as Speaker within the Select Committee, at the same time as fostering a spirit of dialogue between the government and the opposition - April 23.

Three unforgettable moments

The Pope's visit passed by in a flash. If you were to ask me which were the moments that will remain impressed in my memory, there were three such moments.

The first unforgettable experience was the scene of the family with a disabled person who presented the offerings during Mass. I couldn't but note the mother's beaming face as the family returned to its place - a look which declared proudly: "We made it". I can't imagine a family more representative of Maltese and Gozitan families. A family that carries on stoically, constrained to carry a heavier burden than most, sustained by its love and faith in Jesus Christ.

Another memorable part of the visit was when Lourdes and I met the Pope at the Palace. It was our second meeting with him. The first one had occurred at the Vatican three years ago, when as a family we had participated in one of his Wednesday audiences.

The other moment I shall cherish was during the departing ceremony, when the Pope made an appeal to Malta for its "dedication to the challenging task of dialogue and cooperation within the international and European communities, key forums in which Malta bears witness to the Christian values that have helped to shape her identity. Unity, solidarity and mutual respect stand at the basis of your social and political life (...). The treasure of the Church's social teaching will inspire and guide these efforts".

These words reminded me of a proposal I put forward to the Archbishop some time ago. I had spoken of the need for the Church to invest in the formal training of lay men and women to work in the community in all fields, not least as politicians guided by its social teachings.

The Pope's visit was a short one but one loaded with significance. I augur that this visit will lead to a renewal of a more dynamic Church and reaffirm the teachings that were brought to us by St Paul 1,950 years ago for the good of our society. Archbishop Paul Cremona rightly pointed out the fact that our society has changed and that herein lies the challenge for the Catholic Church to examine itself and its method of evangelisation. - April 19.

De Vilhena's fountain

The restoration work on the fountain in Saqqajja Road, Rabat has been concluded. The works commenced at the end of May 2009 by workers from the Restoration Unit within the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs. Prior to the restoration, each time I passed in front of this fountain I found it an eyesore as it was in such an appalling state. It was sadly abandoned with much of the beautiful stonework crumbling off.

This fountain was built by Grandmaster Manoel de Vilhena in the mid-18th century on the spot where a spring of water provided fresh water to the locals. The fountain is one of the most beautiful we have, embellished with elaborate artistic sculpture, built with limestone, with a length and width of 11 metres.

The work, which cost €15,000, excluding the pay of workers, included cleaning, plastering, replacement and restoration of stone. It required a lot of work of sculpture, particularly on the upper part of the fountain, where the damage was more pronounced.

The wonderful part of every restoration exercise on the myriad of artistic jewels we are so privileged to have is that during restoration so much is discovered of the work of art as it originally was. In the case of the fountain a sheet of paint was discovered and this is why it now appears more colourful than it was in its abandoned state with all the paint having peeled off.

It sometimes feels like people find something to grumble about whatever you do. A certain Joseph Micallef wrote on The Times online that the fountain was restored in view of the Pope's visit. He clearly was not aware that the works commenced at the end of May of last year, when nobody was aware that the Pope was to visit let alone the date when he would be here - April 16.

A success story

The past two years have denoted a huge leap in the quality of the services we offer for the welfare of animals. I visited yesterday the Animal Welfare Department on the occasion of the second anniversary since its establishment. For years the country ignored the plight of animals, abused or abandoned by irresponsible people. This fledging department now thrives under the able guidance of its director, Mario Spiteri, whose team deserves credit for what has been achieved since.

Since January, following a pilot project implemented last year, the department has managed the animal ambulance service operating on a 24/7 schedule. In the first three months, the ambulance was called on site 500 times - 50 of which, it is sad to say, were triggered by prank calls. On the positive side, 30 per cent of the saved dogs are now the cherished pets of caring families. The department's website is in the process of being upgraded in an effort to increase the rate of adoption with plans for uploading photos of the animals after treatment.

Since its inception, the department has conducted over 1,000 inspections in pet shops, farms, sanctuaries and in private homes following reports of alleged abuse. A total of 25 persons await criminal proceedings.

Neutering of stray animals is in full swing with over 2,000 strays neutered at a cost, incidentally, of over €200,000. The next step is the introduction of regulations making micro-chipping for pit bulls and similar races compulsory. This facilitates tracing, so when these animals are abandoned or mistreated the owner can be easily identified. We aim to have all dogs micro-chipped in the next few years. - April 13.

The author is Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs.