The issue of Gozo’s connectivity with mainland Malta has been going on since the late 1950s and early 1960s, when a certain Vella Gatt (not Vella Gaffiero as I was rightfully corrected) had a bridge replica assembled and put up for public viewing at the Banca Giuratale and later at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel.

Vella Gatt, who had an insurance office in Mgr Luigi Vella Street, Victoria, started asking for financial investments for the bridge construction.

Several locals are said to have invested heavily in the project, some even by as much as £40,000. If any of the investors were reimbursed his/her monies is another question.

At that time, the general opinion of locals was that Mr Vella Gatt was bonkers.

Herbert Ganado, in his book Rajt Malta Tinbidel, says that he was against connecting the islands; but that was until he and a companion were stranded for three days in Gozo after the ferry service was cancelled due to bad weather. He became so frustrated in Gozo that he said if he could he would have taken his jacket off and started digging up a road between the islands.

How’s that for a complete change of opinion?

Real and serious debates have to be held regularly with all strata of society

I began the article with this story so that readers get an idea of what Gozitans have to go through their whole life – living in isolation from the rest of the world. This with all the other hardships that Gozitans have to experience: the hardship of being separated for many years from one’s family; the extra expenses; the embarrassment of a person asking for cash loans if stranded for a long time in Malta, with no clean clothes to change into.

When I was appointed executive chairman at Gozo Channel, I managed to convince the other directors to establish a 24-hour service.

This was at first done on a three-month trial basis, initiated during the trade fair. It proved to be so successful that it was established as a normal service.

Both Gozitans and Maltese have found this service to be to their advantage.

In 1986, Dom Mintoff (who called me “DeBono” as “Lino” he used for Lino Spiteri), told me he had heard I was against the bridge. I asked him who had said this. Mintoff pointed at then Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici who was standing next to him.

I said this was not true as what I wanted was that prior to any decision there should be a referendum among Gozitans to see if they agreed to the idea or not. Mintoff replied that this was another matter and he agreed with it. As a matter of fact, the referendum was included in Labour’s 1987 electoral manifesto.

What I am surprised and very disappointed about now is that we have six members of Parliament representing Gozo and who are supposed to be our leaders. Two, Franco Mercieca and Chris Said, have declared their position in favour of the tunnel project. Giovanna Debono, Fredrick Azzopardi and Parliamentary Secretary Justine Caruana have not taken a stand.

Gozo Minister Anton Refalo made a stupid declaration saying he wanted the referendum to be held among both Gozitans and the Maltese, but wanted the Gozitan vote to carry more weight. Now I and many others are anxious to evaluate this theory.

In Maltese we have a saying, Ħawwadni ħalli nifhem (translated literally, confuse me so I may understand). The minister couldn’t have succeeded better. After more than 60 years of discussing this issue, he didn’t know which way to go.

In my view, for the minister to come out with this statement it means that he’s against the tunnel project.

The Gozo Tourism Association said that 85 per cent of hoteliers were against the tunnel. Now to be precise, how many hotels are there in Gozo? The main ones are Ta’ Ċenc, Calypso, Xagħra Lodge, Marsalforn Hotel(?), Grand, Downtown and that’s it. I always say that figures and statistics can play tricks.

Which of the hotel owners are against the tunnel? Are they the big ones or others that don’t even exist at present but are listed as hotels?

Is their position to Gozo’s benefit or are they just thinking only about their interest and disregarding the rest of the population? Are these hotel owners calculating the business that will be generated when Barts hospital opens in Gozo, or are they not seeing beyond the end of their noses?

The hundreds/thousands of workers, students, businessmen, farmers with their produce, citizens who cross for their errands, youth entertainment, activities, meetings and so on: what about them? Were calculations or studies made about the number of Gozitan students who opt out of University courses due to their having to spend five years in, or crossing over to, Malta? The Education Minister should dedicate experts to evaluate this issue. So many opportunities are being lost for Gozitan youth.

Has anyone calculated that in winning a promotion, a Gozitan will earn less and not more due to travel expenses? On the other hand, if a Maltese is directed to Gozo for work he receives an allowance, transport and food. Meanwhile Gozitans, even a director, will get no allowance, no food and no transportation. Is this equality?

It is only university students, Bank of Valletta and HSBC employees who receive travel allowances. The rest of the Gozitans get nothing. Even at the CHOGM, Gozitan police and soldiers were not treated fairly and served ‘rubbish’ food (some of them nothing at all) and treatment.

The only realistic and feasible study was made by the Gozo Business Chamber which published a detailed report for everyone to evaluate. Some items I do question in this report, such as the evaluation of the ticket price for crossing. Would the private contractors be applying the US system of having the tunnel expenses and profits spread over 30 years or more and then, as in the US, passing the tunnel on to the government? So how was the crossing price arrived at?

Real and serious debates have to be held regularly with all strata of society. Information, suggestions and ultimately approval will be achieved for the general good of one and all.

During the 1960s, at the Salesians Oratory in Victoria, they showed a movie featuring Alan Ladd called None but the Brave.

I close with the quote: “Nothing ventured – nothing gained.”