In a democratic environment, the selection of a nation’s government must perforce involve a great degree of comparison between the alternatives. Politics is the art whereby the country’s potential leaders offer their vision and policies for public scrutiny.
In his opinion piece entitled ‘Half-baked policymaking’ (July 6), Martin Scicluna offers his opinion in the form of a comparison of what’s on offer. It is extremely pertinent to first point out that he focused his piece almost entirely on what the Nationalist Party, particularly its leader Simon Busuttil, is offering. This speaks volumes.
Scicluna has seemingly given up on Labour, and is taking as a fact that Joseph Muscat has not passed the test of government on many fronts, especially the environmental one. This is a major development and is reflective of much more than just the mid-term blues.
The litmus paper dipped into Muscat’s track record in government, as amply demonstrated by Scicluna’s opinion piece, has fast lost its reddish hue.
Like so many other Maltese people, Scicluna is feeling let down, indeed betrayed, by Muscat’s Labour Party. Like so many other people, Scicluna is now cautiously looking at the PN as the possible alternative government and, as is his right and duty, is analysing our proposals and policies from his objective platform. By doing so, he is contributing in no small way to the further baking of the PN’s policies.
The PN is not shouting about listening but, on the contrary, it is listening quietly. What Scicluna might have missed is that the ODZ proposal was only made in outline form to enable public consultation, to raise wider awareness about this issue and to encourage debate, with the final proposal being made in the updated ENVI policy document that will be published at a later date. This document will take into account all the opinions fielded, including those of Scicluna, whose commitment to the environment is undisputable, and whose contributions are always welcomed.
Joseph Muscat has not passed the test of government on many fronts, especially the environmental one
There were, however, some points in his article that require correction or, at least, some further explanation.
He based his criticism of the ODZ proposal of a two-thirds majority in Parliament being required for any development on ODZ land on the basis of the mistaken assumption that “[Simon Busuttil] took as his model for ODZ decisions the system already in place for the nomination of the President”. He further wrote that “Under the system for electing the president, if no consensus is reached following two votes a decision is taken based on a simple majority.” This is totally incorrect.
The current system for electing the President does not require a two-thirds majority at any stage and there is need for only a mere simple majority in Parliament. Scicluna might have got this mistaken impression that the system is already so from having read the PN’s Good Governance Document, which proposes a two-thirds majority vote for top public posts.
Perhaps his Freudian slip could be interpreted as being an unvoiced, tacit approval of our proposal.
Scicluna also referred to the fact that, as yet, Busuttil has not published “… his own up-to-date code of ethics spelling out the standards expected of ministers and MPs”.
The PN’s good governance document, just like the ODZ proposal, is open to more suggestions and contributions, but it already contains several proposals on standards in public life that can form the basis for a new code of ethics for ministers and members of Parliament.
Overall, however, Scicluna’s piece made for interesting and thought-provoking reading, and can very easily be read as the epitome of the disillusionment that the Maltese electorate has with Muscat’s government, and the hope that is glimmering for an alternative government in the form of the PN led by Busuttil.
What the article strongly underlines is one crucial point. Scicluna, in his first paragraph, immediately acknowledged that this Labour government has failed miserably in its governance.
He now seems to be hoping for a better situation emanating from the PN’s good governance proposals, even though till just a few days ago he was himself an appointee of Muscat’s government.
He has, since publishing that article, stepped down (a nicer way of saying resigned) from his position of chairman of the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, half way through the process of granting a university licence to the now-infamous American University of Malta being built on public ODZ land.
He assured us, however, that the terms of the licence are “non-negotiable” and that, as a guarantee for this, he “had the minister’s word”. A word, otherwise known as a verbal contract, which has oft been referred to as not being worth the paper it is printed on.
It is starting to look more and more like he has had enough of, and turned his back on, the sham that is Muscat’s poor governance and even poorer policy for the environment, though, however, not so poor for the unscrupulous.
Charlot Cassar is a Nationalist Marsascala councillor and general election candidate.