A couple of weeks ago we got news that the Dutch were the tallest people on Earth. Averaging 183cm (that’s 6ft for Imperial measure folk), they are literally head and shoulders above other nations. But we seem to be getting there. In fact we can now stand tall at 173 cm (or 5ft 8 inches, for old fogies like me).
Perhaps this is the reason why we are now aiming for the skies. A couple of articles ago I spoke of the current obsession with tall buildings. Well it seems that some of those chickens have come home to roost... and how!
These last few days has seen a veritable Jenga of articles about the proposed new towers about to dominate not just the Sliema skyline, but also the Valletta one as seen from the Grand Harbour.
Perhaps the most succinct comment in all this came from the Twitter feed of Archbishop Scicluna: “The Planning Authority has given its approval to a number of temples to Priapus that will line pockets with gold and ruin the view. Shame!”
Not so much a pyrrhic victory as a priapic one then!
But to be honest, in all the (justified) fuss made, one comment really caught my eye. It was made by Timmy Gambin, a board member on the Planning Authority, who took personal umbrage at the fact that a number of organisations took the PA and its constituent members to court to try and stop them from taking any decision.
In his words, “In all the time I’ve done this, I have never been threatened like this,” he said. “It’s not just morally wrong but morally despicable.”
That got me thinking. Why exactly was Gambin feeling threatened? Was it because in their court protest the NGOs held the PA board members personally and collectively responsible for their action?
This got me thinking. When, if ever, have government-appointed boards been personally responsible for their action? And if not, why not?
When, if ever, have government-appointed boards been personally responsible for their action? And if not, why not?
When, if ever, are ministers, permanent secretaries et al, personally responsible for their actions? And if not why not?
These last couple of weeks were funny old weeks for taking personal responsibility. Apart from the Planning Authority's decision on the Townsquare project, there was the little matter of Mrieħel being quietly added as an area for high-rise development on the basis of a short note from The Boss (aka the Prime Minister) under whose jurisdiction the PA falls. A tug at the ol’ flat cap and a couple of ‘ħalli f’idejna’ and hey presto, in it went.
Then came another message, this time addressed to the board of PBS, asking them to appoint entertainer and ex-DJ, John Bundy. In this case, it was reported that there was some discomfort in the ranks, but apparently not enough to get them off their seats. So say hello to the new incumbent who will be responsible for improving the standards of Public Service Broadcasting (admittedly not the hardest of feats, seeing where it's at at the moment).
And just up the road from PBS there was the story of the chairman of the Broadcasting Authority and her chief executive officer who, it seems, is seeking pastures new.
Her €3,500+ junket to the Eurovision Song Contest now a distant memory (although there have been rumours that it may have caused the hasty departure of said CEO), Ms Tanya Borg Cardona is looking for a new CEO. And nary a wink or a blinking eye from the board who are the guardians of broadcasting in Malta, there to protect our interest - no, wait, who am I kidding? - there to protect the interest of the political parties.
Just to remind oneself, according to its own website the BA is “an independent statutory body consisting of a chairman and four other members appointed by the President of Malta acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister given after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition” - for which read, two members appointed by the PM and two by the Leader of the Opposition.
And then they have the gall to add: “The Broadcasting Authority’s aim is to help the Maltese public better understand how its values and diversities shape our unique personality by regulating local broadcasting services in open flexible ways fostering creativity and better programming.”
If you listen carefully you can hear bells ringing as my leg gets pulled.
When did we allow all this to happen? When did board members stop feeling responsible for their actions, in the full knowledge that at the end of their minister-appointed tenure they were answerable to precisely no one?
To quote Timmy Gambin: “It’s not just morally wrong but morally despicable.”