Editorial
-
True picture is somewhere in between
As the two main political parties continue to blame each other for the downgrading of Malta’s long-term credit rating by one rating agency, Standard and Poor’s, many are finding it increasingly difficult to get the real picture. Some Labour Party...
-
When politicking crosses the red line
There is no other way of putting it: getting a public entity to pay for a report that is then used for party political purposes is just not on. We are referring to the analysis conducted by international consultants KPMG on the energy plan presented...
-
Pipeline: Deciding in country’s interest
Most people thought they had heard all the arguments and counter arguments regarding the best way forward for Enemalta to provide an affordable, environmentally friendly and reliable source of electrical energy in the coming decade and beyond. But...
-
Protection for whistleblowers is urgent
A recent industrial tribunal case has shed light on what could possibly be a case of patient maltreatment in the forensic unit of Mount Carmel Hospital. The alleged abuses only came to light after a non-medical employee alleged that nurses on duty...
-
Campaign? What campaign?
With seven weeks to go till the election the campaign so far has been remarkably civil, possibly even bordering on the boring for some people. However, it is certainly positive that hostility and antagonism have to date been absent from this race,...
-
The big issues not being discussed
It was to be expected that the debate on how the Labour Party plans to tackle the energy issue and, more specifically, reduce utility tariffs would dominate the beginning of a long electoral campaign. For almost two weeks now, the bulk of political...
-
Why should Malta change direction?
The Labour Party is talking about a change of direction when what it really should be thinking of is a difference in style. Irrespective of which party is elected to government come March, this country badly needs to keep its present sense of...
-
Vote for the environment and heritage
In a most commendable initiative, Din l-Art Ħelwa, the voluntary association that has been urging the protection of Malta’s environment and cultural heritage for almost 50 years, has launched an online ‘voting document’ specifically focusing on...
-
Natura 2000 sites and a nature agency
Environment Minister Mario de Marco has announced plans for the creation of a Nature Agency tasked with managing Malta’s Natura 2000 sites. The new agency will be independent of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to ensure that the...
-
Air pollution: need for action
It comes as little surprise to learn that a recent Eurobarometer survey on ambient air quality has shown that the large majority of Maltese consider that the quality of air has deteriorated substantially over the past 10 years, and that more should...
-
Give broadcasting back to the people
In another political era, a Cabinet minister had declared that national broadcasting should nurture a socialist generation, or words to that effect. Thankfully, the majority of people willed otherwise and the State broadcasting station was spared...
-
Who has campaign energy?
If Labour came flying out of the blocks at the start of the electoral campaign – they were actually in danger of making a false start with their midnight launch – then the Nationalists have been warming up the engine surprisingly slowly. But eight...
-
A more effective consumer watchdog
Rarely has the Consumers’ Association been as strong as when it rolled out its proposals to the political parties for consideration in their electoral programmes. Whether any of its proposals will be taken on board is another matter but it is most...
-
Councils badly need good governance
However much the auditor general complains about the way local councils operate, it is unlikely that the country can expect any tangible improvement any time soon. Most of the time people’s complaints about councils centre on wardens or poor/delayed...
-
The fatal attraction of online shopping
There was a time when the January sales were the talk of the town in the post-Christmas period. Anxious customers nurtured high expectations of irresistible bargains as they queued for hours waiting for shops in Valletta and Sliema to open for the...
-
The €370 million question...or answer?
Joseph Muscat yesterday finally grasped the opportunity to get a monkey off his back, as for the first time since making the bold announcement over a year ago he fronted a press conference to explain how Labour would implement its promise to cut...
-
Promoting the value of volunteering
Volunteering, a tremendous force for good in society, has expanded in scope and become more deeply established in Malta over the decades. Traditionally the domain of the Church, in its striving to improve the lot of the disadvantaged as well as in...
-
One problem less for Valletta businesses
Retailers in Valletta have many reasons to feel besieged by the challenges they face on a daily basis. The steady decline of footfall in the capital’s shops, lack of adequate parking facilities in and around Valletta, and the almost continuous...
-
Fasten your seat belts
Tomorrow marks the official opening of a long (too long) eight-week electoral campaign that will climax on the weekend of March 9 with the election of a new Government. All the country’s leaders have appealed for a clean campaign in the spirit of...
-
Why liberalise the distribution of gas
Will consumers be worse off if gas distribution were to be liberalised, as the competition watchdog has decided it should? The gas distributors, about 30 of them, say consumers will suffer but the Consumers’ Association disagrees. A year ago, the...
Popular Stories
In Discussion
