While the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party harangue each other, our land still gets pillaged. Recently, Burmarrad Road’s trees had their roots concreted over. Transport Malta promised to be tough on the contractor but this begs the questions: why are such people awarded a tender in the first place? Does this promise have an expiry date?

A year ago, Garibaldi Road had all its trees uprooted. Transport Malta was wrong about relocating the trees. I witnessed the trees being butchered. It is a safe bet they could not take root again anywhere on earth, their roots hacked off.

The Peacocks Garden ‘rehabilitation’ too disregards trees. ‘Rehabilitation’ seems synonymous with ‘uprooting’ for some. Our island is so short of ‘recreational areas for children’, giving up some of our trees is a fair swap, I assume.

Last year, a developer ploughed right into Mosta’s Wied il-Għasel, the last natural waterway coursing through an urban area, with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s blessing. Even the appeal did no good; evidently, the planning authority decided it would rather serve Mammon.

I will not be voting PN, neither PL. Though not in government, PL wasted their chance to voice objection to these rapes from their benches. Remember too that Mepa is headed by appointees from both the PL and the PN. Thanks, but save your empty rhetoric for the remaining trees Joseph, they need the hot air.

I root for AD. They spoke out in disgust against such atrocities. They lent public support to various environmental lobbies. They are the only party clamouring for increasing the ODZ instead of diminishing it. They are the only ones condemning atrocities. They are the only ones putting people and the environment before the developers’ profits.

We do not just need a third party in Parliament. We also sorely need a Green one.