Is it a question of the PN morphing into a green party only in Opposition or is this a conversion that will last even if Simon Busuttil becomes prime minister?

PN deputy leader Mario de Marco. Photos: Jason Borg

When Mario de Marco urged the Nationalist Party to embrace a green conscience the deputy leader acknowledged there was a potential credibility issue – noting that voters were cynical when politicians spoke in favour of the environment.

Voters have long been accustomed to hearing parties’ sweet-talk about the environment during election campaigns or when in Opposition, only to forget the lofty principles when elected to government.

Recent history is replete with examples. It was former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi who claimed “ODZ was ODZ” during the 2008 electoral campaign. His was a bold statement, which, however came at the tail end of an administration that extended development boundaries by two million square metres.

Then there was Joseph Muscat, who as an MEP back in 2005, threatened to block EU funds for the expansion and upgrading of the Sant’ Antnin recycling plant in Marsascala. A bone of contention for Dr Muscat had been the flawed alternative sites assessment report, which the planning authority’s auditor had described as “vitiated”.

Roll forward 10 years and as Prime Minister, Dr Muscat proposes a stretch of ODZ land in Marsascala for the development of a university campus without first conducting a proper alternative site assessment.

“Too many mistakes were committed in the past in the name of economic growth and for which the country is now paying the price,” Dr de Marco told PN councillors as he urged them to understand society’s growing environmental conscience.

His admission of past mistakes jarred with the approach adopted by party leader Simon Busuttil, who told councillors the PN had a good environmental track record.

Has the PN truly discovered a green conscience or is all this talk against development in ODZ areas simply green wash?

Too many mistakes were committed in the past in the name of economic growth and for which the country was now paying the price

An interesting exchange occurred on the Facebook wall of Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola, who called for more consistency from Dr Busuttil after his statement of defiance on Żonqor.

Dr Busuttil warned the government it would have to “steamroll over the PN” if it persisted with plans to touch Żonqor.

Prof. Cassola reminded the Opposition leader that in 2006 he had been an MEP when the PN voted to extend development boundaries despite the protests.

While the AD chairman’s comment may be politically-coloured, it does reflect the sentiment of some in the environmental lobby, who question whether the PN was simply riding on the bandwagon over Żonqor because it could harm the government.

Hydrologist and environmental campaigner Marco Cremona, in a post on the Cassola thread, said the new movement set up by civil society to oppose development on ODZ sites should not focus exclusively on Żonqor.

“By focusing [exclusively on Żonqor]... the movement will be endorsed by an opportunistic PN without making the PN think about their sins and without forcing them to make commitments on ODZ when they are next in power,” Mr Cremona said.

But this reaction and ones like it were countered by others, who insisted the PN’s current stand on the Żonqor project should be welcomed by environmentalists.

PN executive member Mark-Anthony Sammut, an engineer, wrote on his Facebook wall that he was proud that “at last” his party was giving the environment the importance and priority it deserved.

Mr Sammut also said the last PN administration had started showing signs of a pro-environment shift with planning policies that made it impossible for any illegal development in ODZ areas to be sanctioned.

Much is likely to depend on what policies the PN will be prepared to adopt as it prepares for the electoral battle in three years’ time.

It will clearly have to make some hard decisions on the environment, though whether it will be prepared to shift the balance towards the green lobby at the expense of investment and the construction industry still has to be seen.What will Simon Busuttil as Prime Minister choose: saving a valley or an investment that destroys open space?

Dr Muscat’s unequivocal answer when asked this question last year was saving the valley. He did otherwise when push came to shove. No wonder voters are cynical.