Situation Vacant: A Lexus MEPA Chairman

Article from Malta Independent.

The last week was indeed a ‘Green’ week by any stretch of the imagination.

Tuesday we discussed the MEPA estimates at some length.
Wednesday morning I attended an intriguing business breakfast co-coordinated by dive-com editor Vanessa Macdonald who was at her usual probing best with MEPA Chairman Austin Walker in the ‘hot’ seat.

Thursday morning we had a whole parliamentary session dedicated to the SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY – a debate that we had long triggered ourselves as a PL.

Friday morning and afternoon we focused anew on the committee stage of the MEPA ‘reform’ bill

While Saturday I had the pleasure of attending and delivering concluding remarks on behalf of the PL at a well organized conference held conjointly by the Chamber of Architects and the Chamber of Planners on SPATIAL PLANNING AND THE STRUCTURE PLAN.

Meanwhile the media were a glow with some dumbfounding statements on wind energy by the Minister for Gozo.

Please allow me to kick off with the MEPA Chairman’s business breakfast as well as with his remarks as an intro to the MEPA REPORT 2009 which is available on line and to which I made specific reference during last Tuesday’s debate.

I think it was indeed rich for Mr Walker to reply to Vanessa Macdonald’s question regarding his annual salary by trying to justify his annual E93K by claiming that if one decides to buy an expensive car then one will have to pay for it!

This is a far cry from the hullabaloo days of the PN manifesto when they even had the cheek to promise that appointments to government boards will only be made following a call for applications.

I am quite sure that a number of persons, including retired planners, architects and or environmentalists would have surely applied for Mr Walker’s post had there been a truly transparent call for applications with such a highly lucrative package.

But all those who believed the PN’s flimsy electoral promise in this regard simply deserve to serve and suffer under a Nationalist government that is badly in free fall.

It was intriguing to hear the MEPA Chair declare that the present permitting rules of the game are putting MEPA in an awkward position or situation when it comes to approving controversial national projects.

I beg to ask whether MEPA has ever taken this matter up formally with government to make sure that it changes and or mends its ways procedurally.

The pity is that even if they do change we will have already gone a long way towards approving the Freeport extension, the power station extension, the sewage treatment plant in the South of the island and many another controversial project plus the City Gate project too.


THE ‘UNSINKABLE’ GIOVANNA DEBONO

One simply has to ‘admire’ the lady’s political cheek.

While she never had any qualms about making sure that she handles manning levels at the Gozo hospital, although as John Dalli had once admitted as Minister for Social Policy during DISSETT on TVM things should have worked out differently, when it comes to either wind farms or Mgarr boaters the lady adopts a different hands off approach.

As far as wind farms are concerned she was typically non committal, claiming that she is prepared to accept alternative energy projects such as offshore wind farms but only if they are environmentally friendly. She then went on to be reported to have said that she cannot say whether she approves or objects to an offshore wind farm. What she is saying is that as part of Eco Gozo, ‘we’ whoever we may be, are in favour of alternative energy projects so long as they are environment friendly and the best solution to improve the quality of life.

When quizzed on the subject the MRRA stated that a Gozo wind farm was being considered as part of the Eco Gozo project but if one bothers to go through the Eco Gozo web site and the document entitled ECO GOZO PROPOSED ACTION 2010-2012 one will find that it only refers to onshore wind farms and micro wind turbines.

According to another newspaper, Mrs Debono would only say that the topic was on the agenda and she would wait for expert advice before taking a decision. On the other hand she made it clear that it was imprudent to confirm before hand that she would definitely accept it if the experts advised her to go for an offshore wind farm.

In plain English she was making it clear that her constituents’ concerns would come first. While renewable energy might have to play second fiddle.

If one thinks Ms Debono’s flip flop approach is restricted to renewables then one is mistaken. Last week she adopted the same issue on the steep marina tariffs that are likely to hit Mgarr boaters as a result of the recent privatization.

Contacted by the local media, she stressed that since maritime issues do not fall under her remit, she so far does not feel the need to bring the matter before Cabinet.

This contrasts sharply with the more gentlemanly approach adopted by parliamentary secretary Chris Said when he said that although the issue does not fall under his remit either, he will still insist that the contractor will abide by the conditions.

On HONDOQ IR RUMMIEN have been told that people close to her Ministry have been reported to have sent signals supportive of the project but refrained from commenting publicly to avoid any collateral damage.

Perhaps some day Mrs Debono will be kind enough to inform one and all where her responsibilities as Minister for Gozo actually start and end.

As a Gozitan recently told me  - the difference between Anton Tabone and Giovanna Debono is that while Anton was Minister for Gozo she was Minister for the Gozitans. That is, in the most parochial and provincial sense of the word.


WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE PBS CODE OF ETHICS?

Although possibly I might have had a parliamentary reply to this question by now already, since today I happen to be in Innsbruck attending a Euro Med parliamentary assembly meeting on the environment, energy and water resources, it would be intriguing were the Minister responsible for the media and TVM or rather PBS to inform us about whatever may have happened to the PBS code of ethics.

In my parliamentary question I asked the following:

-    Does PBS have a code of ethics?
-    If it exists, when was it last emended?
-    Which structures exist to ensure that it is enforced?
-    Can the minister table a copy of this code of ethics?

Super One have such a code of ethics too and in all fairness I cannot claim that they always abided by it to the letter. Net TV seem to have played it safe by apparently refusing to even have such a code of ethics.

But PBS should be a different kind of fish since it is entirely publicly owned and state funded and one has every right to find out if such a code of ethics exists and who is responsible for enforcing it.

With the mega contracts WE have been reported to have been engaged in, it has now become a matter of urgency to find out about all this.


OIL SPILL QUOTES AND THE BWSC SAGA

Without wanting to, when I recently came across a number of ridiculous and hilarious oil spill US congressional quotes linked to the BP Gulf Coast saga, I could not but remember the flimsy excuses brought up by  Enemalta regarding the BWSC saga.

Here are some of them:

1)    The BP oil spill is an anomaly – like an airplane falling from the clear blue sky
2)    Chinese oil companies are drilling off the coast of Cuba, which means they are drilling off the coast of Florida
3)    If this hearing is not about stopping the leak, then why are we here?
4)    I mean, accidents happen. You learn from them and you try to make sure they don’t happen again.
5)    There is a knee-jerk reaction by the administration to address a problem that doesn’t exist.
6)    It’s a shame we can’t drill ANWR. It’s a shame we don’t get that energy off the coast of Florida.
7)    The way oil executives have been treated is disrespectful!
8)    I resent the fact that Obama’s trying to blame some of this on Bush. On 9/11 I don’t remember Bush trying to blame this on Clinton.
9)    The bridge to that promised land of renewable energy is built out of fossil fuels.
10)    I am ashamed that a private corporation can be subject to what I would characterize as a shake down.


A ‘FAREWELL’ TO TWO GENTLEMEN : MR JUSTICE J GALEA DEBONO AND JASON DAVIS

Last week Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono ended a 40 year legal career saying that he had done nothing out of the ordinary but simply applied the law. As a layman I held him in high regard for the business like approach he consistently adopted and the firm and meaningful sentences he passed on cases that came up in front of him.  He not only helped restore respect in the courts but was an undisputed asset to the judiciary.

On a separate level, Jason Davis has just ended his term as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy. Particularly when shadowing Foreign Affairs I always found in him a good listener and an excellent interlocutor. It was indeed a pleasure working with him. His impressive CV, sharp but calm and laid back approach and his prestigious posting ahead were and will all remain assets that should do him proud.

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