In the European Parliament: EPP and Socialists … together against transparency

EPP and Socialists together AGAINST more control of European Parliament expenses… typical… I wonder what Simon Busuttil thinks of their cooperation with the socialists against more transparency!…. and I also wonder what the ‘progressivi-moderati’ think… pathetic…

Of course this news won’t be reported in the Maltese media… :

23.03.2010

Staes report: EPP and Social democrats vote against more control of Parliament’s expenses

The Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament today voted on the Report of Green MEP Bart Staes on the budgetary discharge for the year 2008 for the European parliament. Commenting on the result of the vote, Bart Staes said:

“I drafted this report as a positive approach to give Parliamentary authorities all the necessary tools to ensure that in 2014, when the next European elections are due, no big or small scandal will tarnish once again the image of this House. I thought I had broad support for these proposals to ensure transparency, correct transactions, and sound financial management of Parliament’s expenses. But no less than 202 amendments were tabled, most of them with the aim of deleting the most critical parts of this report.

In fact, nearly 30 paragraphs have been deleted, most of them giving the General Secretary better tools for the financial management of Parliament. Also gone are the proposals for a more transparent procurement policy, gone is the ban on using taxpayer’s money to cover a 121 million euro hole in the MEP’s voluntary pension fund.

Today I’ve been defeated by the Grand Coalition of the two big groups, EPP and Social democrats. There is a new suffocating atmosphere in this House, with the two big groups dividing up everything between them. Understandably they want to do it with the least transparency possible which is also true of their deal to switch the parliament’s presidency from the EPP’s Buzek to the Social democrat Schulz in 2012.

All the smaller groups – Liberals, GUE and ECR, however, today supported my approach. Hence, we will draft together some key amendments for the plenary vote in April to restore the core proposals of my report and we will put them to nominal vote. MEPs, who don’t want to ensure the proper use of taxpayers’ money, should let the European citizens know this.

http://www.greens-efa.eu/cms/pressreleases/dok/333/333387.staes_report@en.htm

Tort ta’ min?

Ħafna nies għadhom ma ndunawx li f’sis­te­ma fejn jiddominaw żewġ partiti li bejniethom kapaċi jiddominaw kollox, fl-aħħar mill-aħħar jispiċċaw huma stess li jbatu b’xi mod jew ieħor. Kien hemm mumenti u jibqa’ jkun hemm mumenti fejn nies b’opinjonijiet differenti jħallu ċertu impatt.

Hemm lista sħiħa ta’ impatti pożittivi li ħalliet l-Alternattiva Demok­ra­ti­ka kemm fuq livell lokali, kemm nazzjonali, kif ukoll inter­nazzjonali. Konvint li dawn il-mumenti jibqgħu, sa­kemm jib­qa’ nies li lesti, minkej­ja d-dif­fikultajiet u l-intoppi, jitkellmu, jaħdmu u jistinkaw kontra l-kurrent għall-ideali tagħ­hom. Xi ħaġa li ma tantx tisma’ biha dan iż-żmien fejn bosta nies lanqas jafu xi tfisser li taħdem b’xejn u mingħajr ħlas.

Li hemm bżonn u li għadu ma ġarax hija żvolta lejn plu­raliżmu veru bħala parti intrinsika u essenzjali tas-sistema de­mokratika ta’ pajjiżna. Ovvjament kemm il-Partit Nazzjonalista, kif ukoll il-Partit Laburista jinteressahom li jħallu l-affari­jiet kif inhuma. Li niskanta huwa b’ċerti nies li ma jindunawx kemm il-vot tagħhom jista’ jħal­li effett. Nieħu eżempju b’nies minn Tas-Sliema li bir-raġun jitkellmu u jiktbu fuq kif żdied it-tniġġis u t-traffiku, u kif Tas-Sliema nqerdet u qiegħda tinqered bi żvilupp bla rażan. Ngħidha b’wiċċi minn qud­diem, jekk dawn l-istess nies ivvotaw u jiv­votaw għall-politiċi minn partit li fil-gvern approva skemi u pjani li ppermettew dan kollu allura naż­żarda ngħid għand­hom parti kbi­ra mit-tort għal dak li ġara u qed jiġri.

B’wiċċi minn quddiem ngħid ukoll li kienet u għadha l-AD biss li tkellmet bla kantunieri kontra l-mod kif inbidlu l-pjani lokali u kif ġew estiżi ż-żoni ta’ żvi­lupp. Il-Partit Laburista kien żamm kwiet rigward din il-kwistjoni. Anzi kien hemm Mem­bri Parlamentari Laburisti li talbu li biċċiet ta’ art ’l hemm u ’l hawn jiż­diedu maż-żoni ta’ żvilupp.

Post ieħor fejn qed jiġri sfreġ­ju sħiħ minn meta l-Gvern biddel il-pjani lokali u wessa’ ż-żoni ta’ żvilupp huwa Ħ’At­tard. Postijiet oħrajn li jiġu f’moħħi huma s-Swieqi u l-Iklin. Dan l-aħħar kellna ittra ffirmata minn kandidati Nazzjo­nalisti jilmentaw dwar bini fil-Madliena. Il-mistoqsija toħ­roġ waħedha. Min hemm fil-Gvern? Tort ta’ min qed jiġri dan kollu? Dawn in-nies qegħdin jappoġġjaw partit li wassal għall-isfreġ­ju li qegħdin jilmentaw fuqu. Vera d-dinja ta’ taħt fuq.

Ġrajja li ġrat dan l-aħħar u li tibqa’ tikkonfermali kemm għan­dna bżonn ideat differenti biex ikun hemm diskussjoni ħajja u vera, huwa l-każ tat-tonn.

Fil-Parlament Ewropew kemm id-Deputati Laburisti, kif ukoll dawk Nazzjonalisti vvo­­taw, f’minoranza, l-istess – biex jiddefendu l-multinazzjo­nali tat-tonn għas-skapitu tagħna lkoll. Iddeċidew li jiddefendu lis-sinjuruni – xejn ġdid. Li jrid jifhem kulħadd hu li fejn għandek it-teħid ta’ riżors natu­ra­li – f’dan il-każ tat-tonn – bilfors li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar irid ikun hemm kontrolli stretti, għax tie­ħu tieħu, fl-aħħar tis­piċ­ċa b’xejn. F’dan il-każ, bejn Simon Busuttil u John Attard Mon­talto m’hemmx x’tagħżel. L-ambjentaliżmu ta’ Busuttil kien, għadu u jibqa’ duħ­ħan.

info@alternattiva.org.mt

L-ilma li jiswa d-deheb

Ralph Cassar
Kelliem dwar l-enerġija, l-industrija u t-trasport
Alternattiva Demokratika- The Green Party

Ma nistenniex li dak li se nikteb se jċaqlaq xi ħaġa. Jiġri x’jiġri f’dan il-pajjiż kollox jibqa’ għaddej qiesu xejn m’hu xejn. Trid tibni fil-Wied tal-Baħrija? Ma jimpurtax, min jikkritikak oħroġ għalih u kissru. L-iskont fenominali ta’ 3.3 miljuni ta’ Ewro li ngħataw il-MIDI li żvelat Maltatoday biex jarmu t-terrapien il-baħar ħoloq xi skandlu u xi protesti kbar? Prattikament kulħadd jevita li jsemmi l-każ. Lanqas Joseph Muscat u l-PL qatt ma smajthom ilissnu kritika fuq hekk.

Għal dawk il-ftit li jimpurthom huwa ovvju li fi żmien ħmistax-il sena jekk mhux anqas se niġu niddependu għal kollox għall-ilma għax-xorb fuq is-sistema tar-reverse osmosis. Diġa nġibu madwar 40% mill-ilma għax-xorb mill-ilma baħar – bi spiża enormi għall-pajjiż. Dan l-ilma jitħallat ma’ l-ilma tal-pjan. L-ilma tal-pjan huwa riżors naturali prezzjuz. Il-problema li qed jitella’ ilma tal-pjan bl-addoċċ, b’mod irregolari. Dak li huwa wirt ta’ kulħadd qed jinsteraq – bil-Gvern jagħlaq għajnejh it-tnejn. Aktar ma jonqos l-ilma tal-pjan aktar jkollu jogħla l-prezz tal-ilma – għandna nistennew kontijiet doppji jekk mhux erba’ darbiet aktar hekk kif insiru niddependu iżjed u iżjed fuq l-ilma li jiswa d-deheb – mir-reverse osmosis.

Fost dawk li qed jagħmlu kemxa flus sew billi jieħdu mill-ilma li huwa tagħna ilkoll hemm fabbrika tas-soft drinks u l-ilma tal-flixkun. Biex tgħaxxaqha din il-kumpanija rebħet premju talli tieħu ħsieb l-ambjent. Is-serq ta’ riżors naturali mingħajr il-ħlas ta’ ċenteżmu ġie ppremjat. Sadanittant aħna lkoll, ġustament, inħallsu ta’ l-ilma li nikkunsmaw. Sandanittant il-Prim Ministru Gonzi jżur il-kumpanija u jitbissem għall-kameras.

La l-PN u wisq nibża li lanqas il-PL m’huma se jitlewmu ma’ din il-kumpanija. Huwa politikament perikoluż għalihom li jeħduha ma’ min huwa b’saħħtu. Ma tridx wisq biex jheddu li se jkeċċu ‘l-ħaddiema jekk tittieħed azzjoni.

Sadanittant is-serq tar-riżorsi naturali ta’ pajjiżna ikompli. AD la qatt iddejqet u mhux se tiddejjaq titkellem. Ħaddieħor jaf li dan is-suġġett ma tantx jiġbed voti. Jaf li ikunu qed jipperikolaw sorsi importanti ta’ finanzjament jekk jiftħu ħalqhom biex jitolbu lill-kumpaniji kbar josservaw il-liġi. Dan pajjiż fejn m’hemm l-ebda kontroll u trasparenza fil-finanzjament tal-partiti – lanqas liġi m’għandna – ma jridux idardru l-għajn li jixorbu minnha. Bid-difiża tar-riżorsi naturali tagħna jafu li m’hu se jieħdu xejn. Sadanittant Gonzi jkompli jitbissem. Pullicino jkompli jikxef l-irħamiet. Il-PL u l-PN jibqgħu jibbattibekkaw fuq il-passat. U l-ilma tal-pjan ikompli jinxef.

ralph.cassar@alternattiva.org.mt

Simon and John agree on…

John Attard Montalto

Probably Simon Busuttil will be marching in Valletta with environmentalists in 2 weeks time. He is a master and expert at projecting the image of a goody-two-shoes. But let us see where he really stands on some issues.     

Regarding hunting – he is one of those who reassured hunters time and again that they will be able to hunt in spring – the most important season for birds and when families can enjoy the little left (…after his friends from the PN in government failed to deliver on their 1987 promise of ‘pajjizna jwarrad bis-sbuhija’) of the countryside. In this he shares the same position like Labour’s MEP John Attard Montalto, who never fails to defend his hunter constituents.     

Take the tuna issue. Simon again joined John and Labour in voting in favour of the interests of the tuna mega-industry. In favour of a handful one company in particular. Simon and John are against the necessary tough measure to preserve the tuna stock. they chose to please the tuna ranching industry instead – that is a handful of millionaires.     

Simon and John agree on a lot of things… probably they say that their decisions are ‘in the national interest’. Mintoff used to say that too. Even when he went overboard he used to say that he’s doing things ‘fl-interess nazzjonali’.     

On dust he talks and talks about dust from quarries, which yes are a nuisance. I also work on the issue of this nuisance through my work on the Attard Council. Trying to come to a solution for a quarry which has been leased from government for 60 years is not at all easy. The reality is however that Malta is exceeding the dust (PM10) limits mainly because of pollution from traffic. Tackling the traffic issues ONLY will lead to improvement in air quality. It is the PM10 dust from burning fuels which is the most dangerous to health because this very fine dust (invisible to the naked eye) lodges deep in our lungs and may carry dangerous substances with it, such as heavy metals. A dusty verandah and a dusty ‘komodina’ because of dust from limestone is one thing (which MUST be tackled), dust from burning fuels is another, more serious and deadly issue!     

On environment and public health issues both ‘GonziPN’ strategist Simon and ‘progressive-and-moderate-two-in-one’ John agree wholeheartedly. Simon poses as an ‘environmentalist’ and he gets away with it. There are many who cannot see though this deception. That’s life I suppose.     

Bullying

Before last Sunday’s demonstration in Valletta Radio 101 and NET news bulletins told us that – surprise, surprise – PN’s MEP candidate Vince Farrugia and PN activist Paul Abela, both of the GRTU were not taking part in the protest. Neither is UĦM. Nor were employers’ organisations, who never take part in demonstrations anyway. The message is supposed to be that since these decided to sit on the fence, everyone else should do the same. Then more hype about ‘dawk li se jnizzlu n-nies fit-toroq’. Gosh how nasty of them. Only criminals do that.

We also had the odd editorial or two in The Times telling us how brave and courageous Lawrence Gonzi is and that a simple demonstration is, hear this: ‘Not in the national interest’. This phrase, often used by Dom Mintoff is nowadays only used in Iran, Belorussia, Burma and China to rubbish and silence the totalitarian regimes’ critics.

Then we had the usual tit-for-tat between eternal rivals, the UĦM and GWU, copying, as always, the rivalry between PN and PL. The most worrying of all but is the bullying and rubbishing of other unions such as the MUT and MUMN. The attacks, some of them covert and some of them not so covert on unions for choosing to organise and take part in a demonstration is, to put it mildly, disgusting. The Government and the Naitonalist Party, which here in Malta are one and the same, have done their best to ridicule and insult all those who disagree with the way they have neglected the energy sector for years on end.

It is crystal clear. Overnight price hikes are a result of the failure of this government’s to tackle the issue and spread out the costs over the years. Now, with its back against the wall we are being told to pay for their incompetence and negligence overnight. PN and its usual allies have the cheek to insult people for organising what is just a normal way of people expressing themseilves in any normal country. But then, who said we live in a normal country?

Let me take the MUT as an example of why PN’s schoolyard bully style attacks are unjustified and uncalled for in what is supposed to be a democratic country. This union was never afraid to stand up for what it believed in. Those of us whose parents were or are teachers know of the hardships the union and its members went through when the union had no other alternative but to call a 6 week long strike in the 80s. The MUT, rightly, also joined other unions and political parties, namely AD and PN, in supporting Malta’s membership bid for the European Union. I remember that campaign very well, being active in AD. During that campaign various politicians from a variety of political beliefs were brought over to Malta. Obviously the Nationalist Party also used its party machinery at the time to urge its supporters to attend activities in which AD, PN, MUT, UĦM and various other union and other associations’ representatives took an active part. Rallying around an issue is nothing new in advanced democracies. In Malta it is rather rare.

Fast forward to 2010. The MUT dares disagree with the PN. A group of 12 unions dare commission a report about the utility tariffs which shows that these are unfair. These unions dare organise a demonstration. They also dare ask political parties to support them. Who is bullying whom here? The MUT and all other unions have every right to organise a demonstration. Political parties have every right to show their support. Others have every right to stay at home. The unions in the FORUM alliance are being consistent, they did what every other European Union workers’ union would do: seeking alliances on an issue which is adversely affecting their members. For acting in a European and consistent manner, not only today but throughout the years, for standing up for what they believe in the supposedly ‘European’ PN and its acolytes come out on the attack. Things never change it seems.

Ralph Cassar is Secretary General of AD – The Green Party.

https://ralphcassar.wordpress.com