Watching Alfred Baldacchino tear the MEPA Zonqor report to shreds was a joy to behold. After years of watching politically appointed incompetents in all spheres of government deliver their business in a manner best described as “quasi-amateur” it was reassuring to see that there are still diligent, competent persons who can contribute to this nation. “Tal-affari taghhom” we would call them in Maltese.
Speaking at the Parliament Environment Committee while interviewing a hapless Johann Buttigieg, Baldacchino gave a blow by blow breakdowm of the report that MEPA prepared under strict conditions dictated by the Office of the Prime Minister. In Baldacchino’s words this was a report made to fit certain prerequisites (or as he said in Maltese “biex il-bocca tingab qrib il-likk) and there was nothing scientific about it.
Buttigieg’s feeble defence rested upon the classic “orders from above” defence that only went to show how the independence of our authorities and directorates is in tatters. Asked why the Environmental section (and experts) were not used in this report Buttigieg could only mumble something about confidentiality being imposed from above. In short he seems to mean that since this was a strictly confidential report that would not be made public they dispensed with the uncomfortable obstacles that might arise in the environmental sphere.
Through a reasoned and well argued approach Baldacchino unearthed one of the main pillars of dishonesty that underlies Joseph Muscat’s dealings with regards Zonqor Point. This was no tree-hugging conspiracy theorist on his spare time but a real scientist asking pertinent questions and exposing the gaping holes in the report. It was a report written to make the Fake University at Zonqor happen come what may.
Marlene Farrugia courageously reminded Johann Buttigieg that his duty was towards the taxpayers dishing out his and Sai Mizzi’s pay (I added Sai but it’s the same coffers) and not to suck up to his political superiors. That it might be a case of talking to a brick wall was immediately evident when Buttigieg was also told that on these issues it was he who would be made to answer not his superiors. The civil servant replied with a “no problem” that implied that taking the bullet was part of his curriculum.
In other related news it is also interesting how the other institution currently being grilled by the Front Harsien ODZ for its environmental credentials is the Church. The problem here lies in a couple of requests by the Church to build schools in ODZ area. Having become another outspoken campaigner in favour of saving Zonqor, the Curia is also being required to do some homework about its past applications in ODZ areas.
The timing could not be better. Back at the big Church HQ in Rome, copies of the upcoming papal encyclical “Laudato si’, sulla cura della casa comune” were leaked to L’Espresso. It appears that the conservative movements in the church want to undermine the progressive stance of Pope Francis in this respect but leaks apart we will have another possible set of value guidelines from an institution that does its homework well on a deontological level – one that cannot be ignored, especially by Malta’s Curia.
Alfred Baldacchino spoke not only as a well-researched scientist who knows his job but also as a man with clear values and vision. The renewed discovery of environmental sensitiveness in this country might be a welcome trigger to explore the understanding of our values in this and other fields.
In which case… laudato si’….
