That sinking feeling...

After the overwhelming 8-1 vote by the Environment and Resources Authority in approving the environmental permit for the new gas power station, a gloomy sense of isolation must have descended on the Nationalist Opposition.

To watch its representative being outvoted in such a drastic manner cannot have been pleasant, more so when the environmental NGOs joined in heralding this new era of much cleaner air as a result of the switch to gas from heavy fuel oil. Is it any wonder people present for the public consultation ended up applauding the resulting vote after literally years of national debate and controversy?

In many ways, it was almost painful watching the Opposition party’s president, in the middle of a perplexed audience, trying to convince the authority to vote against by painting an Armageddon scenario. I am sure that a vast majority of down-toearth Nationalist supporters, several friends of mine among them, were silently wishing it was not really happening. Some of them may have even been pinching themselves to make sure it was.

That sinking feeling is tough to experience and it takes a strong party and a stronger leader to offer a safe way out of it. Most parties, however big, go through the process at a time when they are caught out over issues, finding themselves in situations they temporarily do not want to accept or adapt to. Still on the domestic scene, the Labour Party had to go through the same tribulations when it hesitated to join the rest of the European Left, not surrendering its principles based on equality and social justice, but applying new methods and styles while building up a new public image. With hindsight, three consecutive electoral defeats were probably just desserts, as the misspelt saying goes.

This very space has already discussed the incredulous way that the Opposition has tackled the issue of energy since its massive electoral defeat of 2013. Almost four years have passed since and only a few days ago it was shown it is still digging itself into a bigger hole. A complete break from the past would have been the ideal way to revamp the party’s fortunes, and this would have necessitated acknowledging the fact that mistakes had been committed in the energy sector and it was indeed now time to agree to the option of a cleaner and cheaper source.

Instead, it has preferred to resort to a process of self-bondage which demanded insistence on continued dependence on heavy fuel oil at a time when the whole of Europe is eagerly switching to gas. It has also chosen to package all this resistance by means of fear mongering and the insidious peddling of delaying tactics. The message that it has not yet recognized is pretty simple: if you are losing the game, change tactics. Any decent football coach will tell you that and it is the same on the political field.

Climbing out of a hole you have dug yourself into is not easy, but achievable. A party, a politician, is able to regain credibility by doing so with dignity and a sense of humility. Again, Labour was able to do so by eventually accepting the reality of European Union membership it had earlier opposed. Had it not chosen to go by the rules of modern democracy, it would still be languishing in Opposition and isolation; and the first signs of the need for this new attitude were already there in the 2008 general election.

The adequate provision of clean energy – plus the bonus of a growing reliance on sustainable sources – is just too important for any nation to prolong the political haggling over it. Both the economic and health ar- guments have been won, while the risk factor is certainly much lower than when people had gigantic oil storage tanks metres away from their front doors in places like Birżebbuġa.

Is it not time to call it a day, possibly as a New Year resolution, and switch to other issues that justify the existence of rival political parties in a country that has, in recent years, happily chosen to look ahead rather than remain stuck in yesteryear’s muck? ***

Angels on horseback

It was good listening to all the angels on horseback talking so much sense during the end-ofyear conference organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) on the need of a national code of ethics for the local media.

Every single editor and veteran journalist who was there knows, in his heart of hearts, he or she has been guilty of unethical behaviour at some time or another in his or her career, but the fact that we all sat under one roof and chose to share letting off steam is a positive outcome. That it happened inside the parliamentary complex and was presided over by none other than Mr Speaker bodes even better.

Ethical and professional behaviour cannot be groomed into people by virtue of lip service alone. So much has been done and so much time has passed, that it is long overdue for even a revamp of what has already been agreed on. Fine-tuning the final package and presenting it to the powers that be for eventual enforcement will take more efforts and precious time. The new realities, such as social media dominance, the fading influence of traditional and political media, and local idiosyncrasies, need to be addressed before it can finally happen.

With even the world journalistic scene showing signs of utter despair, when it has become so hard to discern what the real news is, our dilly-dallying with the mere acceptance of a national code of ethics seems rather petty.

Hopefully, 2017 will bring both the unity and genuine desire required. ***

Sincere best wishes

It has always been a privilege to write in this newspaper since when it was first launched. Columnists get space to express their views and it is only fair to expect retorts from readers who disagree and third parties. A case in point: I have warmly received, from Michael Pace Ross, a copy of the Archbishop’s Curia Income and Expenditure for 2015 by way of a dignified reaction to my piece earlier this month.

One does not need to resort to distasteful terminology to drive a personal point home, be it in a newspaper, on a radio/TV programme, or the alternative media.

Sincere best wishes for the New Year to all at The Malta Independent on Sunday – Editor, staff and readers.