Environment in bondage

There was a little feast at Żonqor Point yesterday. And it wasn’t just the usual rapturous and daily celebration of shades of blue with greens, khaki and rusty brown, melting into each other through a palette spilling over with sky, sea and earth.

It definitely wasn’t the kind of festivity confined to the parameters of a mysterious radar appertaining to arthropods, birds, and more insects on pollination sprees. Those kinds of feasts were present and ongoing, but there was much more...

It was a human family feast, a get-together, a farewell party and a homecoming event.

The Nationalist Party was the host. The occasion was the usurpation of the betrothal of Żonqor Point to an uncertain future. The guests, naturally, were the people questioning the wisdom of the betrothal and the ensuing dowry. I was a guest. And since I come from the same clan which was/is suggesting the deplorable marriage of the virgin maiden, Żonqor Point , to a seasoned, and wily ravenous entrepreneur, I wasn’t too sure I should attend, even though I myself am vehemently against the tragic match.

But attend I did, on the proviso that the PN leader promised me and the nation that he will not prostitute any virgin land in Malta and Gozo, if he ever came to power. The proviso was spelt out very clearly on my part: Loyalty to the environment when in government, not just when in opposition. The answer of the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Simon Busuttil, was a stronglyworded statement that renounced and deplored the environmental wounds inflicted on the environment by his predecessors while in government, followed by a clear and straightforward pledge to safeguard ODZ land and infringe it only when no other alternative exists.

It was a refreshing, courageous and enthusiastic crowd that converged at Żonqor to speak up on its behalf.

It was an even happier crowd that left the magic patch.

With an Opposition now fully committed to standing up and lobbying for the environment while in opposition, and to fully protect it when in government, the Żonqor Point controversy has provided the proverbial silver lining to the heavy cloud that has been shrouding the Opposition’s political activity to date.

The people felt this and were happy. It was an in advertent homecoming for the previously struggling Opposition. In trying to save Żonqor they have purged themselves and saved themselves.

PN matters once again and the people feel safer with a PN Opposition that matters.

The Opposition has embraced its own change, and change is embracing the Opposition.

What happens next remains to be seen.

I still have hope that our young PM refrains from throwing the Maltese nation into environmental poverty.

I still hope that as Wistin pleaded, our government will choose our farmers over Jordanians and our fields over concrete jungles.

I still hope that Malta remains Tagħna Lkoll instead of Tagħhom Kollha. We can only wait and see.... The ball is in the government’s court.

It was a refreshing, courageous and enthusiastic crowd that converged at |onqor to speak up on its behalf Nelson Mandela You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself. The Opposition has embraced its own change, and change is embracing the Opposition