In a tiny country such as ours, land is an essential primary resource; even more important than the days of sunlight that grace our island, as is often pointed out in scholastic textbooks.
Just like any estate agent, developer or property speculator, politicians know the value of the earth they tread very well. Besides the monetary value, land and real estate are key to power. Therefore, a politician’s own set of values, integrity and honesty have a huge weighting in deciding whether this precious resource and its by-products are to be administered as a national value for the collective good, or for the politician’s own ego and career.
Left unchecked, egos and political convenience may lead any politician and subservient state entities, tasked with the administration of public resources, to deviate from the aim of achieving the common good and rail off on a disaster-inducing tangent.
If we are to follow this yardstick, there are volumes to be written about the four representatives of the electorate who handed over Aħrax and Miżieb to the FKNK; the equivalent of daylight robbery at the expense of you and me.
Terrified of the PR fallout, the four moved the signing forward by two days. Comforted by an empty room, the absence of media countered by the warm presence of the DOI’s photographer and a medical mask to hide their contented expressions, the deal could take place without the fanfare of an open ceremony and the risk of hundreds of baying protestors on shareable videos.
Ministers Ian Borg, Aaron Farrugia and Clint Camilleri, with the valiant intervention of parliamentary secretary Chris Agius, handed over two huge open spaces to a minority lobby for a paltry €400 per year.
In one fell swoop, public access to these woodlands was severely pruned, indeed truncated.
The deed was also signed by an ex-judge whose ‘retirement’ allowed him to skirt impeachment, and by a Labour official close to the minister for transport and infrastructure, respectively chairman and CEO of the Lands Authority – a state entity tasked with the administration of the public land resource.
As it happens, I am also fascinated to know what parliamentary secretary Clayton Bartolo, an MP representing the Mellieħa constituency, thinks of this agreement. I’d bet a kidney on Bartolo standing up gallantly in cabinet to point out to his errant colleagues that this deal would be highly detrimental to the well-being of the citizens of his district, if not the country as a whole.
But maybe he didn’t.
I will not delve into the issue of whether hunting and trapping should be allowed or not; the referendum held a few years ago gave its verdict, even though politicians took the narrow margin as a carte blanche to pillage our natural resources incessantly. Indeed, the topic of whether hunters should be allowed to indulge in their hobby is even less than secondary compared to this massive national issue.
Those face masks did little to conceal the scandal, if not a particularly malicious brand of Cheshire grin – especially Clint Camilleri’s, a trapper himself, a Minister for Gozo with control over hunting; you’ll find his name under the entry of ‘conflict of interest’ in any reputable dictionary. Away from a shocked media and angry public, the four rammed the hunting equivalent of the Italian Job down our throats. The real masks came off a long time ago.
It’s not even the first time. The term ‘land concessions’ equates to a cacophony of discordant bells ringing in my mind. I think of the well-known saga related to Mint Street for that matter; but those were still the early days. Let’s call in the cavalry: db’s agreement with the Lands Authority for the shambolic Pembroke deal; Fortina’s jetty for tourists in Balluta; AUM’s phantom university in Cospicua and Żonqor; Manoel Island and Tigné for those who are interested in the blues; or the ultimate golden oldie, Portomaso.
I could go on for hours were information about smaller, more frequent deals easily available to the public. There’s value, for everyone (mal)administering public resources, in keeping the media and public scrutiny out of the picture. Dirty deeds are better done in the dark.
Very recently, we launched our 134-point construction and planning reform document. Among the salient proposals, we are suggesting an overhaul of the way the Lands Authority is run and the introduction of a foolproof oversight mechanism.
Public land can no longer be given away for peanuts to lobby groups or business conglomerates in exchange for votes or electoral donations; our common resources are not electoral toys in the hands of little feudal kings who want to build their empire while robbing the general public of its already limited open spaces.
Pop culture got us used to masked thieves. Thieves in suits are not any more honourable.
This cannot go on unabated. Which is why I urge those who are angry at the giveaway of Aħrax and Miżieb to attend the planned sit-in in front of Castille this Saturday.
Keep your social distance, wear your masks, but do not hide your anger or let your voice be stifled.
Do not give in to state-sponsored, state-organised theft and favouritism. Citizens of Malta unite, you have nothing to lose but your dignity.
And while some may argue that Aħrax and Miżieb are gone for good, your voices, your anger and your determination may help us in the quest to reclaim what is ours by right.
Wayne Flask is a member of Moviment Graffitti.
