In the coming months Alternattiva Demokratika will be petitioning for a referendum on the much-overdue revision of the rent law, party chairman Harry Vassallo announced yesterday.
The government would be constitutionally bound to call for a referendum, should AD succeed in collecting the signatures of 10 per cent of the electorate, Dr Vassallo explained. Parliament would then have to act in accordance with the poll’s outcome.
This would be the first time in Malta’s history, since the writing of the Constitution, that the people would have availed themselves of this clause, he added. Such a
referendum would make good for the lack of political will successive governments have shown in trying to find a solution to this matter, Dr Vassallo said, notwithstanding the notorious negative effects the law has on Maltese society and its economy at large.
Asked to comment about the fact that the law is said to have recently been debated by the Cabinet, Dr Vassallo said that if the government really wanted to tackle the issue, giving it the priority it deserves, it had had ample time to do so. One could start straight away with certain obvious changes, such as removing the clause enabling a rent contract to be inherited.
In general, Dr Vassallo said that the way government was handling matters showed that it does not have a holistic policy for the country’s socio-economic development.
A prime example, he added, was the way in which the introduction of an eco-tax on plastic bags had been handled, also reminiscent of the Mnajdra and smoking ban controversies.
The consultation about which government boasts is only symbolic, he said.
While AD welcomes the taxation of non-biodegradable plastic bags, it cannot but disagree with the way it was implemented, without being complemented by an
educational campaign and without holding proper talks with stake holders beforehand.
Eco-taxation is quite simply being given a bad name, Dr Vassallo insisted. AD itself has never been consulted on any environmental matters after the process leading up to the solid waste disposal strategy. The government has plans for reforms such as the pensions reform and that of the health service which will change Malta’s socio-economic landscape for many years to come. Government, said Dr Vassallo, therefore cannot go down this road alone.
In this vein, Dr Vassallo called on the government to publish the findings of the Scott Wilson report on the state of Malta’s landfills. He said that the government has no right to keep information related to the health risks posed by the landfills from the public.
Those people who have or are
considering purchasing property next to a landfill must know what health risks being next to such a site can pose, he added.
“I was happy to hear the minister saying that the disposal of plastic involves emissions of poisonous dioxin. AD has been saying so for years, with a host of
ministers from respective administrations ignoring the call.”
In conclusion, Dr Vassallo said that AD will be focusing on strengthening its position and increasing its representation in the forthcoming local council elections, while at the same time retaining the trademark quality of its candidates. AD councillors have shown on various occasions that they were crucial in bringing a sort of consensus to a council. “By electing Green candidates, the people will be voting for environmental protection, open spaces and fair and effective law enforcement at a local level. Our candidates will be the voice of consensus rather than senseless partisan pique at local level,” he ended.