The Nationalist Party had a gun to its head when making its pre-electoral Monti re-location promise, however this was not the same promise made by Labour, PN Culture Spokesman Joe Cassar told The Malta Independent.
During an interview, the PN MP argued that “We did not say the Monti would reach Parliament, we said it would reach Ordinance Street. l hope the people understand that the PN is developing and moving forward".
“If, prior to the election, with a machine gun to his head, the PN Leader said that the Monti stalls would be in Ordinance Street and not a step further… today we are saying, ‘no, not even in Ordinance street’”.
Turning to government and the Monti relocation plan, Dr Cassar said - “This government works backwards. Instead of starting with a plan, it first makes a promise and then comes up with a proposal. This is what happened in the Monti case. This Government did not hold discussions and consult experts first”, Although he conceded that the Nationalist Government perhaps held too many consultations on projects prior to implementation.
“It (government) promised the Monti hawkers that the market would move from Merchant’s street to Ordinance Street, then woke up one morning saying that it would be moved, secretly have the stalls built and mark numbers on the ground only to find later that the people were in an uproar, obviously those who have cultural opinions and security worries”.
Security and CHOGM
Dr Cassar also raised the issue of security which was of major concern with the impending CHOGM and Malta's 2017 EU Presidency. Heads of State would require a secure approach to Parliament." What will you do then…. close the Monti for that period?" he asked. “What if a foreign Head of State were the target of the attack - leaving the Monti on site could mean putting people's lives, Maltese lives, at risk. Some people think I’m referring to security of MPs, however I’m referring to the security of the Maltese people. There is no doubt that there was no thought behind this decision." Discussions have begun on moving the street markers further into Ordinance Street, he said. However, the numbers on the ground were still there, he added. "This government does not have a culture of transparency and communication as we had”.
Dr Cassar was switched to the role of Spokesperson for Arts and Culture in January this year, with his former Shadow Minister for Education role being given to MEP Therese Comodini Cachia.
Asked whether he felt being moved from Shadow Minister to Spokesperson for Arts and Culture was a demotion, Dr Cassar said - “this was absolutely not a demotion. I think Simon Busuttil made a very clear statement soon after as to where he wants to take ‘Culture’. I know Simon, We have an identical thought process”. He spoke very strongly about his view on culture and believes that "If we keep looking at culture in terms of what happens in summer, what events will take place at the Mediterranean conference centre, in the Manuel Theatre etc… this is not culture, it is a part of it.
Culture is our identity
Culture is our identity - to identify that I myself am Maltese. If we do not reach that level then we will face problems." Dr Cassar also said that Malta suffered a brain drain in certain professions in the past, adding that this could already be happening within the arts and film industry.
“Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil announced that ‘culture’ will again be moved towards the forefront of PN policies”.
Dr Cassar believes that a paradigm shift is needed. He described culture as something that contributes to our identity. “Many associate culture with ballet, drama, the theatre, feasts and so on, however, in reality culture is the way a people think. Artistic expression comes from the way people think.
He said that for many years the PL spoke about the' culture of resignation. “To my understanding, this means that when a politician makes a strategic mistake then he should resign. However obviously Dr Muscat will not be upholding this principle… if he did so he would have to resign on 11 March”.
The Maltese language
Turning to the Maltese language and the use of English words with Maltese spelling, Dr Cassar stressed that a number of linguists “understand that when a word enters the language, then it can be used in that language. Obviously they are concerned when you use a word that has not entered the language and change it’s spelling, of course sometimes they are jarred when an Italian or English word has never been implemented and people change it around. ... ‘Futbol’, has of course entered the Maltese language and is an essential part of it”.
He turned to the link between culture and education. He mentioned that some parents do not give enough importance to scholastic subjects like history and geographygeography due to pressures of the education system.
“Subjects that are this essential for culture cannot be seen as ‘extra’”. When talking about a paradigm shift towards culture we are also speaking about education as well as learning about the Maltese identity, he explained.
His attention was drawn towards an Indian woman in Italy, who was denied citizenship despite living there for many years due as she had not learned to speak the Italian language. Dr Cassar argued that “in my opinion, the individual should have the will to learn the language . For example as a doctor, it makes absolutely no sense to work abroad without also learning the language as this would be a major disadvantage. Maltese culture has always been accepting of foreigners. However common sense dictates that if you move to a country, you should learn the language”.
Castille Square
Last week, it was announced that Castille Square would be changed to a pedestrian area. Asked for his opinion on this project, Dr Cassar said that as far as he knew, the PN administration had prepared a plan for a similar project. He said that the PN was not consulted on this government project. “The PN has rarely been consulted this legislature. As such I can’t really comment on it as the only information I have is the same information you have. What I do know is that the regeneration project for the Castille square was a PN idea”.
In 2018, Valletta will become the European Capital of Culture. Dr Cassar asked why Architect David Felice was removed from his position as Chairman of V18. He was replaced by Jason Micallef ."I have absolutely nothing against Jason Micallef, however, he is not suitable for this position considering he is not trained in this field”, Dr Cassar said. He stressed that V18 will be very important for Malta. “It identifies our culture... The worst thing we can do is work on this amateurishly. The moment political appointees handle this then there is a problem”.
Asked whether he believed the PN was contradicting itself by offering to cooperate on V18 once it had criticised the substitution of David Felice, he replied that “I am ready to work with Jason Micallef and the PN wants to contribute, however I believe replacing David with Jason was a mistake. You call a spade a spade”.
"God forbid V18 would be a series of activities that would end in 2018, I believe that would be a major failure"
Vision for Valletta
He said the PN had a vision for Valletta, mentioning the new Parliament, which has attracted the attention of foreign architects, the Manuel Theatre restoration, the Strait Street development, etc. “Every project I mentioned identifies Maltese culture... Our vision for V18 is that it would not end by 2019, but that we would produce permanent projects, each one being an expression of Maltese thought and Maltese identity. God forbid V18 would be a series of activities that would end in 2018, I believe that would be a major failure”.
Dr Cassar said that the Carnival Village was something that the PN had discussed at length, “and I am sorry we weren’t able to arrive at its creation. I believe it is very important. I know nothing about this current project aside from what I have read”.
The PN had long promised the Carnival enthusiasts an area to build their floats for many years yet nothing was ever done. Why was that? “I know it was discussed however I wouldn’t know the real reason why as I wasn’t directly involved in the process. What I can say is that it was not a good thing that we didn’t provide a Carnival village. I assume there were valid reasons. It is a project that will cost €6 million which will require some investment. I assume there were different priorities in the past legislature. In this legislature, for example, they chose to invest €4.2 million in Café Premiere instead of St Phillip’s hospital”.
William Mangion should be judged
Asked for his opinion on William Mangion and the length of time it took to find a rehearsal space for bands, Dr Cassar said “I have nothing against William Mangion, however the person who placed William Mangion in this position must judge whether he did his job efficiently.
Dr Cassar was adamant that he would not have spent public funds to employ a consultant simply to find a place." I would have had a consultant to do a number of things including this. Now had he found a place the following day after being appointed, then this would only have meant the cost of one day's work. One question we should ask is whether William Mangion will be out of a job once the location is settled. "
Dr Cassar believes that more Maltese films should be produced. He praised the fact that Malta is attracting well known personalities however believes that it is time to take the next step for the Maltese film industry and produce more of Maltese films. "We should not think of ourselves in terms of extras, but as actors”.
He mentioned Joseph Calleja, a man “who is making Maltese proud. The film industry needs to rise to this level. I believe Malta has the talent and we must be careful not to throw these talents away. I am saddened to say that many people in this industry at all levels need to head abroad, similar to doctors who used to travel abroad, to become specialists in their field. Today Maltese doctors can now undergo these procedures in Malta. I think there needs to be a shift in the film industry”.