In his article of 21 May in The Malta Independent entitled “AD satisfied with euro adoption”, the chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika, Dr Harry Vassallo, recommended that “the windfall tax generated from the recently announced tax amnesty scheme”, which according to him is expected to be around Lm8 to Lm10 million, be invested in two ways:
1. To buy back the land at Ta’ Cenc from its owners to be developed into a national park similar to that which the government is planning for Xaghra l-Hamra.
2. A fund to kick-start serious reforms in public transport and mobility, which according to him is an issue that should be a priority in Malta but is not due solely to the lack of vision of both the government and the Opposition.
What preposterous recommendations! I really cannot understand how he can point fingers at both the government and the Opposition saying they lack vision when he comes up with such ridiculous recommendations.
With regard to reforms in public transport and mobility, which according to him is an issue, I cannot understand how he can say that the government has lack of vision when, as everybody knows, public transport has and is being continuously improved. Valletta has never seen such great reform to make it more accessible – the park and ride scheme and so on.
As regards the priorities for Gozo, I would have thought that he would comment on the Notte Gozitana, which was going on in Gozo that same weekend. The whole of the Maltese Islands not only knew about it but everybody was full of praise for such a good idea – same as Notte Magica held in Valletta. Harry did not deem it fit to have anything to do with it as if he was the only person in Malta who had not heard about it.
It seems that the only vision or policy his party have concerns only Ta’ Cenc. The only subject mentioned and discussed with regard to Gozo has been Ta’ Cenc as if this is the only thing that existed in the Maltese Islands. Something that does not interest me at all as I very rarely go to Gozo and even less to Ta’ Cenc.
It makes me wonder whether he has a bone to pick with the owners and he wants to use people like me to support him.
Dr Vassallo’s recommendation that the government buy this land from the owners is to say the least absurd as the owners will not only enjoy a national park next to their hotel, which according to all development plans must be done at their own expense but they will also end up getting paid for it.
I would have thought that Dr Vassallo had the interest just to mention a few, of the Qui-si-Sana / Tigne / St Julian’s residents at heart, by proposing that these funds be used to make up for the great inconvenience caused by the massive development going on on previously government owned properties if not for the great amount of funds needed to set up ix-Xaghra il-Hamra Park.
Surely the sufferings and inconvenience we are suffering and will continue to suffer every day and throughout all our lives deserves to be compensated and should be a priority. After all, the government finished up with millions of Maltese liri when the properties concerned were sold off.
At the end of the day, Alternattiva Demokratika has got much more support in these areas then it has in the whole of Gozo.
This very lack of vision on Dr Vassallo’s part and now that I know what his party’s priorities are, surely does not encourage me to vote for his party again the next time round.
Thank you Dr Vassallo for letting us know what your priorities are. Next time round, I will know better.
Nick Avellino
SLIEMA