Azzjoni Nazzjonali leader Josie Muscat said yesterday that AN believed the warden system currently in place was the cause of too many abuses, and instead of bringing order to the islands, it has brought more taxes for the people.
AN agrees that traffic is on the increase and there is need of a system to educate people and discipline them – “however we don’t want Labour’s system of towing, and neither do we want the PN’s system where a private company whose main concern is earning money takes control of the situation. We strongly believe that wardens need to be administered by the police force, not by a private company, so that they remain directly answerable to parliament and the people. The money raised by the wardens should go to the government, and then be distributed among the local councils and not left solely in the hands of local councils,” said Dr Muscat.
“Wardens need to be a little more lenient and give warnings occasionally rather than fining people for every small infraction,” he added.
Dr Muscat said the police force needs new technology and specialised means to handle the realities of crime today. “Globalisation and the Schengen convention have opened our frontiers and although it facilitates travel it is also creating new burdens and responsibilities for the Police. I doubt how well-equipped they are at the moment to deal with the situation. We want to create a more disciplined society where criminals are afraid of society and not vice- versa,” he said.
According to Dr Muscat, the Armed Forces of Malta are also facing very big responsibilities and it is important they have the necessary means to achieve their purpose. “The influx of illegal immigrants is showing us clearly that the Armed Forces do not have the technology necessary to safeguard our shores properly, which are also open to criminal elements and drugs coming in from the sea. Unfortunately the Armed Forces are also used as a political football and our soldiers are feeling demotivated because of several unjust promotions taking place where now we have a situation with more ‘chiefs than Indians’!” said Dr Muscat.
“We do not feel that illegal immigrants in Malta are being treated humanely in Hal Far and Safi where drainage is overflowing and they live in terrible conditions. So we think that Malta should keep its quota according to burden sharing, but so should the other EU countries since after all they are the ones who had colonised parts of Africa and should be more responsible for these people, not us,” he said.