These past weeks in August, when everybody was on holiday, saw the continuation of various reforms the government wishes to implement. These reforms, some long awaited, like the much postponed rent reform, have been given a push now with public consultation meetings, with everybody airing his views about such an important subject.
It is not easy to have one suit that fits all, but it surely is a bold step that these reforms start. Nothing will be perfect, but at least one moves along. It was useless having white papers that turned grey, or reports that would have needed to be updated, without any step being taken. Maybe the reforms will not satisfy everybody, but we have to move on. Personal houses, commercial premises, means testing are all on the agenda, and equity must be restored.
The local councils reform too is being discussed. Having attended also a public meeting, and having given my direct input via suggestions based on personal experiences, these reforms must be bold too. It is useless that some officer in some authority decides to overrule a local government in order to help out a constituent. It’s either you have a local government and respect it, or if you want to ride roughshod over it, then take it off. PS Chris Said has to decide who is in the driving seat. Is it the council as voted in by the residents, or an officer, politically appointed, or not, who decides? Cases of reserved parking, and yellow lines come in for a mention here.
Councils are not just customer care officers, there to be vomited upon by residents who probably never cared to vote for that council anyway. The dignity of a council should be on par with any other council in Europe, where the council stands its’ ground within a democratic framework. Nobody, whoever it is, should belittle a council. It’s just a matter of whether we are willing to give such recognition to the councillors, who give up their time to dedicate to their locality and to the residents. I believe it’s time we get this straight and build on it. Otherwise all reforms are useless, and will be rendered useless by the same officer who, till today, overrules a council.
My notes on Kappara in my articles have caught the eye of various other groups of residents who have had a problem or two, and are constantly ignored by their council. They seem not that lucky to get a reply from their council. I refer to the Balluta area where many residents have approached me with their complaints, questions and ideas, on the lack of responses, positive or negative, from the St Julian’s local council. True, the elections have just gone, but I do believe that the oath taken, that is to serve the people, is still valid after the elections. Hopefully it is, and they too, should be supplied with an answer. Whether it’s Kappara, Balluta or other hamlets, these need to be put into perspective and taken care of. Reforms on paper do not count. We cannot keep on always listening to the same music. We know the music by heart now. We must act, to the betterment of the locality and its residents.
I augur the Kappara residents a happy meeting. Maybe the questions and doubts on the school will be finally answered, their road given back, and they may go on living peacefully, as is their right.
A happy Santa Marija to all.
Robert Arrigo is a Nationalist MP