When the PL puts pressure on the government to own up and come clean on issues that either lack transparency or else which are inefficiency laden, the Gonzi government tends to react in sharp and contrasting ways with methods symptomatic of a party in free fall.

They normally follow this pattern:

a) Ministers that go ballistic like Austin Gatt without addressing the core issues;

b) Columnists who blame the EU for not exercising sufficient vigilance on government rather than blaming government itself;

c) Instant dismissal of our comments as ‘hot air’ or else as yet another press release from the PL propaganda machine;

d) The soliciting of information of what went wrong in PL government days to gloss over the present government’s ineptitude;

e) Possibly manage PN friendly media to doctor the message conveyed.

Obviously there is another option, which is often resorted to when the government is literally lost for words and caught with its pants down.

A case in point was the way they reacted or rather failed to react to my statement about consumer concerns over delays in solar water heaters’ rebates.

The government also failed to address the issue as to why a number of people who have purchased a solar water heater are still questioning the reasons behind such delays.

The MRA remains silent in its own bizarre way in front of accusations that it is no longer processing solar heaters installation applications, even though the maximum subsidy allocation levels have not been exhausted yet.

The lack of a confirmation or denial that authorised solar water heater distributors were told that the MRA would simply place new applications on their waiting list without any guarantee that they would instantly become eligible once or if government had to introduce a new subsidy scheme come next budget.

The government in fact has not even bothered to own up as to whether such funds have been exhausted or not.

I guess you will all agree with me that things have now stretched beyond snapping point and someone must be held accountable for this mess in communications.

There is no need to rack our brains. Lawrence Gonzi is responsible and should be held responsible for this dismal state of affairs.

‘Waves of life’

I must confess that it was only recently that I had occasion to watch the interesting DVD, Waves of Life which is all about protecting our biodiversity beyond 2010.

It is highly commendable of the documentary’s producers that we have finally been regaled with an hour long film that explains what biodiversity really is; why it has become increasingly important both from an educational and an environmental protection aspect as well as why it commands such local and global importance.

At the end of the day it is part of the global quest for survival.

Farewell Ted

I have always had a liking for Ted Kennedy because he managed to combine a common sense approach with a progressive and liberal sense of commitment.

Some Americans even considered him to be ‘The Real Deal’.

He might not have had his brother’s charm but when it came to substance he was hard to beat.

I was not only struck by his sense of determination but also by the way he appraised and addressed the world out there: the real world.

Although I never met him and only had occasion to see him when we visited the US Senate as a Foreign and European Affairs Committee, many journalists who mourned his death spoke of him as one of America’s most accessible and down to earth politicians.

He will also be best remembered as one of the most vocal critics of the Iraq war.

History will continue to prove him right.

New PL statue online

It is good news that the PL has decided to put its new statute on line on the party web site.

I sincerely hope that this will facilitate further the big effort underway to draw progressive elements to the party. In doing so it will intensify such efforts further by engaging liberal, progressive elements in the core village and district party structures.

It is timely and a move in the right direction, coming as it does on the eve of the elections for new district and local committees.

Email : [email protected]

www.leobrincat.com

Leo Brincat is the Main Opposition Spokesperson for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change