So the government “is doing its utmost to change the perception of poverty among the Maltese”. That really is taking spin into freefall. It means that some people are not really finding it difficult to cope, they only think they cannot manage, according to the Prime Minister.
And does he mean that it is only the perception that his government is striving to change? What about actual poverty?
Laurence Gonzi was responding to a recent EU survey which found that 61 per cent of Maltese are struggling to make ends meet, especially when it comes to paying their utility bills.
Dr Gonzi said that the “perception could have been exacerbated by the new water and electricity rates”. That would be funny if it was not so close to the bone.
Now I do not hold too much store by surveys, and poverty is relative. But the Maltese people’s perception that they could all live extremely well was fed to them by the government in the previous Nationalist administration.
People were being told they were so well off that they could all afford air-conditioners and all mod cons in their homes. Well that has certainly blown up in their faces, because although most people do now have air-conditioners in their homes they cannot afford to run them.
Instead of investing in energy saving solar systems and ensuring new homes are built to lessen the need for ACs, the government was telling everyone they could live the life of Riley.
People had been led to perceive they were all rich and now they are being told they perceive being poor. Not being able to live with extra comforts does not mean one is poor, but we have got so used to living well that deprivation now does not just mean not having enough to eat, enough money to clothe one’s children, have a roof over one’s head and buy medicines.
Deprivation has come to mean something else entirely. It means not being able to afford certain things, which used to be seen as luxuries but are now seen as essential.
Yet, according to Caritas, which unlike surveys I do take seriously, we do have a section of our population that are truly deprived. Speaking at the opening of a Caritas forum being held on the occasion of the European Year against Poverty and Social Exclusion in March, Caritas director Mgr Victor Grech called for a re-definition of the poverty line, as it should be updated to a more realistic figure.
Mgr Grech said that utility tariffs were pushing those who had been at risk of poverty down to actual poverty, especially since the cost of living had continued to increase.
He referred to, in particular, to rising costs of medicines and the high cost of property as factors, which along with the utility services, were causing hardship.
Dr Gonzi pointed out that a previous EU report had said that Malta had a very strong social network. He admitted that most Maltese had been impacted by the increases in water and electricity bills and this also affected “their perception of poverty”.
“The issue here is certainly the perception and I can understand it as the utility tariffs hit everybody,” Dr Gonzi said. The government he said “would have to continue working to make sure all the benefits generated from economic growth would eventually filter down, especially to the vulnerable groups”.
So poverty is not a perception!
He also said that more than 30,000 families received social benefits to cushion the impact of the increased water and electricity rates while the government had allocated €10 million this year to further absorb the hike. “The number of those at risk of poverty was halved through Malta’s social benefits and support,” he said. So why was Dr Gonzi insisting on using that word “perception”. Is it so hard to accept that we do have a section of our society, which is indeed poor?
And although Opposition leader Joseph Muscat has responded with the right noises and said, “The PL understood this reality and a Labour government would combat poverty and improve the standard of living,” he did not give us any clue of how he was going to do it.
The government also came under criticism from the Richmond Foundation, its CEO, Doris Gauci, said there were a number of government policies that actually promoted poverty and social exclusion for people who suffered from mental health problems.
She was speaking at yet another conference to celebrate the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion a few days ago. It was held to raise awareness on mental health and children as part of the activities.
The government had the duty to draw up and launch a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness and eradicate the stigma attached to mental illness, she insisted.
Ms Gauci pointed out that there were still derogatory terms used to refer to people who suffered from mental health problems in the Civil and Criminal Code. These reinforced the stigma. When a person was interdicted they lost all their rights, including their right to appeal the interdiction, she said.
She also criticised the delay in enacting the Mental Health Act, explaining that sometimes, especially when it came to separation cases, mental health problems were used as a weapon, which scared people away from seeking help.
So although some of us are feeling hard done by because we are having to give up some non-essentials, we should not forget that there really are some people who are having a really tough time. Their poverty is certainly not perceived.
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Maltese gemgem
Is the label fair? Or is it just a perception? I was invited by Tonio Portughese to discuss this, with two other guests, on RTK on Wednesday. I do not intend to go into all the ins and outs of what was discussed, but I mention it because a comment was made that the media only presents negative stories.
So to set the record straight, I want to mention that we have just seen an example of a positive news item on an institution that gets a lot of stick, including from yours truly.
I have criticised the Malta Armed Forces (AFM) for using its personnel to harass law-abiding citizens with their roadblocks and stop and search activities. I have also commented that this is done because the soldiers have nothing better to occupy themselves with.
Well now they have, and the media has nothing but praise for our soldiers, me included. I speak of the Maltese soldiers stationed on the Dutch war ship, the Johan de Witt. And it is not only the local media that is praising our boys.
I read on Indyposted – quick news for busy people, that Maltese soldiers stationed on the Dutch war ship in the Gulf of Aden “gave some suspected Somali pirates a little surprise. It seems that the Somalis started approaching a large ship in their speedboat, expecting easy pickings.
“What they didn’t know was that the Johan de Witt was actually a war ship. The speed boat was detected by a German plane that was surveying the Gulf of Aden for suspicious activity and the crew of the plane sent a radio warning to the ship”.
The report quoted the Times of Malta. “As the alarm was sounded on board the ship, an Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) security team rapidly prepared itself for action.
“As soon as those aboard the skiff realised that they were dealing with a military vessel, they changed course in the direction of the coast. The Dutch warship fired a number of warning shots, after which the boat stopped and the suspected pirates surrendered.
“The AFM security team quickly secured the skiff and transferred those on board onto the navy ship.”
CBC’s programme Dispatches interviewed Indian villagers whose men spend 10 months a year at sea in small boats. The latest fear of sailors and their families is that pirates will hijack the ships from which they derive their livelihood.
The ships are then used to attack huge ships carrying expensive cargo. The sailors and their families live in fear of losing their ships with which they must sustain their families, and even their lives. It is an onerous burden on top of an already demanding livelihood.
Somali pirates are not modern day Robin Hoods, but cutthroats who go after struggling village traders as readily as huge ships. Hopefully, there will be more good news about efforts to wipe out ship hijacking, said the Indyposted report.
The same AFM Vessel Protection team on board the Dutch warship also contributed to operations off the Somali coast to deter and disrupt pirates, thereby also protecting vulnerable merchant ships that were transporting humanitarian cargo to Somalia.
The Dutch Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop also praised our soldiers telling Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who he visited in Valletta following his visit to the ship, “I was impressed by their professionalism.” He emphasised the importance of EU co-operation and was impressed by what he witnessed on the Johan de Witt and said the Maltese soldiers completely integrated with the Dutch team.
So a big well done to our Maltese soldiers.
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