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Daphne Caruana Galizia in her column last week has provided a near-perfect self-portrait in her hysterical attempt to “bury” Astrid Vella and her alleged horde of “tal-pepe Laburisti and switchers” under a mountain of chaff.

No environmental NGO (e-NGO) was under any illusion about political parties in bed with the “construction magnates”. This time it was clear that the PL had much the larger number in tow, but the recent “memories” of the BWSC contract at Delimara and the Qormi supermarket charade showed quite clearly that the PN was not deprived of such bedfellows either. Of Mrs Caruana Galizia’s preferred “construction magnates”, I have only a distant memory of her defence of the Verdala Hotel golf course proposer, wrapped in the usual rubbishing of opponents, of course.

Appearances on TV by e-NGOs and “e-individuals” were not restricted to ONE; TVM had its fair share. If NET was poorly provided, apart from possibly with Din L-Art Helwa, it was through lack of invitation, no doubt fuelled by the same silly assumption on the part of Mrs Caruana Galizia that only PL puppets can be ONE invitees. So the “interpretation” of every 2008-2013 (e-NGO) protest as “benefitting” the PL simply because it was “anti-government, anti-Gonzi” involves a logical somersault. It could only be anti-government, given that the government was the perpetrator of whatever it was about which we were protesting. If the PL was using these protests to endear itself to e-NGOs while getting into bed with the “construction magnates”, e-NGOs, though not of the level of intelligence of Mrs Caruana Galizia but with a longer memory, would have been aware of this. For instance, if the Outside Development Zone Policy (ODZP) is going to cause a lot of “squeaking”, it will be squeaking permeated with the knowledge that George Pullicino’s 2006 Rationalisation has paved the way for the “new” ODZP, a fact not noticed by Pamela Hansen when she blames the development of virgin land at Tal-Mirakli on the present Mepa. The place is one of Mr Pullicino’s “rationalisation” sites. Incidentally, FAA and others are still fighting Mr Pullicino’s rationalisation in court. No doubt that too helped to swell the PL “majority”.

And then we come to the sudden involvement of Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, effected in a manner calculated to suggest some secret sentimental link between the Green Politician (a title bestowed by a Mrs Caruana Galizia government of yesteryear and Astrid Vella). But I thought that it was Mrs Caruana Galizia who had ghosted letters for Dr Pullicino Orlando in his hour of need, when he was trying to fool all of the people all of the time. And it was the (PN) Mepa Liaison Officer who allowed Dr Pullicino Orlando into discussions on the Mistra disco, where he had no legal right to be, and it was the (PN) police force that charged three people with misdeeds connected with the disco permit, misdeeds they did not commit. One of them is still on trial.

Mrs Caruana Galizia says that the present Mrs Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando “was sales and marketing director for the Mistra Heights project when it was in its embryonic, non-approved (sic) stage”. But it already had its Outline Permit, given it by the (PN) Mepa board chaired by Austin Walker. And why leave out Anne Fenech, the PN President, who raised more than a squeak in defence of the Kuwaiti developers – not at “the embryonic stage”, but at “full term”.

DLH president Simone Mizzi was also very vociferous at the Mepa board meeting. But – unkindest cut of all – she came under fire from Anne Fenech for demanding the withdrawal of the Outline Permit now, rather than in 2009. Given that it was Anne Fenech’s “side” that gave the Outline Permit, and Anne Fenech’s “side” that is now shouting “scandal”, the scolding did smack of hypocrisy. As for conflicts of interest, I am sure that the PN Executive will not dare broach the subject with Anne Fenech.

It would have been good to end with Mrs Caruana Galizia’s own words applied to herself: “There are people who go through life doing and saying things…” etc. But I prefer the much briefer: oft evil will doth evil mar.

E.A. Mallia

ATTARD