Beyond the danger and public health hazards that the Magħtab fire could have – or has – caused, the story provided another indication about how vulnerable our islands may be to serious accidents if an adequate surveillance is not kept at all points where these could arise. Side by side with the proper surveillance, there needs to be a competent service always ready to deal with emergencies as they arise, and with the expertise to counter them.
As with the maintenance of infrastructural structures, emergency services need to be given regular attention.
It might be a good idea for one of the Malta Parliament’s committees to be given the task once a year to meet and consider a report – followed by a discussion with the responsible officials – so as to cover the latter’s experiences and the progress being achieved in their line of tasks.
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Bona fide?
Another European Parliament delegation is due to arrive shortly to investigate the rule of law in Malta.
I am not the only one to feel that these visits are superficial and superfluous. They serve mainly as a crutch for those people among us who after having lost the democratic game hands down, try – I think foolishly – to perhaps get some political mileage by seeing how they can make waves against the country abroad.
The delegation is expected to meet NGOs and persons who are described as “active” in the sector of the rule of law and the fight against corruption. They are the following: the Civil Society network; Manuel Delia; the groups Kennies, Aditus and Occupy Justice; Andrew Borg Cardona; Ranier Fsadni.
People living in Malta well know how the indivduals listed are all activists or fellow travellers of the PN (or at least a faction of it) – while with the exception of Aditus, the “organizations” are pseudo-political fronts in opposition to Labour.
What role is the European Parliament office in Malta playing to ensure that the meetings being held are presented and understood by the visiting delegation as taking place with bona fide activists and groupings?
Oh, indeed, I was about to forget: the person who was running the Office and is still substantively its head is going to be a PN candidate in the coming European Parliament elections.
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Bees
A campaign was mounted recently in Europe to raise a consciousness about what’s been happening to bees. Proposals were made for the banning of certain chemicals used to control fungi and pests in the open countryside.
Apparently these chemicals are not only effective in pest control but they also have had a deeply negative impact on bees. Their population has greatly declined. This is undermining the ecosystem by which plants reproduce and indeed the chain of interactions on which the production of our food depends.
Something curious happened though while debates about the issue were taking place. In the streets and public places of Brussels and its surroundings, many bees were to be seen. You could not go for a coffee in an open air establishment without getting a visit by a bee, two of them, even more.
It would seem that the bees too have become accustomed to the lobbying efforts that need to be made when parliamentary decisions are being reached. What is not so pleasant is when, as also happened, wasps joined the bees in their lobbying.