PN MP Robert Cutajar said that government must acknowledge a past, and strikingly similar, bill he had proposed in 2021 for more transparency in decisions made by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), in an appeal for the government to admit it was mistaken in “throwing it away”.

Last Tuesday, the second reading of the bill, which amends the Environment Protection Act, which regulates the ERA’s operations, environmental permitting and enforcement actions commenced in Parliament.

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli spoke about increasing transparency in environmental decisions, with the proposed amendments allowing for public participation in other ERA Board decisions, rather than only when determining decisions on Environment Impact Assessments and Industrial Emissions Directive permits.

This “same” bill, however, was also introduced in June 2021, PN MP Robert Cutajar contended, when he tabled a private member’s bill, which discussed amendments proposed by the PN. Government had shot down the bill, voting against it.

Then Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia had said that the PN’s bill was insufficient to current needs and said that it included “a lot of hullabaloo”.

The aim of Cutajar’s bill was to ensure due publicity of all proceedings of the ERA, as well as give the public and any NGO promoting environmental protection early and effective opportunities to participate in the proceedings of the same authority, together with access to a review procedure before the tribunal.

Cutajar had said that the bill was inspired by good governance, transparency and consultation. He had said that the ERA should not continue working “as if it is keeping secrets”.

Dalli said that the recently introduced bill promotes good governance and transparency. During Tuesday's debate in Parliament, PN members also recalled that the bill has already been proposed before.

Speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday, Cutajar said that in moments like these, one can lose their motivation if they are not strong-willed and truly believe in what they are working for.

“The private member’s bill I tabled was done following consultations with a number of NGOs. Six NGOs had endorsed the PN bill for transparency in ERA decisions,” Cutajar said.

He also said that former Labour Prime Minister Alfred Sant and ERA chairman Victor Axiak, as well as several media editorials, had also supported the bill.

Sant had said that not all that the Opposition proposes should be discarded, saying that it made sense, and should be given serious consideration.

“I am disappointed that we continue acting in this way in this country,” Cutajar said, adding that the same government who erased and ‘threw away’ the PN’s bill is now introducing a similar bill, also calling for transparency.

Cutajar appealed to government to acknowledge what was good in the previous PN bill and merge what was positive as part of the new bill.

“The government must admit that voting against the PN’s bill was a mistake and admit that the bill (I proposed) was good,” Cutajar said.

He said that if the government continues to think in a partisan mindset, rather than establish common ground, the public will continue to look at politics and politicians in a negative light.

“We were clear; I do not understand why the PN bill was refused when it was a positive thing,” Cutajar said.

Cutajar said that the previous bill also discussed active participation by the public and NGOs.

“I appeal to Minister Dalli to admit that the previous bill was positive and merge it together with the new bill, so that we can send a message of political maturity. If the bill is good today, why was it not good back then?” Cutajar asked.