The scene has been set. While we are seeing a united, energised Opposition bench which is setting the national agenda, sadly, the government is retrenching to its comforts of old, adopting a fierce siege mentality we haven't seen in a long while.

This reality couldn't have been more clearly noticed than in the past days in Parliament when I had the honour to present a historic bill on behalf of the Opposition to entrench the fundamental human right to the environment in our Constitution, and how Government responded.

The aim of the bill was to guarantee every person in Malta the right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Not as a slogan, or a random policy that can be ignored or watered down, but as a fundamental human right, enshrined in our Constitution and enforceable at law. It would have been the first new right to be introduced into our Constitution since Independence in 1964, a moment of national unity around a cause that affects each and every citizen today and tomorrow.

When I presented this proposal, we offered a friendly hand to the government, since it would have required the two-thirds majority of Parliament votes as changes were needed to the land's highest law. This was not about political points. It was an opportunity for all members of Parliament, no matter on which side of the aisle they sit, to declare a great resounding yes to the environment.

However, though through its spokespersons, the government initially signalled agreement in principle, the vote was blocked by the government benches. Why, when the moment of truth arrived, did the government refuse to vote in favour? Why did they choose to kill the legislation in its cradle, when they could have shown the maturity to vote in favour and then proceed to a committee level, where we could refine and iron out the details together, ensuring it worked well in practice?

The answer is as disappointing as it is clear. Sadly, the government has lost its bearing when it comes to all matters related to the environment, and now it is as clear as day. Faced with a simple, yes or no question, the government failed the simple test and chose to vote against the environment. Once again, the government chose the wrong side of history.

Worse still, instead of debating honestly, the government resorted to the cheapest and dirtiest tricks in the playbook, scaremongering. Thousands of honest citizens were misled and fed deliberate mistruths, spreading a callous whispering campaign of fear, panic and an imagined bogeyman that would threaten their pastimes if this right were enshrined. They created fear and panic where none exists.

Let us be absolutely clear. A fundamental human right can only be broken by the government itself. It cannot be breached by individuals or private groups. If this right had passed, it would simply have meant that government decisions, on planning for instance, on our air quality, the level of pollution, land use and other environmental matters, would have to meet the basic test of protecting the citizen's right to a clean and sustainable environment.

That is how it works in other European countries. That is what Malta has already signed up to at an international level! Yet, for some reason, our government has flatly refused to bring home the very standard it has committed to abroad!

How can anyone, in good conscience, vote against a declaration that says "All Maltese people will have the right to live in a healthy, clean and sustainable environment"? This is not radical. It is common sense. It is fairness. It is the minimum we owe to our future generations.

Had Government voted with us, the people of Malta would now have had a powerful tool to challenge destructive decisions and hold those in power accountable.

Sadly, the door is now closed on this amendment for the rest of this legislature, as according to the practices of our Parliament, it will have to wait for a new legislature to be tabled again for discussion.

But the fight for the environment, doesn't stop here. A future Nationalist government promises to implement this amendment and deliver what this administration refused to do. Make the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment a constitutional guarantee.

Future generations will look back on this moment. They will ask why, when we could have stood together for the common good, some chose fear and short-term interest over responsibility. I remain determined that one day soon, Malta will answer differently.

Dr Darren Carabott is the Chairperson of the PAC and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Security