Our priorities and principles at all levels, be they local, national or European are the same. Working in favour of people’s quality of life, in favour of a healthy environment, in favour of a living wage for everyone to live in dignity. In favour of wellbeing economy and strong public services. We are unequivocal in making proposals for clean air and clean and sustainable transport. Sandra Gauci, a local and European Parliament candidate and ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson during a press conference in Ħ’Attard, together with the candidate for Ħ’Attard, and for the European Parliament, Dr Ralph Cassar.

Sandra Gauci said that voting Green is a strong message. It is sends a message that it you want a truly modern country. What’s the point of Bernard Grech’s and Robert Abela’s rhetoric? Of their Punch and Judy rhetoric, if not to rally their unquestioning supporters and the supporters of the status quo? Puch and Judy politics is not fit for purpose, neither in local councils, and surely not in the European Parliament.

“We have to face many challenges. The challenge of standing up to narcissists who are only self-serving. Remember that it is worth it and in your interest to support through your vote those who really want to address seriously the challenges that Malta, the European Union and the whole world are facing. The climate emergency is one of our biggest challenges, but can also become an opportunity for reform for a better, more just, and healthier society. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying in the European Union because of poor air quality, some 300,000 a year. Hundreds die in Malta each year. That’s why it’s in your interest that we ensure strong investment in renewable energy, instead of fossil fuels, which destroy the climate, choke and kill us. At local level an important step in the right direction is the pedestrianisation of our towns’ and villages’ cores. We are not afraid of this challenge. We also want a serious strategy to achieve a mass transport system, something feasible like a Bus Rapid Transit system. It does not make sense for buses, which are providing an invaluable service, to get stuck in traffic. We want to reward bus users by giving them absolute priority on the roads. It is also worth having safe routes for our clean air heroes – those who choose commute by bicycle and pedelec. We want a comprehensive network of bicycle routes and not a scattering of inadequate, isolated, narrow routes. This is where EU money for transport should go, not for more flyovers, more cars, more pollution and more illness. As we predicted barely a couple of years ago, the Ħ’Attard Central link has increased traffic and pollution. What a waste of funds!”

Ralph Cassar, who is also a candidate for the Ħ’Attard Local Council, spoke about how about 10 years ago he had proposed that a public library be built on the site and existing foundations of the waiting room of the Ħ’Attard train station. Together with other councillors, the long planning process, an application for EU funds and a thousand other tasks were kick-started. “I am satisfied that thanks to EU funds, after many years, at long last this project has finally been implemented. Public libraries remain one of the priorities for elected ADPD councillors. We believe that libraries can be a means to strengthen our communities, and a place where social and cultural activities should take place.”

“Sandra Gauci mentioned air quality. Something which affects Attard and is still a problem is the fine dust from the operation of a quarry in Wied Inċita. It is unacceptable that in 2024 we still witness mountains of vine sand and quarry dust, out in the open and uncontrolled. This is also a type of pollution. It is also time to boost urban tree planting, which if done professionally offers a welcoming urban environment. I want to turn streets into avenues. One of my priorities is to continue to identify roads where tree planting can take place. I cannot but mention the shoddy tree planting on a Central Link ‘spft area’ in front of the MFSA offices – large olive trees are being planted in an area with barely half-a-metre of soil! Zero professionalism. Greens also work for safer roads for people, residential roads where vehicle speed is strictly controlled, to encourage people to use roads on foot and by other alternative means within the town or village. This is a practical way to improve air quality, and care for our well-being.”

“Unfortunately, Local Councils are not allowed to work properly. Government exercises excessive control on local council policies and programmes, they have become government’s front office. Instead of serious, adequate and long-term funding – to be able to design and implement long-term policies for our communities, short-term schemes is the order of the day, tightly controlled by Ministers. There is a great lack of vision. Local Councils are kept on a leash, because Ministers and Labour want to continue fostering a culture of dependency and nepotism even at a local level. We have reached the pathetic point that instead of seeing that Councils can function properly, with technical and professional assistance, the Government interferes even in something as basic such as cleaning streets after feasts. We insist that Local Councils are given a boost with a Government programme that finances adequate premises from where they operate, offer services, and organise cultural activities. We want a serious and in-depth discussion on how Local Councils can be well funded in the long term. Local Councils are not social clubs, not some każin, but policy makers. It is high time for Ministers and the government to stop undermining them.”

***

Kwalità tal-ħajja – fil-lokalità, f’Malta u fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Jiswielek.

Il-prijoritajiet u l-prinċipji tagħna fuq kull livell, jekk hux lokali, nazzjonali jew Ewropew huma l-istess. Favur il-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies, favur ambjent b’saħħtu għal saħħitna, favur living wage biex kulħadd jgħix diċenti. Favur wellbeing economy – ekonomija tal-benesseri u servizzi pubbliċi b’saħħithom. Favur arja nadifa u trasport nadif u sostenibbli. Hekk sostniet Sandra Gauci, kandidata lokali u għall-Parlament Ewropew u Chairperson ta’ ADPD- The Green Party waqt konferenza stampa Ħ’Attard, flimkien mal-kandidat għal Ħ’Attard, u għall-Parlament Ewropew, Dr Ralph Cassar.

Sandra Gauci qalet li meta tivvota fuq l-Aħdar qed tgħaddi messaġġ b’saħħtu. Qed tgħaddi messaġġ li trid pajjiż verament modern. X’jiswielek imbilli Bernard Grech u Robert Abela joqogħdu jkesksu lill-partitarji tagħhom għal xulxin? La fil-Kunsilli ma jiswielek li jkollna din it-tip ta’ attitudni, u lanqas, wisq anqas fuq livell tal-Parlament Ewropew.

“Aħna l-isfidi irridu niffaċċjawhom. Attenti min-narċisisti li moħħhom biss fihom infushom. Ftakar li jiswielek li bil-vot tiegħek tappoġġja lil min verament irid jindirizza bis-serjetà l-isfida li Malta, l-Unjoni Ewropea u d-dinja kollha qed jiffaċċjaw. Ħaġa torbot mal-oħra u l-emerġenza tal-klima hija ukoll opportunità. Qed imutu mijiet ta’ eluf ta’ nies fl-Unjoni Ewropea minħabba l-kwalità ħażina tal-arja, mat-300,000 fis-sena. Mijiet imutu f’Malta. Għalhekk jiswielek investiment b’saħħtu fl-enerġija rinovabbli, minflok fil-fuels fossili, li jeqirdu l-klima, jifgawna, u joqtluna. Fuq livell lokali pass importanti li aħna ma nibżgħux minnu hija l-pedestrijanizazzjoni tal-qalba tal-bliet u l-irħula tagħna. Irridu ukoll strateġija serja biex naslu għal sistema ta’ trasport tal-massa, fattibbli bħal Bus Rapid Transit. Għax ma jagħmilx sens li tal-linja, li qed jagħtu servizz imprezzabbli jeħlu fit-traffiku. Irridu nippremjaw lil min juża tal-linja billi ntuhom prijorità assoluta fit-toroq. Jiswielek li jkollna ukoll rotot siguri għall-eroj tal-arja nadifa – dawk li jagħżlu li jużaw ir-roti u l-pedelecs għall-ivvjaġġar tagħhom. Irridu network sħiħ ta’ rotot u mhux rotta ‘l hemm u ‘l hawn li jispiċċaw ġo xi ħajt! Għal dawn l-affarijiet għandhom imorru l-flus tal-Unjoni Ewropea għat-trasport u mhux għal aktar flyovers, aktar karozzi, aktar tniġġis u aktar mard. F’Ħattard is-Central Link, kif ipprevedejna aħna, żied it-traffiku u t-tniġġis.”

Ralph Cassar, li huwa ukoll kandidat għall-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Ħ’Attard fetaħ billi qal kif madwar 10 snin ilu, kien ippropona li fuq is-sit u l-pedamenti eżistenti tal-waiting room tal-ferrovija ta’ Ħ’Attard issir librerija pubblika. Flimkien ma’ kollegi kunsilliera oħrajn kien beda l-proċess twil ta’ ppjanar, applikazzjoni għall-fondi tal-UE u elf ħaġa oħra. “Sodisfatt li fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea, wara ħafna snin dan il-proġett fl-aħħar twettaq. Il-libreriji pubbliċi tibqa’ waħda mill-prijoritajiet għall-kunsilliera eletti ta’ ADPD. Aħna nemmnu li l-libreriji jistgħu ikunu mezz biex jissaħħu l-komunitajiet tagħna, u post fejn isiru attivitajiet soċjali u kulturali.”

“Sandra Gauci semmiet il-kwalità tal-arja. Xi ħaġa li tolqot lil Ħ’Attard u għadha problema huma t-trabijiet fini ġejjin mill-operat ta’ barriera f’Wied Inċita. Mhux aċċettabbli li fis-sena 2024 għandek tara munzelli anzi muntanji kbar ta’ trab mikxuf. Dan huwa ukoll tip ta’ tniġġis. Wasal iż-żmien li tingħata spinta lit-tħawwil tas-siġar fit-toroq urbani b’mod professjonali biex joffru ambjent urban li jilqgħek. Waħda mill-prijoritajiet tiegħi hija li nkompli nidentifika toroq fejn jistgħu b’mod professjonali jsir tħawwil ta’ siġar. Dan jorbot ma’ toroq aktar siguri għan-nies, toroq residenzjali fejn il-veloċità tal-vetturi għandha tkun ikkontrollata, biex inħajjru n-nies jużaw it-toroq bil-mixi u b’mezzi alternattivi. Dan ukoll huwa mezz kif insaħħu l-komunitajiet tagħna, nnadfu l-arja, u nieħdu ħsieb il-benesseri tagħna.”

“Sfortunatament il-Kunsilli Lokali mhux jitħallew jaħdmu. Il-gvern ġabhom dipendenti fuqu. Minflok iffinanzjar serju, adegwat u fit-tul – biex ikunu jistgħu ifasslu politika fit-tul għall-komunitajiet tagħna joħroġ skemi short-term li jiddettaw x’għandhom jagħmlu l-Kunsilli. Hemm nuqqas kbir ta’ viżjoni. Il-Kunsilli Lokali għandhom mażżra ma’ għonqhom. Dil-mażżra hija l-fissazzjoni tal-kontroll tal-Ministri fuq il-Kunsilli. Aħna nopponu l-politika tal-gvern ċentrali li jdgħajjef lill-Kunsilli Lokali biex iżommu kontroll f’idejhom il-Ministri. Il-Kunsilli mhux customer care tal-Gvern, lanqas m’għandhom jiddependu mill-karità tal-Ministri. Iċ-ċentralizzazzjoni f’idejn il-Gvern ġejja mill-mentalità tal-politika ta’ klijenteliżmu. Wasalna fil-punt patetiku li minflok jara li l-Kunsilli jistgħu jiffunzjonaw sew, b’għajnuna teknika u professjonali, il-Gvern jindaħal saħansitra f’xi ħaġa bażika bħat-tindif wara l-festi. Aħna ninsistu li l-Kunsilli Lokali jingħataw spinta bi programm tal-Gvern li jiffinanzja binjiet adegwati minn fejn joperaw, joffru s-servizzi, u jorganizzaw attivitajiet kulturali. Bħalissa hemm diskriminazzjoni kbira bejn lokalitajiet differenti, skont x’jaqbillu l-Ministru u l-Gvern. Irridu diskussjoni serja u profonda dwar kif il-Kunsilli Lokali jistgħu jiġu ffinanzjati sew fit-tul. Il-Kunsilli Lokali mhux każini soċjali, mhux klabb. Wasal iż-żmien li l-Ministri u l-gvern jieqaf jimminahom.”