07th April 2003

Labour’s environmental pact useless

The Malta Labour Party’s leadership’s idea of a pact with the Maltese people is a good one and would be especially useful in a situation where Malta was not going to join the EU. However, the pact fades into insignificance when compared to what Malta would achieve if it joins the EU.

EU Laws and Directives will mean improved health through better quality air and water, the recycling and landfilling of waste, noise and pollution reductions and a host of other specific measures and targets that would improve our environment.

Labour’s promise to close the dumps has long been matched by the Malta government’s commitment and plans are already in place to treat sewage. Through the signing of the ‘Pact’, Labour has now failed to make the pledge that the dumps will be closed within a definite time-frame and the promises to keep our coasts and bays pollution free are too vague and give no idea of what a Labour government would do.

The commitment to ‘give importance to historical heritage and we will repair the damage in our country’s historic environment’ is also too vague and unconvincing. Alfred Sant, George Vella and Joe Brincat should explain exactly what they intend to achieve.

If the Labour Party wants to attract votes it would have at least to commit itself to all the directives and laws Malta would have to adopt as an EU member, and even then it would somehow have to clearly indicate how it would achieve environmental targets, anything less would be an indication that, from and environmental point of view, it just is not worth considering Labour.

The Labour leader’s promises are all the more suspect given the Labour Party’s commitment to develop golf courses, yacht marinas and underwater parks. FoE (Malta) calls on the Labour Party to explain its environmental commitments in the light of its plans to develop golf courses, yacht marinas and underwater parks.