Muscat's progressive and liberal politics: portraying law-breakers and public nuisances as victims of the government's arrogance
Super One is hard at work, portraying the trailer trash of Gnejna Bay, with their illegally parked mobile homes, as victims of the Gonzi government’s arrogance.
You would think that somebody claiming to be progressive and liberal – which means among other things a respect for the rule of law and for people’s legitimate rights – would back the government on its hard-line stance against law-breakers and public nuisances who squat on land they do not own.
But no. Any opportunity to get somebody to join Muscat’s coalition is welcomed. But with the squatters on board, that coalition is hardly progressive – or liberal. The caravans were removed today, but not very far – their owners drove them to the beach car-park and left them there. Read the back-story in this report from The Sunday Times of 10 May.
Caravan owners clash with Mgarr residents
A privately-owned part of Gnejna Bay which is used as a caravan site is causing friction between the owners of the mobile homes and residents of nearby Mgarr.
The issue revolves around a piece of land in the tranquil bay, which is transformed into a caravan site every summer, much to the disgruntlement of the council, which cannot shift the caravans since the land is privately owned.
“You are causing a lot of frustration for Mgarr residents,” mayor Paul Vella told two of the caravan owners yesterday morning.
But Pauline Deguara, one of the caravan owners, was quick to produce a letter permitting her to park her caravan in the area. She claimed it was signed by one of the owners of the land who did not ask for anything in return.
However, Nationalist MEP hopeful Alan Deidun, who yesterday held a press conference to highlight the problem in the area, was quick to point out that the letter had no value.
“You need to apply for a change in the use of the land from agricultural to a caravan site,” he said.
Earlier, Dr Deidun said the entire bay was privately owned through a 200-year-old contract, but the owners had not paid much attention to the area in recent years. He was critical of the caravans’ land use, which multiply during the summer, saying they had even built walls around their caravans.
Gary Cauchi, a father-of-two, said: “I do not want the government to give me any water or electricity – simply a piece of land where I can come with my wife and children, and I am willing to pay to use it.”
One of the council’s qualms is that the caravans are taking over an area which could be used for parking by people who go to the beach. When asked whether this would also be an infringement since the land was privately owned, the mayor argued that visitors left by the evening.
He also claimed that caravan owners had at times driven people away, something that was vehemently denied by Ms Deguara and Mr Cauchi. They also denied littering the area.
“We try to keep it as clean as possible because at the end of the day we want to enjoy it,” Mr Cauchi said.
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As I said before, caravans and boats parked in streets and roads all year round should be towed away by the police, and Jason Azzopardi should make it a point with everyone that public land, streets, roads and pavements are for the public’s use and not simply for a few selfish individuals.
Shanty towns, and caravans parked at seaside resorts and along the shoreline around Malta should not be tolerated.
A law about this should be passed making it a criminal offence.
Joseph should stop riding on bandwagons because eventually he might find the wagons without wheels.
Considering the irregular manner in which the PL acquired some of its clubs, it’s only to be expected that they should side with squatters and land-grabbers. Birds of a feather and all that.
As a prospective government, Labour should start telling us what it would have done if in government – that would be interesting. If Labour thinks the caravan owners in Gnejna were wrongly treated they should tell us what they propose should have been the way forward. I hope nobody will tell us that they will commission some study on this too.
They can’t tell us, because they don’t know. The cunning concrete plan is to position themselves as the salve for every wound. What comes next is secondary to the main ambition for getting into government. In the famous words of a former Labour prime minister “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”, so I guess the whingers will just have to wait and see.
Similar “law-breakers and public nuisances” at Armier were given secret written guarantees by the PN government that their shanties would not be touched – prior to the general elections.
[Daphne – If they are secret, how do you know about them? Perhaps you have a shack at Armier.]
” Yet just 19 days before the election and five days after he promised to redress the country’s environmental deficit, Lawrence Gonzi had entered into a secret agreement with the Armier squatters in which he promised them that none of the pre-1992 boathouses will be removed. Significantly the Prime Minister who is now also responsible for MEPA has also committed himself to intervene with MEPA on a pending application presented by the same squatters within six months of being elected.”
http://www.dinlarthelwa.org/content/view/212/70/
Whenever MEPA tries to uphold the law, Super One vultures come gliding in to pick at the bones of contention.
MEPA tries to uphold the law? Antoine Vella you are smoking again, please stop as it is distorting your thinking.