Mention the dark ages again

This is a term I normally use very aptly for the Labour days between 1971 and 1987 (oh my God!) but now, it being the Saturday after an electricity blackout for the second time in a couple of weeks, it must bounce back to Nationalist and Good Friday of all days; a black day in the religious sense.

I was sitting around with a few friends and we wondered why Boiler No. 7 wanted to launch another assault on that particular day. But it turned out (at least apparently) that our aggressive boiler at the old Marsa power station had nothing to do with it this time. According to our good and efficient service provider and state monopoly Enemalta, something tripped at Delimara. So the plot thickens. Yet, at the end of the day - and perhaps we'll get somewhat serious - there is only one solution, which is the proposed Delimara power station extension. So can we get on with it?

There is some sort of investigation being undertaken by the Auditor General (I nearly wrote Advocate General, so much is going on at the moment). Let's get it concluded. The electricity problem is an urgent problem of national dimension. The Delimara power station extension cannot wait. And this is something the Labour Party, particularly through its leader (who has shown quite a degree of maturity, though not effective leadership), must support and stop obstructing in the national interest. Shall we go back to oil lamps and a baby boom? Possibly. Why not! Although it will increase the unemployment problem when many of us will be gone anyway.

And now I will move to Gozo. There has been a lot of talk about an airstrip. There has also been talk over some 40 years or so about a bridge. Well, I have been involved (professionally, at least) with some foreign investors who have a particular interest in one project or another in Gozo. The fact that accessibility is limited to the ferry service has always been an obstacle and, I am sure, must have aborted a project or two. We have been talking about private jets. This means big business. Is it worth losing this business for Gozo and, indeed, Malta, because of a couple of hundreds of metres of airstrip?

Let me state from the start that I am totally, absolutely and 100 per cent against a bridge between Malta and Gozo. I am not interested in having my Sunday afternoon drive for tea and scones (which I am not interested in any way but would rather stay at home in front of my television watching Inter clinching yet another consecutive title) to Gozo rather than Marsascala or Buġibba. And this is where I beg to differ with Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco (at least, partially, because I understand his point perfectly well). A bridge will destroy Gozo's unique charm and environment. An airstrip will provide easy and, shall I say, professional access, which will enhance business and prosperity on the island. It will not provide a base for tourism - so I believe Dr de Marco's fears in this sector should be allayed - but it will provide a base for tremendous business opportunities.

Moving on to Parliament, there has been talk recently of broadcasting parliamentary debates on television. This is a topic I think I wrote about many years ago following two particularly interesting experiences in my life. One was a month's tour of the United States in late 1991 and the other a visit to the House of Commons at more or less the same time, when I was member of the Malta Broadcasting Authority.

I had written, I believe, both about direct parliamentary broadcasting and the broadcasting of public affairs activities, such as happens in Washington - for example, activities relating to the commercial community (say, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Enterprise). We do follow parliamentary debates on radio. But what I had thought was more important was to follow the mannerisms and behaviour of MPs, particularly at a time when unruly behaviour in the House was very much common place. But, in any case, a civilised country like ours should have, if not all, but, at least, selective filming of proceedings in the highest forum of the land. Time to think about it. Pity that one of our most innovative Speakers is on the way out!