So the Maltese government trundled up to COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow and announced it would be backing a pledge to end deforestation by 2030. It is declarations such as these which makes people ever more cynical and sceptical about our leaders’ true intentions about their commitment – if any – to contribute to the efforts against climate change in any meaningful way.

Malta has no forests to speak of – it has minimal woodland cover in Buskett and Miżieb and other scattered spots over the islands. However, these wooded areas only amount to five per cent of the island’s landmass. So, it is a bit rich, pledging to fight deforestation tooth and nail when we have no forests to speak of.

It’s rather like declaring that you will do anything that you will do everything within your power to ensure that polar bears are safeguarded – but you are an island in the tropics with no polar bears in sight.

More to the point, even if we have no forests to speak of, our government is ensuring that the sparse tree coverage which is existent is being depleted. Barely a month ago, we learnt that the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) had issued a hefty fine of €100,000  after entities under Ian Borg’s remit had uprooted trees at Ta’ Qali, without environmental authorisation.  

This is the usual modus operandi of agencies such as Infrastructure Malta and other agencies within the Transport Minister’s portfolio – demolish and destroy first and pay fines later. Incidentally, it is also the preferred mode of action of developer Joseph Portelli who has magnanimously admitted that he would be willing to pay a fine after working without a permit.

But back to the Ta’ Qali case – in this instance the fine will be paid from one government entity to another – essentially nothing other than a transfer of taxpayers’ funds from one bank account to another, with no assignment of personal responsibility or a disincentive for any form  of rule-flouting.

ERA will wave its pathetic tree compensation scheme as a mitigating measure. Big whoop. The saplings which will be planted require far more resources to survive than established trees.  Their planting will be commissioned by direct order  by the very same rogue agency that has ripped out mature trees from their roots. There will be no consideration of competition or securing good value for taxpayers’ money as the same circle of individuals and companies benefit from government largesse.

It is a circular economy but not one based on environmental principles. No wonder, nobody puts much store by the government’s credentials in environmental matters – they are as genuine as the opening of the trapping season under the guise of ‘research’. The hot air emanating from the Maltese contingent’s COP26 utterances surpasses the methane emitted by cows – and is just as noxious.

Every couple of years or so, somebody raises the question of why our police aren’t allowed to sport tattoos or beards. There’s always a lot of tut-tutting and muttering as to how many talented persons are barred from joining the corps simply because of their ink stamps or face hair. I don’t have strong views about this – but I do have very strong views about the way talented and experienced policemen have been effectively ousted from their posts after years of work.

There is a huge loss of talent, experience and integrity in the police fprce while it flounders and faffs about tattoos and beards- Claire Bonello

I’m referring to the selection process for the promotion of police assistant commissioners held in 2016. An investigation into the said selection process by the ombudsman had found that this was really “a parody of a selection process”, with persons who were trusted by former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar being allowed to leapfrog over others who had more experience and better qualifications.

A former superintendent’s application for promotion was summarily discarded. This happened despite his long years of service, spotless record and the fact that he had received the Crime Reduction Shield for having successfully led to a reduction in the crime rate in the district he led.

According to Cutajar the superintendent did not make the grade because he was “too rigid” and went “by the book”.

In fact, complaints he had received about him included the fact that he was “too exigent” and applied regulations strictly. Instead of rewarding a superintendent who observed the law to the letter, this was used against him. A person who was promoted to the role had brought the police force into disrepute and faced a series of disciplinary proceedings as well as a criminal case in which he was found guilty.

The superintendent who had been passed over resigned from the force as a result of this utterly flawed process.  And there you have it – a huge loss of talent, experience and integrity while the police force flounders and faffs about tattoos and beards.