The MLP turning Green?

Suddenly Dr Alfred Sant switches to environmental issues. The European Movement (Malta) welcomes this new emphasis on the part of the MLP and one hopes that it is not a passing fad, a tactical ploy as a reaction to any inroads which Alternattiva Demokratika may be making in the Labour vote.

If it is not a "come along boys, lets all wear green for the occasion" it marks a substantive change from 1996, you know, when BirdLife was a dirty word. But we are rather perturbed by some conflicting vibes that the MLP is setting loose.

Dr Sant was reported by the press to have described the Ghadira Nature Reserve as a success story and that in 1979, the Labour government prohibited hunting at the reserve while in 1980 it turned it into a nature reserve. Since then, BirdLife Malta has turned the reserve into a beautiful place, which is also serving as an important educational tool because of the large numbers of schoolchildren who visit it.

According to the same report Dr Sant said the MLP MEPs will ensure that organisations such as BirdLife Malta are properly funded in view of their important role. He said the nature reserve should be used as a role model for other similar projects. The environment is at the forefront of the MLP's agenda, he concluded.

We honestly support this approach and we hope that this political stance by the MLP will become more visible over the next few days of campaigning and that it proves to be long-lasting. As for the conflicting vibes: why does Dr Sant oppose the immediate closure of the Maghtab tip? The answer to that question is not all that clear.