“Malta’s interests are a priority” – MEP Miriam Dalli
By Hermann Micallef
“My priority is to ensure that my country’s interests are safeguarded in all fora”. This is what Labour MP Miriam Dalli insisted upon in the second part of the interview with Voice of the Workers.
Asked whether she was interested in contesting the leadership of the Labour Party, she was not curt but replied diplomatically saying that “when the time comes, one will see what the country and the Labour Party needs”.
In this second part of the interview the Labour MEP emphasises the need for stricter rules so that our children, one day, can enjoy living in a better environment. She also talks about her lobbying against traffic pollution.
In her opinion, the best days for Malta are yet to come.
This is the second part of the interview:
Let’s turn to another subject – the environment. In your experience in Europe, do you think that it is time that Malta had a National Master Plan for the environment?
To safeguard our environment we need to ensure that what we are building is sustainable and has long term value. We need to see whether what we are saying ‘yes’ to is of socio-economic benefit. To safeguard the environment we cannot look solely at the permits that are issued but also at the type of structures that are being build and their aesthetics.
Now that we have the economic growth that our country needed, I believe that there is the need for a long-term plan and solution to ensure the preservation of our natural environment. We need a holistic plan that protects our natural landscape. There is the need for stricter regulations that apply to all to ensure sustainable development and that we leave behind countryside that our children and the generations to come can enjoy. At the same time we need to ensure better air quality by addressing the issue of transport the way we addressed the energy sector. I will do my best to see that the law regarding air pollution from cars is implemented and has the impact we wish to see in all the countries in the European Union including Malta.
“My priority is to ensure that my country’s interests are safeguarded in all fora.”
Is the economic focus on construction and development justified given that land is so scarce?
Our economy today is an economy that is wide-ranging and is attracting more investors and workers than ever before. This means that we need to create policies that maintain the balance and ensure that development is sustainable and can meet the demands of a population that is ever growing and has now reached the 460,000 mark.
Before we use virgin land we need to ensure that we are making the best use of existing land that has already been developed. A positive initiative in this regard is the one recently launched by the government where owners of property that has been empty for more than a year are offered €25,000 to upgrade the property and rent it to Government for 10 years for a reasonable rate. This initiative addresses two main issues: the issue of vacant property and the issue of social housing.
In light of all the rumours circulating in the media, are you interested in contesting the leadership position in the Labour Party? If yes, why?
My priority is to ensure that the interests of my country are safeguarded in all fora, including the European fora within which I am working as an MEP. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat still has a number of years to serve. When the moment comes, each one of us needs to see what the need of the country and the Labour Party is. The interest of the country at this time is that we make sure that we do what we promised to do and move this country forward in the best way possible. The Labour Party represents today’s generation and the generations to follow and, so, we need to ensure that we stay relevant while we create wealth and increase the quality of life for families.
“The Labour Party represents the generation of today and those to come.”
In an article you wrote you said that the best days for Malta are yet to come. What is in store for our country?
During the first legislature under the labour Government we saw our economy grow and move forward. We saw the Maltese public move ahead in its social status and we started to see the wealth that was being generated trickling down to the public. The best days are yet to come because we are not going to stop working so that each Maltese and Gozitan person will truly have a better quality of life.