Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1307485
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 NOVEMBER 2020 INTERVIEW ble dip in Abela's trust ratings. As such, it seems to fit into a pattern – which includes Simon Busuttil on the eve of the 2013 election, and also Joseph Mus- cat in 2008 - of MEPs coming back from Brussels, at a critical moment, to 'save the day' for their party. Do you see it that way yourself? [Laughing] I'm no 'Super Woman', if that's what you mean… But you are a very high-pro- file Labour politician; and you have been touted as a poten- tial future PL leader in the past. Wouldn't you say, then, that your decision to quite the Euro- pean Parliament for local poli- tics, at this stage, is symbolical- ly significant? Let me put it this way: first of all, Robert Abela's ratings are not exactly 'low'. Regardless what polls say, he certainly doesn't need me to 'save' him. But yes, he did contact me to come back, because he wanted me to partic- ipate more proactively in poli- tics at a national level. I have no illusions that I will 'save the day', however… I wouldn't even want people to have that expectation of me; or to think that I have that opinion about myself. I only came back because I sup- port Robert Abela's vision; and because I think there is room where I can contribute positive- ly. And I'm looking forward to getting started. Let's focus on one on your chosen topics: the 'green economy'. Ironically, resist- ance comes mainly from low- er income brackets (I.e., the Labour Party's traditional support-base). Electric vehi- cles, for instance, would put all mechanics out of a job. Not everyone has a garage where to recharge their battery; or can even afford an electric car at all, at current prices. So doesn't all this fine-sounding talk about 'environmentalism', also come at a high social and political cost? There are two things I'd say to that. Firstly - and this is some- thing I have learnt from my ex- perience as an MP – Is that, if you talk about the environment only in terms of environmental benefits… you will not engage with the stakeholders; and you will not convince anyone else, either. I witnessed this first-hand when I worked on the European regu- lations to decrease CO2 emis- sions. As long as the discussion was only about environmental issues, there was enormous re- sistance from the industry. But when the discussion shifted to one about competition with oth- er countries – for example, the fact that European automotive industries where relocating their investment in green technology to other, non-EU markets: in China, and other parts of Asia… and when people realised that the longer we remained inactive, the more Europe would lose its competitive advantage, and the more jobs would be lost… that's when those who were resisting started looking at the issue from a different perspective. The same applies to Malta; human nature is after all no different, from one country to another. We might not have a local automotive manufacturing industry; but we have importers, mechanics, electricians… there is an entire industry currently revolving around ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. Secondly, we need to clarify one thing: people seem to think that they will wake up one morn- ing, and… that's it. No more in- ternal combustion engine. From now all, all cars have to be ze- ro-emissions; so they'll have to either garage, or scrap their own cars… But there's a reason why they think that: Malta is bound by international targets to phase out the internal combustion en- gine. It's no longer a question of 'if', but' when'… But it's not going to disappear overnight. I am chair of the Cleaner Vehicles Commission; and the idea behind that is to come out with a plan for when to increase alternative, non-ICE vehicles on Maltese roads. Now: we could have taken the easy way out, and come up with a date that makes sense only from an environmental perspective – to reduce pollution, etc – and just stopped there. But apart from the environ- mental implications, we also have to look at the social impact. What will become of mechanics whose skills are limited only to the internal combustion engine? What will car importers do? How will it affect the car rental market? And so on… This is why the CVC is current- ly holding a number of stake- holder meetings; there is also a lot of research to be done, to see how to strike a balance between the environmental, social and economic aspects. But these are all things that re- quire a plan. It is no use stamp- ing our feet, and insisting that 'the number of cars must be re- duced'. It will not happen from one day to the next… The concern, however, is that it may not happen at all. There was supposed to be a nation- al fuel station policy, aimed at phasing out new fuel stations ahead of the transition from ICE vehicles. Yet the opposite has happened: the PA is granting more, not fewer, fuel station permits. Doesn't this mean that there is a gulf between this 'plan' you're talking about… and the direction we're actually moving in as a country? Fuel stations will sooner or later have to adapt anyway. Not just because of any regulations imposed by governments, or the EU… but because the auto- motive market is changing. The number of electric vehicles on the roads is already increasing; there will come a time when most vehicles will no longer be ICE. This is a reality that fuel stations will soon have to face, regardless. But this is also why the issue cannot only be viewed from one angle . Don't get me wrong: I love the environment. But much as I love it, the reality is that I cannot just wake up, one fine day, and tell people that: 'by next year, you have to change your entire way of life… at your own cost.' At the end of the day, we [La- bour] are a social-democratic party; so my first thought al- ways has to be about that man or woman, who earns a very low salary… and what can be done not to add to their financial bur- dens. For while it is true that, in the long term, electric cars are more economical… if you're on minimum wage, there's no point in telling you to spend E35,000 on an electric car. It's unafforda- ble. This is why another other thing the CVC is looking at is price parity: when the cost of alterna- tive energy vehicles – because we can't limit ourselves only to 'electrification'; other technolo- gies could emerge tomorrow – becomes comparable to the cost of ICE cars. Coming back to your decision to quit the European Parlia- ment: in the EP, politics is mostly about forging alliances between different groupings; in Malta, it is mostly about con- frontation between two parties. Are you concerned that all the experience you gained as an MEP might be wasted, in such an environment? In the European Parliament, if you want anything to go through, you have to reach a compromise. I won't say 'with all eight political groupings'… but at least, with the majority. And if you don't get the whole group- ing on board; you can at least try to convince individual members. And yes, I know that it is very different in the local political context. The fact that we are bipartisan doesn't help the situ- ation; nor does it help that con- frontation is so often the first course of action, either. But from my end, I will still try and work for compromise over confrontation. Though having said that: it takes two to tango; and if the person you're trying to reach a compromise with, doesn't want to listen… [shrugs]. Woman'…