Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1503864
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JULY 2023 The wrong side of history Editorial OVER the past 10 years the Labour Party has con- sistently accused the Opposition of standing 'on the wrong side of history' each time bold reforms were enacted. The statement implied the Opposition was out of step with the changes taking place in society and the pain of minorities. But for all the PL's talk of being bold and in tune with people's needs, even if these happen to be small minor- ities (such as victims of Thalidomide, who will be given compensation for the suffering they have endured), its MPs were left wanting last week. The 40 Labour MPs present in parliament, includ- ing Prime Minister Robert Abela and his deputy Chris Fearne, dug their heels in and voted against a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia. Faced with the angry and painful reaction of Jean Paul's parents inside parliament, none of the PL MPs had the guts to look them in the eyes. On this occasion, the Labour Party, its MPs and the government were on the wrong side of history. It was a moment of shameful arrogance in the face of two people who lost their son in a tragedy that came only three years after a similar incident in Hamrun killed Miriam Pace. The words mouthed by Jean Paul's mother, Isabelle Bonnici, will continue to ring loud: "To those who chose not to support me, I will not give up… I will con- tinue." Jean Paul's father, John Sofia, was more poignant when addressing the Prime Minister: "Prime Minister, you shall go home and hug your daughter but I have no one to hug because I lost my son seven months ago." In the face of these emotional appeals Robert Abela's insistence that he does not want a public inquiry into this incident smacks of arrogance and hard-headed- ness. No one is saying that a public inquiry should replace the ongoing magisterial inquiry. Both delve into differ- ent aspects. The only inquiry that will result in arrests being made and people charged in court over Jean Paul's death is the one being conducted by Magistrate Marsanne Far- rugia. On this the Prime Minister is right. But sending someone to jail for Jean Paul's death (unless some benevolent magistrate grants them com- munity work) is only one aspect of justice, albeit a very important one. What many voices are calling for is a public inquiry that would go beyond the purely criminal aspects and delve into how the construction sector as a whole is regulated; its linkages with power; whether recommen- dations made by the Quintano board appointed after the Miriam Cassar tragedy were implemented; how the land on which the factory where Jean Paul was killed had been granted to the two businesspersons; whether there are systemic failures. In an interview with MaltaToday on the morrow of the vote, a visibly agitated and frustrated Abela insisted the magistrate leading the criminal inquiry has un- fettered power to delve into any aspect she deems fit, including how the public land was transferred to the developers and other issues being raised by Jean Paul's parents. However, the Prime Minister also knows that what the magistrate chooses to delve into is purely her pre- rogative. She may consider anything else beyond the cause and responsibility for the accident irrelevant. Abela also insisted that if the magistrate does not probe these aspects, he will make sure that other inves- tigations take place to determine whether there were systemic failures. And yet, the Prime Minister steadfastly refused to commit to a public inquiry. The reasons Abela has been giving for his opposition to a public inquiry remain incomprehensible. Even his claim that it would set a precedent sound hollow. There are compelling reasons for this particular case to serve as a launch pad for a wider inquest into the construction industry. Sofia's death came almost three years after Miriam Pace died in the rubble of her home, when government had to be implementing changes to how the sector is regulated. Society has a right to know whether enough was done in those three years. We already know that the licensing of building contractors had been promised even before Pace's death and yet it is only later on this year that the new licencing regime will come into force. Not every death or incident necessitates a public inquiry. But it is high time that we had an unfettered transparent exercise that probes the construction sec- tor, its actors, its regulators and its enablers. The truth is that Abela probably does not want a public inquiry because it could drag on for months and turn into an embarrassing media spectacle for the con- struction sector, government and the political parties. Or maybe there is something to hide from a public inquiry into the construction sector? Either way, his hard-headedness and resistance sim- ply confirm the widespread suspicion that politicians are beholden to the construction lobby. It is a shame that instead of standing on the right side of history, Abela has turned his back to the genuine pleas of two hurt parents and thousands of Maltese who want a public inquiry. Jean Paul Sofia's death will come back to haunt Ab- ela and the other 39 Labour MPs who voted against a public inquiry. They will come to regret their ill-fated decision but asking for forgiveness on the eve of a gen- eral election will no longer work as a ploy to attract sympathy. If the Labour Party wants to save face it should convince its own leader now that a U-turn is more than justified in the current circumstances. 16 July 2013 Anti-migration protest aborted AN anti-immigration protest planned for this morning in Valletta did not materialise as no- body showed up. Although hundreds of persons had declared that they would be attending the protest on face- book, the streets in Valletta were deserted apart from the few tourists and residents who were in the capital despite the scorching heat. Yesterday, the police warned that no permit had been issued since the demonstration's organ- isers failed to apply for a permit. "The police are warning against the promotion of any misconduct that does not conform with the law," the police said in a statement. A group named 'In favour of the government's fight against migration' promoted the aborted ac- tivity planned for this morning in Valletta, while a second protest is also planned for 4 August. The police also warned against the "promotion of any illegality." The protests were organised following the government's decision to consider sending back Somali migrants to Libya, hours after 102 mi- grants reached Malta was thwarted by the Euro- pean Court of Human Rights who declared the pushback illegal. The demonstration, intended to support Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's efforts to resolve the issue, was shot down by Muscat himself who on Friday said that it should not take place. "This protest has neither my support, nor my government's. It should not take place," Muscat told MaltaToday. However, in reply to Muscat's statement, the organisers 'Malta Taghna' insisted that they will go ahead with the "peaceful" demonstrations. In a message addressed to Muscat uploaded on the facebook page promoting the demonstration, the organisers wrote: "We are not going to re- treat." They added that they would go ahead with their plans to "unite in favour of the pushback policy." "The traitors of this country should retreat, those who are against the push back policy. These traitors are found in influential positions, a tiny minority of less than 10%." The organisers,said they will be applying for all the necessary permits for the 4 August protest. ... Quote of the Week "Prime Minister, tonight you can go back home and hug your daughter. I have no one to hug because I lost my son seven months ago." John Sofia, father of construction site collapse victim Jean Paul, addressing the Prime Minister and Labour MPs in parliament after they voted against a public inquiry into his son's death MaltaToday 10 years ago