Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539233
WHEN couples always end up squab- bling about the same old issues week after week, year after year and some- times decades after decades, it is never just about what the argument is ostensi- bly about. It is never about the rubbish which is not taken out, or the cap not put back on the toothpaste, or whose turn it is to make dinner. At the heart of the matter, as relation- ship experts such as Esther Perel will tell you, is usually the struggle for power within that marriage or relationship. It is about what is triggered by the argument and the old resentments and the previ- ous sour experiences it unlocks. Similarly, the spat which escalated in- to a nationwide debate over the gravel which was laid at Ta' Qali is not actually about the gravel per se. The crux of the matter is the role of politically appointed officials and their relationship with the public, especially when the latter "dare" to criticise their decisions. When word began to spread that the Ta' Qali picnic area has been covered with gravel, podcaster Trudy Kerr went to see it for herself. She filmed a video of the area, zoomed in on the gravel, even picking it up with her hands to show its harsh texture and shared it on social me- dia—and that is when all hell broke loose. Jason Micallef took umbrage at her vid- eo and came out all guns blazing: "I'm warning everyone that enough is enough. Since this government is too afraid to confront the social media bullies, I'm not. I will be pursuing legal action against those who created this FAKE NEWS and malicious lie about the picnic area in Ta' Qali… The time is up for this bullying by some on social media—where if you don't play their game, they can't make money, and I will fight it with all my strength. The time is up for people like Trudy Kerr, a failed and phoney podcaster. See you in court Ms Kerr." I have to say I am rather proud of the public and their reaction to this melo- dramatic throwing down of the gauntlet. (I'm surprised Micallef did not challenge Trudy to a duel at sunrise). Because apart from the usual, predictable "prosit Jason" and those Labour supporters who were cheering him on for his bravery, the ma- jority of the public simply replied withlau ghter. At times like this we could really use something like Saturday Night Live, be- cause there is no shortage of material. I am already writing the possible sketch in my head. The absurdity of how a differ- ence of opinion over something as innoc- uous as gravel could turn into such a ma- jor issue reminds me of the movie, The Break-Up which starts with a trivial dis- agreement: The boyfriend does not buy the required number of lemons which his girlfriend needs to make a centrepiece. As they bicker and tensions rise, ugly words are said and she finally tells him that's it; 'I'm done'. It is not just about the lemons; it ends up being about everything which she is resentful about, and she lets loose with a whole litany of pent-up frustra- tions. The gravel was the equivalent of the lemons for Jason Micallef. The argument over Ta' Qali has to be seen within this context. Jason Micallef is obviously irked by how much criticism the government is subjected to on a daily basis and Trudy's little video was the last straw. (Just as an aside, even though he is never mentioned, he is the person re- sponsible for the gravel to be laid there). What I can only describe as an over-reac- tion, however, also points to a very telling situation not only in Malta but all over the word. Social media is a democratic platform where everyone can have their say, whether politicians or public figures like it or not. Obviously, this does not mean you can defame them or come out with pure, unadulterated lies about them because there, yes, you are opening your- self up to a possible lawsuit. If Jason Micallef was annoyed at the criticism, he could have just said so, pre- sented his version and leave it at that—al- though officials whose salary is paid from OUR taxes have to be able to handle crit- icism in a mature way... it goes with the job. Where Micallef is completely off base, however, is his claim that he has the right to sue Trudy Kerr for spreading "fake news". I think a good dictionary would come in handy right now. I am still strug- gling to understand what he is going to base his lawsuit on. There seems to be general consensus that the area is indeed covered by gravel, the prime minister has said it and so has Micallef. So is he going to sue Robert Abela? Is he going to sue himself? If I say the sky is blue, and it is in fact blue, how is that fake? Inquiring minds want to know. Maybe we need CSI Miami to be called in on this puzzling case. If everyone who dares to criticise the government is going to be sued, then they might as well throw everyone on Face- book into the mix… because we're going to definitely need a bigger court house. But, as temping it is to continue to make jokes (because this whole thing is really too ridiculous) I need to get more serious. If Micallef does follow through with his threat it will be a very bad stain on the La- bour government which does not exactly have a good track record when it comes to tolerating opposing views—the 1980s are still too fresh in everyone's mind and Micallef's outburst led to a Pavlovian re- action of alarm bells ringing. So, if this does go to court as he has threatened and a magistrate does not throw this case out for being frivolous, it will set a very dangerous precedent for everyone, not just podcasters or journalists. Anyone who uploads a vid- eo or a post criticising the government about anything will be risking the same backlash. And that means, goodbye free speech. Thankfully the prime minister seems to have calmed the waters somewhat with his measured reaction: "If it were me in the situation, no, I would not have tak- en it to court. I would give my version of events, the other person would give their version of events, and then let the gen- eral public decide." Phew, some sanity at last. But really, did this even need to be said? Ultimately, anyone in public life needs to get it through their heads that they are accountable to us. You are there tem- porarily and, as I have often said before, Malta is not your fiefdom to do with it as you please. We have a right to object, a right to question and a right to vehe- mently disagree. That is not bullying Mr Micallef, because the balance of power is not in our hands. A podcaster who makes a little video is hardly a bully (and due to the Streisand effect, a woman you de- scribed as phoney and a failure has over- night become even more popular and is now a household name). On this island, which is often too com- placent and replete with apathy, people who dare to stand up and be counted, putting themselves on the line when they see something is wrong are, in fact, just voices in the wilderness. I would say that it is the other way around—the bullies are those who attempt to use their posi- tions of authority to ride roughshod on the electorate just because they can. As for who is wrong or right about this blessed gravel, an expert has weighed in on the topic. Leading arborist Jonathan Henwood says the gravel spread across the Ta' Qali picnic area has further 'ster- ilised the soil' which was already stressed by allowing mass events in a picnic area. Whether you agree or choose to believe him or not, that is your prerogative. I just trust no one has the bright idea to sue him as well. 3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 SEPTEMBER 2025 OPINION Josanne Cassar This was not just about some gravel She has worked in the field of communications and journalism for the last 30 years Ta Qali picnic area (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)