Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539671
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWS Expression of Interest For more info visit micas.art/get-involved or contact people@micas.art micas.art Closing at noon on Monday 6 October 2025 Office Attendant (Visitor Services) Part-time — 3 year contract of service Alex Borg to appoint shadow cabinet in coming days ALEX Borg will be announcing the Opposition's new shadow roles this week as he continues to assert his authority on the party after becoming leader a fortnight ago. On Friday, Borg was unfazed when questioned by MaltaToday Online Editor Karl Azzopardi about the time it was taking him to assign spokesperson roles. Borg insisted that his shadow cabinet was "taking shape" and confirmed he is still holding one- to-one discussions with MPs. He refuted a suggestion that some MPs were resisting the changes. "No MP is making life difficult for me and contrary to what the Labour Party is trying to say, we are a united party," Borg insisted during the interview that took place at Pjazza Tritoni outside Valletta as part of the party's In- dependence Day celebrations. Sources close to Borg have told MaltaToday that his first priority after winning the leadership was to focus on the party's internal structures by appointing a CEO and setting up his secretariat. "Alex Borg wanted to ensure that he had people he could trust in his immediate circle within the party so that he could push through his pledges," the sources said. Last Thursday, Borg an- nounced that Sabine Agius Ca- bourdin, a lawyer, was appointed the party's first CEO responsible for managing the party's finan- cial assets. Concurrently, Borg also an- nounced the appointment of Munxar Mayor Damien Spiteri as his chief of staff, Simon Vel- la Gregory as the election cam- paign manager and Simon Mizzi as head of a newly set up leader- ship delivery office responsible for ensuring that the pledges made by Borg are implemented. Through these appointments, Borg wanted to ensure he had a solid grip on the internal struc- tures to be able to implement his ideas. "The next stage will be the ap- pointment of a shadow cabinet that will see a handful of chang- es," the sources said, adding that Adrian Delia was offered several options where he could contrib- ute. Delia has ruled out contesting another internal election for the post of deputy leader. There is no current vacancy since Alex Perici Calascione appears to be staying put. However, Borg has promised to put forward a proposal to change the statute so that a second dep- uty leader role is created with responsibility for parliamentary affairs. Delia has hinted that he will serve wherever the party needs him, while confirming that he will contest the next general election on two districts. KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt From environmental rangers to nature stewards AMBJENT Malta has rebranded its environmental rangers into nature stewards in a move aimed at better reflecting their work within the Natura 2000 manage- ment framework. The project, first launched in December 2020, focuses on safeguarding Malta's protected areas through education, public engagement and on-the-ground surveillance. However, nature stewards do not have enforcement powers. Their security surveillance pa- trols focus on observation, and any illegal activities are reported to the Environment and Resourc- es Authority (ERA) or the police. So far this year, Ambjent Malta's nature stewards have referred 32 cases to the police and 23 to ERA. ERA, which employs its own en- forcement officers, is responsible for investigating and taking ac- tion on environmental breaches. The authority said it has inves- tigated 211 incidents on Natura 2000 sites so far this year. A spokesperson for the Envi- ronment Ministry said the new title does not represent a change in the workers' roles or responsi- bilities. Ambjent Malta currently em- ploys 17 nature stewards, whose remit is broad. Their duties range from promoting awareness of biodiversity and cultural herit- age to coordinating public in- formation events, designing and implementing educational pro- grammes, preparing and distrib- uting information materials, and guiding visitors through protect- ed sites. Nature stewards also manage ticketing and sales at sites, keep financial records, control crowds, maintain calendars of events and patrol the areas under their su- pervision. The spokesperson said the change in designation is intend- ed to emphasise the stewardship and educational aspect of the role, which is seen as essential for building public understanding and support for conservation ef- forts. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt Alex Borg