Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542182
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 • 21 DECEMBER 2025 Jason Micallef 's arrogance must be cut down to size Editorial JASON Micallef chairs the Ta' Qali National Park agency and also heads the Valletta Cultural Agen- cy, apart from being a Labour Party special dele- gate overseeing the implementation of the elec- toral manifesto. What Micallef does in the vestiges of his latter portfolio is up to him and his party. He can act like a spoilt brat, using denigratory language to describe political rivals and everything could be par for the course. The consequences he faces will be of a political nature unless he does something illegal. But what Micallef does in the vestiges of the public offices he occupies is not up to him. As a public official he has the duty to be transparent and accountable for his actions to the people, who finance his wages. And those people are us taxpayers. So, when Micallef decided last week to throw a hissy-fit, using his Facebook to target a Newsbook journalist—and her brother, who is no longer a journalist and is currently employed with the Of- fice of the President—because she dared produce a news service on the Ta' Qali picnic area gravel, it becomes an issue that concerns us all. In Micallef's warped world, the journalist's sin is that she was formerly employed as a journalist with NET TV, the station operated by the Na- tionalist Party. Micallef chose to publish photos of the journalist and draw the conclusion that Newsbook, which belongs to the Maltese Catho- lic Church, has become a PN hotbed and anti-La- bour station. Now, Micallef is entitled to reach his own con- clusion about Newsbook's editorial line and re- porting but what he is not entitled to, especially as a public official, is to target a journalist and try to bully her by putting her up for public ridicule. Once again, Micallef chose to attack the messen- ger rather than address the message. Instead of answering the journalist's questions about the Ta' Qali gravel fiasco he chose to attack her person- ally. This is unacceptable behaviour from a public official and should be censored by his bosses. This is not a question of freedom of expression but a question of a public official using his influence to bully, harass and intimidate a journalist. But this was not the only incident of the sort involving Micallef. A few weeks ago, when con- fronted by a MaltaToday journalist about the same subject, Micallef responded by referenc- ing the journalist's father and comments he had made in public on an unrelated matter. In the most pathetic of reactions, Micallef expected the journalist to answer for his father's words. Earlier this year, Micallef even threatened a podcaster with legal action because she dared to post a video of herself at Ta' Qali in which she expressed concern over the gravel that was laid on the picnic area. Last year, Micallef targeted another Newsbook journalist by posting photos taken surreptitiously during a press conference of her laptop screen. The journalist's sin was that she had visible WhatsApp exchanges with some figures from Re- pubblika. The intent was to label the journalist as a member of the "establishment" bogeyman. Micallef tries to frame his actions as a defence of Labourites like him. In truth it's just a stupid excuse to pour vitriol on inquisitive journalists, whose job is to hold power to account. If Micallef cannot stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen. And if he does not, his boss- es—Chris Bonett, Omar Farrugia and Owen Bon- nici—should show him the door. Bonnici had tried defending Micallef's words on the occasion involving this newsroom's journalist, as an exer- cise in freedom of expression. It was a sorry de- fence of a public official who continues to embar- rass his own government at every turn. If Micallef is not reined in by these ministers they will simply be accomplices in his consistent campaign of intimidation against journalists. Micallef's arrogance and failure to be account- able for his actions are symptomatic of a govern- ment that is slowly losing control of its own des- tiny. And nobody in government should be taken aback or understand this as a sexual innuendo, if we suggest that Micallef seems to have senior politicians by the balls. The man is acting with impunity in a way that undermines one of the ma- jor tenants of a democratic society—freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is not just a question of saying what you please but it implies everyone has a right to receive information, views and opin- ions. What journalists are asking about the Ta' Qali issue is information the public is entitled to receive. If Micallef believes statements made by jour- nalists are wrong or deceitful he should use the appropriate channels and actions to seek redress and in normal circumstances that starts by talk- ing politely to the person and explaining matters comprehensively and transparently. Any journal- ist worth their salt will accept error and correct any mistaken impression if this is the case. But in his arrogance, Micallef cannot get him- self to talk decently. And that is a major problem, which his bosses have to address unless they want to be lumped with Micallef's indiscretions. Mi- callef's arrogance has to be cut down to size oth- erwise he will continue being a millstone around government's neck. Quote of the Week "It is just nonsense. It's like saying we should consider the possibility that the moon is made of cheese. You could consider that possibility if you like, but my first question is why would you think that?" – Professor Chris Lintott, an astronomer from the University of Oxford, speaking to Sky News about claims made by a controversial scientist, who said a mysterious object some 170 million miles away from earth could be an alien battleship. Astronomers believe the object is an interstellar comet. MaltaToday 10 years ago Weaker rules for offences against protected birds 23 December 2015 BIRDLIFE yesterday slammed the govern- ment for weakening the rules against anyone having protected birds in their possession, highlighting a difference in the way the gov- ernment handles environmental policies, such as those relating to climate change, ver- sus protected birds. According to a proposed legal notice, fan- ciers found to be in possession of protected birds would be subjected to lower fines, with the notice distinguishing between persons caught red-handed shooting a protected bird and others simply found in possession of such a bird. "This is yet another scandalous attempt to weaken the sanctions of those who are re- sponsible for enforcing the law," BirdLife Malta chief executive officer Mark Sultana told a press conference. Appealing to Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat not to introduce the proposed changes, Sultana said that the legal notice would also allow people to be in possession of any non- EU bird, irrespective of its protection status in its country of origin. Sultana argued that this would effectively be an 'amnesty' for people presently break- ing the law by being in possession of birds, such as eagles, caught in territories outside of Europe. "This will encourage persons to go on hunt- ing trips in countries such as Argentina and Ethiopia," he said. "People who organise these trips as part of their business have a lot to gain from this amendment, making us suspect that they ac- tually lobbied for this change. [...]