Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/628647
6 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2016 News Opposition seeks remedy for 'propagandistic' New Year message MIRIAM DALLI THE Opposition has filed a com- plaint with the Broadcasting Au- thority over the Prime Minister's New Year message, arguing that its "propagandistic" content re- quired a reply by the PN leader. In what she called her "bap- tism of fire", recently-appointed chair Tanya Borg Cardona and the Broadcasting Authority board heard PN MP and lawyer Francis Zammit Dimech lay out his argu- ments as to why the Nationalist Party was seeking recourse. "The video was riddled with partisan discourse that requires an equal intervention by the op- position leader," Zammit Dimech argued. He argued that the message had taken on the format of an advert, following a scripted discussion and the "acting of the couple" worsened the broadcast. References to the economy, the Delimara power station, the Gozo hospital, the American University of Malta, the MEPA demerger and corruption were among the topics featured in the Prime Minister's message that made the broadcast "controversial and partisan". The PN also took issue with Muscat's reference to the Valletta Summit as having placed Malta back "on the international map". Zammit Dimech said that, ac- cording to law, impartiality must be respected on controversial mat- ters. He also argued that messages delivered by previous prime min- isters "were less controversial". "I am not asking the BA to de- termine whether the Prime Min- ister's message was wrong or not. All I'm asking is for the Broad- casting Authority to determine whether there is more than one position on what the Prime Min- ister said and, as a result, provide remedy for such propaganda," Zammit Dimech said. The PN wants equal airtime to rebut Muscat's message. Appearing for the Public Broad- casting Services, lawyer Mark Vassallo argued that Muscat's message was "no different" to oth- er messages delivered by former prime ministers. "The format may be different but, when you remove the fanfare, all that is left is a message almost identical to the previous ones. Without any guidelines on how the message should be delivered, the PBS's role is to see the message before it is broadcast and ensure there is nothing illegal or libel- lous," Vassallo said. He went on to add that previous prime ministers' messages lasted for 20 minutes as they followed a script. "Comparisons are odious … but if we want to compare the previ- ous prime minister had spoken of the Five plus Five summit, em- ployment and the economy. The message remains the same … but this time there was a more refined production." Vassallo also disagreed with Zammit Dimech's argument that, because different opinions existed on the topics discussed, the oppo- sition should be allowed airtime. "More than one opinion exists on any subject and due impartial- ity is not restricted just to politi- cal issues. So what? If we give the leader of the opposition airtime for a New Year Message, why stop the leader of Alternattiva Demokrati- ka, the leader of Ghaqda Patrijotti Maltin and any other leaders from doing the same?" Vassallo urged the Broadcast- ing Authority to establish a set of guidelines "so that everyone knows what the rule of the game is". The New Year's address by the Prime Minister, which according the newspaper reports cost €8,400 to produce, was a production by the Office of the Prime Minister. JAMES DEBONO A private old people's home is being proposed on farmland ac- cessed from the road leading to the picturesque Ramla l-Hamra beach. The completely new develop- ment is being proposed on a 3,240 square metre agricultural area known as Tal-Biziel. The proposed facility is described in the planning application pre- sented to MEPA in December as a "dementia friendly elderly home". The development is being pro- posed over three levels: a ground level and two overlying f loors. It will include a chapel, a reception area, a kitchen and dining area, a retail shop, a mortuary and 219 rooms. John Spiteri, owner of the site, was last year granted a permit to construct a reservoir and an ag- ricultural store there. MEPA had previously rejected this application, which was ap- proved against the advice of the Planning Directorate following reconsideration. An application to build a farmhouse, presented by Rose Spiteri, was refused in 1993. The newly approved SPED states that new social and com- munity facilities should be pref- erably located in urban areas but where "no other feasible alterna- tives exist" it allows considera- tion of facilities related to "edu- cation, health, elderly, disabled and rehabilitation facilities" in rural areas. Since 2013 MEPA has received three other proposals for ODZ old people's homes. These are proposals in Vittoriosa, Santa Lucija and Mtarfa. The Hilltop old people's home in Naxxar, ap- proved in 2013, is also located outside development zones but the retirement home was built in place of a batching plant and not on virgin land. MEPA is also considering a policy to allow two extra storeys over and above what is allowed in local plans, on existing old people's homes. But no extra sto- reys are allowed on sites which are located outside development zones. PN takes government to task over 'illegal' ODZ development in Siggiewi ODZ old people's home proposed in Gozo THE Nationalist party has urged the government to speak up and offer some explanation in reply to allegations made in the media regarding permits issued to allow construction on agricultural land in Siggiewi. Environment spokesman Ryan Callus was referring to allegations that the daughter of former La- bour MP Albert 'Bertu' Pace had obtained false documentation for the construction of a villa on ODZ land. The permit, which would turn a 25-square-metre garage into a driveway for a 280-square-metre villa on agricultural land, was ap- proved, despite an anticipated refusal, after a letter from the ag- riculture department to the Mepa decision-making board arrived at the last minute. The permit was issued in the name of Roderick Farrugia, son-in- law of former MP Bertu Pace. The architect named on the application is Labour MP Charles Buhagiar, executive chairman of the Building Industry Consultative Council. Callus explained that the PN was concerned that the government had not reacted to the allegations although they had been made two days ago. "An investigation into whether the person who signed the decla- ration was indeed the assistant vet officer or not is already underway," Callus said, adding that work on the site should stop until the case was truly cleared. He added that Mepa should use all its powers to ensure that the 280 square metres of agricultural land is not destroyed. Callus further urged the environ- ment commissioner to launch an investigation into the case, as well as the police commissioner to look into whether the case constitutes a crime. General elections candidate Charlot Cassar said that the case was a clear example of the way the government chose to selectively change laws to benefit those clos- est, to the detriment of others. In a statement issued in response to the press conference, the Office of the Prime Minister said that an investigation into Farrugia was currently underway. "The Opposition is referring to is- sues that are currently under inves- tigation," the statement reads, in- sisting that the government always takes action on such issues. Ryan Callus and Charlot Cassar addressing the press at the Siggiewi site Three other proposals for ODZ old people's homes A still from the Prime Minister's New Year message