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L-ewwel in-Nies!




Żgur li wieħed mill-aktar suġġetti li din il-ġimgħa ġie diskuss fuq is-siti kollha lokali, b’mod partikolari fuq il-midja soċjali, kienet il-proposta għal emenda fil-liġi biex jitranġaw anomaliji fil-pensjoni tad-Deputati. Din il-proposta qajmet ir-rabja ta’ bosta nies, forsi wkoll għax ma kinetx spjegatha sewwa. Iżda din ir-rabja tifhimha, speċjalment f’kuntest fejn ħafna pensjonanti qed jgħixu fil-faqar u mhux ilaħqu mal-għoli tal-ħajja, il-mediċini u l-prezzijiet tal-ikel.

Huwa minnu li fil-bidu l-Partit Nazzjonalista kien ħa jkun favur dawn l-emendi. Iżda wara li l-Kap sema’ dak li kellhom xi jgħidu n-nies, il-Partit bidel il-pożizzjoni tiegħu u irtira l-appoġġ tiegħu għal din il-liġi sakemm l-ewwel ma jiġix diskuss kif ser jitranġaw u jissaħħu l-pensjonijiet tan-nies. Mhux biss l-anzjani tal-lum, iżda s-sostennibilità tal-pensjonijiet ta’ għada.

Vera li l-pensjoni tad-Deputati għandha titranġha. Għax ejja ngħiduha kif inhi, meta titla’ fil-Parlament ħajtek tieħu daqqa u l-karriera professjonali tieħu daqqa. Meta wara li ttemm iż-żmien tiegħek fil-politika, tmur lura għal ħajja professjonali, ħa ddum ftit sa ma terġa’ tirkupra. U dik id-daqqa taffetwalek il-pensjoni li tkun ser tieħu fil-futur. Allura jagħmel sens li anke’ min jagħmel leġislatura waħda fil-Parlament jieħu pensjoni meta dan jilħaq l-età tal-irtirar. Forsi ma jieħux pensjoni oħra sħiħa bħal min ikun hemm tliet leġislaturi jew iktar kif kien ser jagħmilha l-Gvern, imma naħseb xi ħaġa jkun ħaqqu. Fuq kollox, aħjar li lil dawk id-Deputati li jispiċċaw mill-Parlament naraw li jkollhom dinjità kif suppost b’dan il-mod, milli bil-mod kif qed jagħmel il-Gvern b’nies bħal Deborah Schembri u Edward Zammit Lewis. Dawn forsi ma għandhomx bżonn dawn l-emendi, għax Alla jbierek il-Gvern għoġbu jtihom il-mijiet tal-eluf f’konsulenzi. Imma naħseb jagħmel iktar sens illi naraw li Deputati jkollhom onorarja aħjar, kif kien ried jagħmel Lawrence Gonzi, u jkollhom pensjoni aħjar, imma ma jkunux jistgħu jitpoġġew f’Bordijiet, Chairmanships u pożizzjonijiet oħra mal-Gvern li joħolqulhom kunflitt ma’ dak li suppost hu xogħolhom, la meta jkunu fil-kariga u lanqas fis-snin immedjati ta’ wara, kif qed jagħmel dan il-Gvern.

U allura, għalkemm nemmen li dawn l-anomaliji għandhom jitranġaw ‘il quddiem, l-ewwel pero’ għandhom jiġu n-nies u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħhom, kif qal tajjeb Adrian Delia.




Lukanda f’Delimara

Għandi memorji sbieħ ħafna ta’ Delimara. Meta kont għadni abbati, konna nagħmlu sjuf sħaħ ninżlu hemm ta’ kull ġimgħa. U għalija, il-Kalanka għadha s’issa l-isbaħ bajja li għandna fin-naħa t’isfel ta’ Malta, bajja li nżammet fl-istat naturali tagħha u fejn l-interventi tal-bniedem huma minimi. Parti mis-sabiħ tagħha huwa wkoll li mhix l-iktar bajja faċilment aċċessibli, u allura fis-sajf ma tkunx fgata bin-nies kuljum ħlief forsi l-Ħdud.

Sfortunatament ir-regħba tal-bniedem tefgħet għajnejha fuq din il-ġawhra wkoll. U l-Awtorità li suppost tipproteġi dan il-wirt mill-isfruttament, approvat sfreġju ieħor. Anzi, fl-għerf tagħha tefgħet ‘il barra mis-smiegħ pubbliku ta’ din l-applikazzjoni lill-attivist ambjentali. Għax lill-Profs sejjaħlu b’ismu u mhux bit-titlu.

Kieku jaħasra l-Awtorità teżiġi l-istess rispett lejn l-ambjent bħalma saret teżiġi għat-titli, kieku forsi jibqgħalna x’imkien fejn nieħdu ftit nifs u ngawdu ftit arja.

Saħħiet Kalanka. Lil uliedi xtaqt ‘il quddiem noħodhom igawdu ġmielek. Iżda, bħal ħafna postijiet oħra li qridna u qed neqirdu, wisq probabli ħa jkolli nikkuntenta nurihom ir-ritratti.


Dan l-artiklu deher fil-Mument tal-Ħadd 18 ta' Marzu 2018.

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