Bonġu Election Desk on 1 March 2022

Volt Malta presents election programme

It’s the first time that the new party Volt Malta is contesting elections.

Some of the party’s proposals are: a revision of the 2006 local plans, the reduction of business start up cost to €1, a fixed term parliament, and decoupling One and Net from the political parties.

Volt’s election programme also includes the strictly regulated legalisation of abortion, euthanasia and prostitution – proposals that are able to offend some people on these island.

Children’s requests forwarded to candidates

Children’s Commissioner Antoinette Vassallo has forwarded children’s requests to the political parties.

The commissioner urges politicians to add these concrete proposals to their election programmes.

The kids demand corporal punishment to be made illegal in all settings, impact assessments on children’s rights in policy drafting, improvement of air quality, and creating open spaces in urban areas.

Further requests are addressing children’s problematic internet use, extending school breaks, giving physical education more importance, and information about the impact of children and parents participating in political campaigns.

Cassola: Farrugia a ‘bluffer’ on environmental fines

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has called Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia a “bluffer” and warned that Labour was intending to weaken environmental protection.

Cassola said Farrugia was quietly pushing to weaken fine regimes for environmental offences.

He said a draft legal notice would see multiple daily penalties for offenders scrapped in favour of the highest one applicable.

Currently, breaches of multiple environmental laws lead to separate daily penalties for each breach until addressed.

Arnold Cassola called it “completely shameful” that it was “the Environment Minister himself” who was “using the Environment and Resources Authority” to propose changes which will seriously weaken the system.

ADPD wants fairer TV airtime allocation

ADPD, the green party, has issued its ‘traditional’ request to the Broadcasting Authority, demanding more airtime allocated on the state’s broadcasters channels.

The party said it was disappointed that no debates between ADPD and the two main parties had been scheduled.

ADPD urged the Broadcasting Authority to increase the party’s allocated advertising slots, to ensure that these ads are also broadcast on the major parties’ stations, and to provide more flexibility in the use of airtime.