No flirting with Labour | Karol Aquilina

Approaching his 31st birthday, Karol Aquilina is one of Malta’s youngest political upstarts. But during the interview, I do not get the feeling that I am actually interviewing someone who is four years younger them me. For he never waffles in his calculated, albeit clear, replies.

A year ago, Karol Aqulina presented a motion calling on the government not to renew the lease of a property currently being used as a Labour Party club and instead to transfer the property to the Siggiewi Local Council to be used as a day care centre for the elderly and a premises for the local council.

The motion was approved thanks to the four votes of the PN councillors, including mayor Robert Musumeci. The three PL councillors voted against.

The club, located in St Nicholas square, was a private residence which was turned into a civic centre in the 1960s. The property was leased to the Labour party on 11 December, 1981, on the eve of the general election, for Lm200 a year. In 1987, a few months before the election, the government accepted a party request and extended the lease for 24 years that expired in June 2010.
What prompted Aquilina to raise this issue after being buried in the sand for three decades?

According to Aquilina, the council has been for the past 15 years unsuccessfully trying to find a place for a day care centre for the elderly, as well as a more adequate premises for itself.

“As soon as I learned that the lease was going to expire in June 2010 I felt that I should present a motion to ask the government to allocate this property to the local council as soon as the lease expired.”

Aquilina disagrees with me when I point out that the ultimate consequence of the motion would be the eviction of the Labour party from what has been its club for the past 30 years.

“No, this is not the case, because one expects that when someone’s lease expires, he simply moves out of the property without the need of any eviction.”

While Aquilina’s argument makes legal and logical sense, is he ignoring the political fallout in the form of increased political polarisation and division?

Aquilina replies with another question.

“Is there any landlord in the world who would allow a tenant to remain on his property after the termination of the lease agreement if he needs it for himself? In this case Siggiewi needs a day care centre… does it make sense in this case for the Labour party to continue using public property when the locality has other needs?”

But isn’t a party political club an integral part of the social fabric in a democracy?

“They had other options. They could have done like other parties and bought a private property. I had no obligation to seek a solution for the Labour Party. After they were given a 24-year-lease on the eve of the 1987 election they had plenty of time to think of a solution themselves.”

I ask Aquilina whether it would have made more sense for the council to seek an agreement with Labour on an alternative location for the party club before the motion was presented?

“This is not my role. I am not the owner of this property. Neither does the council own this or other property which it can dispense to Labour. The property belongs to the government.”

Mayor Robert Musumeci and Labour deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela have reached an agreement through which the council’s current premises will be allocated to the Labour Party on the basis of a five-year temporary arrangement.

Aquilina is quick to point out that the property being offered to Labour is actually part of the same building which includes both the local council premises and the Labour Party club.

Karol Aquilina augurs that Labour accepts this offer.

“I have no objection to the Labour Party being offered an alternative. I would have only strongly objected if the lease was renewed because this would have meant denying the locality from its needs.”

But while not objecting to this offer, Aquilina is not enthusiastic about this compromise solution.

“If you ask me whether this solution is desirable, I would still reply no because the Labour Party will still be given space from the property which could be used to better accommodate the local council’s office and the day care centre for the elderly.”

But is he in favour or against this solution? “It is not a decision I have to take. Ultimately it is the government which has to decide this issue.”

I bluntly ask Aquilina whether he has taken up this issue simply to garner more support among Nationalist voters with the view of becoming Siggiewi’s next mayor?

“Absolutely not the case,” Aquilina replies.

And how was it that such an important issue was raised by the Deputy Mayor and not the mayor?

“Perhaps it is because I take the initiative… I have taken many initiatives on a number of issues, some of them controversial and others not. On many issues I was in agreement with Labour.”

But can this step be interpreted that he is trying to upstage the mayor? “Not at all.”

Aquilina describes his relationship with Musumeci as “a normal one which exists between mayor and Deputy mayor.”
It is only when I ask Aquilina on the mediating role assumed by the mayor on this issue that Aquilina goes a step further.

“There are people who like flirting with Labour and have an interest to be on good terms with Labour always even if it is elected to government.”

Are you referring to the mayor? I ask Aquilina. “I am simply saying that some people choose that road… I am definitely not in the business of flirting with Labour.”

I persist asking Aquilina whether he is suggesting that the mayor is flirting with Labour? “It is up to him to answer this question but on this issue he did go out of his way to protect the Labour Party’s interests.”

Why? “You should ask this question to him.”

But does Aquilina risk coming across as a hardliner by opposing attempts to bridge over the partisan divide? “I have no problem with discussing and cooperating with Labour on local issues. My problem is when the Labour Party in itself becomes a greater priority than Siggiewi. I am never ready to take a decision which accommodates Labour and penalises Siggiewi.”

He also insists that in this case “nothing would have happened” had he not presented the motion.

“Until a few months before we were discussing whether we should buy private property elsewhere when we had a €1.5 million government property right next to us. It is thanks to the Government’s commitment, in particular Parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi, that in a few days time the Siggiewi Local Council will have adequate premises from where to provide a much needed service to the Siggiewi elderly.”

But this was not the only case where Karol Aquilina took the initiative on the council, especially with regards to environmental issues. Aquilina seems to have inherited this green trait from his father Nenu who as mayor of Siggiewi who had successfully resisted attempts to build a cement plant in the locality.

One case in point are a number of motions proposed by Aquilina calling on MEPA not to renew the permit for Polidano’s Ghar Lapsi quarry which is set on one of Malta’s most scenic locations.

“Unfortunately the quarry is still there. But the council, even before I was a part of it was always clear that quarry must be closed and restored to its natural state.”

He also deems the operation of the quarry incompatible with the surrounding environment.

“The joke in Siggiewi is that we have an all-year-round Christmas village because the road leading to Ghar Lapsi is always covered with dust.”

At one point the Siggiewi council approved Aquilina’s motion, threatening to enact a bye law prohibiting trucks carrying stone and coarse aggregate from passing through Triq Ghar Lapsi – the road leading to Polidano’s largest hard stone quarry.

“The motion was presented at a time when the large volume of trucks passing from the road was leaving a trail of stones falling from the trucks… Effectively following this pressure the contractor took steps to address this situation and effectively the situation improved… therefore there was no need of the bye law.”

Presently, the council only employs wardens for two hours a week in rural areas. The system is defended by the mayor and an attempt by Aquilina to introduce a one-hour warden supervision a day was voted down in the council.

“I was often approached by people complaining of a lack of discipline like rubbish left in the streets…”

He acknowledges that the PN’s local election manifesto for Siggiewi specifies that wardens should have an educational not revenue raising role.

“I simply proposed a system through which the council would not lose money from the warden system while certain problems of repeated and gross abuses are addressed… For example, if someone is repeatedly throwing rubbish or driving abusively, the council should defend residents and stop the abuse.”

Siggiewi is one of the rural localities with a strong hunting lobby. With hunting in Spring being limited to just six days this year, is the Nationalist party losing votes because of this issue?

“While I understand that they have a right to enjoy their hobby, everyone must understand that there are rules.”

He also points out that government did not abandon hunters during procedures in the European court where the government made its case on this issue.

“One cannot ignore the fact that the government worked hand-in-hand with hunters on this issue.”

Aquilina’s position on spring hunting is that it should be allowed as long as it conforms with the law.

“The question for me is not whether spring hunting can be allowed or not. It is a question of how much hunting takes place and for how long. This is a decision which has to be taken by the government after heeding the EU commission’s advice.”

The Nationalist Party is facing a debate on the divorce issue instigated by a private members bill presented by Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. Aquilina, who sits on the party’s executive, considers the motion as “premature”.

“But like all other MPs he had every right to stimulate a discussion on an issue which he considers important…What is sure is that the motion has stimulated a discussion and although I disagree with his method, I think discussion is always good.”

Aquilina dismisses the risk that this issue will split the liberal and conservative wings of the party. “The PN is within itself very united even if there is a diversity of opinions on some issues.”

Aquilina’s stance on divorce is clear. He is against its introduction while favouring a referendum to settle the issue once and for all.
“I am against divorce but am open to listen to other views in a discussion. I want to pass from the test of conviction by hearing the case made by those who favour its introduction…Till now I am not convinced that divorce is a good thing for Maltese families. A discussion is taking place in the party’s executive and I am sure that there is a lot more to hear…”

But is there a risk that this discussion will prolong itself ad eternum, in an exercise of procrastination?

“This should not be the case…we have to arrive towards a situation where we have a clear position.”

But for Aquilina, this is not just a matter of saying yes or no, but also a discussion on how the country and the party should decide on this issue.

Aquilina insists that any discussion on divorce should not be limited to the executive but should be extended to other organs like the party’s general council. He also insists that finally it should be the people who should decide through a referendum.

But should one impose a referendum on a right affecting minorities? “If divorce is a right it would have already been established by the courts. It is a question of a law offering someone the option of re-marrying. The starting point of any discussion on divorce is whether we should grant people whose marriages have failed the option of re-marrying. Then we should ask what effect will this have on families.”

What is Aquilina’s vision for the party? “We should have an open party and the discussion on divorce will confirm our openness.”
According to Aquilina, one of the central PN’s central priorities is now the environment.

“Upon being re-elected, the Prime Minister made it very clear that the pendulum will now shift towards environmental considerations.”

Is there a risk that the Labour party under Joseph Muscat is perceived as being less of a danger to middle of the road voters as was the case in the 1980s or when Labour opposed the EU?

“It is true that Labour has transformed itself by ridding itself of violent elements… they only accepted Europe as they had no other choice… there is a risk that if elected Labour would not do certain things not out of conviction but half-heartedly…”

He also laments the Labour Party’s lack of clear policies, especially when it comes to economic issues.

But wasn’t there any improvement since Muscat took over?

“Under Muscat one can speak of an aesthetic improvement but one should remember that we are speaking of a leader of a party who was a Super One journalist… I do not see a big change. As Evarist Bartolo said quoting from a famous novel, “the more things change, the more they remain the same."