Parliament must start listening to the people who live in our communities
Residents are being forced to turn to parliamentary petitions simply to have their concerns heard, and are calling on Members of Parliament to take these concerns seriously and bring them forward for parliamentary debate.
Momentum is supporting Maltese residents on another two petitions currently set before Parliament. The first petition calls for restrictions on loud amplified music in public spaces and areas close to residential communities. It highlights the increasingly common situation where residents are subjected to persistent noise from outside catering establishments, beach concessions, public spaces, venues, and boats, affecting their ability to enjoy peace and quiet in their own homes. The petition presented by Anna Maria Baldacchino has already attracted 875 signatures.
The second petition, submitted by Swieqi residents with the support of the Swieqi Local Council, highlights a much wider range of problems affecting the locality, including noise, vandalism, waste, antisocial behaviour and the proliferation of unregulated short-lets. Among its proposals are stronger regulation of short-lets, limits on their concentration in residential areas, better coordination between authorities, stronger enforcement, and measures to address waste and antisocial behaviour.
Arnold Cassola, leader of Momentum, said, “These petitions are about more than two individual issues or one particular locality. They reflect a wider failure to put residents and communities at the centre of decision-making. People should not have to organise petitions, collect hundreds of signatures and repeatedly knock on the doors of institutions simply to ask for the right to sleep peacefully, keep their neighbourhood clean, feel safe in their community and enjoy a decent quality of life.
These petitions also raise an important question about democratic representation. Residents are increasingly being forced to use parliamentary petitions as a last resort, hoping that an MP will finally listen to their concerns and bring them before Parliament.
Cassola added, “Momentum’s priority is to put people, communities and quality of life before unchecked development and commercial interests. Economic activity is important, but it cannot come at the expense of the people who live in our towns and villages.”
The public is urged to support the residents by signing these petitions:
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