The Voice of the Maltese No. 170

Issue 170

The Voice of the Maltese (driven by the voice of its readers )

Fort nightly magazine for the Diaspora Fortnightly

January 9, 2018

Is-Suq tal-Belt as you’ve never seen it before (see caption story on page 4)

Valletta 2018 : Malta turi li denja

2 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday January 9, 2018

tal-unur ta’Kapitali Ewropea tal-Kultura

L

i wieħed kellu jkun ftit drammatiku kien jgħid, li sa flaħħar, wara tant tħejjija u pubbliċita` ‘wasal il-jum tant mistenni b’tant ħerqa’. Wara li Valletta ġiet magħżula u ddikjarata bħala l-Kapitali Ewropea tal-Kultura għall2018, ftit tal-jiem oħra jingħata bidu għaċ-ċelebrazzjoni li fiha Malta trid turi l-għaliex il-belt mibnija millKavallieri ta’ San Ġwann, mill-“Ġentlomi għall-Ġentlomi” tistħoqq li ngħatat dan l-istatus.

Kif jixraq, il-ftuħ taċ-ċelebrazzjoni mistenni jkun unika, li skont l-organizzaturi se tkun denju tal-Festa tradizzjonali Maltija. Għalkemm forsi l-akbar festa tkun il-ftuħ uffiċjali ta’ Valletta 2018 fl-20 ta’ Jannar, sa minn sitt ijiem qabel, fl-14 tax-xahar, u l-għada tl-ftuħ, il-21, madwar il-Belt Valletta se jsiru wkoll ċelebrazzjonijiet oħra li jwasslu għall-kapitali. Aktar festi mistennija wkoll fl-ibliet u l-irħula Maltin tul is-sena kollha.

Il-Fondazzjoni Valletta 2018 li ngħatat l-inkarigu li torganizza l-festa, qalet kemm-il darba li din se tkun ċelebrazzjoni eċċitanti ta’ sena sħiħa – programm kulturali li jibda fil-belt kapitali Maltija u jinfirex lejn il-bliet u rħula madwar Malta u Għawdex kollha.

M’għandux jonqos li l-ftuħ se jiġbed folol kbar fil-qalba tal-kapitali. Dan se jseħħ bil-mużika u d-divertiment, permezz ta’ artisti tat-triq u prestazzjonijiet li se jxerrdu lkelma madwar it-toroq. Se jsiru wkoll wirjiet artistiċi f’għadd ta’ postijiet madwar il-belt li permezz tagħhom wieħed ikun jista’ jiskopri mill-ġdid l-ispazji affaxxinanti storiċi tal-Belt Valletta. Se jkun hemm ukoll attivitajiet talqari tal-istejjer maħsuba għar-residenti tal-belt u l-ispazji li jużaw, u ħafna aktar.

Fiċ-ċentru tal-festa grandjuża se jkun hemm iż-żfin, ilmużika u l-ħolm li jimlew l-erba’ pjazez ewlenin tal-Belt Valletta, jiġifieri, il-Pjazza San Ġorġ (quddiem il-Palazz), il-Pjazza ta’ San Ġwann, Pjazza Kastilja, u ż-żona madwar il-Funtana tat-Tritoni – issa restawrata u lura fil-glorja tagħha – fejn il-grupp teatrali mill-Katalunja, La Fura dels Baus, se jinvolvi lill-udjenza permezz ta’ akrobaziji. ŻfinMalta min-naħa tagħhom se joffru prestazzjonijiet taż-żfin kontemporanju.

Tul dawn l-aħħar erba’ snin, dik li għal xi żmien kienet belt mejta, reġgħet ingħatat il-ħajja u l-festi tal-Milied u lewwel tas-Sena, kif ukoll il-jiem ta’ bejniethom kienu xhieda qawwija ta’ kif għandha tkun belt barokka miżgħuda b’tant bini storiku, li ħafna minnu ġie rrestawrat fl-aħħar snin biex wieħed seta’ aktar japprezza t-teżori tal-infrastruttura ħafna minnha mibnija fi żmien il-Kavallieri.

Issa li dħalna f’Valletta 2018, iċ-ċelebrazzjoni, il-projezzjonijiet diġitali, l-arti tal-vidjow u s-sinfonija tal-kor se jżidu jagħtu atmosfera sabiħa u maġika lill-kapitali Maltija.

Madwar il-belt kollha, il-baned u l-artisti se jwasslu lfesti fit-toroq, u wkoll jistiednu lir-residenti u lil dawk li qed jew se jżuru l-belt minn madwar il-Gżejjer Maltin kollha, u sa ċertu punt ukoll it-turisti, biex jieħdu sehem f’din iċ-ċelebrazzjoni spettakolari.

L-għan tal-organizzaturi mill-bidu kien li din lokkażjoni tistimula riġenerazzjoni kulturali, soċjali u

ekonomika fil-belt Valletta u lgżejjer Maltin permezz ta’ kollaborazzjoni u prattika innovattiva. Huwa għalhekk li l-programm ġie mfassal b’mod li jkun mimli attivitajiet u proġetti żviluppati flimkien ma’ diversi komunitajiet lokali u internazzjonali.

L-istorja notevoli ta’ rabtiet mill-qrib li Malta kellha mal-Ewropa hija ta’ ispirazzjoni mhux biss għall-wirt tal-Maltin, iżda wkoll fi ħdan ixxogħlijiet artistiċi kontemporanji ta’ Malta. Dan hu ta’ inkoraġġiment biex din il-gżira żgħira f’nofs il-Mediterran tiftaħ l-orizzonti tagħha u tiżviluppa sħubiji attwali u oħrajn ġodda.

Il-Belt Valletta se tkun qed taqsam it-titlu ta’ Kapitali Ewropea tal-Kultura mal-belt Olandiża u kapitali ta’ Friesland, Leeuwarden.

Forsi ftit huma l-aspetti komuni bejn Malta u l-Olanda, madankollu, il-kollaborazzjoni bejn Valletta 2018 u Leeuwarden 2018 huma maħsuba biex jenfasizzaw ilkaratteristiċi komuni tal-ħajjiet kulturali u soċjali talMaltin u juru kif żewġt ibliet u pajjiżi distinti jistgħu jaħdmu flimkien b’mod armonjuż, u jagħtu bidu għal ideat ġodda permezz ta’ tibdil ta’ prattiċi u esperjenzi kulturali.

Parti importanti tal-esperjenza tal-Kapitali Ewropej talKultura hija li jissawru rabtiet mal-kontropartijiet Ewropej bil-għan li jintlaħqu l-aħjar livelli possibbli ta’ skambji u kisbiet. Għalhekk Valletta u Leeuwarden qed jikkollaboraw b’mod attiv ħalli jiġi żgurat li r-rabtiet bejn it-tnejn ikunu esplorati b’mod kreattiv.

Fost l-esperjenzi kulturali bejn iż-żewġt ibliet hemm ilproġett Poetry in Potato Bags, bil-għan li filwaqt li jissokta jibni fuq ir-rabtiet agrikoli u kummerċjali li ilhom jeżistu bejn Malta u l-Olanda, se jesplora wkoll ideat artistiċi tal-poeżija ta’ poeti lokali li jaħdmu fi ħdan dawn il-komunitajiet.

Minħabba l-pożizzjoni strateġika tagħha, għal sekli sħaħ Malta, kienet post importanti għad-djalogu u lok għal qsim ta’ ideat u esperjenzi differenti. Il-Belt Valletta hija fiha nnifisha simbolu tal-Ewropa li tiltaqa’ mad-dimensjoni Mediterranja tagħha. Imma għalkemm dan hu avveniment għal sena, il-ħsieb warajh min-naġa Maltija hu, li Valletta tibqa’ gawdi t-titlu anke wara l-2018.

Tuesday January 9, 2017

The Voice of the Maltese 3

T

Q. My wife has dementia and I believe that in a few his is a monthly service offered by The Voice of the Maltese months’ time I will need to move her into an aged care fain which Marie Louise Muscat from the Fiducian Financility as it is getting very hard to look after her on my own. cial Services helps our readers understand the complexities I have been recommended a number of different homes associated with financial planning. If you need more advice but I am not sure how to choose the best facility for my send an email to Marie Louise via: maltesevoice@gmail.com. wife. How do I go about doing this?

A. Dementia patients need special care, any tax on the so you should check that the facility you funds withfind for your wife offers this special care drawn from for dementia residents. You should also your super find a home not too far from your own fund either. home as you will probably be visiting your Q. My huswife regularly and this could be quite and I sepstressful on you. Prior to visiting these band arated about homes check on their website the fees that six months ago they charge. and are no lonThese facilities all charge fees but some ger living in the have much higher fees than others and you same house. As need to know that you are able to afford time goes on it the fees. You may need to put your wife’s seems unlikely name on the list of a couple of homes as that we will get back together again, but I few small parcels of Australian Shares. quite often they all have waiting lists. do not believe that we are going to get di- I have not lodged a tax return for the Q. I am a self-funded retiree and have vorced. Should we inform Centrelink of our last four years as I was told by my acboth an account based pension and a su- separation or as we are not divorced does countant that I no longer needed to perannuation fund in accumulation. I this affect our pension? lodge one as my income is mainly from am in the process of renovating my my account based pension which is not house and need around $50,000. Should A. You definitely need to let Centrelink know treated as taxable income. I heard that I withdraw the funds from my account that you are separated and no longer living I should still be able to claim the frankbased pension or from the superannua- together. You will then be treated as single ing credits on these securities. How do individuals and this will definitely change I go about doing this? tion fund? the amount of age pension that you will be A. Your superannuation fund is currently entitled to.

A. Yes you are entitled to claim all the paying 15% tax on earnings while your acYou will also need to give Centrelink an up- franking credits on these securities and count based pension pays no tax on earnings dated list of the assets you have held onto you can even claim for the last four years no tax on realised capital gains. I would and the assets that your husband has re- that you have not lodged a tax return. therefore recommend that you withdraw the ceived and your age pensions will be calcuYou can do this by calling the Australian money from your superannuation fund.

Taxation Office, have your tax file number lated accordingly.

I am assuming you are over the age of ready and they may ask you to give them 60 and therefore you will not be paying Q. I am a part pensioner and I have a the information over the phone or they will send you the Claim for Franking Credits forms for these last few years. Whichever way you go about you are definitely entitled to claim these franking credits.

Q&A

Q. We are four siblings and have just lost our father. We have all been left a sum of money and some shares to be divided equally between the four of us.

My youngest brother wants us to sell the shares as he needs the cash to repay his large home mortgage, but the rest of us wish to hold onto these securities.

How can we go about it?

A. Your executor should organise an off market transfer of these shares. They will be divided equally between the four of you and registered in your own individual names. Once this is done each one of you has the opportunity of either holding onto these shares or selling some or all of them.

Whoever decides to sell will then need to pay capital gains tax on the shares sold if there are any capital gains made This document contains factual information only and is not intended to provide any recommendation or opinion in relation to the topic/s discussed.

Fiducian recommends that you seek advice from a professional to address any issues that may be raised by this article. Fiducian accepts no liability for any loss suffered by anyone who has acted on any information in this document

Crimes against children

4 The Voice of the Maltese

O

ne of the major topics of discussion in Australia has been the publication of recommendations of The Royal Commission set up to investigate child sexual abuse.

Over the past five years the Commission has sieved through nearly 8,000 pieces of evidence provided by survivors of sexual abuse. Its report, which runs into dozens of volumes and millions of words, includes 409 recommendations, some of an explosive nature. More than two-and-ahalf thousand matters have already been reported to the police and more will no doubt follow. All this emphasises the magnitude of the undertaking.

It is very unfortunate that Christian organisations, including particularly the Catholic Church but also many others, bear the brunt of these accusations. For decades now, children in the care of priests and brothers, with whom they were expected to be safe, have been the target of paedophiles, resulting in lifelong physical and psychological trauma in most cases, and suicide in some.

The recommendations by the Commission appear drastic and far-reaching, aimed at eradicating this cancer from the community. Institutions meant to foster the well-being of children are particularly the target of these recommendations.

We are particularly concerned here about some recommendations that relate to the Catholic Church. They include abolishing the secret of the confessional: priests who obtain knowledge about practising paedophiles should, the report suggests, be obliged to divulge this information to the authorities.

This is such a fundamental issue that it is most unlikely to be acceptable to the Catholic Church. Already

Caption to front page

F

Tuesday January 9, 2018

Prof. MauriceCauchi

the Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, has stated that he would prefer to go to jail rather than break the seal of confession. One recommendation suggested by a well-known theologian is to ensure that priests should desist from giving absolution to such criminals.

It is important not to tar the whole organisation for the crime of some Another very ticklish issue relates to

“

”

Between 1950 and 2009, seven per cent of priests in Australia, were accused of sex crimes.

whether the Catholic Church should stop insisting that priests be celibate.

The report recommends that the Australian Catholic Church should request permission from the Vatican to introduce voluntary celibacy for diocesan clergy.

Compared to the issues relating to confession, this is of a lesser fundamental importance. Already the Church accepts married clergy from other denominations (e.g., Anglican) who decide to join the Catholic Church. Orthodox Christian clergy have always had the right to marry and raise a family.

The injunction of celibacy on the priesthood in the Catholic Church goes back to the 3rd century AD. I do not believe that there are insuperable objections for such rules to be modified by subsequent Church Councils.

But whether celibacy is indeed the

fundamental cause of paedophilia is still debateable.

While Catholic clergy account for the of majority paedophiliacs as reported by the Royal Commission, many other members of religious organisations (where marriage is allowed), as well as non-clerical persons, have been accused of paedophilia.

Moreover, one must insist that the vast majority of priests in the Catholic Church are not paedophiles – something which is often forgotten or not given sufficient prominence.

According to data released by the Catholic Church in Australia, seven per cent of priests between 1950 and 2009 were accused of sex crimes.

While this figure may be an underestimate, and while even one paedophile is one too many, it is important not to tar the whole organisation for the crime of some.

Other recommendations relate to stricter selection of those who are in charge of children, including stricter psychological assessments.

One cannot disagree with a recommendation that any person convicted of sexual crimes (or even, I would add, known to have tendencies in this direction), should be removed from ministry.

The practice of moving offending paedophiles from one school to another or one parish to another, as has been the practice in the past, should certainly be abandoned and such persons referred to the authorities.

It need not be added that all citizens are duty-bound to report any crime that they witness – and not just sexrelated crimes.

Is-Suq tal-Belt back in business

or many years it had become an eyesore in the centre of Valletta.

Is-Suq tal-Belt is now another jewel in the crown of the Maltese capital. The opening last week of the newly refurbished covered Market, an investment of €14m by Arkadia Group, is a fitting present to the people in the run-up to Valletta 2018.

Is-Suq Tal-Belt, as it was originally known, was officially opened on January 3. The investors stuck with tradition in keeping the Maltese name and in a way also the concept. From the first day, it looks as if it is going to become a hub of culinary and culture activity. The investors kept with tradition in using the Maltese name.

The original market, built in the 1860’s in Merchants Street used to house 153 stalls, 65 cellars, and a central skylight. It was redesigned

as a shopping centre in 1983, but it wasn’t functioning as much as one had hoped and lacked atmosphere. In just 14 months it has been transformed in a modern shopping/cultural venue on three floors, sticking to the concept of ‘Cook, Eat and Relax’ In 2016 Parliament unanimously approved the project and granted the investors a 65-year-long lease in order to transform it into a state of the art venue as part of the regeneration of the Maltese capital in the run-up to Valletta become this year’s European capital of culture.

When it comes to the ceiling, the architect, Italian Marco Casamonti stuck to the steel structure design synonymous with the building ever since its origin. The underground floor will consist of a market, mainly focusing on food. Food courts including 12 kitchens with different cuisines from around the world, and food tasting kiosks occupy the ground floor. The upper level is hosting a cafeteria, and will also be used for cultural events, starting next month.

The project, will eventually employ around 250 people.

The Voice of the Maltese 5

Tuesday January 9, 2017

40 years of silent achievement I t has been 40 long years of silent achievement. Maltese Welfare (NSW) Incorporated was founded in October 1977 as a result of a workshop on social welfare held at Kellyville. The need at the time to provide the Maltese community with a resource back-up to other service providers, to apply for government welfare grants and providing information, advice and referral were vital and urgent.

Historically, Maltese Welfare provided co-ordination, cohesiveness, research into our welfare needs and the dissemination of information in a usable and accessible form.

It regularly holds seminars on various issues considered to be of relevance and urgency to the Maltese community generally. It has also played an active role in highlighting needs within the community, and thereafter supporting the promotion of remedial measures.

Maltese Welfare (NSW) undertook the compilation of the first Maltese Resource Directory in 1981, and up-dated editions in 1987, 1993 and 1996. It compiled a cultural background paper on Malta and the Maltese published in 1983 that in 1987 was also reprinted iby the Department of Education & Youth Affairs, Curriculum Development

Centre in Canberra.

In 1986 Maltese Welfare organised the first National Welfare Seminar in Parkville, Melbourne (pictured above).

Then in 2001 Maltese Welfare organised the First Quiet Achievers – Night of Recognition as part of the annual celebrations of Seniors Week in NSW. It has become a unique major event bringing together members of the Maltese community in a process where they are asked to nominate individual persons, who to their knowledge have rendered voluntary contribution to the general community and the Maltese community in particular.

The only two persons who have served continuously on the committee

website: www.breakawaytravel.com.au

Breakaway Travel 94 corner of Main & Campbell Streets, Blacktown NSW ...... for all your travel needs.

for the last 40 years are Lawrence Dimech the current President, and Lino Vella.

Since its inception, Maltese Welfare has organised some 120 information seminars and 16 Quiet Achievers, Night of Recognition. The next Quite Achievers’ Night of Recognition will, this year be held on March 21 at the Annunciation Hall in Blacktown.

A recent get-together of the Maltese Welfare (from left): Lawrence and Nathalie Gatt, Frances Montesin, Lino Vella, Lawrence and Marlene Dimech, Theresa Camilleri, Doris Grima, Frank and Marie Louis Muscat, Rita and Charles Kassas.

Emanuel Camilleri not in picture, which he took.

A proud sponsor of The Voice of the Maltese Tel (02) 9622 7799

blacktown@breakawaytravel.com.au

A plebiscite milestone: 100 years on from the 1917 conscription debates

6 The Voice of the Maltese

D

ecember 20th last marked the centenary of Australia’s second plebiscite on conscription.

Along with South Africa and India, Australia was the only particiby Dr BarryYork pant in the First World War not to introduce conscription. Australia had compulsory military training for men aged 18 to 60 since 1911 but this did not extend to overseas service.

Reliance on volunteers for the European theatre soon created problems, as the numbers willing to serve overseas did not match the requirements of the British government. In 1917, for instance, the British requested an additional Australian army division and the Australian government was finding it impossible to raise the 7,000 men per month that this entailed.

The First World War was a horrific war that claimed the lives of 11 million soldiers and seven million civilians, and left 20 million wounded.

In the public mind, by 1917 doubts about conscription and, to a lesser extent, about the war itself, were growing.

Of the 416,809 volunteer troops Australia sent overseas, 61,524 were eventually killed. Many more were wounded, physically and mentally.

The Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister William (Billy) Hughes could have tried to introduce conscription by parliamentary vote but the question of forcing young men to fight was so controversial in the electorates and in the parliament, with the Labor Party divided over it, that

John Curtin (left) a militant anti-conscriptionist who later became Prime Minister, and (right) former Prime Minister William (Billy) Hughes ... he tried to introduce conscription

Tuesday January 9, 2018

the government opted instead for a national plebiscite.

The first vote took place in October 1916 and, to the astonishment of the ‘yes’ advocates, was defeated. This was quite a serious blow to British war requirements and was perhaps Australia’s first experience of a ‘Brexit factor’: people voting against the expectations of the Establishment.

The first referendum asked: “Are you in favour of the government having, in this grave emergency, the same compulsory powers over citizens in regard to requiring their military service, for the term of this war, outside the Commonwealth, as it now has in regard to military service within the Commonwealth?”

The phrasing of the question in 1916 was hardly neutral – was it really a “grave emergency” for Australians? – Which makes the resultant negative vote all the more surprising. The vote was 1,160,033 “No” and 1,087,557 “Yes”.

With more deaths and casualties on the Western Front in 1917, and pressure from the British government for more support, Prime Minister Hughes, no long-er in the Labor Party and now heading a Nationalist government, tried again. This time, the wording was even more loaded: “Are you in favour of the proposal of the Commonwealth government for reinforcing the Australian Imperial Forces Overseas?”

How could any ‘patriotic’ Australian not support ‘reinforcing’ the troops who were already fighting overseas?

Yet they did, again. Only this time the ‘No’ vote was larger: 1,181,747 “No”; 1,015,159 “Yes”.

The ‘No’ vote was a tribute to the effectiveness of those who campaigned for it in 1916 and 1917, often under very adverse circumstances. Some opponents of conscription were gaoled, including John Curtin, who became Australia’s 14th Prime Minister in 1941.

The government censored the press and the ‘No’ campaigners portrayed as unpatriotic servants of the ‘Hun’. It was all very intense, passionate and polarised.

One can only speculate as to why the majority voted ‘No’ on two occasions but I suspect that the trade unions’ fear campaign about Australian workers being sent overseas and replaced by ‘cheap foreign labour’ was significant.

The trade unions and some women’s groups

played important roles in the ‘No’ campaign. Women set up a Women’s Peace Army, which was highly effective.

Also, it is likely that many men and women of Irish Catholic background would have supported the ‘No’ campaign. The violent suppression of the Easter Uprising in Dublin in 1916 lingered in their consciousness and Melbourne’s Irish-born Archbishop, Daniel Mannix, supported the ‘No’ vote.

There were small groups of communists and anarchists who opposed the war itself, seeing it as an inter-imperialist conflict in which the working people had no vested interest. This was a minority view but given significance by the Russian revolution and the Bolshevik policy of withdrawing Russian troops from the conflict.

Surprisingly, the success of the anticonscription movement did not translate into the defeat of the Nationalist government. Hughes’ Nationalists were returned at the federal election in 1917, following defeat in the first plebiscite, and returned again at the next election in 1919. It wasn’t until 1929 that a Labor government would come to power.

It was headed by Prime Minister James Scullin, who had been a prominent opponent of conscription in 1916-1917.

A legacy of the 1916 and 1917 plebiscites is found in a cautious attitude to conscription for overseas service in Australian public opinion. The struggles of 1916-1917 were often alluded to during the late 1960s and early 1970s when public opinion came to oppose conscription for overseas service in Vietnam; though on this occasion, it eventually moved against the war itself.

Dr BarryYork worked on the Museum of Australian Democracy’s Oral History Program for many years before retiring in May 2016. He was awarded a PhD in History by the University of New South Wales in 1988. He has authored and co-authored several books of political history and immigration history. He was also awarded the Order of Australia in 2005 for his services to the recording of immigration history.

Fr Leonard Testa: 50 sena saċerdot

Tuesday January 9, 2017

The Voice of the Maltese 7

M

eta Ċikku (Frank) u Karmni (Carmen) Testa flimkien ma’ sitt uliedhom waslu l-Awstralja fis-26 ta’ Jannar 1951, fejn anke kellhom sebat-itfal oħra, qatt ma basru li fost it-13-il wild wieħed minnhom kellu jsir saċerdot. Ċikku u Karmni marru joqogħdu Cringila għax dak iżżmien il-Maltin li kienu jiġu Wollongong kienu jmorru jgħixu hemmhekk minħabba li kien qrib għax-xogħol filfabbrika kbira li tagħmel l-azzar.

Fost is-sitt-itfal tal-koppja Testa li ħadu magħhom l-Awstralja kien hemm Leonard, it-tielet wild, ta’ 11-il sena. Kien hu li wera l-intenzjoni tiegħu li jsir saċerdot.

Fl-1956 Leonard irritorna Malta biex jibda il-ħajja reliġjuza Franġiskana, u 10 snin wara, fl-1966, ġie ordnat patri Franġiskan f’Ruma. Fis-sena ta’ wara reġa’ lura l-Awstralja fejn kellu l-familja, u għal xi zmien serva fil-parroċċa ta’ Warrawong.

Meta nbniet il-knisja l-ġdida ta’ Kellyville Parti Leonard Testa sar l-ewwel kappillan ta’ din il-parroċċa ġdida, filwaqt li fl-1974 laħaq Superjur lokali tal-Franġiskani fejn għamel żewg termini u anke kien kappillan tal-parroċċa to Springvale f’Melbourne.

Bejn l-1976 u l-1980 kien ukoll gwida f’Assisi l-Italja dwar

l-arti u affarijiet storiċi fil-belt għat- Patri Leonard Testa turisti u pellegrini li jżuru din il-belt. flimkien ma’ misGħal disa’ snin sħaħ Patri Leonard sieru Frank wara lgħamel ukoll xogħol missjunarju fit- ordinazzjoni tiegħu Turkija qabel irritorna lejn l-Awstr- f’Ruma fl-1966 talja, għal darb’oħra fil-parroċċa ta’ Warrawong bħala kappillan. Hawnhekk ħadem u għin lill-komunita` lokali magħmula minn Maltin, Taljani, Portugużi u għadd ta’ nazzjonalitajiet oħra.

Għal xi żmien Patri Testa kien ukoll korrispondent tal-gazzetta fl-Awstralja, The Maltese Herald dwar suġġetti reliġjużi u kien ukoll involut malkażin tal-Maltin, il-George Cross Falcons Club.

Dan l-aħħar, f’għeluq il-50 sena saċerdotali tiegħu Patri Leonard iċċelebra quddiesa solenni ta’ ħajr fil-knisja tal-parroċċa ta’ San Frangisk ta’ Assisi f’Warrawong NSW fejn kien mgħejjun millprovinċjal tal-Frangiskani Konventwali, Patri Michael Zielke OFM Conv u mill-kappillan ta’ listess parroċċa Patri Martin Mai. Wara sar ukoll riċeviment fis-sala tal-parroċċa.

F’diskors qasir Patri Leonard tenna li kien “grat ħafna lejn il-paruċċani kollha” li miegħu qasmu laveniment tal-Ġublew tad-Deheb tal-Ordinazzjoni Saċerdotali tiegħu.

Maltese Community Council NSW Australia Day 2018 special event to be held on: Date: Sunday January 28 Time: 4.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Venue: Holroyd Function Centre (Wattle Room)

17 Miller Street Merrylands NSW, Lv1. (parking available on site)

Light refreshments will be served

Have your say/Xi trid tghid?

8 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday January 9, 2018

Your letters/ L-ittri tagħkom ...

Religion is not the clergy

Following the Royal Commission’s report on child abuse

The Voice of the Maltese for fortnightly tnightly magazine magazine

is is a bi-lingual (in English and Maltese) fortnightly magazine that specifically targets all Maltese living abroad with emphasis on the Australian and Maltese scenes. e magazine can also be read in flipbook format online. A pdf copy is also sent via email on request.

If you require a printed copy we can also oblige.

Editors: Malta: Joseph Cutajar Australia: Lawrence Dimech: MOM, OAM, JP email address: maltesevoice@gmail.com

Letters for publication in The Voice magazine, either in Maltese or English should include name and e-mail address of the writer and be e-mailed to: maltesevoice@gmail.com.

Now you can also join us on facebook: https://www.facebook. com/groups/thevoiceofthemaltese

T

Charles Farrugia from Rockingham,WA writes: he report by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse was quite damning to the religious institutions. Its results have shown that not all’s well in the Catholic Church, and also in the other denominations. The report does not only chide the Catholic Church but all others who like it were supposed to set an example of good behaviour by their actions, but were so wanting to say the least.

What actions one would say!

I am in a position to be able to talk. In spite of what my father had gone through during a number of years in which he was a victim of abuse after he was shipped from Malta to Australia for what, at the time was supposed to be a new life for him and many young boys like him, blinded, perhaps with many promises of a heaven on earth in Australia, he still managed to instil in the family strong catholic values.

He used to tell us about the hardships he and others like him had to go through in his early teens. His parents were devout Catholics therefore it was difficult for him to recount to them all the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the priests who supposedly should have been looking after him.

I am a Catholic through and through. I was raised to respect the Church and its ministers. Dad’s wish was that we should not hold any grudges against the Church, however, until his death he still felt hurt that there were people who would not believe chid abuse was so rampant.

That is why I was so happy, and in some

ways angry by the findings and the conclusions reached by the Royal Commission’s report. I feel that my dad and the others like him who were abused in their childhood have at last been vindicated.

Having said that however, I won’t turn against the Catholic Church. It is not the clergy and laity, who rally should lead by example, which make up the Catholic Church, it is the community. Therefore in light of the revelations we should never turn away from the religion most of us have been practising since our childhood days.

(See also Maurice Cauchi’s ‘Crimes against children’ and Ivan Cauchi’s ‘Min jitwieled tond ma jmutx kwadru’ )

Kif Malta tingħaqad fi żmien il-Milied

T

Michael Borg minn Parramatta, NSW jikteb:

assew inħossni xxurtjat li kelli ċ-ċans li nqatta’ l-festi tal-Milied u l-Ewwel tas-Sena ma’ qrabati f’Malta fejn stajt mhux biss ingawdi lil niesi u nduq l-ikel bnin tal-familja li tgħix il-Mosta u li għadha ssajjar bil-mod tradizzjonali (u abbundanti) l-ikel tal-Milied li kont imdorri niekol fi ċkuniti, imma wkoll li nitħallat ma’ nies li kont naf fi tfuliti.

Hawn min jgħid li żmien il-Milied f’Malta jiġi biss għall-ikel u li mhemmx minn dawk l-użanzi li għandhom pajjiżi oħra li fihom jieħu sehem il-pubbliku. Min jgħid hekk ikun qed jiżbalja.

L-attivita`fil-gżira Maltija f’dawn il-jiem tas-sena jħalluk bla nifs, kemm min-naħa soċjali u wkoll reliġjuża. Imma l-akbar sodisfazzjon tiegħi kien li ma’ ħafna eluf stajt nieħu sehem f’dik l-ispeċi ta’ “telethon” u li f’Malta jsibuha bħala l-ġabra għall-Istrina tal-Community Chest Foundation imnedija mill-ħabrieka President li tiġbor il-flus ħallu matul is-sena, fost l-oħrajn, tgħin ittaffi l-ispejjeż ta’ dawk li jfittxu lgħajnuna, l-aktar dik speċjalizzata għal xi mard li jinħtieġlu jiġi ttrattat barra l-pajjiż. Ħadt gost li jien ukoll stajt nagħmel kontribuzzjoni.

Lill-Maltin nafhom li jinfirdu bil-kbir, laktar fejn għandha x’taqsam il-politika u lfutbol. Imma għal din l-okkażjoni jingħaqdu bil-kbir tant li did-darba, f’sena tant kontroversjali, l-aktar mil-lat politiku, inġabret somma rekord ta’ ‘l fuq minn €6 miljuni. Prosit Malta li għadha tagħraf ilvaluri u kapaċi twarrab fil-ġenb il-firda.

The Voice of the Maltese 9

NBN should provide accessible phone and internet for all Australians

Tuesday December 19, 2017

T

MichelleRowland MP (Shadow Minister for Communications; Federal Member for Greenway)

he world is becoming increasingly interconnected. Family reunions that in the past would take weeks on board the high seas can now be facilitated within seconds over Skype online video messaging. The National Broadband Network was originally envisaged as a nation-building project to bridge the digital divide in Australia.

At the core of Labor’s thinking on Australian communications is equality of access to reliable phone and Internet services, regardless of postcode. It is through this belief that Labor envisioned a National Broadband Network to reach all Australians.

The NBN as envisaged was not just about opening the door to high speed broadband for streaming video services and high definition programs. The NBN was envisaged to be a game changer across all fields. From delivering all Australians with reliable phone services, to enabling Skype users to speak face to face with relatives across the world, the NBN was set to be a game changer.

Unfortunately, what Labor began as a project to bridge the digital divide, changed trajectory dramatically when Malcolm Turnbull became the responsible Minister.

As Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull set about halting the rollout of fibre to homes, businesses and schools across Australia and instead went about devising a secondrate copper network. Malcolm Turnbull’s NBN alternative, using a range of second-rate technologies, is now proving to be a massive headache for local residents.

In the time that followed, Malcolm Turnbull moved from Communications Minister to Prime Minister and yet the problem has only worsened.

In April, the current Communications Minister, Senator Mitch Fifield, declared 2017 would be the ‘year of the customer’. 2017 has, in fact, become a year of frustration, disappointment and complaints and the ombudsman’s reports have reflected this in spades.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is the ombudsman service for Australian residents and businesses that are experiencing problems with their telephone and internet services. The TIO provide independent dispute resolution for complaints which, as is often the case, cannot be resolved through service providers or NBNCo. The release of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) complaints figures for 2016-17 paints a bleak picture for Australian consumers. NBN complaints surged by 159 per cent when compared to the previous period.

Of significant concern is that NBN complaints are growing 37 per cent faster than the number of new NBN services being activated – a pattern not observed in any of the previous years.

And for the first time, internet services are the highest source of complaints to the ombudsman. Malcolm Turnbull is changing the face of communications in Australia but sadly it is not for the better.

In light of these concerns, Labor has repeated its calls for the TIO to be given expanded powers in order to manage this burgeoning consumer crisis.

The goal should always be swift issue resolution and the Ombudsman should have the necessary powers to enable this. When it comes to reliable phone and internet services, accountability should align with responsibility. It is incumbent on Retail Service Providers and NBNCo to make sure

Opinion

that consumers and not getting left in the lurch.

An Ipsos survey earlier in the year revealed further customer dissatisfaction, with Australia ranked last out of 28 countries when it comes to broadband satisfaction.

Only 32 per cent rated the quality of Australia's broadband fairly or very good, which was down 6 percentage points compared with a year ago, and well below the international average of 56 per cent.

This is a worrying sign of our nation’s eroding faith in Malcolm Turnbull’s second-rate network. Malcolm Turnbull’s network is simply not provided strong, fast and reliable services.

In recent news, Telstra has also announced plans to compensate 42,000 customers who have been sold a speed which Malcolm Turnbull’s second-rate NBN cannot support.

It is clear that customers want to purchase a reliable and fast NBN service, to enable to use of Skype and other internet programs and applications. However the copper-based technology simply cannot deliver those speeds.

This decision was came in the wake of figures released by the ACCC which revealed 56 per cent of customers who had been sold a 100 Mbps plan were on a copper connection that was not fit for purpose.

These poor results are a problem of Malcolm Turnbull’s own making and reveal a Prime Minister whose judgement has shown to be increasingly misguided. Consumers should be able to expect that the internet and phone plans they purchase deliver what they claim.

Australians deserve a broadband network that delivers the speeds and reliability they are paying for and need for their businesses, education and to become a more connected society.

Another issue that has emerged under Malcolm Turnbull’s multi-technology mix are the concerns surrounding nonmonitored medical alarms.

This comes off the back of advice from NBN that neither the copper-based Fibre to the Node nor HFC NBN technologies can be relied on during a power outage.

Power outages over this second-rate network have the potential to negatively impact vulnerable Australians, especially the elderly, whose medical alarm devices often depend on a working phone service.

Whilst Labor recognises the challenges that any new technology presents, there remain concerns that despite the known risks, vulnerable users of non-monitored medical alarms continue to be excluded from the NBN medical alarm subsidy scheme.

Underlying the many problems with the use of secondrate NBN technology is the promise that Malcolm Turnbull made to the Australian people: that the NBN would not be slower and more expensive under his second-rate network.

Unfortunately, the NBN experiences of residents and businesses across Australia reveal this promise has been broken.

The NBN rollout is 3 years behind the promised timeline and the cost has blown out by $20 billion. The rollout has been beset with problems under his watch, with complaints surging and faults and dropout issues going unresolved for weeks on end.

For the sake of everyone who has had a negative experience through the NBN rollout, the government must work to ensure Australia’s internet and broadband services are fit for purpose. Labor is committed to bridging the digital divide and putting consumers at the centre. We implore the current government to do the same.

Labor believes in a National Broadband Network that works for all Australians and that provides reliable phone and internet services to every business and every family.

Editorial note: The Voice of the Maltese welcomes any other Australian Parliamentarian, be they State or Federal who wish to express their views on important topics.

10 The Voice of the Maltese

Perspettiva

Tuesday January 9, 2018

Min jitwieled tond ma jmutx kwadru F

tit qabel il-Milied li għadda, fil-15 ta’ Diċembru 2017, ġie ppreżentat lill-Gvernatur Ġenerali tal-Awstralja r-rapport finali tal-Kummissjoni Rjali dwar ir-rispons ta’ istituzzjonijiet għallabbuż sesswali fuq it-tfal. Ix-xogħol tas-680 persuna li ħadmu ma’ din il-kummissjoni sar fuq perjodu ta’ ħames snin, li kienet estensjoni fuq it-tliet snin li kien ingħata fil-bidu mill-Gvern Laburista ta’ Julia Gillard ta’ dakinhar.

Kien hemm kważi 8,000 persuna li nstemgħa l-każ tagħhom f’sessjonijiet privati, li implikaw kważi 3500 istituzzjoni f’abbuż sesswali tat-tfal. Kien hemm 58% li qalu li l-abbuż sesswali seħħ f’istituzzjoni reliġjuża.

Għal min jaħseb li l-Kummissjoni Rjali u/jew il-gvern Awstraljan u/jew il-midja huma mqabbda mal-Knisja Kattolika, tajjeb li wieħed jinnota li minn dawk li qalu li kienu abbużati f’istituzzjoni reliġjuża, 61.4% minnhom ġarrbu dan l-abbuż f’istituzzjoni tal-Knisja Kattolika.

Fi kliem ieħor, sar iktar abbuż f’istituzzjoni Kattolika milli fl-istituzzjonijiet reliġjużi l-oħra kollha magħdudin flimkien. It-tieni l-iktar affiljazzjoni reliġjuża msemmija kienet dik Anglikana b’14.8%.1 Dawn huma figuri ta’ dieqa (nispera) għal kull min bħali jimmarka ‘Kattoliku’ f’xi formola li niltaqgħu magħha meta nkunu mistoqsijin l-affiljazzjoni reliġjuża tagħna.

Ir-rapport fih 17-il volum, li fil-qosor jittrattaw: • fehim fuq l-abbuż sesswali f’kuntest istituzzjonali; • kif istituzzjonijiet jistgħu jsiru postijiet ta’ protezzjoni għat-tfal; • x’tip ta’ sostenn u trattament hemm bżonn għal min isalva minn abbuż; • it-tipi ta’ istituzzjonijiet fejn twettaq l-abbuż sesswali: dawk residenzjali storiċi (qabel l-1990); dawk li jieħdu ħsieb it-tfal barra ddjar; l-iskejjel; gruppi ta’ sport, rikreazzjoni, kultura, kommunità jew delizzju; ambjent ta’ detenzjoni; dawk reliġjużi.

• x’jeħtieġ isir wara t-tmiem tal-kummissjoni.

Kull volum għandu r-rakommandazzjonijiet tiegħu, u b’kollox saru 189 rakkomandazzjoni. Minn dawk relevanti speċifikatament għall-Knisja Kattolika, xi wħud li laqtuni kien hemm: • li l-qrar isir f’post fil-miftuħ, u biss meta it-tifel jew tifla tkun viżibbli minn adult ieħor, inkella ma jsirx (Rak. 16.48). Dan għax parti mill-abbuż sar fil-konfessjonarju; • li s-sigriet pontifikali ma jibqax japplika għal każijiet ta’ abbuż sesswali tat-tfal. Dan ħalli ma jkun hemm l-ebda impediment li każijiet bħal dawn ikunu rrappurtati b’mod mandatorju lill-awtoritajiet ċivili mill-isqfijiet jew superjuri reliġjużi (Rak. 16.10); • li ċ-ċelibat tal-kleru jsir volontarju (Rak. 16.18). Dan mhux għax iċ-ċelibat kien meqjus kawża diretta tal-abbuż, imma li f’ċerti

Religious organisations

Proportion of survivors who 0 said they were abused in a Catholic religious institution (%) Anglican Salvation Army Protestant Presbyterian and Reformed Uniting Church Other Christian Jehovah’s Witnesses Baptist Pentecostal Judaism Other religious organisations

10

A version of this series in kitba ta’ English may be found in IVAN the author's blog at: CAUCHI https://ivancauchi. blogspot.com

ċirkostanzi ikkontribwixxa għal abbuż; • li jiġi ċċarat mas-Santa Sede jekk informazzjoni minn tifel jew tifla waqt il-qrar fuq abbuż sesswali hux kopert mis-sigriet tal-qrar, kif ukoll li persuna li tqerr li tkun wettqet abbuż sesswali ma jingħatax/tingħatax l-assoluzzjoni sakemm dan l-att ma jkunx irrappurtat minnha nfisha lill-awtoritajiet ċivili (Rak. 16.26).

Dwar dawn l-aħħar żewġ rakkomandazzjonijiet, bilkemm kienu għaddew 24 siegħa mill-pubblikazzjoni tar-rapport, li l-Arċisqof Hart ta’ Melbourne u l-Arċisqof Fisher ta’ Sydney kienu diġà stqarrew li s-sigriet tal-qrar huwa nvjolabbli u li r-regola taċ-ċelibat m’għandhiex tinbidel.2 Donnhom kienu qed jagħmlu minn kollox biex jikkonfermaw osservazzjoni li għamlet il-Kummissjoni, fejn qalet li ‘jidher li xi kandidati għal pożizzjonijiet ta’ tmexxija ġew magħżula abbażi għall-adeżjoni ma’ aspetti speċifiċi tad-duttrina tal-knisja …. milli lkapaċità tagħhom ta’ tmexxija’.

Wara kollox, dawn iż-żewġ rakkomandazzjonijiet, u xi oħrajn indirizzati lejn il-Knisja Kattolika, huma deċiżjonijiet għas-Santa Sede, u mhux tal-isqfijiet.

Jien innutajt li l-Papa Franġisku kien ferm aktar kawt fir-reazzjoni tiegħu għar-rapport tal-Kummissjoni, fejn qal biss li r-rapport ‘huwa riżultat ta’ xogħol bir-reqqa tal-Kummissjoni f’dawn is-snin u għandu jkun studjat fil-fond’.3

Nagħlaq b’żewġ osservazzjonijiet tal-Kummissjoni: • 10% ta’ dawk abbużati meta kienu tfal kienu l-ħabs waqt ix-xogħol tal-Kummissjoni. Dan jindika li l-abbuż sesswali tal-minorenni huwa fattur sinjifikanti li jikkontribwixxi għall-inkarċerazzjoni talbniedem li beda bħala vittma;4 • uħud mill-vittmi (0.7%) taw xhieda lill-Kummissjoni meta kellhom inqas minn 10 snin.5 • Diżgrazzjatament, dan l-abbuż insidjuż, f’ambjent ta’ istituzzjonijiet, għadu jsir anke mal-iżgħar fost it-tfal.

Referenzi 1. Final Information Update; Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse; December 2017; p. 1 2. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/15/royal-commission-final-report-australia-child-abuse, retrieved 2/1/2017 3. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-16/pope-francis-responds-toroyal-commission report/9265466, retrieved 2/1/2017 4. A Brief Guide to the Final Report; Royal Commission into Institutional Respnoses to Child Sexual Abuse; December 2017; p. 2 5. Final Information Update; Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse; December 2017; p. 3

20

30

40

50

60

70

GIUSEPPE GALEA: Skultur li

Tuesday January 9, 2017

The Voice of the Maltese 11

forna l-knejjes Maltin u Għawdxin

F

tit taż-żmien ilu attendejt għal wirja mill-isbaħ fil-mużew tiegħu. tal-Katidral ta’ l-Imdina tal-iskultur Giuseppe Galea.

Kellu wkoll Għalkemm kien fiha biss disinni li dan l-iskultur imwieled ħafna xogħlijiet ir-Rabat kien ħadem waqt l-istudju akkademiku tiegħu f’Ruma oħra f’Malta li bejn l-1933 u l-1938, kienet wirja impressjonanti għall-aħħar. jvarjaw minn Waqt il-wirja kien tqassam ktejjeb b’tagħrif interessanti ħafna niċeċ sa paradwar l-iskultur bravu Rabti li twieled fl-1911. Apprezzajtu ħafna. metri sagri, Waqt il-wirja kelli l-okkażjoni li nitkellem ma’ xi wħud li bħali kalċijiet, siġġijiet kienu qed jaraw u japprezzaw dak li kien għall-wiri. tat-tron, Lil Giuseppe (jew kif ħafna kienu jafuh, Ġużeppi) Galea kont lampieri, kandnafu personalment. Kien introduċihuli skultur ieħor bravu, Anton lieri u ħafna Agius. Kelli wkoll għarfin tajjeb dwar ix-xogħlijiet tiegħu. aktar.

Kont spiss nitkellem miegħu dwar ix-xogħlijiet tiegħu u l-probWaqt il-festa ta’ lemi li sab ma wiċċu. Kont anke intervistajtu għal aktar minn Corpus Cristi u darba fuq il-programmi tiegħi. Għad għandi kopji ta’ tnejn ta’ San Pawl filminnhom. parroċċa tarDejjem sostnejt, u għadni, li Giuseppe Galea kien jaf sew kif Rabat, wieħed iħaddem it-talenti artistiċi tieghu. Pereżempju ftit jafu li l-pjazza ma jistax ma japewlenija ta’ Ħaż-Żabbar fejn hemm is-sala parrokkjali, u wkoll lprezzax bis-sħiħ istamperija ‘Veritas’ u l-mużew ta’ Ħaż-Żabbar hija disinn tiegħu. il-brazzi tal-artal, Il-knisja l-ġdida ta’ Santa Venera li min jaf kemm-il darba għadxogħol ta’ dejna minn ħdejha, ukoll saret fuq disinn ta’ Giuseppe, l-istess id- Ġużeppi, waqt li dekorazzjoni sabiħa tal-Każin Malti fil-kapitali Maltija, Valletta. f’Ħamis ixGiuseppe Galea Dan l-iskultur iddisinja wkoll djar (daqs li kieku kien perit).

Xirka bil-lejl u Biżżejjed wieħed nhar Ġimgħa l-Kbira filisemmi d-dar tal-eks għodu jien personalment Speaker tal-Parlament niċċassa nammira t-tabernaklu Malti, li llum ħalliena, li ddisinja għal din il-knisja. it-tabib Jimmy Farrugia Ta’ min jgħid li kien ukoll ħdejn ir-roundabout ta’ dan l-iskultur li fl-1990 iddisSanta Lucia. Huwa inja r-rigal li ngħata lill-Papa ddisinja wkoll il-faċċata Gwanni Pawlu 11 (illum qadtas-Sala tal-Parroċċa ta’ dis) meta waqt il-vista tiegħu San Pawl li tmiss malf’Malta żar ir-Rabat.

Knisja, u l-kampnar talInsomma dan huwa biss ilPeterPaulCiantar knisja tax-Xewkija qafas ta’ dan l-artist kbir u umli f’Għawdex. li għalkemm kien il-bogħod Giuseppe tassew li jista’ jiqies bħala artist kbir, u la semmejt lil mill-publiċita’ kien wieħed mill-aqwa artisti ta’ pajjizna. Ta’ min Għawdex ma nistax ma nsemmix ukoll fost l-oħrajn il- bażilika jgħid li mn’alla kien hu li ġab ix-xogħlijiet ta’ l-iskultur Nazzjonta’ San Ġorg fir-Rabat, b’dekorazzjoni fuq ġewwa mill-isbaħ ali Antonio Sciortino minn Ruma, għax kieku konna nitilfu ħafna mit-teżori ta’ dan l-iskultur ieħor kbir minn Ħaż-Żebbuġ.

Jien kont immur għand Ġużeppi fi triq il-Buskett (illum triq Borg Olivier) fir-Rabat, l-aktar is-Sibt filgħaxija u għalkemm kien diġa kbir fl-eta’ (il-fuq mis-sebgħin) kien jigi jiftaħli liebes ġagaga bajda jew griza li kien juża fuq il-lant tax-xogħol. Ta’ dik leta`kien għadu jaħdem jew jiddisinja.

Darba kien qalli li waħda mill-komunitajiet Maltin fl-Awstralja kienet talbitu jagħmel dik magħrufa bħala s-sodda tal-monument u xtaquha sabiħa bħal dik tal-Mosta.

Guzeppi mhux disinni fuq il-karti biss kien jagħmel għaxxogħlijiet tiegħu, iżda disinn ta’ kull parti bil-qisien preċiżi li jirriflettu d-disinn il-kbir.

Meta xi żmien ilu kont nippreżenta sensiela ta’ programmi fuq ir-Radju Malta Nazzjonali dwar l-artisti Maltin bl-isem ‘Minn Qalbi Sawwartek’, min kien inkarigat li jibgħatli l-kitba biex naddattaha għar-radju, l-ewwel artist li kien poġġieli fil-lista kien appuntu Giuseppe Galea. Niftakru jgħidli, “Minn hemm trid tibda!”

L-iskultur Anton Agius kellu mħabba u appezzament kbir lejn Galea. Omm Anton kienet ħaditu għandu biex jitħarreġ, u fil-fatt Anton baqa’ jagħfulu. Kien dejjem jistqarr miegħi li t-teknika taliskultura tiegħu kien jafa biss lil Gużeppi.

Il-knisja ‘l-ġdida’ ta’ Meta Anton ġie biex jagħmel il-bust (ir-ras) tal-artist għalliem Santa Venera, tiegħu f’misraħ San Duminku (qrib id-dar tiegħu) fir-Rabat, kien waħda mid-disinji poġġa l-ħila kollha tiegħu biex jagħmila mll-aħjar li seta’ għax ta’ Giuseppe Galea hekk kien jixraqlu dan l-artist kbir u umli.

12 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday January 9, 2018

Roundup of News About Malta

New Year 2018 message to the nation

PM confident Malta would overcome all its challenges

I

n his New Year’s message Prime Minister Joseph Muscat expressed his confidence that Malta would overcome all the challenges that will come its way in the future, because it is endowed with a hard working nation that never succumbs to challenges.

He added that year 2018 will be the year when the government will continue to push forward reforms on controversial subjects, which cannot continue to sweep under the carpet.

“We are here to decide,” he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that as a country, the Maltese find themselves at a very important moment “where each one of us, without distinction, has a role to play in our society that is experiencing continuous change that sometimes, we and the people around us, may not always understand enough.”

He said that Malta is moving forward at a very fast pace and the economy and wealth that is being generated is creating changes in our society and sometimes even new tensions. “These are the challenges of a country that is coming of age, spreading its wings and travelling to places it has never been before,” he added.

He maintained that Malta is a strong country, not only because the economy is at its peak, but also because everybody is feeling the results of it.

He explained that the reason he believes the country is getting stronger is, that wealth generated is reaching those that need it most.

He expressed his heartfelt thanks in particular to the members of the disciplined forces, and the mothers and fathers who work tirelessly, sometimes even without the recognition they de-

serve. On behalf of the country, he saluted and thanked the police, the armed forces, and the civil protection and to every person that has worked to ensure order in our country.

Joseph Muscat added: “The beauty of these islands remains the way that we unite as one country; maybe because we place great value on the sense of family and love for those close to us. The value that trumps all rivalry is the love we show to our children, our friends, and those we live and work close to.”

The reason he continues to believe in the country is, that although small, has the will to lead when asked, as it did when for six months last year, it led the Presidency of the European Union.

“We live in a beautiful country that knows how to love and live in peace.

This is the country we must continue to show everyone, once we remove the divisiveness, sometimes puerile, that creates unnecessary tension “We feel and live the pride of our country that has no political colour, has not one belief, has no stereotypes, everyone, even those who criticise us the most, sometimes in an aggressive way, can feel in the depth of their heart, a great sense of belonging towards our country.

“We are here to strengthen what is

good and fix that which can be mended. We are here, together with my colleagues to serve the Maltese and Gozitan population, without prejudice or distinction,” the Prime Minister said.

He added that during this year, the government would continue to invest in infrastructure because that is the next step for a modern country like ours where every year tourist arrival in numbers four times greater than our population.

He rounded up his message by thanking the people, because, he said, “the results that we achieved are thanks to each one of you that together make a strong nation”.

Severe seasonal flu hits Malta

Hospital dealing with 40 patients a day

s predicted, the severe seasonal flu A ‘epidemic’ that has been spreading all over Europe and said to have commenced in Australia, has also hit Malta and despite a record number of 91,000 persons have so far been vaccinated there has been an increase of around 200 persons who needed treatment to complications caused by the seasonal flu, at the Mater Dai Hospi-

tal (pictured left).

According to reports, in three days before December 31 and January 2, some 1,317 patients - 200 more in the same days last year - suffering from flu symptoms needed treatment at the Emergency Department. In one day, on January 2, 474 persons sought medical assistance.

A medical specialist at the state hospital has been reported saying that 40 more patients daily were being treated in hospital compared with the same time last year.

He added that this doubly severe flue that had previously affected Australia before also arriving in Malta had been expected. It is estimated that 248,000 persons would experience seasonal flu in Malta, which is equivalent to around 148,000 more than last year

The Voice of the Maltese 13

Tuesday January 9, 2017

Roundup of News About Malta

Generosity at its best

I

t was Maltese generosity at its best in the final week of 2017 and the first day of 2018 when the people were called upon to donate money during telethons for two most important philanthropic causes. The response was overwhelming with the amount of money collected for both causes breaking all previous records.

A record €7,305,0008 were raised in the two different campaigns for charity.

Most generosity and solidarity was shown at the annual so-called L-Istrina on December 26. The Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation’s telethon raised €6,050,000 in 12 hours, an increase of over half a million euro compared the previous year’s campaign.

On New Year’s Day, €1,255,000 were raised during the Dar tal-Providenza marathon beating last year’s amount

by €275,000.

Earlier, the two main political parties also ran their annual fund raising campaigns. Between them, the Malta Labour Party and the Nationalist Party pocketed €1,230,000, an amount that also surpasses the previous year’s fundraisers.

In total, in three weeks during the Christmas and New Year’s campaigns, the Maltese donated €8.5 million - £1m more than last year. This is the biggest ever sum recorded in one year during such activities.

On average during these campaigns, every Maltese citizen donated €19.40, an increase of €2 each over last year The Maltese generosity reaches its peak during the festive season; however, during the year more institutions raise millions between them for good causes.

€10m ‘to restore’ President’s Palace The Armoury houses one of the world’s €10 million project between Heritage A Malta and the Restoration Directorate most extensive arms collections. It also and that will take four years to complete, in- houses the most visible and touchable sym-

tended to return the President’s Palace in Valletta to its former glory and history is to start in mid-2018. A large chunk of the funds is to be provided by the EU. The Palace at St George’s Square in Valletta is considered one of the main tourist attractions in the capital. Over 200,000 tourists are estimated to visit the capital throughout the year, and the rooms and halls of the President’s Palace with all the history and its riches have always been the main attraction.

One of the most important changes inside the Palace will involve the largest hall in the building that for many years hosted the Parliamentary sittings. Before that it served as the Armoury that will now be relocated to this hall. In fact, the major part of the works that is intended to give the public the chance to relive the history and admire the riches of the Palace will be dedicated to the Armoury, one of the most valuable historic monuments of European culture.

Malta chosen as among top places to visit in 2018

I

n articles focussing mostly on travel, two more news portals have chosen Malta among the top places in the world one should visit during 2018. AP listed Malta’s capital, Valletta in particular, among the top 10 cities, largely because it is the European capital city of culture for this year. Others are listed as hosting sporting events. CNN also gave the same advice AP’s choice of Valletta is based on issues of culture and design. It points out that there is much to see in Valletta, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with attractions that include festivals, nightlife, a carnival, history and also scuba diving on World War II wrecks.

Each year, travelandleisure.com names a list of the best places to travel in the months ahead. It also names Malta and the other two islands, of Gozo and Comino, saying describing them as, “a picture-perfect trio of islands lapped by turquoise waters.”

It adds that the Maltese archipelago has all the charm of nearby Sicily with far fewer tourists. Valletta, the tiny nation’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site, feels like something plucked straight from Westeros, a historic walled city dates back to 1565, that has a vibe that’s Mediterranean with a North African twist.

It adds: “This underrated destination is finally stepping into the global limelight as a 2018 European Capital of Culture. To celebrate the occasion, the city has planned more than 140 projects and 400 events throughout the year.

It also points out that the festivities begin on January 20, with contemporary dance, a choral symphony, and acrobatic performances across the city’s four main squares.

“Should you miss the grand opening, swing by in February for Carnival, or in June for the Malta International Arts Festival and the Valletta Film Festival,” it said.

bols of the past glories of The Knights of St. John.

Work will also involve repairing the damage resulting from WWII, and the restoration of the contents.

Rooms that up to a few years ago used to serve as offices for MPs will be restored to the way they looked hundreds of years ago.

Mr Noel Zammit, CEO at Heritage Malta, said that Heritage Malta wants Although no official announcement has been the visitor to once released by the Malta Government, we feel again experience the obliged to announce that Maltese citizens living way the Grandmas- abroad who are interested in becoming memters of the Order of bers of the Council for Maltese Living Abroad St John used to live for the next three years can submit an expresin the Palace.

By 2022, the public sion of interest to The Malta High Commission will have access to at 38 Culgoa Circuit O’Malley ACT 2606 Tel: 02 areas in the Palace 6290 1847 in Australia or to any Embassy or that to date have High Commission where they reside. been closed off.

Council of Maltese Living Abroad

14 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday January 9, 2018

Festi bla inċidenti

I

l-festi tal-Milied u l-Ewwel tas-sena għaddew mingħajr inċidenti serji bleluf ta’ nies joħorġu jiddevertu u jieklu fir-ristoranti li tant kellhom klijentela li spiċċaw jirrifjutaw in-nies, tant li kien hemm min ilmenta li ma sabx fejn jiċċelebra kif xtaq bl-ikel.

Sadanittant madwar 85 elf ruħ inġabru fil-Belt Valletta biex jiċċellebraw bi kbir il-miġja tas-Sena l-Ġdida. Dan, flimkien mal-miljuni ta’ Ewro kbar li nġabru minn għaqdiet filantopiċi u l-partiti politiċi, li jirriflettu sewwa lqagħda ekonomika tajba li għaddejjin bħalissa minnha l-Gżejjer Maltin.

Il-punti jeffettwaw

D

an l-aħħar is-sistema ta’ tnaqqis ta’ punti fil-każ ta’ ksur tar-regolamenti tat-traffiku, li qabel kienet tgħodd biss għal dawk li kienu jkunu għadhom kif ħadu l-liċenzja, infirxet għas-sewwieqa kollha. Dan wara li ġie nnutat żieda qawwija fl-inċidenti tat-traffiku minħabba nuqqas ta’ ħarsien tar-regolamenti.

Jidher li din is-sistema ħalliet l-effett

tagħha għax il-ksur tar-regolamenti beda jonqos u s-sewwieqa qed joqogħdu aktar attenti. Dan deher ċar fil-jiem tal-festi talMilied u l-Ewwel tas-Sena, meta l-pulizija għamlu spezzjonijiet għal għarrieda fuq issewwieqa pemezz ta’ roadblocks.

F’lejl wieħed, dak ta’ lejliet l-Ewwel tasSena, il-Pulizija waqqfu1,832 sewwieq, u l-ebda wieħed minn dawn ma nstab li

Multi għall-MPs I

va qed taqraw sewwa, il-membri parlamentari Maltin fl-aħħar xhur bdew jiġu mmultati... meta jonqsu li jattendu għal xi laqgħa tal-Parlament.

Is-sistema ġiet introdotta mill-Gvern Laburista tal-2013 u ddaħħlet fis-seħħ f’Lulju li għadda. Din tikkonsisti filli membru tal-parlament li ma jattendix għal xi laqgħa tal-Parlament mingħajr raġuni valida jiġi “mmultat” €50.

Jidher li s-sistema ħadmet għax skont l-Ispeaker l-attendenza fl-aħħar xhur tjiebet. Fl-imgħoddi kien hemm Membri Parlamentari li saħansitra kienu jitilfu 80% jew 70% tal-attendenzi; oħrajn kienu jfallu nofs is-seduti.

S’Issa jidher li dawk li l-aktar weħlu ‘multi’ kienu l-membri tal-Oppożizzjoni. Fil-fatt, 13-il membru weħlu bejniethom €1,500 għax fallew 30 seduta, filwaqt li disa’ membri tal-Gvern intalbu jħallsu €700 għax bejniethom fallew 14-il seduta.

Bejn Ottubru u April ta’ din is-sena, ftit qabel xolja l-Parlament biex il-pajjiż mar għall-elezzjoni, il-kont tal-Membri Parlamentari kien tela’ għal €4,600.

xorob aktar milli jmiss.

Mhux ta’ b’xejn li matul l-istess lejl, kif qalu huma stess, dawk li jħaddmu t-taxis għamlu rekord ta’ vjaġġi.

Fil-kontrolli tal-pulizija, minħabba ksur ta’ regolamenti oħra tat-traffiku għadd ta’ sewwieqa ġew imħarrka. Fosthom kienu, għal seqan mingħajr liċenzja valida (9); għax saqu bla ċinturin tas-sigurta`(15).

Minn €7,500 telgħu I għal €200,000 llum ħafna jgergru dwar l-imgħax baxx li jagħtu l-banek għal min ipoġġi flusu għandhom. Iżda jidher li hemm min jaf kif iħaddem flusu (aktar millbanek!?) u jakkwista imgħax fenominali.

Każ bħal dan kien ta’ raġel li sellef minn fuq l-idejn (jiġifieri mhux millbanek) €7,500 u ġie mitlub biex jagħti lura €200,000. Din tissejjaħ użura.

Dan il-każ sar magħruf wara li lPulizija ġew mgħarrfa li raġel kien se jagħmel suwiċidju. Il-pulizija marru fuq il-post u rnexxielhom jikkonvinċuh jibdel ħsiebu.

Mistoqsi x’kien wasslu għal dan, qalilhom li kien issellef €7,500 mingħand missier u iben, u f’sentejn dawn l-imputati bdew jitolbuh lura

Bla kumment: Bambini bi skont

jrodd is-somma kbira ta’ madwar €200,000.

Kienu heddewh li jekk ma jħallasx f’ġimagħtejn, la hu u lanqas il-membri tal-familja tiegħu ma kienu se jgawdu l-Milied.

It-tajba hi li kienu huma, it-tnejn sewwieqa ta’ taxi, li ma gawdewx iljiem tal-festi, għax spiċċaw arrestati u miżmuma l-ħabs sakemm il-Qorti taqta’ s-sentenza.

L-Ewro flok il-Bambin

M

atul il-jiem tal-festi tal-Milied u l-Ewwel tas-sena, f’ħafna mir-rawndebawts jitwaqqaf speċi ta’ presepju, ġeneralment bil-Bambin, ilMadonna u San Ġużepp Mhix darba u tnejn li ġieli sar serq anke minn dawn il-presepji, b’l-aktar fil-mira tas-serq x’aktarx li jkun ilBambin.

Iżda din is-sena kellna fenomenu ġdid, billi f’lejl minnhom il-Bambin ġie mibdul bis-sinjal tal-Ewro.

Jidher li dan il-bdil sar minn grupp bħala protesta għax jemmen li minflok jadura l-Bambin il-poplu Malti sar aktar jadura l-flus, u li forsi kieku l-Madonna u San Ġużepp jiġu Malta bħala immigranti llegali ftit isibu min kien jilqagħhom.

The Voice of the Maltese 15

Tuesday January 9, 2017

Ġrajjiet mhux tas-soltu fil-Gżejjer Maltin

M Q

atul dawn l-aħħar ġimgħat kellna ġra- għax huma aktar serji milli wieħed jista’ jfisjjiet li wieħed ftit kien jistennihom. sirhom bħala “strambi imma vera”. Uħud huma Bla dubju allura li jagħmlu l-aħbarijiet anke umanitarji

att xi ħadd jgħaddilu minn moħħu li missier jistqarr fil-miftuħ li jippreferi jara lil ibnu jitrabba mal-majjali milli jmant-

nih?

Dan kollu minħabba li kellu xi jgħid ma’ omm ibnu. U minn dakinhar il-missier ma baqax joħroġ flus biex imantni lil dan ittifel.

L-Omm marret il-Qorti bil-imħallef tiddeċiedi li minkejja dak kollu li nqala’ bejn il-ġenituri, il-missier ma kellu l-ebda dritt jabbanduna lil ibnu, għalhekk ordantlu jħallas lil omm ibnu €24,800 għad-disa' snin u seba' xhur li għamel ma jtihom xejn.

Minbarra hekk hija ordnatlu wkoll iħallas lill-omm €300 fixxahar għall-manteniment sakemm it-tifel jagħlaq 18-il sena u sakemm jagħlaq 23 sena jekk jibqa' jistudja fultajm.

S

torja oħra li ftit smajna bħala, partikolament f’Malta, hija ta’ tifla ta’ sitt snin li fis-sigħat bikrin ta’ filgħodu ta’ Jum il-Milied u f’kesħa xxoqq il-għadam, instabet iddur weħidha fi triq fiżŻejtun b’ġugarell f’idha.

Kienu Pulizija mis-sezzjoni tal-Administrative Law Enforcement li kienu għaddejjin b’ronda fit-toroq taż-Żejtun li wasslu għas-sejba tat-tifla li allegatament ftit qabel kienet rieqda f’karozza waqt li missierha kien f’ħanut fil-qrib.

Hu mifhum li t-tifla stenbħet u meta ma ratx lil missierha, ħarġet mill-vettura tfittxu fejn minn hemm sabuha l-uffiċjali tal-Pulizija li ħaduha fl-għassa taż-Żejtun u aktar tard għaddewwha lil missierha wara li talbuh spjegazzjoni dwar kif iċ-ċkejkna kienet weħidha f’dawk il-ħinijiet ta’ bil-lejl.

Jingħad li l-missier għaddej minn każ ta’ separazzjoni ma’ martu.

L

ejn l-aħħar jiem tal-2017 u l-ewwel ġimgħa tal-2018, bħal ħafna pajjiżi Ewropej Malta nħakmet minn riħ qawwi li għamel ħafna ħsarat, fosthom lil Ajruplan privat tat-tip Dassault Falcon 7X stmat li jiswa mas-€60 miljun. L-ajruplan huwa ta’ biljunarju Ingliż u huwa reġistrat f’Bermuda F’lejl minnhom, ir-riħ qawwi li ħakem l-inħawi tal-mitjar f’ĦalFarruġ, iż-żona magħrufa bħala l-apron numru 4, kaxar lill-ajruplan li baqa’ dieħel fl-uffiċċju ta’ kumpannija privata tal-kostruzzjoni f’Ħal-Farruġ (ara l-istampa fuq).

L-inċident seta’ kellu riżultat aktar serju. Il-ġewnaħ tax-xellug tiegħu waqaf tlett ċentimetri biss minn minn kamra li sservi ta’ ċentru ta’ distribuzzjoni tal-elettriku għall-mitjar kollu.

L-ajruplan inqala’ minn postu waqt ħidma delikata 24 siegħa wara u ttieħed f’hanger għat-tiswijiet. L-ewwel stimi ta’ kemm tiswa l-ħsara biex jissewwa hu mifhum li tista’ tlaħħaq maż-€2m.

Ħ

uta li f’Malta normalment narawha biss flakwarji, għax hu magħruf li tgħix fl-ibħra Awstraljani, dehret tgħum fil-baħar tal-Port ta’ Marsamxett.

Il-ħuta tat-tip Azure damoiselle (speċi ta’ ċawla blu lemin) dehret tgħum f’ilma f’fond ta’ madwar żewġ metri, fejn jidher li setgħet anke tkun ta’ attrazzjoni.

Esperti fil-qasam qalu li l-possibilità hi li xi ħadd rema din ilħuta fil-baħar. Madankollu wieħed ma jistax jeskludi l-possibilità l-oħra li din daħlet ġol ballast ta’ xi bastiment li daħal Malta millKanal ta Swejż.

Din m’hijiex l-ewwel speċi aljena li dehret fl-ibħra Maltin.

Ġ

rajja kurjuża oħra hija ta’ raġel Ukren ta’ 43 sena residenti l-Mellieħa li tilef ħajtu wara li waqa’ għoli ta’ madwar erba’ sulari meta pprova jidħol fl-appartament tal-eks tfajla tiegħu.

Jingħad li wara li martu ma ħallietux jara t-tifel tagħhom, dan ir-raġel tela’ fuq il-bejt tal-appartamenti, rabat naxra ħwejjeġ li kien hemm u pprova jiddendel għall-gallarija. Sfortunatament waqa’ u ġie ċċertifikat mejjet fuq il-post.

Ż

ewġ persuni ttieħdu l-isptar wara argument fuq iz-zuntier talknisja ta’ Fatima’ fi Gwardamanġa. Jidher li l-argument inqala waqt li ż-żewġt aħwa kienu jistennew il-bidu ta’ funeral t’ommhom. Fuq il-post issejħu l-Pulizija u żewġ ambulanzi fejn ħadu lill-irġiel l-isptar għall-kura. Minkejja l-argument il-funeral tkompla kif ippjanat, sintendi mingħajr l-iben tal-mejta li spiċċa l-Isptar.

Ħanżir jisraq ix-xena ’xena mhux tas-soltu, żewġ ħanżir wasalx bħala passiġġier F membri tal-korp tal-puliz- fuq titjira jew kienx sejjer fuq ija ntlemħu jiġru wara ħanżir btala barra minn xtutna iżda

iswed fit-triq tal-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta.

Mhuwiex konfermat jekk il-

huwa żgur u evidenti li ta kedda liema bħala liż-żewġ membri tal-korp.

16 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday January 9, 2018

Morrison targets migrants

T

he Australian Liberal/National government announced it was aiming to save $1.3 billion over the next four years with new budget measures targeting migrants.

From next July, migrants will have to wait three years instead of two to access a range of welfare payments including the Family Tax Benefit, Paid Parental Leave and Carer's Allowance.

The move was part of Treasurer Scott Morrison's Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which predicted that Australia would be back in black by 2020.

But the announcement has been slammed

by Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) chairperson Mary Patetsos, who called it a "worrying step".

She told SBS News: “The relatively small amount of budgetary savings are going to impact quite severely on some of our most disadvantaged people, vulnerable families, and young children. Restricting parental leave allowance for those families will create unnecessary hardship.”

Those bringing relatives over to Australia on a family visa will also need to guarantee their financial independence for three years.

Mr Morrison is sticking to his promise of a budget surplus in four years and expects it will be almost $3bn larger at $10.2bn than previously forecast.

For this financial year, Mr Morrison is forecasting a smaller deficit of $23.6bn compared to the previous estimate of $29.4bn.

Turnbull’s cabinet reshuffle in 2018 tScott Morrison with the mid-year budget

T

he Turnbull Liberal Government will take a rejigged leadership team into 2018, with a new Attorney-General replacing George Brandis (pictured right) and a new Home Office led by Peter Dutton driving policy on national security.

The prime minister announced these cabinet changes the week before Christmas. ore than a million Sydney- after a firework exploded in his George Brandis siders and visitors from aro- hand in Melbourne, but otherwise has resigned as und Australia and across the globe the partying crowd was well be- Attorney General descended on the Harbour fore- haved.

Crowds that had flocked to see and will be reshore to ring in the New Year, in a celebration hailed as a “fantastic the New Year’s Eve fireworks at placed by the forSocial success” by police praising the Terrigal on NSW Central Coast mer Services minister crowd's behaviour. The fireworks got more than they bargained. The cost $7m but were worth an esti- display malfunctioned, causing the Christian Porter.

Mr Turnbull conmated $130m to the city economy fireworks to go off all at once.

Hundreds of people gathered on firmed he would In Canberra, thousands crowded into Civic from the early evening. the beach had to be evacuated, and recommend SenPolice also commended the be- the two men operating the fire- ator Brandis for a haviour of crowds in South Aus- works display from a barge had to new position as tralia, and said there were no jump into the water to escape the Australia’s High major incidents in Brisbane and explosions. They were taken to Commissioner to the UK “early in Perth.A man was seriously injured hospital with minor injuries.

Australia welcomes the New Year with spectacular fireworks display

M

While visiting Malta Stay at: The Diplomat Hotel, 173 Tower Road Sliema

Email: sales@diplomat.com.mt Tel: (00356) 23497000

the new year”.

He praised Senator Brandis' time in office and said new foreign interference laws introduced in the final week of parliament for 2017 would be an “important part of his legacy”.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton will step up to become the Minister for Home Affairs, responsible for national security, as was flagged earlier in the year. Michaelia Cash, already Employment minister, will be promoted to the new title of Minister for Jobs and Innovation. She will also surrender her title as Minister for Women, which will be taken by Kelly O’Dwyer.

Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce will leave his Agriculture portfolio to become minister for Infrastructure and Transport, while newly promoted David Littleproud will take his old job. The previous Infrastructure minister, Darren Chester, has been demoted from the cabinet.

The Voice of the Maltese 17

Tuesday January 9, 2017

Australia’s place in the new world order

T

he 2018 World Economic League Table in a report by the Londonbased Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) projects that Australia will jump two spots to become the 11th largest economy on the globe by 2025. The report attributes much of the growth to high immigration levels boosting the population.

One of the report’s key findings is that China will overtake the US as the world’s largest economy by 2030. It states that this remains a remarkable achievement from an economy that was only 12 per cent the size of the US economy as recently as 2000.

China’s growth will be consolidated by investment in major infrastructure projects, such as the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, which will encourage trade by connecting the East and West. China’s rise is good news for Australia because it is our largest trading partner.

However, the report warns that Australia needs to reduce its reliance on natural re-

2018 Sydney-Hobart

Sensational end to 73rd edition

S

upermaxi yacht Comanche (pictured) was declared the new line honours winner of the 73rd edition of the Sydney to Hobart iconic race mastering the roughly 630 nautical-mile grueling race after successfully protesting against Wild Oats XI following a near collision between the two yachts just outside Sydney Heads on Boxing Day. The race ended in sensational fashion aftera a protest hearing lasting more than three hours, decided the 73rd Sydney to Hobart and denied Wild Oats XI a ninth line honours win. The result of the protest voids Wild Oats XI's race record that went to LDV Comanche in a time of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

A record 31 international yachts registered for this year’s annual race, although that number had been trimmed to 27.

For the international sailor, this is one of the greatest ocean races. Many would look back at the tragedy of the 1998; it has been 19 years since six sailors lost their lives off Australia’s east coast in the most frightening weather conditions to ever descended upon this hazardous ocean race.

This year’s Sydney to Hobart fleet had been hailed as the strongest to contest the races so far, with all four super maxis having claimed line honours in the past decade.

sources and increase its spending on infra- year before. structure in order to keep the economy The report suggests that countries with healthy. major coastal populations, such as AusThe report further states that “one of this tralia, will need to budget for increased inyear’s themes is that countries depending on frastructure spending to defend popubrainpower will generally overtake coun- lations against climate-change-related tries depending on natural resources,” and flooding. adds that, “Australia is one of the most popular countries in the world for inward migration as well as having natural resources.

“The growing population means that the economy is forecast to rise from 13th t's been 50 years since largest in 2017 to 11th larsitting Prime Minister gest economy in 2026.

“Investment in urban infra- Harold Holt (right) went structure will need to acceler- for a swim near Portsea, ate as population increases.” in Victoria, and never reIn the year ending June 30, turned. Australia's 17th prime minister served three 2017 Australia welcomed decades in Parliament before becoming prime minister, 245,400 immigrants, a 27 only to disappear two years into his first term. But for per cent increase from the most Australians he will always be known for his abrupt disappearance on December 17, 1967.

Under the law at the time of Mr Holt's disappearance, an inquest could not be held because there was no body found, but the ruling changed and in 2005 the Victorian coroner found Mr Holt had drowned and his death was accidental.

But the most powerful man in the country does not go missing in the middle of the Cold War without a mountain of conspiracy theories, ranging from suicide to abduction by a Chinese submarine.

Some commentators say it is time to remember Mr Holt for his achievements and not the conspiracies surrounding his disappearance. The executive director of the Menzies Research Centre, Nick Cater, has recently coauthored a monograph on Mr Holt's life and legacy.

“Inevitably, if you end your prime ministerial career so tragically and so dramatically as that, is the one thing people remember,” he said. But Mr Cater said while Mr Holt was only Prime Minister for 680 days, the reforms he introduced were “timely, innovative and politically courageous. He was Australia’s first 20th century PM”.

The PM who disappeared into the sea

I

18 The Voice of the Maltese

Il-Federazzjoni tal-Iskejjel tal-Malti tagħmel il-Laqgħa Ġenerali Annwali għall-2017

Tuesday January 9, 2018

I

l-Federazzjoni tal-Iskejjel tal-Malti (Federation of Maltese Language Schools) talAwstralja għamlet il-laqgħa ġenerali ta’ kull sena ftit qabel il-Milied. Dawn il-laqgħat isiru f’lo-kalitajiet differenti kull sena. Din iddarba l-laqgħa saret fiċ-ċentru tal-Maltese Community Council ta’ Victoria f’Parkville, Melbourne .

Il-laqgħa kienet immexxija mil-President, Edwidge Borg, minn Melbourne u għaliha kienu preżenti, is-segretarja, Patricia Grech (minn McKay, Queensland), it-teżorier, Alfred Flask (minn Canberra), il-v/president, Mary Pace-Feraud (minn Sydney) u għadd ta’ rappreżentanti tal-iskejjel membri. George Portelli (Victoria) kien l-osservatur.

Preżenti wkoll kien hemm il-president talMaltese Community Council ta’ NSW, Emanuel Camilleri. Żewġ reppreżentanti oħra, Maria deCarlo (Maltese Language School NSW) u Charles Galea (Community Schools) (ħadu sehem f’din il-laqgħa permezz ta’ skype. Ġew diskussi għadd ta’ suġġetti u ttieħdu deċiżjonijiet bil-għan li l-Federazzjoni tkompli tissaħħaħ. Wara nofsinhar, bħal ma jsir issoltu f’dawn il-laqgħat, kien hemm diversi development programmes li ġew ippreżentati minn uħud mil-iskejjel preżenti.

Din is-sena ma kienx imiss li ssir elezzjoni u għalhekk il-kumitat għall-2018 baqa l-istess.

Maltese Language School of NSW

Fuq wara (mix-xellug): Alfred Flask (FMLS Treasurer -ACT), Edwidge Borg (FMLS President - MCC VIC), Laura Schembri (Tutor VIC), Mary Diele (Tutor - VIC), Frances Bonnici (observer – VIC). Quddiem: Patricia Grech (FMLS Secretary -Skola Maltija Mackay), Emmanuel Camilleri (President MCC - NSW, Tony Pace Feraud (observer - NSW), Mary PaceFeraud (FMLS Vice President - Maltese Language School NSW)

The Voice of the Maltese 19

Tuesday January 9, 2017

Book Launch

D

Three ANZACS from Malta Charles Mifsud, the President of Maltese RSL sub-branch addressing the activity

r Gioconda Schembri’s book Three ANZACS from Malta was recently launched during an event organised by the Maltese RSL sub-Branch at the Maltese Community Council’s premises at Parramatta West, in NSW. The book is about three ANZACs, namely Charles Bonavia, Waldemar Beck and Anthony Xuereb, who represent three of the finest men in MalteseAustralian military history.

During the session, Dr. Schembri gave

an insight of the book and thereafter three descendants, Lea Harding, Charles Bona-via’s niece; Professor Peter Castaldi, son of Eligio Castaldi; and Barbara Barter, niece of Waldemar Beck’s fiancé all gave a brief talk on their relative which deeply touched all the guests present at the launch.

This book, the latest in a growing number by Maltese Australians living outside of Malta, further enhances the strong bond between Australians and Maltese. It is a historical biography based on facts and family recollections.

It makes all M a l t e s e proud of their contribution to their land of adoption.

Maltese by birth or descent, as well as Australians, will find delight in learning more about these three brave Maltese-Australian ANZACs. The book makes pleasant reading and showcases but three ANZACS in their contribution to the war effort.

A total of 53 Maltese joined the Australian Imperial

Forces, as well as the NZ Expeditionary Forces.

The author, Dr Gioconda Schembri, (pictured above) also presented a copy of the book to Emanuel Camilleri, the President of the Maltese Community Council and Charles Mifsud, President of the Maltese RSL sub-branch.

At the launch Frances Duca read a segment from the book to the audience.

This book would make a great gift and would also enrich one’s library.

Priced at $35 (plus postage), the book can be purchased by making an order to malteseRSL@live.com.au.

DorisPocock and MarkCaruana Photos courtesy of Patrick Bartolo

20 The Voice of the Maltese

Messaġġ ta’ Mons. Dun Alfred Vella, (Direttur Kummissjoni Emigranti)

I

s-snin igerbu bla ma jistennew lil ħadd. Nittama li s-sena li għaddiet ħalliet togħma tajba u nistenna li din is-sena tkun mimlija tama. Dawn huma sensazzjonijet li wieħed jgħaddi minnhom meta ħaġa tkun se tispiċċa u tibda oħra. Aħna nawguraw tant lil xulxin u j’Alla dawn l-awguri jkunu ħerġin mill-qalb u b’sinċerita’. Jien nifhem li rridu naħdmu ħafna biex inżommu fil-wiċċ dawn is-sensazzjonijiet.

Nawguraw li l-Maltin ħutna ta’ l-ewwel ġenerazzjoni li ħallew art tweildna snin ilu llum qegħdin iġawdu s-sagrifiċċji li għamlu u jgawdu l-familji li rabbew u tawhom tant valuri. Dawn il-valuri sawwru lkarattru Malti li jiqa’ jispikka għall-għożża u l-ġabra tal-familja.

Nawguraw lill-Maltin tat-tieni u l-ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ wara, li jibqgħu jgħixu dawn il-valuri u ma jħalluhomx itiru mar-riħ. Mhux faċli, għax id-dinja tagħna, kbira u sabiħa, saret żgħira mhux għax ċkienet imma għax ix-xibka tal-kommunikazzjoni kuljum qed tinfirex u torbat magħha lilna lkoll li sirna ma nistgħux ngħaddu mingħajr dawn il-mezzi tal-komunikazzjoni.

Dawn il-mezzi jinfluwenzawna u jieħdu lil moħna fejn iridu huma. Il-Malti jgħid li “Min jiflaħ l-aktar iħawwel”. Nawguraw li matul din is-sena, li f’Malta u fl-Ewropa il-belt tagħna, Valletta, se tkun il-Belt kapitali tal-kultura, naħdmu ħalli din tkun bħal tromba li twassal dan il-messaġġ lil kull min għandu għal qalbu l-kultura taħt liema forma tkun.

Aħna nistennew li tant minn ħutna din is-sena jiġu fostna biex magħna jgawdu din l-opportunita’ u hekk inkunu qed nagħmlu lil xulxin aktar sinjuri, għax meta nitħaltu jkollna ċ-ċans b’mod dirett, li ngħinu lil xulxin ħalli nikbru.

Kemm hemm x’tawgura għal din is-sena li għadha fit-tbexbix tagħha!! Imma fuq kollox nawguraw lil xulxin, saħħa, barka u ġid fil-Mulej. L-istedina tagħna hi għalikom kollha biex meta tkunu fostna, Malta, taslu wasla sa ‘Dar l-Emigrant’. Fuq kollox din hi monument ħaj għal kull Malti li ħalla art twelidu imma biex jibqa’ Malti dejjem u kulimkien.

F’Dar l-Emigrant nilqgħukom u jkun il-pjaċir tagħna li ndawrukom malmużew diġitali li jfakkar l-istorja tal-migrazzjoni u jaqsam magħkom il-ferħ li dan il-proġett issa ħaj u nixtiequh li jibqa’ jikber.

Mela sa kemm niltaqgħu, “Ħudu Ħsieb!!” Intom dejjem fi ħsiebna u f’talbna.

Tuesday January 9, 2018

Anniversarju speċjali għall-Ħamruniżi

K

ull sena l-Ħamruniżi jiffesteġġjaw ilfesta tal-patrun tagħhom,’ San Gejtanu, magħruf bħala l-qaddis tal-Providenza, fl-ewwel jiem ta’ Awwissu, imma minħabba li flaħħar tas-sena u l-bidu ta’ dik li aħna fiha qed ifakkru l-500 sena mid-dehriet mistiċi tal-qaddis, waqt li kien jitlob fil-Bażilika ta’ Santa Marija Maggiore f’Ruma, ħarġu l-istatwa waqt purċissjoni tliet darbiet.

F’waħda mid-dehriet – lejlet il-Milied tal-1517 - il-Madonna għaddiet lil binha Ġesu’ f’dirgħajn San Gejtanu. Id-dehriet seħħew tal-inqas tliet darbiet oħra: fil-festi tal-Epifanija, fiċċirkonċiżjoni ta’ Ġesu’ u l-preżentazzjoni tiegħu fit-tempju.

L-anniversarju tfakkar bi programm speċjali.

Għall-ewwel darba nhar l-Erbgħa li għadda l-istatwa ta’ San Gejtanu ttieħdet b’pellegrinaġġ lejn il-parroċċa wkoll fil-Ħamrun, iddedikata lill-Immakulata Kunċizzjon Il-Ġimgħa fil-għaxija mbagħad ħadu lura l-istatwa lejn il-parroċċa, u għall-ewwel darba, ilĦadd reġgħu ħarġuha din id-darba f’purċissjoni filgħodu fit-toroq tal-Ħamrun.

Għall-okkażjoni, il-kappilan tal-Ħamrun, Dun Walter Cauchi stieden il-parroċċi minn fejn ħareġ il-Ħamrun, jiġifieri l-Furjana, Birkirkara u San Ġorġ Ħal Qormi biex jieħdu sehem fil-purċissjoni mmexxija millPrepostu Salvador Rodea Gonzales, il-Ġeneral talOrdni tat-Teatini, li waqqaf San Gejtanu fl-1524.

Tagħrif dwar il-kitba Maltija

Minħabba nuqqas ta’ spazju f’din il-ħarġa kellna nħalli s-silta li kien imiss tat-Tagħrif dwar ilkitba Maltija għall-ħarġa ta’ wara din, li tiġi ppubblikata fit-23 ta’ Jannar.

Il-banda Maltija OLQP titlef veteran ta’ stoffa bil-mewt ta’Charlie tal-Piccolo N

har l-Erbgħa 27 ta’ Diċembru l-knisja ta’ Horsley Park kienet ippakkjata bin-nies bejn familja u ħbieb biex taw l-aħħar tislima lil Charlie Camilleri “Tal-Piccolo” li miet fid-19 ta’ Diċembru fl-eta`ta’ 87 sena.

Charlie (jew Karmenu ta’ Gurina) twieled il-Mellieħa Malta, lejliet il-VITORJA li tant kien iħobb, fis-7 ta’ Settembru 1930. Huwa kien ir-raba’ wild minn familja ta’ sitta – tliet nisa u tliet irġiel.

Charlie emigra lejn l-Awstralja ta’ 19-il sena fl-1949 u għal xi żmien kien jaħdem f’fabbrika qrib fejn kien joqgħod. Wara ftit huwa ltaqa’ ma ħabib tiegħu li kellu market garden u mar jaħdem u joqgħod miegħu flinħawi ta’ Horsley Park.

Fl-4 ta’ April tal-1959 iżżewweġ lil Jane fil-Katidral ta’ St. Mary Sydney u madwar sena wara kellhom l-ewwel tarbija, tifel, Jim. Wara ġew ukoll tliet ulied oħra, Charlie jnr, Theresa and Miriam.

Charlie dejjem ħadem fil-ġnien. Kien ikollu jqum kmieni biex jieħu l-ħaxix li kien jipproduċi hu stess fil-ġnien tiegħu ħalli jin-

biegħ fil-market.

Minkejja li dejjem kien imħabbat bixxogħol tar-raba qatt ma naqas lill-familja.

Huwa kien ukoll midħla tal-parroċċa tal-Vitorja f’Horsley Park fejn ħadem biex inġabet il-vara tal-Vitorja, li bħal ta’ pajjizu, kienet il-mimmi t’għajnejh. Kien ukoll għen biex jinġiebu l-vari minn Malta, talpurċissjoni tal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira.

Wara l-familja, Charlie kellu għal qalbu lbanda Maltija Our Lady Queen of Peace li kien ingħaqad magħha fl-1976, wara li kien mar għal festa ta’ Santa Marija f’Kellyville fejn xi familji Mġarrin kienu jorganizzaw il-festa fil-parroċċa ta’ Our Lady of the Rosary.

Għalkemm kien l-ixjeħ membru tal-banda rari kien jitlef kunċert kull nhar ta’ Tnejn.

Il-laqam ta’ “Piccolo” ingħatlu għax kien idoqq dan l-istrument li tgħallmu fi ċkunitu fil-każin Imperial tal-Mellieħa.

“Charlie tal-Piccolo” kien nannu ta’ għaxra u bużnannu ta’ ħdax. Kemm ilfamilja u wkoll ħbiebu se jħossu n-nuqqas

tiegħu, imma jafu fiż-żgur li mar jistrieħ ħdejn il-Bambina li kienet il-mimmi t’għajnejh.

Il-Mulej jagħtih il-mistrieħ ta’ dejjem.

GregCaruana

The Voice of the Maltese 21

Yesterday’s Schools: Readings in Maltese educational History

Tuesday January 9, 2017

T

he second (expanded) edition of Yesterday’s Schools: Readings in Maltese Educational History, has just been published. Edited by Professor Ronald G. Sultana, director of the EuroMediterranean Centre for Educational Research, and member of the Faculty of Education, the volume presents 16 chapters looking at various aspects of Malta’s educational history.

Contents: Education in Malta before the Knights (Charles Dalli); Education in Hospitaller Malta (Carmel Cassar); the Collegium Melitense and the Universitas Studiorum to 1798 (Stanley Fiorini); Vassalli and Education (Frans Ciappara); Napoleon’s Vision for Education in Malta (Carmelo Testa); Technical and Vocational Education in 19th Century Malta (Ronald G. Sultana); P.P. Pullicino’s Educational Legacy (Joseph J. Camilleri); A Genealogy of Teachers as Mothers in Malta (Simone Galea).

The contents of the book also include: The Colonial State, Schooling and Maltese Society 1814–1914 (John Chircop); The Language Question and Education (Joseph M. Brincat); A Village School in Malta (George Cassar); Laferla and Edu-

cation (Josienne Abela); Education of Children with Disability in Malta (Paul A. Bartolo); Educational Trajectories and Personal Histories (JosAnn Cutajar); Comprehensive Education in Malta (Desmond Zammit Marmarà); and Dom Mintoff and the Worker-Student Scheme (Peter Mayo).

The volume takes stock of where Malta is at in relation to educational historiography, and sets the agenda for future work in terms of both content and method.

In his comments about the publication, Professor Gary McCulloch (Director, International Centre for Historical Research in Education, UCL Institute of Education, University College, London) said: “This is a fascinating set of original papers that is a major contribution to a deeper understanding not only of the historical experience of Maltese education, but of education, schooling and teachers in Malta today.”

The volume is published by Xirocco, a non-profit publisher.

ISBN 978-99957-1-178-8; 317 pages, 117 illustrations

Copies at cost price (€25 + postage) can be ordered directly from emcer@um.edu.mt

Reskeon Seniors’ Christmas Break-Up

B

efore Christmas the Reskeon Maltese Association Seniors Group (RMASG) organised this year’s Christmas Luncheon for its members and a number of distinguished guests that included the Consul General of Malta in Victoria, Ms Joanna Pisani, the Secretary of Malta Consulate Office in Victoria, representatives from the MCCV, other Maltese associations and sponsors.

Paul Vella acted as MC for the day, led

the singing of the Maltese National Anthem and Advance Australia Fair and proposed a toast for the occasion.

Ms Pisani called on our members to preserve our language, while RMASG president, Salvina Vella who thanked the committee and all members for their help throughout the year, and wished all and their families a New Year filled with health and happiness.

A list of birthday and anniversaries that occurred around this time was

read. It included a special birthday by Joe Mercieca who turned 90.

The committe then presented a bouquet of flowers to Melita and Reno Borg on their golden wedding anniversary (50 years of marriage), and presented a gift to all those present, a bottle of wine to the men and a German Marzipan Christmas Stollen to the ladies.

DJ Domenic provided the music.

Members rounded up the event with the Reskeon theme song.

Food hampers for the poor and the homeless

nother annual Reskeon Group acA tivity is the collection of hampers of food and toiletries provided by its members to be distributed among the poor and the homeless.

Pictured left: Canon Fr Manny Bonello, Parish Priest of St. Joseph the Worker Church, North Reservoir, RMASG committee member Sylvia Dakin, president

Salvina Vella, and treasurer, Victor Pulis among the items of food ready to be distributed.

Each year Fr. Bonello also organises "stars" on the Christmas Tree at the Church, with a items of food written on them that parishioners then provide.

PaulVella

22 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday January 9, 2018

C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y N Ne ew ws s

Community Wheels Inc.

Connecting you with your community

Community Wheels is your local community organisation that provides door-to-door transport services to eligible people (+65 years old etc.) to: * attend medical appointments * go shopping (including assisting clients with their shopping bags) * meet a friend for a chat or coffee, and *go on bus tours etc.

Available in the Parramatta City Council and parts of Cumberland Council areas

For information call 88681400

Saint Nicholas Festa Committee Main events for 2018

Sunday March 11: Fete Sunday July 1: Lejla fil-Buskett Sunday October 14 : Fete Saturday November 10: Dinner Dance Sunday December 2: St Nicholas Feast All the above events are held at the Good Shepherd parish hall, 130-136 Hyatts Road, Plumpton NSW

La Valette Social Centre

Activities throughout the year

La Valette Social Centre Inc. 175 Walters Road, Blacktown Tel. 96225847’ Email: lavalette@bigpond.net.au

Every Thursday Maltese Respite Care Service 10.15 a.m.: Mass in Maltese in the Main Hall Morning Tea and Lunch Bingo and Boċċi Everybody is wlecome Every Saturday Kitchen and Bar open frm 5.00 p.m.

Taditional Maltese cuisine, including rabbit, ravioli and pastizzi Boċċi from 6.00 p.m Live Dj from 6.00 p.m.

Bingo starts at 8.00 p.m. with jackpot from $100 to $500 DJs Emanuel Grech and Sam Mifsud (alternate Saturdays) Last Saturay of the month: Għana Night with Saver Bonanno and friends ___________________________________ MASS TIMES Saturday: St Francis Chapel: 4.45 p.m. and 6.15 p.m.

Sunday: St Dominic’s Chapel: 9.00 a.m.

Xaghra Association of NSW Inc.

INVITES YOU TO COME & CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA DAY, 2018 with a Dinner Dance Date: Saturday January 20 2018; Time: Doors open 6:30 pm for 7:00pm start; Place: Mandavilla Function Centre 1788 The Horsley Drive, Horsley Park Entertainer: Joe Apap; Dinner: 3-Course Meal, Beer, Wine, Soft Drinks, tea, coffee, pastizzi & fruit platters Contact: Ray & Josephine Bigeni: 9627 4182, Mob: 0439 974 182 M'Anne Teuma: 4579 6771

State Member for Prospect For issues concerning:

Ageing and disability - community services education - environment - health - housing planning - Police - transport - water

P: (02) 9756 4766 E: prospect@parliament.nsw.gov.au 2/679 The Horsley Dr, Smithfield NSW 2164

Message from the Mġarr Malta PP to former parishioners in Australia

D

ear friends, I’ve been invited to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady in August next year with you in Sydney. Such an invitation will give me great pleasure because back in 1979, I visited Sydney and had the opportunity to meet some of you who came from Mgarr.

Therefore, I take this opportunity to wish all of you unity and harmony and hope you had a holy Christmas. May, the Child Jesus of Bethlehem, be a living Son of God in your hearts and not just be a dummy in a crib during the New Year.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you all, the prosperity and blessings from heaven, so that your love and compassion towards your family, will keep you more united and to show more appreciate towards each other.

I wait for August 2018, so that we all meet and as one united family, we celebrate the feast of our Patron of Mġarr, the Assumption of Our Lady, known to us the Maltese, as the feast of Santa Marija. Again, I send my best regards to you all, and in the name of God, I bless you.

Rev. Monsignor Kalcidon Vassallo Parish Priest of Mgarr Malta

The Voice of the Maltese 23

Tuesday January 9, 2017

C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y N Ne ew ws s Tune In to Radio and Television

The SBS MALTESE NEWS: L-A˙barijiet on SBS TV twice a week nationwide Sunday at 8.00 am on SBS2 (Chan. 32); Thursdays at 8.00 am on SBS2

Maltese Radio Programmes

MELBOURNE, on 3ZZZ 92.3FM or on www.3zzz.com.au. Mondays 56 pm, Fridays 5-6 pm and Saturdays 10-11am.

MELBOURNE on 98.9 North West FM, every Friday 6.00 - 7.00p.m. and Mondays 7.00 to 8.00pm. Presenter: Emmanuel Brincat.

MELBOURNE: STEREO 974 (93180930): 97.4FM Wed (Maltese Magazine) & Thursday (Mer˙ba): 6.00pm to 8.00 pm Co-ordinator – Ray Anastasi On SBS Radio Day Time Analogue and Digital Friday: 12:00-13:00 97.7fm SBS 2 Saturday: 14:00-15:00: 97.7fm SBS 2 To tune into digital radio you need a receiver or device with a DAB+ chip. Tuning in is by station name not frequency.

Digital radio can also be heard via digital TV. In SYDNEY, listen to the MCC radio programmes on 2GLF FM 89.3.

Isma’ l-programm tar-radju bil-Malti mill-Kunsill Malti ta’ NSW minn fuq l-istazzjon 2GLF 89.3FM.

Jista’ wkoll jinstema’ On Demand minn fuq l-Internet www.893fm.com.au

(On Demand >Ethnic >Maltese Council 11am)

Il-Ħadd 11.00 am: l-aħħar aħbarijiet minn Malta, mużika, tagħrif, kultura, avviżi u suġġetti ta’ interess.

UNCLE SAM DJ (Maltese Radio) tune in to link: www.unclesamdj.com SBS Radio 2 on Channel 38.

Programmes can be accessed online (live or catch up) at sbs.com.au/maltese and via mobile phone, using the SBS Radio app. For television news from Malta - SBS 2 TV on Thursdays and Sundays at 8am.

VIVA MALTA on COAST FM 96.3 Community Radio in Gosford Central NSW. Aired on Thursdays every fortnight from 6 pm -7 pm.

Presenter: Nathalie Gatt.

Web streaming on: www.coastfm.org.au.

In BRISBANE listen to the Maltese Programme on 4EB on Tuesdays 6.00 -8.15am; Sundays 4.15pm to 5.15pm

Australian High Commission on facebook; HC on twitter

he Australian High Commission’s in Malta now has a new Facebook page, and T the High Commissioner a Twitter account that could both be accessed by the readers.

The High Commission’s Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AusHCMalta/ The Commissioner’s Twitter handle is: https://twitter.com/AusHCMalta

Maltese Seniors Social Welfare Day Groups

Fairfield Active Maltese Seniors

Meets on the last Tuesday of the Month.

Group meets in Parish Hall, cnr of Stella Street & The Boulevard, Fairfield Heights at 10 am.

Maltese Seniors Central Coast

Have to contact our Welfare Officer for an appointment. For all information and referral matters call Cen-sina Cefai: 02 439 000 12 or 0414 267 652

Daceyville Maltese Seniors

Meets the last Wednesday of the month in the Meeting Room One, No. 3 General Bridges Crescent, Daceyville.

Note: The Groups also arrange regular Bus Trips

Join us and make new friends.

Merrylands Social Maltese Seniors

Meets every second Friday of the month: Miller Room, Memorial Avenue Merrylands from 10.30am to 12.30 am

Llandilo Maltese Seniors

Meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Llandilo Community Hall, Seventh Avenue, from 11am to 1 pm.

Maltese of Bankstown

Group meets 3rd Wednesday of month at New BCRG offices 15 Kitchner Parade, Bankstown NSW (opposite RSL Club). Every other 3rd Thursday an outing. Enquiries call: Sam 9534 2357

MALTESE LANGUAGE SCHOOL OF NSW A Division of the Maltese Community Council of NSW Inc.

Learn Maltese!

Classes are available for students from six years to adults at all levels of ability in the Maltese language. We have trained and experienced teachers qualified in language teaching and with Maltese study credentials.

Learn the Maltese language, the culture, lifestyle, cuisine, traditions and about the amazing history of the island.

Teachers urgently needed - Paid positions

For more information and enquiries Phone 9601 2189 or Email: malteselanguageschoolnsw@hotmail.com Supported by the Minister of Education and Training and the NSW Community Languages Schools Programme.

Member of the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools of NSW; Member of the Federation of Maltese Language Schools of Australia; Supported by 16 Maltese associations affiliated with the MCC of NSW. The Maltese Language School of NSW is a Not-For-Profit organisation.

L-aħbarijiet tal-PBS (Malta)

l-PBS ta’ Malta tforni lill-SBS fl-Awstralja Itabis-servizz tagħha, imma l-qarrejja xorhuma mħeġġa biex x’ħin iridu jistgħu

jidħlu fil-website tal-istazzjon Malti bilMalti u bl-Ingliż: www.tvm.com.mt.

Il-website hija aġġornata tul il-jum kollu għalhekk wieħed jista’ jieħu stampa ċara tal-ġrajjiet li anke jkunu qed iseħħu dak il-ħin stess.

Greystanes Maltese Seniors

Meets on the second Monday of each month at the George Preca Centre of OLQP Church, 198 Old Prospect Road, Greystanes from 10 am to 12 noon

The Sutherland & St George Maltese Group

Meets every First Wednesday of the Month from 10:00am-1:00pm. Meetings/Get Togethers are interesting, informative & entertaining, so come Join us and make new Friends For more information contact our Coordinator: Charles Mifsud J.P.Phone (02) 9501 5525 – mobile 0421 662 298.

*(All Groups are co-ordinated by The Maltese Community Council of NSW) with a sponsorship from Multicultural NSW. Please contact the MCC Welfare Officer: Marisa Previtera JP on 0414 863 123. The MCC offices are at 59b Franklin Street (corner with Young St) Parramatta West NSW (next to West Parramatta Primary School).

24 The Voice of the Maltese

Sports Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo the player with most awards in football

A

t the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when sports gives way mostly to other entertainments, we saw fit to bring Portuguese and Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, to centre stage.

It has been another wonderful year for Ronaldo culminating in his winning, for the fifth time, the Ballon d'Or award to share the distinction with Argentine and Barcelona’s Leonard Messi. He is also the European player to have won the title most times.

Ronaldo, who will be 33 on February 5, has won 25 trophies in his career, including five league titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and one UEFA European Championship. He is the first player in history to win four European Golden Shoes.

A prolific goalscorer, Ronaldo holds the records for most official goals scored in the top five European leagues (373), the UEFA Champions League (114), the UEFA European Championship (29) and the FIFA Club World Cup (7), as well as most goals scored in a UEFA Champions League season (17).

He also holds the record for most official assists provided in the UEFA Champions League (36), and has scored more than 600 senior career goals for club and country.

At age five, Ronaldo, who was born and raised on the Portuguese island of Madeira, was diagnosed with a racing heart and had to

Tuesday January 9, 2018

undergo an operation to treat his condition.

He began his senior club career playing for Sporting Lisbon before signing with Manchester United at age 18 in 2003. He helped United win three successive Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title, and a FIFA Club World Cup. By age 22, he had already received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations and a year later he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. In 2009, Ronaldo was the subject of the most expensive association football transfer when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth €94 million ($A145 million).

With Real Madrid in Spain, Ronaldo has won 14 trophies, including two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, three Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups.

After joining Real Madrid, he finished runner-up for the Ballon d'Or three times, behind Lionel Messi, before winning backto-back Ballons d'Or in 2013 and 2014. He has scored a record 32 La Liga hat-tricks, including a record-tying eight hat-tricks in the 2014–15 season and is the only player to reach 30 league goals in six consecutive La Liga seasons.

In 2015, he became the club's all-time leading goalscorer and a year later won his fourth Ballon d'Or by a record-voting margin after sealing La Undécima, Madrid's 11th Euro-

Malta Football Premier League

pean title, and winning Euro 2016.

In August 2003 at age 18 Ronaldo made his senior international debut for Portugaland is currently the country’s all-time top goalscorer. He is Portugal's most capped player of all time with over 140 caps In 2015 the Portuguese Football Federation named him as the country’s best player of all time. He has participated in seven major tournaments.

As captain, he led Portugal to their first-ever triumph in a major tournament winning Euro 2016, and for two years running, in 2016 and 2017, Forbes ranked him as the world's highest-paid athlete while ESPN named him as the world's most famous athlete.

A-League Sydney FC seem to be unstoppable

his early in the season, and with 14 played so far in the ATmatches Balzan avenge only defeat League, Sydney FC have already opened eaders Balzan avenged the only defeat suffered at the a comfortable gap of eight points beL hands of St Andrews at the tween them and their closest challenges, start of the season by soundly Newcastle Jets who held them to a 2-2

beating the same opponents at the start of the second round 3-1. It helped them retain the top of the league ladder, a point ahead of Valletta.

The City team needed a goal from a penalty to beat resilient Senglea, while Gżira, who at one point even led the stadings, kept losing ground after suffering their third defeat, a heavy 4-0 one at the hands of Birkirkara to slip to fourth place.

Birkirkara’s performance gave one to believe that they could soon come back into the reckoning.

Floriana stay fourth after a 2-0 win over Tarxien,while Sliema’s topsy turvey season continues after being held by the ever mproving Naxxar to 1-1.

RESULTS – DAY 15 Balzan v St Andrews Valletta v Senglea Birkirkara v Gżỉra Floriana v Tarxien R. Hibernians v Ħamrun S Naxxar L v Sliema W. Mosta v Lija A

3-1 1-0 4-0 2-0 0-0 1-1 5-1

P W 15 10 Balzan 15 10 Valletta Gżira U 15 9 Floriana 15 8 Hibernians 15 7 Sliema W. 15 7 Birkirkara 15 8 Ħamrun S. 15 7 15 5 Mosta Senglea A 15 4 Naxxar L 15 2 S. Andrews 15 3 Tarxien R. 15 3 15 1 Lija A.

Pts 34 33 30 29 25 25 25 24 18 15 11 10 10 5

Premier League ladder

TEAMS

D 4 3 3 5 4 4 1 6 3 3 5 1 1 2

L 1 2 3 2 4 4 6 5 7 8 8 11 11 12

draw on Day 14. Sydney have only suffered one defeat all season, on Day 6 against Central Coast Mariners and have only dropped seven points thus far.

They seem to be unstoppable and while those around them keep dropping points they sail on regardless. In their last five matches have not only created a hatful of chances by their attack has been working on four cylinders scoring 20 goals in the process. Their attacking brand of football on display has been quite impressive.

Sydney FC ended 2017 emphatically, by hitting Perth Glory for six (their biggest win of the seson) in an extremely entertaining night in front of their own fans. They netted five of their six goals after the break, with Bobo hitting his second hat-trick in a week, to become the first Sydney FC player to notch more than one for the club.

RESULTS - DAY 14 Sydney FC v Newcastle J 2-2 Melbourne V v CC Mariners 1-1 Melbourne C v Wellington P 2-1 Perth G v Adelaide U 0-3 Brisbane R v W Sydney WA 0-2 DAY 13 Sydney FC v Perth G 6-0 Melbourne V v Newcastle J 2-1 Adelaide U v Brisbane R 1-2 W Sydney v Melbourne C 2-1 CC Mariners v Wellington P 0-0 DAY 12 Wellington Ph v Sydney FC 1-4 Melbourne C v Melbourne V 0-1 Newcastle J v W Sydney WA 4-2 Adelaide U v CC Mariners v 1-0 Brisbane R v Perth G 1-2

A-League ladder

P Sydney FC 14 Newcastle 14 Melbourne C14 Adelaide 14 Melbourne V 14 W Sydney 13 Perth G 14 Mariners 14 Brisbane R 14 Wellington 13 TEAMS

W 11 8 7 6 5 4 5 3 3 1

D 2 3 1 2 5 5 1 5 4 4

L 1 3 6 6 4 4 8 6 7 8

Pts 35 27 22 20 20 17 16 14 13 7