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Former General Workers’ Union official Sammy Meilaq has endorsed the protest against government’s planning reform, expected on budget day outside parliament. Meilaq said ordinary citizens required protection from the “gangsters” of the construction industry, insisting the proposed reforms were anything but that. “These are the gangsters causing earthquakes for ordinary citizens; they disregard health and safety laws, are not interested in the environment and do this in the name of greed,” Meilaq said in a recorded video message. He then listed the seven instances since 2019 where construction activity caused the collapse of neighbouring buildings. “These are not merely accidents; these are the result of a lack of regulation and a lack of enforcement,” Meilaq said. He urged Prime Minister Robert Abela to dump the two planning bills, currently before parliament, and instead propose better protections for citizens. “If Robert Abela wants to do something right, he should do the opposite of these laws. To start with he should dump them in the dustbin,” Meilaq said. He added: “It would be a big historical mistake [if the prime minister forged ahead]; a stain on the economy, on the Labour Party and on him personally.” A coalition of green groups calling itself Ġustizzja għal Artna, will on Monday hold a protest outside parliament, while Finance Minister Clyde Caruana reads out the budget for next year. This will be the second such protest in less than a month against the proposed reforms, which have been heavily criticised by environmental organisations and residence groups. Ġustizzja għal Artna is calling for the immediate withdrawal of two planning bills and legal notices that were tabled in parliament just before the summer recess. The Nationalist Party has also called for the bills to be withdrawn. The reforms have been described by the coalition as a “Damocles’ sword” that would dismantle safeguards against overdevelopment, weaken judicial oversight, and effectively grant amnesty for illegal construction carried out up to last year. The groups argue that the measures would make it nearly impossible for citizens to appeal or overturn illegal planning decisions. Organisers say the timing of the protest, coinciding with the budget presentation, is intended to send a clear message that “this is not business as usual”. The Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign brings together several major NGOs and environmental groups, including BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti, and Nature Trust – FEE Malta, among others. MaltaToday has endorsed the Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign.
