PN pledges new MCAST Gozo campus which will include courses focusing on new sectors

Feb 23 2022

If elected, the Nationalist Party will build a brand new MCAST campus in Gozo, which will offer brand new courses related to the 10 new sectors that the PN government will invest in.

This was revealed by Bernard Grech in today’s address as part of the PN’s electoral campaign, where the party leader highlighted that such an investment is being made so that Maltese and Gozitan youths have the opportunity to take their studies further and ultimately, be the first workers and creators which will form part of these new sectors.

Grech also revealed that a PN government will invest in a new Malta Enterprise branch with a unit focusing on promotion of investment in Gozo in a bid to aid and provide direct access to Gozitan businesses.

What do you make of this proposal?

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Marsascala marina U-turn permanent but PN not convinced

Feb 23 2022

The decision to stop the Marsascala marina is permanent, said Prime Minister Robert Abela, going on to say that the government has no intention of reviving plans in any way in the future.

He told journalists that the reorganisation of the moorings will not in any way create a smaller, reductive marina. Abela said that, being a resident there as well, he heard the people’s calls and understood their fear of having hitter recreational spaces taken away.

The U-turn was announced during a Labour rally on Tuesday evening in the same locality. Abela said the project would be stopped at once following several protests by residents and activists which kicked off in August.

This is when Transport Malta first published a pre-qualification document that suggested most of the bay would be taken up by pontoons and yacht facilities. Despite the U-turn, the Nationalist Party expressed its doubt at the U-turn actually being permanent.

In a press conference, candidates Robert Cutajar, Janice Chetcuti and John Baptist Camilleri highlighted how the u-turn proved the PN to be right all along. Cutajar said that the PN is not against growth, but this must be done sustainably and not to the detriment of the environment.

On their part, the ADPD said that the government’s decision to scrap the plans was a voting-catching exercise. ‘Had your vote not been on the line do you think the governing party would have taken the right decision for the area when their track record of developing and clearing green spaces, nature and trees is apparent across the whole country?’ formally asked chairperson Carmel Cacopardo.

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Nationalist Party want to terminate Gozo hospital privatisation

Feb 23 2022

A new Nationalist Government pledged that if elected, it would immediately reacquire the Gozo general hospital and stop the contract with Steward healthcare.

This was announced on Wednesday as part of the party’s proposal for Gozo by leader Bernard Grech. ‘Immediately, if we are entrusted to govern, we will be ending the privatisation agreement of the only hospital in Gozo’ he said.

Grech said that they are ready to honour the contract but this is between two parties. ‘If a contract has serious shortcomings and is not honoured by Steward, it should be addressed. I am determined to stop the contract as I value the healthcare of the Gozitans more.’

Saying that the PN was presenting an ambitious, credible and doable electoral program, the party would, if elected into government, be constructing a new 400-bed hospital in Gozo to offer the best care possible to the Gozitans.

Grech promised that all employees working at the current hospital would be absorbed by the new one. The government would also be financing cancer treatment on the island whilst also providing a new MRI service.

This would be accompanied by the building of a new MCAST campus in Gozo and the introduction of courses to the 10 new sectors which the party pledged to create. Apart from this, a Malta Enterprise branch will be set up on Malta’s sister island to continue aiding the industry and businesses for them to have means to increase operations in Gozo.

Reiterating the pledges to increase the size of the Mgarr harbour and the increase of the fleet by two new ships, Grech said Gozitans have to deal with double insularity. ‘We will be improving the lives of Gozitans and reach a balance between excellent accessibility and a healthy economy.’

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UEFA set to strip Russia of Champions League final

Feb 23 2022

It is being reported that European football governing body UEFA are considering relocating the UEFA Champions League final from St. Petersburg in Russia, due to the country’s current tension with neighbouring country Ukraine.

This notion was also suggested by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who during parliament in the House of Commons, said that there is “no way” that Russia will be allowed to host a major football event after it’s decision to “invade a sovereign country”.

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As of right now many reports are saying that UEFA are looking at Wembley stadium as a potential replacement for the Gazprom arena in Russia. This idea was further supported after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Covid-19 restrictions will be coming to an end in the coming weeks in England, meaning it will be easier to organize for UEFA.

However a report from ESPN has stated quite the opposite with their sources telling them that whilst relocation of the final is quite likely, Wembley is not being considered. This is for a number of reasons primarily, the stadium has already been booked by the EFL to stage the promotion playoffs on the same weekend and that Wembley will already be the host of the final in 2024. The recent disorder and violence seen after the Euro 2020 final in Wembley is also another reason.ż

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The criteria’s for UEFA, for a substitute venue are it being a major European city with the stadium, transport links, infrastructure and accommodation to cater for around 100,000 visiting supporters. Other venues in London such as Tottenham’s and West Ham’s stadiums are reportedly being considered. Other cities like Rome, Barcelona, Munich, Paris and Amsterdam are also being considered.

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