The Voice of the Maltese No 281

(We are for the Greater Malta) A fortnightly print and digital magazine Issue 281 August 16, 2022 The Voice of the TMaltese he Voice of the Maltese The entrance into Malta’s old, Silent City, Mdina

2 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Madwar tliet snin ilu konna ġejna mogħtija l aħbar li d dar għall anzjani li hemm biswit La Valette Social Centre f ’Walters Road Blacktown NSW li kienet bdiet tinbena fl 1986 kienet se tinbiegħ. Id Dar hi mmexxija mill Kon gregazzjoni tad Dumnikani ta’ Malta, imma s sorijiet Dumnikani kien ilhom jservu fil qasam tal kura tal anzjani għal 32 sena. Kienu qalu li se jitilqu u li se jibdew proċess biex isibu sidien ġodda Intqal li l Kongregazzjoni Dumnikana kienet qed tfittex alternattivi oħra iżda bħal kull ordni reliġjuza oħra, il vokazzjonijiet naqsu u s sorijiet li hemm bħalissa huma ta’ etá avvanzata Fi stqarrija (limitata) li kienu ħargu f ’Ottubru 2019, is sorijiet Dumnikani kienu stqarrew li kienu qed ifittxi xi kon gregazzjoni simili biex tixtri din id dar Iżda kien issokta jingħad fl istqarrija li, fl ebda ċirkostanza ma kienu se jħallu lis sidien il godda, li jagħlqu dawn il faċilitajiet għax xjuħ jew jigu wżati għall skopijiet oħra Dakin nhar is sorijiet kienu avżaw lir residenti u lill familji tagħhom b’dak li kienu qed jippjanaw Iżda din id dar, l unika waħda fl istat ta’ NSW li hija ta’sidien u mmexxija minn Maltin giet mib nija bil ġenerożitá kbira tal komunitá Maltija Għalhekk il komunita’ Maltija kollha, għandha d dritt li tkun taf x’qed jigi ppjanat Sintendi, il pjanijiet tal bejgħ gew milquta mill pandemija Imm’issa jidher li dawk minn Melbourne li qed jagħtu pariri lis sorijiet reġgħu avvanzaw il pjanijiet ħalli din d dar tax xjuħ tinbiegħ M’aħniex certi ma’ min qed jinnegozjaw is sorijiet per mezz ta’ dawk li qed jagħtuhom il pariri. Dan l aħħar The Voice of the Maltese sirna nafu li nħoloq konsorzju ta’ Maltin im mexxi mill Prof Stephen Gatt (li għal ħafna snin kien President tal organizazzjoni li mexxiet din id dar) li lesti li jixtru u jmexxu din id dar biex fuq kollox ma tintilifx minn dar tax xjuħ għall Maltin Għad irridu nisimgħu ħafna iktar dwar dan il bejgħ izda nittamaw li s sorijiet iżommu lill komunitá Maltija mgħarrfa b’dak li jkun qed iseħħ għax id dar tax xjuħ fi Blacktown NSW giet mibnija bil generożitá tal Maltin u għalkemm is sorijiet Dumnikana mexxe wha tajjeb ħafna, madankolllu se jieħdu wkoll il ġid kollu li se joħrog mill bejgħ Tajjeb li nagħtu ftit tagħrif dwar St Do minic’s Village for the Aged Is sorijiet li kienu stabbiliti fi Greystanes xtraw l ewwel art f ’Rouse Hill fl 1972 imma l ewwel ten tattiv ma kienx irnexxa Imbagħad fl 1980 xtraw ħames acres u nofs fi Blacktown u fil 11 ta’ Mejju 1986 tqiegħdet l ewwel ġebla ta’ din id dar, filwaqt li sentejn wara, fl 1988 tlesta l bini u telqu minn Greystanes biex issetiljaw fi Blacktown Mill ewwel ġiet iffurmata s St Dominic’s Village Association u ġiet irregistrata

bħala Charitable Organisation (organizzazzjoni karitattiva) Skont rapport ippubblikat f ’The Maltese Herald (16/11/99) din l għaqda kienet gabret is somma ta’ $400,000 biex giet imwaqqfa d dar għax xjuħ L ewwel resident li kien daħal f ’din id dar fil 11 ta’ Frar 1988 kien Salvu Pace Id-dar tax-xjuħ fi Blacktown għallbejgħ mill-ġdid – min s e jix tr ih a ? Is sinjal li juri d dħul għas St Dominic’s home fi Blacktown L Annunciation Hall parti mid dar tax xjuħ Il grada ewlenija fil faċċata ta’ St Dominic’s home for the elderly

Judge Rees also found that at no stage had Ms Bachman provided Ms D writ ten consent to act on her behalf, nor had Ms D provided Ms Bachman with any advice during the development of the BFA that Mr Donohoe was not also privy to The BFA was duly set aside due to non compliance with the Family Law Act Key Takeaways

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 3

When Binding Financial Agreements aren’t so binding: Bachman & Donohoe [2021]

Another service offered by The Voice of the Maltese providing legal information to our readers

We have provided you with an overview of the topic above but you should consult a professional for advice specific to your circumstances For All Your Legal Needs Now at: 21 George Street Parramatta Phone: 8599 8877 Also at: Level 4, 370 Pitt Street, Sydney. Ph: 8355 9999 Email: paul sant@longtonlegal com au Maltese Spoken PAUL SANT (SOLICITOR) PARTNER AT LONGTON LEGAL

A BFA sets outs how the parties’ as sets, liabilities, financial resources and superannuation are to be divided in the event of final separation There are stringent legal require ments for BFAs to be legally enforce able, as they effectively oust the Court’s jurisdiction under the F a m i l y Law Act 1975 (the ‘Family Law Act’) to divide the property between two par ties after final separation

Ms D was already known to both par ties having attended social events with them She also owned part of a boat with the parties Shortly after the transfer of property, Ms D prepared a BFA for the parties The BFA was signed on 22 June 2016 In October 2019, the parties separated on a final basis and Mr Donohoe sought to rely on the terms of the BFA, however, Ms Bachman argued that the BFA was not enforceable, as the par ties did not receive truly independent legal advice before signing the BFA For a BFA to be enforceable, the agreement must comply with section 90UJ(1)(b) of the Family Law Act, which requires that: ‘before signing the agreement, each spouse party [is] provided with inde p e n d e n t l e g a l a d v i c e f ro m a l e g a l p r a c t i t i o n e r a b o u t t h e e f f e c t o f t h e agreement on the rights of that party and about the advantages and disad vantages, at the time that the advice was provided, to that party of making the agreement ’ Ms Bachman argued that Ms D did not provide her with independent legal advice and as such, the BFA was not enforceable. Ms D had provided legal advice to both parties during the trans fer of Ms Bachman’s property and re finance of the related mortgage Additionally, Ms D drafted the terms of the BFA almost exclusively in con junction with both Ms Bachman and Mr Donohue. Merely five days prior to signing the BFA, Ms D referred Mr Donohoe to another solicitor, Mrs B, to obtain in dependent legal advice, while Ms D was to provide advice to Ms Bachman. At this point in time, Ms D claims that she was exclusively providing inde pendent legal advice to Ms Bachman However, her emails at the time were predominantly addressed to both Ms Bachman and Mr Donohoe and she had discussed the terms of the BFA during meetings with both parties present. Ms Donohoe commenced proceed ings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court to have the BFA set aside Judge Rees found that Ms D had in fact been acting for both parties when drafting the terms of the BFA and that she was therefore unable to provide truly inde pendent legal advice to Ms Bachman

One such requirement under the Fam ily Law Act is that each party, before signing the BFA, mu s t be provided with independent legal advice. If this requirement is not properly met, the BFA may be set aside Whether each party had received in dependent legal advice before signing a BFA was the central question asked in the recent case of Bachman & Dono hoe [2021]. The Facts Ms Bachman and Mr Donohoe were in a de facto relationship for 4 to 5 years. Sometime during this period, the pair agreed that Ms Bachman would transfer to Mr Donohoe a half share in her property for $2,500,000 The par ties engaged a solicitor referred to as Ms D to assist with the transfer, which occurred on 10 March 2016

BFAs made before marriage are colloquially referred to as ‘ pre nups ’

BFAs are highly technical documents that Courts are not hesitant to overturn should they fail to comply with the Family Law Act, or where it is just and equitable to do so in the circum stances. This case highlights the importance of ensuring truly independent legal ad vice is obtained, even during the initial stages of drafting a BFA It is also important that such advice is obtained from a solicitor with an in depth knowledge of family law so that the quality of advice also meets the standard required by the Family Law Act by PaulSANT

A Binding Financial Agreement (‘BFA’) is a contract that can be made at any time before, during or after a de facto relationship or marriage between two partners

*Continued on page 5 Sir William McMahon Australia’s 20th Prime Minister In office from 10 March 1971 to 5 December 1972 4 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022 E n

Researched by Ro n B o r g McMahon with Prime Minister John Gorton in 1969

The 20th Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the Liberal Party, Sir William McMahon enjoyed the longest continuous ministerial service in Australian his tory. He was a government minister for over 21 years, but only served as PM for a year and 260 days. S ir William McMahon was born on 23 February 1908, the third among five children to solicitor Daniel McMahon and Mary (nee Walder), daughter of a sail maker. The family lived in Redfern, Syd ney, New South Wales His mother died when he was only nine; consequently, his kin raised him He saw little of his father or his siblings who were raised separately. An older brother, James died of the Spanish flu in 1919 His uncle Samuel Walder, a businessman and Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1932 acted as William's surrogate father William’s early schooling started at Ab botsholme College, a private school in Kil lara, where one of his mates was the future Prime Minister Harold Holt At the age of 18, his father also died, leav ing him a sizeable inheritance. He later at tended Sydney Grammar School, where he failed the leaving certificate; but managed to pass a matriculation examination to enter St Paul's College, the University of Sydney in 1927, where he studied law and gradu ated in 1930 Although McMahon was an Anglican, he did not have a strong religious upbringing His father was a lapsed Catholic, while his mother's family were Anglican As a teenager he devel oped an interest in theology and read widely on the sub ject over the rest of his life. He was more in terested in the so cial scene than his degree, and spent his inheritance fre ely owning several racehorses He was also known to bet significant amo unts on the races. Despite his small stature of 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) as an adult, McMahon achieved some success as an athlete; he won his university's lightweight boxing title and, rowed in the "Head of the River" race at Sydney Grammar. After graduating he joined the major law firm, Allen, Allen & Hemsley as a solicitor It was here that his interest in politics was awakened, under the influence of Sir Norman Cowper In 1939, he became a junior part ner, and developed an interest in economics as he was assigned to different prominent banks. In April 1940, he joined the Citi zens Military Force as a lieutenant, and by October 1940 he was trans ferred to the Australian Imperial Force. Two years later he was pro moted to captain, and a year later to major But owing to his partial deaf ness and a knee injury he was de clared medically unfit for overseas service and his military career ended on 10 October 1945 At the end of his military career, for 18 months he travelled all over Europe and North America to study the ef fects of WWII. He returned to Sydney Uni versity in 1947, to study Economics and Public Administration graduated with a Bachelor of Economics degree In the December 1949 federal election he was elected Liberal member for Lowe, a seat he would hold on for the next 32 years Prime Minister Billy Hughes endorsed McMahon's candidacy and he established himself as a diligent, hard working member with sound knowledge of economics. After the 1951 election he became the the Navy and Air Force Minister in Robert Menzies' government Later he was made Minister for Social Services In 1956 he was made Minister for Primary Industry. In the 1958 election, he became Minister for Labor and National Service and in 1964 oversaw the introduction of The National Service Act that required compulsory con scription of 20 year old males in anticipa tion of the Australian involvement in South East Asia In 1965, at age 57, William married 32 year old Sonia Rachel Hopkins d e d t h e l o n g e s t u n b ro k e n run-in government in history

Former PM Sir William McMahon, with wife Sonia and children Julian (11), Debbie (6) and Melinda (12) *Next issue, John Gorton, catapulted in an extraordinary way to be the 19th PM He was a senator and resigned to become a member of the House of Representatives

The wedding was held three months later at St Mark's Church She would survive him by over 20 years She died on 2nd April 2010 at the age of 77 They had three children, Melinda, Julian and Deborah Julian is an actor and model while Melinda and Deborah lead largely private lives When Harold Holt replaced Menzies as Prime Minister in January 1966, McMahon becme deputy leader of the Liberals and chose the portfolio he so wished, Treasurer After Holt's disappearance in December 1967, Governor general R G Casey ap pointed McEwen, as interim Prime Minis ter, but McEwen was not keen to serve in a Coalition headed by McMahon Privately he told McMahon he did not trust him McMahon challenged the party leadership unsuccessfully but was nonetheless re elected as deputy leader In the November 1969 Federal election, he challenged Gor ton's leadership Gorton emerged victorious and demoted McMahon from Treasury to the Department of External Affairs. In March 1971 Gorton declared he no longer had the confidence of the party, and voluntarily resigned McMahon was elected leader (and thus prime minister) McMahon’s new position came at a bad time for the Coalition that was increasingly seen as tired and unfocused after 22 years in power He became Prime Minister at 63 and remains the oldest non interim PMto take office. The Australian Dictionary of Biography described his government as "a blend of cautious innovation and funda mental orthodoxy" It continued many of the policies of the immediate predecessors, in its final year it faced high inflation and unemployment In the 1972 federal election, McMahon was defeated by Gough Whitlam's Labor Party, ending the Coalition’s rule McMa hon's term as Prime Minister ended on 5 December 1972 He did not immediately resign as Liberal leader, but it soon became clear that he had no support to continue In a TV inter view in June 1973, McMahon stated, “disloy alty within our own party" was the main reason the Liberals had lost the election He said he had three regrets from his time as PM: he failed to abolish national service, mishan dled the 1971 budget, and was a poor communicator. During the campaign McMahon had even been abandoned by some of his own min isters, unheard of in a Westminster system The Coalition was swept from power on an eight seat swing. On election night, with the result beyond doubt, McMahon con ceded defeat, ending the longest unbroken run in government in Australian history He had been a minister continuously for 21 years and six months, a record that has never been threatened After the election, McMahon returned to the backbench and after the 1980 election, was the sole ‘Father of the House’ winning the election for a fourteenth and final time at the age of 72 In his final years in parliament, he was often critical of the Fraser Government, and left parliament in January 1982 citing dis satisfaction with the 1981 budget as a major factor in his decision to retire before a general election William McMahon was nicknamed "Billy the Leak" for his willingness to divulge in timate and confidential information to the media Despite this, he was disliked by many journalists and political commenta tors Newspaper columnist Peter Ryan, said that "McMahon's way of politics was one of lying and leaking, conniving and con spiring, deceit and double crossing" A leading political journalist, Laurie Oak es who spent over 50 years in the Canberra Press Gallery, viewed McMa hon as "a liar and a sneak" and rated him as the worst Prime Minister he had worked with. He recalled that McMahon had continued leak ing cabinet dis cussions even while in office Unfortunately, William McMa hon does not enjoy a great esteem as a Prime Minister In 2001 the Australian Financial Review, ranked him amongst the worst five Prime Ministers, and similarly, in 2004, The Age reported that seven out of eight historians ranked McMahon as the worst Prime Min ister since World War II In addition to his poor reputation, several ministers that served with him in Cabinet de scribed him, as: "utterly untrustworthy", that "he had an insatiable ambition he was to tally amoral", and "conspiratorial, devious and untrustworthy" Governor General (1969 1974), Sir Paul Hasluck viewed him as "disloyal, devious, dishonest, untrustwor thy, petty, cowardly", and referred to him as "that treacherous bastard" However, some writers defended McMa hon's reputation, arguing that he was a skilled politician unfairly scape goated for an almost inevitable election loss Australian journalist, Mungo McCollum, noted, that while he left no lasting achieve ments, McMahon’s prime minister ship was "brief but cheerful interlude" and praised him for leaving office with good grace Leader of the Liberal Party Andrew Pea cock, who served in McMahon's ministry, said that McMahon was "much better than he has been painted... He is somewhat ill treated by history", and described him as "difficult, irascible, nervous yet capable" In his memoirs, Gough Whitlam wrote that McMahon was "an extraordinarily skilful, resourceful and tenacious politician." In retirement, McMahon devoted much of his time to working on his memoirs, titled A Liberal View, but six publishers, and re viewers rejected them as being poorly written and overly detailed. In his final years, McMahon underwent a series of operations related to skin cancer He died in his sleep on the morning of 31 March 1988 at St. Luke's Private Hospital at Potts Point in New South Wales His re mains were cremated at the Northern Sub urbs Crematorium, and on 8 April a state memorial service was held at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney Sir Wiliam McMahon (right) in his meeting with the then United States President Richard Nixon at the Whitehouse in 1971

*Continued from pag 4

Tuesday, August 16 , 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 5

Was William McMahon the worst Prime Minister ever?

6 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Consul on the Move Schedule 2022 The High Commission of Malta has the pleasure to announce the resumption of the Consul on the Move (COTM) in Australia & New Zealand in 2022. Please find below the Schedule of COTM visits: STATE/CITY DATE VENUE Wellington, NZ 14 September 2022 Auckland, NZ Perth, WA Adelaide, SA Brisbane, QLD Mckay, QLD Cairns QLD 16 September 2022 07 10 October 2022 04 05 October 2022 21 25 November 2022 28 30 November 2022 02 03 December 2022 Victoria University, Murphy Building, Level 8, Kelburn Para de, Kelburn Wellington 6140 NZ Europe House, Auckland Univer sity of Technology, Auckland, NZ Maltese Association of Western Australia, 1 May Holman Way, Bassendean WA 6054 Australia Maltese Guild of South Australia, 6 Jeanes Street, Beverley, SA 5009 Australia Greek Honorary Consulate, Level 7, 10 Eagle Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000 Australia Lanai Riverside Apartments, Mackay, 20 River Street, Mackay QLD 4740 Australia Joe Vella Insurance Brokers, 108 Mulgrave Road, Cairns City, QLD 4870 Australia High Commission & Consulates of Malta in Australia MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS Consulate General - Sydney Mr Lawrence Buhagiar (Consul General) St Martins Tower, Suite 10 04, Level 10, 31 Market St, Sydney NSW 2000 (02) 9262 9500 0430 402 177 (02) 9264 4722 maltaconsulate sydney@gov mt lawrence c buhagiar@gov mt Consulate General - Melbourne Vacant Suite 613, 6th Floor, 343 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 (03) 9670 8427 0413 621 177 (03) 9670 9451 maltaconsulate melbourne@gov mt High Commission of Malta - Canberra H E Mr Mario Farrugia Borg High Commissioner for Malta to Australia 38 Culgoa Circuit, O’Malley, ACT 2606 (02) 6290 1724 / 1426 / 1573 0433 799 947 wm ww.foreignandeu gov mt Ms. Chirelle Ellul Sciberras (Consul General) 0433 799 746 highcommission.canberra@gov.mt 0430 378 407

The COTM programme is a service offered by the ministry that conforms to the government’s vision to have govern mental services closer to its citizens ava ive co u

The COTM programme caters for Maltese communities living abroad by providing government services closer to their home, such as new applica tions/renewals of passports, applica tions for citizenship and registrations of birth/death/marriage certificates. In order to serve the Maltese commu nities in this countries, the Maltese em bassies abroad have invested in a new COTM toolkit through an investment of around €250,000 from the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade

Those interested in the Consul on the Move special services can contact the High Commis sion in Canberra (see advertisement below) Beside Australia, the Consul on the Move Programme is currently also available in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand

The toolkit consists of a tablet that includes a camera, fingerprint reader, passport scanner, signature pad, bar code scanner and lighting. It incorpo rates all the six pieces of hardware that were previously used into one unit

n t r i e s

COT M

i l a b l e i n f

Shaun Bonétt after the award (above), and in relaxing mood (left)

Shaun Bonétt, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Precision Group, who started from a relatively humble beginning in Adelaide, South Aus tralia before growing his property develop ment firm Precision Group into a billion dollar plus enterprise, has recently been awarded a honorary doctorate by the Uni versity of South Australia Shaun Keith Alfred (his full name) was born in England His father Anton, an on cologist, is Maltese. He moved to Australia with his mother, Marlene in 1978 He founded Precision Group in 1994 and is principally responsible for the strategic direction of Precision in addition to playing an active role in the purchase, finance and development of all the Group’s commercial property transactions across all sectors

In 1991 Shaun, who is also Executive Chairman of Prezzee, Chairman of Litiga tion Lending Services, Director of iSelect, MD of Lenders Direct, Deputy Chairman of Life Education Australia, and Patron and Director of The Princes Trust, graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Arts from the University of Adelaide He is also a gradu ate of the University of South Australia. He understands the importance of diversifica tion, which he pursued from 2003 in mul tiple sectors including health, finance, and technology In May 2006 he negotiated one of the largest property swap transactions in Aus tralian history when he swapped Precision Group's property at 160 Ann Street, Bris bane for MacArthur Central in Brisbane in a $186 million swap transaction Four years later his Precision Group was the first private Australian businesses to un dertake various finance transactions with the Bank of China and subsequently made submissions to the Foreign Investment Re view Board ("FIRB") to enable more Aus tralian businesses to access loans from International banks without having to first obtain FIRB approval.

Shaun Bonett (right with HRH The Prince of Wales) is also a Director and Patron of the Prince's Trust Australia, that provides a co-ordinating presence forthe Prince’s charitable endeavours in Australia

In 2015 Shaun also actively supported and made representations to Government for Australia's free trade agreement with China. That same year, after a pitch by Prezzee co founders, Precision became the startup’s primary investor Prezzee is now a global state of the art online platform that allows users to send greeting cards and purchase gift cards from a wide array of retailers worldwide It was one of several investments Precision has made outside of its core commercial prop erty business Precision now controls 85 per cent of Prezzee which has become Australia’s newest $1billion tech ‘unicorn’

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 7

Hon. Doctorate to Shaun Bonétt

The Honorary Award

During his acceptance speech, Shaun Bonett took the opportunity to implore the university’s students to seize the challenge of becoming leaders in their community, but reminded them that living a value based life was vital to achieve real success. He said his “elixir of life”, was “the devel opment of truly authentic relationships and limitless compassion”, with both giving him personally the strength to endure the bad times “and provide me with a sense of tran quil calm whenever life slows down”

University of Sth Australia awards

Occasionally, the University of South Australia confers the Honorary Award of Doctor of the University to a person of em inence who has made a distinguished con tribution to public service or a field of academic endeavour or artistic pursuit In the citation the University of South Australia Chancellor Pauline Carr said she was presenting the award to Shaun Bonétt in recognition of his distin guished service to the commu nity, she ex plained that he founded Preci sion Group in 1994 and serves as its Chief Execu tive Officer and Managing Director, and is principally responsible for its strategic direction of Precision. Shaun Bonnett understands the impor tance of diversification, which he pursued from 2003 in multiple sectors, including health, finance, and technology In 2015, after a pitch by Prezzee co founders, Preci sion became the startup's primary in vestor. The Chancellor outlined the success story of Precision under Shaun Bonétt and its firm stand ing in the world of retail, and pointed out his personal achievements, espe cially that he holds a Bachelor of Arts (Major in Jurispru dence), a Bachelor of Law and a Grad uate Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of South Australia and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of Australia He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Member of the Young Presidents' Organisation and a Member of the President's Council of the Art Gallery of New South Wales Shaun is also Deputy Chairman of Life Education Australia, a Patron and Director of The Princes Trust, a Director of the Chi nese Language and Culture Education Foundation of Australia, and the founder of his own charity the Heartfelt Foundation.

However, he is concerned that there is a risk that we are prioritising superficiality and self aggrandisement over deep connec tion, with much of the blame to be laid at the feet of social media

8 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Have your say/Xi trid tghid? P r i n t & D i g i t a l m a g a z i n Pe r i n t & D i g i t a l m a g a z i n e The Voice of the Maltese is is a bi lingual (in English and Maltese) fortnightly mag azine that specifically targets all Maltese living abroad with emphasis on the Australian and Maltese scenes. e magazine can be read in flip book or PDF format online. A pdf copy is sent via email on request. Hard copy subscription is also available at a cost. Editors: Malta: Joseph Cutajar Australia: Lawrence Dimech: MOM, OAM, JP Rt email address: maltesevoice@gmail.com Pr i n t & D i g i t a l m a g Pa r i n t & D i g i t a l m a g a z i n ze i n e Letters for publication in The Voice magazine, either in Maltese or English should include name, e mail address and residence 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 Your letters/ L-ittri tagħkom ... For issues concerning: Ageing and disability - community services education environ ment - health - housing - planning Police transport water State Member for Prospect Dr Hugh McDermott MP P: (02) 9756 4766 E: prospect@parliament nsw gov au 2/679 The Horsley Dr, Smithfield NSW 2164

Paul Zammit from St Kilda, Victoria writes: Where news in Maltese from Malta is concerned, SBS TV promised us the world, therefore we so rightly feel betrayed by what they are presenting to us It is as if they are treating us like people from a backward country On the other hand, I think it is SBS that is losing face and credibility with us Maltese

L O h i o k i e n i d d a ħ ħ a l m i n n M a l t i m i l l - B i r g u

Lawrence Scerri from Warrawong, NSW writes: While the daily Maltese news on TV is a welcome sign, SBS TV never shows any Maltese movies or some drama series Malta has produced high quality drama series and films like Luzzu, Blood on the Crown, and others. Drama series shown in Malta like L Għarusa’, or Iċ Ċaqqufa ought also to be shown in Australia They would appeal not only to Maltese viewers but also to others SBS shows content in Chinese, French, Italian, Arabic, etc , but the Maltese content is ignored and not given value People should call SBS TV to request and demand that Maltese content too is shown for the Maltese diaspora the largest in Australia.

Nuqqas ta’ kleru Malti

Thanks to The Voice magazine we have learned that despite what some may think, those letting us down are not Malta, but a gigantic TV station that supposedly enjoys a great reputation, SBS I have a suggestion to make that could perhaps improve the situation My sugges tion is, that SBS should appoint somebody in Australia, possibly Maltese with work ing knowledge of some TV technology and make him responsible for seeing to it that the feed for the full Maltese news bul letins is downloaded on a daily basis and aired at the established time by SBS I would rather also suggest that whoever is put in charge has some knowledge of TV technique, so when SBS encounters some technical hitch, as SBS have said they keep encountering, this person would record the news, from TVM either live or on demand, even if just on USB from a computer, and then put that on air instead, even if it loses some of the shine. I may not be that technical, however, I have tried it with the news, or any other programme for that matter that was able to watch it later on my TV set Surely, with the sophisticated equipment that SBS must have, they could do it even better than me

SBS has breached its promise Joe Scicluna minn Birkirkara jikteb: Kien jixraq li fl aħħar ħarġa ta’ The Voice ġie ppubblikat l artiklu dwar il Konvoj ta’ Santa Marija u l bastiment Ohio dakinhar li Malta kienet kwazi ċediet Meta daħal il vapur Ohio kien ta’ sulliev u Malta kompliet tagħti sehema biex intrebhet il gwerra. L interesanti l fatt, u li ta’ min jibqa’ jif takru, li dakinhar il Pilota tal Port li daħħal l Ohio waqt il ħbit feroċi tal l ajruplani Ger manzi, kien Malti mill Birgu, Wenzu Attard Maria Demicoli minn Seven Hills NSW tikteb: Qrajt b’interess fil paġna tal aħbari jiet minn Malta (VOTM Awwissu 2) il kumment dwar in nuqqas ta membri tal kleru f ’Malta, u għal xi raġuni jiet min kiteb qabbel dan mat talba tal Maltin fl Awstralja u n nuqqas serju tas saċerdoti Maltin Malta mhux nuqqasijiet ta’ sacerdoti għandha imma ħafna knejjes, kappelli u kunventi fi kważi kull kantuniera Dan lussu li żgur ma ssibu mkien ieħor fid dinja. Il Maltin li ġew imbuttati mill knisja Maltija, skont l Arċisqof Mons Sir Michael Gonzi, “as a safety valve” biex jitilqu minn Malta u jfittxu futur f ’pajjiżi mhux insara u jaqgħu taħt il kategorija ta’ “missjonijiet”,u kif jieħdu ħsieb dawk il Perú, l Afrika, l Brażil, il Gwatemala, eċċ, irrdu jieħdu ħsieb ukoll il Maltin li emigraw. Imqabbla ma’ pajjiżi oħra Malta għandha abbundanza ta’ saċerdoti Il problema hi kif dawn jiġu mmaniġġjati u kif xogħolhom

ħafna drabi jista’ jsir minn lajċi Xbajna nisimgħu skużi! S B S T V a l e t d o w n !

He said that Jurassic World: Dominion had left a positive impact on the island, and that the film showcases Malta as Malta, and has helped to push the country’s film industry reputation, and its tourism ”

As Jurassic World Dominion roar s into screens, Malta hopes the spotlight on its historic sites in the movie will attract traveller s to the destination.

Malta is wooing tourists with dinosaurs roaming its streets

The dinosaur in Birgu The dinosaur in St George’s Square Valletta

I n the latest Jurassic movie, Jurassic World: Dominion, which was partially shot in Malta, the island’s famous St George's Square ‘was ‘overrun ‘with dinosaurs, chasing actors Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard through the cobbled corners of Valletta Now the three figures of “Blue” and “Beta”, the velociraptors that starred in the film that premiered in Malta in June have become tourist attractions for the duration of the summer in the three cities around the island that featured in the film, at St George’s Square in Valletta, near the Free dom monument in Birgu and near the Mel lieħa police station

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, who unveiled the figures with Film Commis sioner Johann Grech said that this initia tive and these attractions would serve as a platform for Malta to continue being an at tractive destination in the world of cinema and tourism He said it would also serve as an important contributor to family tourism, “which,” he said, is another im portant niche for the tourism performance of the country, to continue to combine two very important principles, those of quality and consistency ”

The Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta Film Commission are banking on the popularity of the film by launching these Jurassic World attractions in form of full scale models of the dinosaurs

The Minister further stated that along with the Film Commission, the ministry is working to set up the island’s first ever soundstage

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 9

The aim is for Malta to improve the screen tourism niche through which tourists, together with Maltese and Gozi tan families, can experience Jurassic World not only on screen but also in the spots where this film was shot

On his part, Johann Grech, the Commis sioner for Films said that the Commission would continue in its efforts to reach its main goal of having a world class film in dustry that offers opportunities to every one He said that the Film Commission would continue to work to ensure that the film industry is back to back with new pro ductions in Malta He added that these were the first step to wards ‘screen tourism’, and that more ini tiatives are in the pipeline “We will continue to invest in jobs, and also for Malta to eventually have a world class film industry,” he said The statues that were produced by Uni versal studios come with a plaque provid ing details of the dinosaur and the film Meanwhile, in a message for visitors to Malta, Carlo Micallef, CEO of Malta Tourism Authority said that the Maltese are proud of our beautiful islands with its deep blue seas, Mediterranean country side and historical architecture that has formed the backdrop for over 200 international movies, films and television productions

He said that visitors to Malta have plenty to explore and discover They can immerse themselves in the vibrant Maltese culture, from cultural village and music festivals, meandering though charming cobbled streets and stepping back into history within the UNESCO World Heritage sites and soaking up the warm sunshine while swimming throughthe island’s clear blue waters

ġarrfu ‘l - K a t i d r a l t a ’ M a l t a B’dispjaċir ngħarrfu li mirħabba im penni oħra, Ivan Cauchi, li kien ilu mill ħarġa Nru 76 (27 ta’ Mejju 2014) jikteb b’mod regolari l artikli dwar diversi temi fir rubrika Perspettiva, se jkollu jieqaf F’isem il qarrejja li tant kienu jaq rawh b’interess, nagħtuh ħajr għall kontribut li ta biex The Voice kiseb il popolaritá u l preġju li jgawdi bħalissa Grazzi Ivan!

Meta fil-gwerra l-Ġermaniżi

10 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022 A p r o u d s p o n s o r o Af p r o u d s p o n s o r o f The Voice of Tthe he Voice of the Maltese Maltese website: www.breakawaytravel.com.au blacktown@breakawaytravel.com.au Tel (02) 9622 B7799 reakaway Travel 94 cor ner of Main & Campbell Streets, Blacktown NSW ..... W We e a a rree N O NW O W O P E N F O R B U S I N E S OS P E N F O R B U S I N E S S L aktar u l aktar fis sajf, imma minn dejjem, il Fosos tal Furjana laqgħu l eluf kbar ta’ Maltin u anke bar ranin għal attivitajiet diversi, kemm jekk reliġjużi, politiċi jew ta’ divertiment, u se ibqgħu jagħmlu hekk f ’din l akbar wesgħa fil Gżejjer Maltin Kull darba, f ’dawn il manifestazzjonijiet, l aktar jekk ma nżul ix xemx, tispikka d dehra mill isbaħ, imdawwla, il knisja mestuża ddedikata lill ewwel Isqof ta’ Malta, il qaddis San Publju Mhemmx persuna f ’Malta li ma tafx b’din il knisja, imma forsi ftit hemm min jaf minn xhiex għaddiet fl eqqel żmien tat tieni gwerra dinjija X’aktarx li meta wieħed jitkellem jew jaqra dwar dak li seħħ fis snin tat tieni Gwerra Dinjija 1939 1945 il Furjana ftit tissemma Ħalliha li minħabba li hija parti mill inħawi tal Port il Kbir, u għal hekk bħall ibliet bi xtuthom fuq il Port, il poplu Furjaniż laqqat hu wkoll il bombi tal għadu u l qirda bħal ma laqqtu r residenti tal ibliet tal Kottonera Imma l akbar weġgħa u l agħar esperjenza għall Furjaniżi kienet it tiġrif tal knisja titulari ddedi kata lil San Publju, il ko patrun ta’ Malta u patrun tal Furjana, u l vara nni fisha, traġedja li seħħet fil bumbardamenti tat 28 ta’ April ta’ 80 sena ilu, fit 28 ta’ April 1942 Fl istess bumbardamenti mietu wkoll disa’ Furjaniżi, tnejn oħra ndarbu u 12 in tradmu imma jidher li b’xorti tajba baqgħu ħajjin. Ma kienx hemm triq li ma batietx l effett ta’ dwn l attakki Imma donnu li għall għadu t trijonf kien li ġarrfu dak li ddeskrivewh bħala “il Katidral ta’ Malta’ Il ħin meta ntlaqat baqa’ rreġistrat fuq l arloġġ taħt il kampnar tan naħa ta’ Balzunetta tal Knisja Parrokkjali

The promised half hour daily news aired at 4.30 pm commenced on the 23rd May 2022 and was most welcomed after the Maltese were only provided with two half hour shows on Thursdays and Sundays.

A n e w p u b l i c g a r d e n p ro j e c t over parking area in Ħamrun

SBSTV confirmed with The Voice of the Maltese that, in fact, there were intermittent technical issues in Valetta and Sydney that are at the core of the prob lems experienced on air for our audience in Australia This, according to SBSTV it is not human error or slackness or incompetence, but rather a difficult tech nical setup that is occupying the minds of several people across four organisations to find solutions and a permanent fix No one wants this to continue They are both seeking a solution and won't give up until it is understood and finalised It is a priority When Malta Public Broadcasting Service was con tacted, we were told that it is very unfortunate to hear about this situation since PBS is continuously feeding SBS with their service. When PBS was alerted by SBS to provide further assistance, they reacted immediately However, they could not do more than that since they are not in con trol of SBS's schedule, and they do not even have a return feed to monitor the Australian service PBS checked with their technical and operations de partments but they have not received any alerts from SBS either. We are assured that both SBSTV and PBS technicians are doing their very best We understand that this is a daily technical operation. SBSTV needs to be ab solutely sure which programmes to syndicate when picking - no human error or slackness

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

The Executive Head of WasteServ, Richard Bilocca, explained that this is another GreenServ project to cre ate recreational accessibility to all in one of Malta’s most popular urban centres, and enable families and res idents to enjoy a nearby beautiful en vironment

Anew garden has been inaugu rated over a parking area in Misraħ is 7 ta’ Ġunju 1919 in Ħamrun that will provide a new life line at the heart of the community. The 500 square metre garden that rests on an innovative metal structure has been embellished with trees, bushes and various plants and benches to render it a garden of tranquillity

An increase of 4,430 enterprises in one year A ground level view of the new project at Ħamrun

The project utilised sustainable ma terial for recycled aluminium benches and shade awnings incorpo rating a number of solar panels to generate electricity to illuminate the garden and as USB charging points for charging mobiles and other elec tronic equipment A water reservoir has also been in corporated to be used for irrigation purposes, while charging points have been installed in the underground parking beneath the garden for elec tric vehicles The Minister for the Environment, Miriam Dalli, said this project will be offering a green space to help im prove the quality of life of residents living in urban areas The project has been financed by the National Social Development Fund (NSDF)

The Voice of the Maltese 11 T h e d a i l y M a l t e s e n e w s o n S B S T V I ndications are that the half hour daily news on SBSTV WorldWatch is normalising after experi encing various hiccups that left the Maltese Aus tralian viewers worried, frustrated and confused

According to the National Of fice for Statistics, NSO, last year there were almost 56,000 ac tive enterprises, an increase in just a year of 4,430, that is, 8 6% The greatest increase was in warehousing and transport fol lowed by professional, technical and scientific activities, and then the construction sector The majority are small enter prises that engage up to nine em ployees Last year there were 18,227 entities that had employ ees, an increase of 8 5% over the previous year

New scheme for local councils to implement sustainable projects Minister Miriam Dalli discussing the scheme Malta Tourism Authority has renewed its agreement to be the official destination partner of English Premier League Foot ball club Manchester United that would be promoting Malta as a tourist destination to its 1 1 bil lion followers worldwide Manchester United and Malta have a strong connection, char acterised by a long history with Malta proudly hosting the old est international Manchester United supporters’ club The VisitMalta brand is there fore benefiting from solid ex posure during the club’s home matches at Old Trafford and digital marketing channels, so cial media and its printed media worldwide.

The first ever visit by a Saudi foreign affairs minis ter was made with the sole purpose of having this bi lateral meeting with his Maltese counterpart From his end, Min ister Ian Borg said that this fact shows how instrumental and important this meeting was “Through this strategic meet ing we are sending a clear mes sage that the time has come for our relationship to develop particularly in the sectors of economy and culture among others", Minister Borg said He further believes that there is a need for a strengthened strategic relationship to facili tate business between the two countries In this regard, an agreement was reached about the need for the Joint Commis sion on the Economy to con tinue with its work and thus increase the opportunities for business and trade between the two countries. Minister Borg also mentioned the educational, cultural and tourism sectors as having strong potential for cooperation, and discussed with Prince Faisal the energy sector and dependence on different sources Malta's commitment to con tinue to be a voice in favour of international peace and secu rity in the United Nations Se curity Council was reiterated, and Minister Borg went said how, on a European level, Malta would continue to support European relations with Saudi Arabia while ensuring that the Persian Gulf region continues to be given the strategic im portance it deserves The Saudi Minister said he is very optimistic that his visit to Malta would serve to strengthen the ex cellent relations that al ready exist between the two countries both on the political, as well as com mercial levels He pointed out that Malta's support in interna tional fora was always ap preciated and wished it success in the United Nations Security Council. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also officially invited Minister Ian Borg to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to gether with a commercial del egation About Malta M a l t a , S a u d i A r a b i a a g re e o n m o re c o m m e rc i a l c o o p e r a t i o n

The news of the renewal was announced at a special press event at Old Trafford in Man chester, in the presence of the Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo, Anthony Gatt, Perma nent Secretary within the Min istry for Tourism, and Carlo Micallef, Chief Executive Of fice of the Malta Tourism Au thority (MTA) Minister Bartolo said that reaf firming VisitMalta as the offi cial destination partner of United would lead to an in crease in visibility and market ing coordination on an unprecedented level for the Maltese Islands not just in Eu rope but in other long haul markets such as America, Asia and the Middle East He said he was optimistic that this partnership agreement would cement Malta’s prospects in establishing itself as a central hub for sports tourism excellence in the com ing years.

M a l t a o n c e a g a i n M a n U t d ’s o f f i c i a l d e s t i n a t i o n p a r t n e r

Malta and Saudi Arabia have agreed on the need for more cooperation between the two countries in several sectors, prima rily when it comes to trade. This emerged from the first bilateral meeting in 47 years in Malta between Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg, and the Saudi Minister for Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

Minister for Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli has announced a scheme when for the first time local councils across Malta and Gozo can implement sustainable proj ects in their communities In a meeting held with the Director within the Directorate for Sustainable Development and the President of the Association for Local Councils the Minister emphasised the role of local councils as a catalyst to have more sustainable localities. She explained that the main objective of this fund is to assist communities in the development of projects that promote sustain ability in the various domains In this way Malta would be making further progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Local councils are being encouraged to propose projects that further improve the quality of life of the residents and that con tribute to the social, economic, and envi ronmental wellbe ing, such as improving accessi bility, creating open spaces, green mo bility projects, retrofitting of public buildings, and inno vative waste man agement practices.

12 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Roundup of News

The President, who attended the service with his wife Mrs Vella, also observed with a heavy heart, that eighty years later, other nation states continue to suffer the hard ships of war and endure famine and dis ease He said, “The escalation of violence in Ukraine, the war in Yemen, the threats of famine in Somalia, the spectre of under nourishment in many countries, and the more recent political squabbles hindering the safe passage of grain towards other countries, highlight a world which has, re grettably, not changed much from the mid 20th century”

While Arts Council Malta’s Director Mary Ann Cauchi stated that this collaboration aims at improving and sustaining the pub lishing industry with specific regard to book illustrators and graphic designers to provide them with more opportunities for professional and creative development News About Malta

Stengthening creative community and the publishing industry President George Vella lay ing a memorial wreath at sea Branch), was officiated by Canon Simon Godfrey, Chancellor of St Paul's Pro Cathedral in Valletta, and Fr Marius Zerafa A minute of silence was observed, and me morial wreaths were laid at sea

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 13 Roundup of

The Cippus, going back to the second century BC, which played a crucial role in deciphering the Phoenician alphabet in the 18th century, is on loan from the National Museum of Archaeology to the Musee Champollion in Figeac, France

Heritage Malta has loaned a number of artefacts from national collections for three temporary exhibitions currently be ing held in other countries

The Maritime Museum has loaned 20 artefacts from its collection to Corsica’s Musée di Bastia for its Mare Furioso ex hibition detailing lesser known history of pirates and corsairs in the Mediterranean, between the 15th and 19th centuries with a particular accent on Corsica and the long term effects of marauding by pirates It showcases over 200 exhibits from pres tigious museums and is open until 17 De cember

P re s i d e nt G e o rge Ve l l a d e l i ve r i n g h i s a d d re s s at t h e co m m e m o rat i o n

Addressing a commemorative service marking the 80th anniversary of Op eration Pedestal, also known as 'Il Konvoj ta' Santa Marija', President of Malta George Vella said that the jubilation, hope, and courage injected into Maltese spirits thanks to the arrival of the much needed supplies during the Second World War con tinue to be one of the most significant episodes in Malta’s most recent history

He also noted that the advancements in the fields of armament and of armed conflict, including new 'smart' weapons, over shadow humanity's learned lessons on the role of dialogue and peaceful multilateral diplomacy President George Vella said that com memorations such as this would lose their intended purpose if celebrated in isolation

“The purpose of our gathering here today is to commemorate a historical event and to acknowledge the interdependence of do mestic, regional, and international develop ment We also want to send a strong message on the important role of positive and active peace", he concluded The commemorative service organised by the Royal Navy Association (Malta An agreement has been signed between Arts Council Malta and the National Book Council aimed at strengthening the existing collaboration between these two entities for the promotion of several artistic and educational initiatives, particularly dur ing the National Book Festival and the Book Festival on Campus.

Commemorating 80th anniversary of ‘Operation Pedestal’

The artefacts from Malta include, maps and paintings, navigation instruments and a corsair chest, evidence of the historic links between Malta and Corsica whilst showing the island’s importance in the for mation of Mediterranean maritime culture MUŻA has collaborated with the Cit tadella Vescovile de Gerace by loaning 11 maiolica containers commissioned by the Order of St John and produced in Gerace in the 17th century that were used to store medicines This exhibition is being staged by the Museo Diocesano Tesoro della Catte drale di Gerace in Reggio Calabria, Italy and remains open until 1 October Malta loans Artefacts to 3 other countries

Commemorating 200 years from when Jean François Champollion deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics, the exhibition re mains open until 9th October

The signing of the MoU will also facilitate the integration of opportunities for the cre ative community working in and around the publishing industry, specifically illus trators and graphic designers Minister Owen Bonnici described the agreement as an important step that would lead to the full collaboration between the cre ative community and the publishing industry Minister Clifton Grima said that through this agreement the ministry of education is once again encouraging the work of this in dustry and would see to the strengthening of the Maltese book industry, the promo tion of reading, and an investment in books.

14 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Qbiżna

b’rata ħafna inqas minn dak li seħħ fl inħwi ta’ fuq tal pajjiż Mill aħħar ċensiment lil hawn, Birkirkara m’għadhiex l akbar lokalita’ f ’pajjiżna Issa l akbar lokalitá f ’Malta saret San Pawl il Baħar Birkirkara tinsab fit tieni post, kienet l aktar post popolat f ’Malta. Fl 1931, din kienet 22,779 Imma t tieni gwerra dinjija tat daqqa ta’ ħarta lill popolazzjoni għax minħabba l attakki kontinwi mill ajru fl in ħawi tal Port, ħafna fittxew il kenn fi bliet u rħula li kienu inqas milquta Meta spiċċat l gwerra ftit kienu li reġgħu lura lejn il belt, u f ’ċensiment li sar ftit wara t Tieni Gwerra, fl 1948, svela li l popolaz zjoni kienet niżlet għal 18,666 persuna Iżda minħabba diversi raġunijiet l eksodus mill belt kompla għaddej biex sal 1985, il popolazzjoni fil kaptali kienet naqqset għal 9,340, u fl 2021 sa niżlet għal 5157. Ftit jidher li hemm ċans li l belt tirkupra minn dan it tnaqqis fil popolazzjoni, mhux biss għax kwart tar residenti huma anzjani, imma aktar u aktar minħabba li l kirjiet u x xiri tal bini għola mas smewwiet Meta l gazzetta ILLUM tkellmet ma’ res identi li ilhom jgħixu s snin fil belt Valletta, dawn stqarrew li qed jispiċċaw ikollhom ji tilqu kontra qalbhom għax ma jlaħħqux mal prezzijiet tal kera li splodew ‘il fuq. Sid ta’ blokka bini qed jippreferi ibdilha f ’xi Boutique Hotel u minnha jaqla’ l eluf fis sena milli jaqla’ ċ ċiċri minn xi koppja anzjana jew bil familja li tgħix fl apparta menti tiegħu Veru li l kapitali Maltija llum ma baqgħetx post li tmut malli jibda jidlam, imma dan il qawmien huwa aktar dovut għan nies li jżu ruha milli għal dawk li jgħixu fiha Fil-belt il-popolazzjoni tkompli tonqos

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Skont l aħħar ċensiment li sa dak tal 2021 il popolazzjoni ta’ Malta qabżet in nofs miljun ruħ. Attwal ment mir rapport preliminari taċ ċensiment tal 2021 joħroġ li l popolazzjoni totali tal Gżejjer Maltin tammonta għal 519,562; żieda ta' 25% fi żmien 11 il sena, jiġifieri żieda medja ta' 10,000 persuna kull sena. Dawn iċ ċifri jindikaw żieda rekord fil popolazzjoni bejn ċensiment u ieħor. Imqabbel ma’ tal 1921, il popolazzjoni Maltija żdiedet b’darbtejn u nofs, u għall ewwel darba l għadd ta’ rġiel huwa akbar minn tan nisa billi l perċentwal tal irġiel issa laħaq it 52%. Din iż żieda fil popolazzjoni hija l aktar dovuta għall għadd ta’ barranin li jinsabu fil Gżejjer tagħna, tant li persuna minn kull ħamsa tal popolazzjoni hija barranija Dawn il barranin ikkontribwew ukoll biex jiżdied l għadd tal irġiel, billi l maġġo ranza kbira tagħhom huma rġiel Il barranin għenu wkoll biex il medja tal età’ niżlet l isfel billi meta mqabbla mal popolazzjoni Maltija l parti l kbira huma iżgħar fl età L età medja tal popolazzjoni hija ta' 41 7 L Għawdxin huma akbar fl età mill Maltin. Minkejja dan meta mqabbla mal età tal istati membri tal UE, l età medja Maltija hija iżgħar Il lokalità bl ikbar età hija l Imdina, b’medja ta' 53.8 filwaqt li x Xgħajra għandha l iżgħar, ta’ 37 sena Malta hija l aktar pajjiż b'densità ta' popolazzjoni għolja meta mqabbla ma' membri stati tal Unjoni Ewropea b'1,649 persuna għal kull kilometru kwadru Il medja Ewropeja hija ta' 100 persuna għal kull kilometru kwadru Għalkemm sin tendi uħud mill pajjiżi għandhom densita’ ferm akbar minn hekk La qed nittratta d densita’ tal popolaz zjoni, issa Tas Sliema saret l akta post li fih jgħixu nies f ’kull kilometru kwadru,15,617, filwaqt li r raħal tal Għasri hu l inqas, b'104 persuni Dan hekk kif terz tal popolazzjoni Maltija tgħix fit Tramuntana ta’ Malta, fil waqt li fin naħa t’isfel żdiedet ukoll, iżda n-nofs Miljun 3 & 4, 398 Hamilton Road, Fairfield West, NSW, 2165 Chrisbowenmp @bowenchris Please contact my office on (02) 9604 0710 or via Chris.Bowen.MP@aph.gov.au

filwaqt li l Mosta hija t tielet Filwaqt li fl ibliet u fl irħula Maltin il popolazzjoni ftit jew wisq fil popolaz zjoni żdiedet, mhux l istess fil belt Valletta Din kompliet tonqos u kienet tonqos aktar li kieku ma żdiedux l għadd ta’ bar ranin li marru jgħixu hemm. Fl imgħoddi l belt Valletta

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Ġ eneralment fis sajf ix xena poli tika tkun xi ftit kalma bil partiti jillimitaw l attivitajiet u jħallu l poplu jgawdi l jiem sħan ta’ dawn ix xhur Din is sena, wara li f ’Marzu saret l elez zjoni ġenerali, imbagħad il konferma tal Kap Bernard Grech, fil bidu tas sajf kellna l elezzjoni tal viċi kap tal Partit Nazzjon alista, għax il Partit Nazzjonalista kien id deċieda li jerġa’ jmur għaż żmien meta minflok tnejn bħall Partit Laburista kellu viċi kap wieħed Għal dil kariga kien hemm kandidat wieħed, l Avukat Alex Perici Calascione, li, fl elezzjoni għall ħatra, kiseb 90% tal voti tal Kunsillieri tal Partit Nazzjonalista minn fost il 71% tal 1,571 li vvutaw Fil waqt li 104 vvutaw kontra Mat tħab bir tar riżul tat saru xi diskorsi, fos thom minn wieħed mill eks viċijiet, Robert Ar rigo, li f ’dis korsu ma’ llimitax ruħu g ħ a s s o l t u r i n g r a z z j a menti u aw guri, imma, ħasad lill preżenti billi tkellem dwar l uġigħ li jħoss li minkejja li f ’elez zjoni wara l oħra dejjem irnexxielu jikseb fiduċja b’saħħitha mill elettorat, lejn l aħ ħar xhur tal kampanja elettorali li għaddiet ġie mwarrab u pprovaw jagħmillu l ħsara Arrigo qal li għadu ma jistax jifhem kif spiċċa mwarrab min nies li jimmilitaw fil partit Imma ma waqafx hemm Aktar tard, fuq il midja soċjali sostna li l Kap tal PN, Bernard Grech kien gideb meta f ’intervista kien semma li rapport dwar is Sindku Naz zjonalista tan Naxxar ma kienx lest “Huwa qal li r rapport ma kienx magħ mul, meta kien Dażgur hu qatt ma għandu tort lanqas għar riżultat orribbli fl Elez zjoni Ġenerali Ara nies oħrajn qablu, onorabbli, irriżenjaw wara riżultat diżas truż bal dan,” qal Arrigo saħaq li, “il Kap li jipprova jċek ken lill partit tiegħu stess u joqtol lill Am ministrattiv Kap li jigdeb quddiem it TV Il pass onorabbli huwa mistenni ” B’reazzjoni Grech qal li dak li qal Arrigo ma kienx minnu “Għalhekk il fatti juru li jien fl ebda ħin ma waqqaft il pubblikaz zjoni ta’ xi rapport li ġie mħejji mill Bord ta’ Etika u Dixxiplina u l każ tas Sindku tan N a x x a r qiegħed fuq l a ġ e n d a biex jiġi dis kuss qud diem il Kun sill Ammin istrattiv ” Iżda Arrigo ma waqafx hemm Wara ’intervista ma’ The Times intqal, “ the pain the party caused him over the last two years is worse than the pain he feels from the can cer he was diagnosed with five weeks ago ” Qal: “I gave everything to the party, down to my very health, and I am so hurt to see my party going down like this”

‘administrative

Xorta se jibqa’ lejali lejn il Partit Naz zjonalista: “I will never abandon the party. My family boasts of a 100 year history in this party ” Sintendi dan ġab ħafna kummenti, inkluż xi editorjali, dwar is sitwazzjoni xejn sabiħa fi ħdan il PN, bl editur ta The Times isostni, “Alternation of power is es sential in a parliamentary democracy, so it is crucial for the Nationalist Party to lift itself from the doldrums rather than keep digging the hole “That, however, may require major sur gery, possibly amputation, unless the party is to continue racing towards an inevitable split, or worse, irrelevance ” 0407 202 167 (02) 9659 id difiża talbet għall ħelsien mill arrest, tal kappillan, li iżda wara oġġezzjoni mill prosekuzzjoni minħabba l biża ta’ intralċ ta’ provi għax hemm għadd ta’ parruċċani li allegatament taw flus f ’ donazzjonijiet lill imputat, ġiet miċħuda. Id difiża stqarret li Dun Luke bħalissa jinsab taħt moniteraġġ għax hu pazjent tal kanċer Għamlet ukoll referenza għall fatt li kien jagħlaq sninu propju l għada li tres saq il Qorti. Wara li nstemgħu l argumenti tad difiża u l prosekuzzjoni, l imputat informa lill Qorti li l kundizzjoni tiegħu marret għall agħar u hawnhekk il Maġistrat ordnat li tissejjaħ ambulanza li ħadet lill kappillan l isptar Mater Dei għal aktar kura Sadanittant, mal aħbar li l Kappillan kien se jitressaq il Qorti, il kurja ħarġet stqarrija fejn qalet li b’effett immedjat sakemm jibqgħu għaddejjin il proċeduri, Saċer dot fuq leave’ Fl il tagħha mexiex ma’

istess istqarrija l Kurja żiedet tgħid li l Arċidjoċesi offriet

0900 Castle Hill Seven Hills Windsor and all suburbs “Let Our Family Help You Through” Ħalli l-familja tagħna tgħin lill familja tiegħek Mix-Xena Politika: Il-Partit Nazzjonalista I l kappillan ta’ Marsaxlokk, Luke Se guna li għadu kif għalaq 39 sena wieġeb mhux ħati quddiem il Qorti meta fl aħħar jiem ġie mixli b’miżappro prijazzjoni, ħasil ta’ flus, frodi kif ukoll fal sifikazzjoni ta’ dokumenti Fost kollox hemm probabbiltá li ffroda madwar 120 persuna b’madwar €500,000 Kif daħal fl awla, il Maġistrat li qed tisma’ l każ ġiet mgħarrfa li l qassis ma kienx qed iħossu sew u anzi kellha tintalab l għajnuna ta’ tabib biex jeżaminah fil Qorti stess Sadanittant,

koperazzjoni sħiħa

lill awtoritajiet u se tfittex li tistab bilixxi jekk il kappillan

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 15 Richard Spiteri

poli cies dwar donazzjonijiet li huma diġà stabbiliti I l - k a p p i l l a n t a ’ M ’ X l o k k m i x l i b i f ro d i t a ’ € 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 Alex Perici Calascione Robert Arrigo

However, medical staff employed at such facilities could still refuse treatments on the grounds of “consci entious objection”

Section 44 of Australia's constitu tion means dual citizens can't run for federal parliament. Senator Faruqi says the process of renouncing her dual citizenship was harder than she thought it would be and almost made her reconsider “I just felt as if I was being forced to give up my birthright, you know, to give up my history and my culture ” Australia's parliament is most di verse yet, but there's still an under representation of non Anglo and Eu ropean representatives Critics such as Senator Faruqi believe the rules are stopping others from diverse backgrounds from making the same journey into politics. Senator Faruqi worked as a civil engineer and university lecturer in Sydney before joining the Greens in NSW Parliament a decade later

R a t e r i s e s t o b r i n g i n f l a t i o n d o w n

Covid-19 the third most cause of death

Reason Party leader Fiona Patten will introduce a health legislation amendment bill into the State of Victoria's Parliament in a bid to ensure that no denominational hospital actively refuses to give a woman an abortion or contraceptive treatment. Under the laws, hospitals that receive any taxpayer funding would be required to offer the services The pro posed changes would also extend to providing end of life treatments for terminally ill patients who wish to die Ms Patten said while it was her hope for every Victo rian public hospital to offer abortion, this legislation is targeted at religious based public hospitals like those in Werribee and Heidelberg, which operate under the Mercy Health banner, that refuses to carry out the pro cedures Mercy Health's website states: “As a Catholic provider of care we value the dignity of life from conception to death … For moral reasons, we do not provide some services: being women's health and end of life care ” Ms Patten said: “The reliance of some institutions on the false construct of institutional conscientious objec tion has no rational, legal, or moral basis ”

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens’ Deputy Leader who arrived from Pakistan in 1992 and gave up her Pakistani citizenship to stand for parliament, says it's something no one else should have to go through.

16 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022

The bill states a denominational hospital that provides gynaecological, obstetrics or neonatal services must pro vide contraception, the supply of contraceptives, and medical and surgical abortions The bill would also re strict organisations from directing employees to refuse to provide advice or services

The Australian Reserve Bank has lifted the official cash rate by 50 basis points to 1 85 per cent its highest level in over six years. For someone with a $500,000 mortgage at the start of May, with 25 years remain ing, the total increase across the four hikes would be $472 a month The rate has been lifted for the fourth month in a row RBA governor Philip Lowe (pictured right) said in a statement after the board meeting that successive rate rises were required “to bring in flation back to target and to create a more sus tainable balance of demand and supply in the Australian economy”. The RBA Board said it remained committed to keeping inflation within the target band of between 2 per cent and 3 per cent. “Global factors due to pressures on real in comes from higher inflation, the tightening of monetary policy in most countries, Russia's in vasion of Ukraine and the COVID containment measures in China explain much of the in crease in inflation, but domestic factors are also playing a role “There are widespread upward pressures on prices from strong demand, a tight labour mar ket and capacity constraints in some sectors of the economy The floods this year are also af fecting some prices ”

Should we keep section 44?

COVID 19 is believed to have caused more deaths in Australia so far this year than some of the country's traditionally largest killers, such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer New analysis by the Actuaries In stitute shows the COVID 19 death toll to the end of July to be 7,100, making it the third largest cause of death in 2022 Only ischaemic heart diseases and dementia are expected to be a bigger cause of death than COVID 19, with each responsible for about 10,000 fatalities The analysis revealed deaths from cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and lung cancer, were ex pected to be about 5,500 and 5,400 respectively this year

Religious hospitals and abortions

i c h e l l e

R elations between Australia and China remain strained after the federal government called out the latter's response to a US diplomatic visit to Taiwan as destabilising and over the top. The Chinese embassy has warned Australia against involvement in its ac tions over Taiwan, saying “finger point ing” against Beijing was unacceptable During live fire exercises near Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to the island, China launched ballistic missiles. "China's reaction to (Ms Pelosi's visit) is over the top obviously it is a time for clear and calm heads,” Chris Bowen, the Climate Change Minister, told the Nine Network “We're going to act in Australia's national interests and in accordance with our values we will say what we believe should happen in the region and we will make state ments even if other nations don't agree with those.”

Tuesday, Ausgust 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 17 L e v e l 1 . S u i t e 1 0 1 C , 1 3 0 M a i n S t r e e t , B l a c k t o w n P O B o x 8 5 2 5 , B l a c k t o w n N S W 2 1 4 8 ( 0 2 ) 9 6 7 1 4 7 8 0 M i c h e l l e . R o w l a n d . M P @ a p h . g o v. a u M R o w l a n d M P w w w. m i c h e l l e r o w l a n d . c o m .

Pay rise for aged care workers First with hijab in Parlament M R o w l a n d M P Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says the government will push for a significant pay rise for aged care workers in a bid to increase the number of employees in the sector But Mr Burke said the submissions to the Fair Work Commis sion would not contain a specific amount for how much wages should rise The wages umpire is determining whether to lift pay rates for residential and home care workers, following the findings of a royal commission into aged care Unions have called for a 25 per cent in crease in wages While Labor did not state a figure, it did indicate it wanted minimum wages to keep up with inflation, which at the time was at 5.1 per cent. Unions have called for a 25 per cent increase in wages Labor minister Tanya Plibersek said the Labor's Fatima Pay man, the 27 year old daughter of an Afghanistani refugee is the first hijab wearing Muslim woman in Aus tralia's federal parlia ment She is also the youngest member of this parliament and the first Afghan Australian to be elected In her first address to the Senate she encour aged girls who decide to wear the hijab to do so with pride

Strained relations Australia – China

Foreign Minister Penny Wong con demned Beijing's “disproportionate and destabilising” actions, saying she had ex pressed her concern to her Chinese counter part at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia. The US secretary of state and Japan's for eign minister also condemned the actions a u Minister for Communications Federal Member for Greenway

The federal opposition won't be repre sented at the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra, as pressure grows on Labor to ditch income tax cuts for the wealthy Neither Opposition Leader Peter Dutton nor any other shadow frontbenchers will at tend the summit, to be staged at Parliament House on September 1 2

The summit a Labor election promise will aim to address Australia's economic challenges and bring together about 100 rep resentatives from the business, union, and community sectors

The senator for Western Australia also ad dressed her status as the first parliamentarian to wear the hijab, saying she hoped her jour ney could inspire others “For those who choose to judge me on what I should wear or judge my competency based on my external [appearance], know that the hijab is my choice,” she said Senator Payman became emotional as she reflected on the “sacrifices” of her late father in giving her the chance to become a senator “I'd like my first gratitude to be expressed to my late forgotten father whose sacrifices will never be forgotten and whom I dearly wish was here to see how far his little daughter has come,” she said government would find the extra money needed to fund a wage increase. “You've got to think about what aged care workers are earning at the moment they're earning as little as $22 an hour, so you can literally earn more stacking shelves at a supermarket than caring for some of our most vulnerable Australians,” she said “We can't find enough staff to work in aged care. One of the reasons is that ... they can't afford to keep working in aged care because they can't pay the bills on 22 bucks an hour ”

“A hundred years ago, let alone ten years ago, would this parliament accept a woman choosing a hijab to be elected?” she said in the Senate Senator Payman said it was wel come progress to see parliament starting to reflect the “true diversity” of Australia

Dutton says no way Minister Chris Bowen

The Maltese Community Council of NSW organised a winter day outing to the Art Gallery and the beautiful Japanese Garden at Gosford The happy group also stopped for morning tea in Brooklyn and late lunch at RSL Club Gosford

George is also synonymous with the Illawarra district where he served as Pres ident of the George Cross Falcons Centre at Cringila for close to 30 years, and is Life Member and Vice Presi dent of the Illawarra Ethnic Community Council Also present for this impres sive gathering of delegates were George's two daughters, Janet and Karen. The Voice of the Maltese joins the MCC in thanking George Bartolo for services rendered and for his support for our magazine

18 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022

A t a special luncheon at the Club Merrylands Italian Restaurant the delegates to the MCC of NSW, ex tended a special thank you and apprecia tion to veteran George Bartolo OAM for services rendered to the Maltese Commu nity Council of NSW where he has served continuously for 11 years as Treasurer. He also served as President and Secretary While presenting him George with a me mento, the current President Miriam Frig gieri, described him as a legend, and said that his work will forever be remembered. The citation that was presented to him has the following inscription: “For your many years of involvement in the MCC of NSW and your dedication, service and ad vocacy for the Maltese people”

George Bartolo OAM thanked, remembered

TOP LEFT: George, photo graphed in the company of some of the delegates and his two daughters, with the citation.

LEFT: The group enjoying its celebration lunch at Club Merrylands

m p l a m e n t t a l - f a m i l j a

D an l aħħar, fl okkażjoni tas 60 sena minn meta telaq mir raħal tiegħu l Munxar għall Brażil, Mons José Agius mexxa Quddiesa ta' Radd il Ħajr fil knisja parrokkjali tar raħal flimkien mal Isqof Anton Teuma, diversi saċerdoti u missjunarji, u l komunità tal Munxar. José, imwieled fil Munxar fl 1941, telaq lejn Londrina fil Brażil li tinsab fit tra muntana tal istat ta' Paraná, li ġiet stabbilita formalment fis 17 ta' Frar, 1957, meta kellu 20 sena biex jipproċedi bl istudji tiegħu għas saċerdozju L ewwel isqof tal post, Mons Geraldo Fernandez, kien żar Malta ftit snin wara u talab lis saċerdoti u possibilment anke sem inaristi biex jaħdmu fid djoċesi tiegħu. Mons José aċċetta l istedina u qatt ma ħares lura Huwa ġie ordnat saċerdot fl 4 ta 'Lulju, 1965, fil katidral ta' Londrina, u ftit wara nħatar kappillan tal parroċċa ta' San Ġużepp fil belt ta' Rolandia, Paraná.

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magħrufa għall mod kif iżżewweġ żewġ ġeneri ta' mużika, l operistiku u r rock. Minbarra Cristina fil kunċert ħadu sehem ukoll il kantanti lokali Francesca Sciberras, Gail Attard, Danica Muscat, Eliża Stellini u Fabian Galea Dan il kunċert, li ġie mttella' bl għajnuna tal Kunsill

Mons.

Mons Agius jgħid li sal 1961 bilkemm kien għadu sema' bil Brażil u ma kellu l ebda idea liema lingwa tiġi mitkellma fil pajjiż Hu telaq minn Għawdex bħala missjunarju fis sens sħiħ tal kelma komple tament bla ma kellu l iċken idea ta’ x’se jsib Madankollu, qatt ma ddispjaċih għad deċiżjoni li ħa Ftit ilu rnexxielu jibni knisja li ddedika għal San Pawl Nawfragu u kien ukoll il kappillan tagħha Missieru, ħutu, żijietu, neputijiet u kuġini, kollha emigraw lejn l Awstralja snin ilu Hu biss le Illum dawn ninsabu mferrxin f ’għadd ta’ bliet, f ’Melbourne u Yallourn North (Victoria); Sydney, Richmond, Grey stanes, Kellyville, Singleton u Broken Hill (New South Wales) u Brisbane (Queens land) Pemezz ta’ The Voice of the Maltese xtaq Voice Maltese Capitals Big Band tellgħu l ispettaklu annwali tagħhom fil foss taċ Ċittadella u bħala mistiedna speċjali kellhom lill kan tanta Spanjola Cristina Ramos, li fl aħħar snin rebħet Spain's Got Talent, The Voice fil Messiku u kienet ukoll finalista fl America's Got Talent The Champions. Din il kantanta hija Malti għall Arti, il Ministeru għal Għawdex u d Direttorat għall Wirt sar taħt id direzzjoni tas Surmast George Apap Spanjola Cristina Ramos fil-kunċert tad-DCapitals José Agius bl istatwa tal Madonna Aparesida, Padruna tal Brażil, quddiem id dar tal familja, f ’raħal twelidhom il Munxar, flimkien ma’ oħtu Rita u Adeodato li għamlu snin twal jgħixu f ’Melbourne imm’issa reġ għu tefgħu l ankri f ’Għawdex Mill-Gżira Għawdxija Charles Spiteri u d d e s a t a ’ R a d d i l - Ħ a j r li flimkien ma’ oħtu Rita u ħuh Adeodato jwasslulhom ilkoll l isbaħ xewqat. ż l k e lt B r a ż l k u l Aw t a Dan l aħħar il Ministru għal Għawdex, Clint Camilleri, fil preżenza tas Sindku tal Munxar, Damien Spiteri, u kun silliera oħra, inawgura uffiċjalment il pro ġett ta' riġenerazzjoni tax xelter fil pjazza tal Knisja tar raħal Biex sar dan, kien meħtieġ li ksir tindif u tneħħija ta’ materjal li kien qed jimblokka t taraġ u l passaġġ Saret ukoll sistema ġdida ta’ dawl u aper turi għaż żewġ entraturi Oriġinarjament dan ix xelter ta’ 25 metru, kien sar fl 1942 mill ħaddiema tad di viżjoni tal PW taħt is superviżjoni tal Perit Gużeppi Savona. Kien sewa biss £672. Proġett ta’ riġenerazzjoni

Kulturali

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Jien qarrej regolari ta’ The Voice of the Maltese, u fuq stedina tal editur biex nikteb xi ħaġa li fil fehma tiegħi għandha tinteressa lill qarrejja ħsibt li nġib għall attenzjoni tal qarrejja tagħrifdwar ... Stampi li juru l binja ta’ Dar Stella Maris minn barra u minn ġewwa mżejna b’dak kollu li l Mulej u l benefatturi Maltin u Għawdxin għoġobhom jipprovdu biex ġiet fornuta bil kumditajiet kollha li kien hemm bżonn

Id dar inbniet fl 1974, bil ħsieb warajha jkun, li sservi ta’ dar għall for mazzjoni tan novizzi tagħ na, u bħala dar għall vaganzi tal patrijiet tal MSSP (Soċ jetá Missjunarja San Pawl). In novizzi baqgħu jiġu f ’din id dar għal bosta snin, imma ġara li f ’Malta nfetaħ Istitut, bl isem ta’ INSERM, għall formazzjoni tar re liġjużi kollha Allura nħass il bżonn li n novizzi jmorru Malta, biex ikunu jistgħu jattendu l laqgħat li bdew isirulhom f ’dan l Istitut. Imbagħad id Dar taż Żeb buġ bdiet tintuża għal laqgħat tas Soċjetà, bħalma huma l Kapitli Ġenerali, għall mistrieħ u attivitajiet oħra tas Soċjetà Imma fl 2000 is superjuri ddeċidew li din id Dar tibda tkun ta’ servizz għal dawk li jkollhom bżonn post għall irtiri Hekk sar! Allura saru l arranġamenti kollha biex jintlaħaq dan il għan Id Dar tista' tilqa’ sa 35 ruħ Illum il kmamar fil binja huma kollha mgħammra b’kamra tal banju Hemm ukoll kamra magħmula għal persuni bi ħtiġijiet speċjali Ma jistax jonqs li jkun hemm ukoll ukoll kap pella spazjuża, kamra tal ikel u sala għall konferenzi. F’din id Dar tassew inħos suna mberkin mill Mulej Hi mibnija f ’tarf ta’ sies, u minnha tgawdi veduta mill isbaħ li tinkludi ċ Ċittadella, għoljiet, u l bajja ta’ Marsal forn F’ċerti jiem tkun tidher ukoll sewwa Sqallija bil vulkan Etna Barra minhekk im berkin ukoll għax għandna diversi bene fatturi. L ewwel u qabel kollox iż Żeb buġin li laqgħuna b’idejhom miftuħa, u sa mill ewwel ġurnata sal lum, dejjem ifor nuna b’ħaxix, frott u minn dak li l Mulej jip provdilhom Ma’ dawn hemm ukoll għadd ta’ bene fatturi Maltin B’hekk stajna nkomplu nseb bħu d Dar b’dak kollu li hemm bżonn (kif jid her mill istampi) Nieħdu gost li meta xi darba l qarrejja u oħrajn, inkluż il Maltin li jgħixu barra u jiġu Malta għall bta jjel iżuru lil Għawdex, tiġu tarawna u dduqu ftit mis sliem li l Mulej biss jaf jagħti Il membri tas Soċjetà il hom jagħtu servizzi lill em igranti fl Awstralja sa mill 1948 Jaħdmu wkoll fil Kanada, fil Pakistan, fil Perù, fil Filippini u f ’Ruma. (Fr Norbert Bonavia huwa membru tas Soc jetà Missjunarja ta’ San Pawl, imwaqqfa mill Qaddej t’Alla Mons De Piro Minbarra li jmexxi d Dar tal Irtiri fiż Żebbuġ, hu wkoll editur tal fuljett ta’ kull xahrejn Aħna Lil kom, immirat l aktar għall benefatturi Fr Norbert Bonavia MSSP (Direttur)

I d - D a r S t e l l a M a r i s f i ż -Ż e b b u ġ G ħ awd ex 20 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Il-faċċata tad-Dar Stella Maris fiż Żebbuġ Il kappella u (inset) pittura tal fundatur Mons De Piro Il kamra tal ikel It-tarag sabiħ tal intrata Id Dar tgawdi l veduta mill-isbaħ

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 21 Stedina Il Fathers Maltin Qed jistiednu lill Kommunitá Maltija, għall festa tradizzjonali tal Vitorja nhar il

The Men's Senior Group monthly MCC meetings at the MCC H/Q at Parra matta West keep getting popular It is a place where they enjoy themselves by talking and expressing their views on cur rent topics Sometimes one would think that it is The Voice of the Maltese that sets up their agenda As soon as they receive the hard copy of the publication they pinpoint the topic that interests them the most and start discussing it We keep getting inundated with photos of supporters of The Voice of the Maltese in different states reading the magazine. Above a good number of the Men's Sen ior Group are pictured at a recent meeting reading The Voice while munching at the ‘Maltese’ pastizzi and drinking the popular Maltese soft drink There are many others like them around, which is proof that The Voice is reaching deep and wide into the states. In the last issue we carried photos sent to us from South Australia of people out there reading the magazine. Below we carry three more pictures from the same state Left picture shows a Maltese Queen of Victories Band committee member going through the pages of the magazine; Fred (centre) is seen relaxing by reading The Voice while he waits for a rehearsal by the Maltese band, and (right) two more ladies show off their copy of the magazine Ħadd 11 ta’ Settembru Fis 2 30 pm tibda l purcissjoni fejn jingħad ir Ruzarju. Wara tibda l quddiesa li se tiġi kkonċelebrata fil Katidral ta’ St Mary’s College Street Sydney Ejjew u ġibu magħkom lill familja u lill ħbieb L istedina hi miftuħa wkoll għal dawk li għandhom

xi għaqda Dawn qed jiġu mħeġġa mhux biss li jiġu huma imma wkoll li jġibu magħhom il bnadar jew standardi tal għaqda. Qed jiġi suġġerit li min se jiġi jaħseb kmieni Grazzi ħafna lil dawk li dejjem attendew u ħadu sehem f ’din iċ ċelebrazzjoni tal Vitorja. Rev Fr Tarcisio Micallef MSSP Chaplain għall Komunitá Maltija f’Sydney Phone: 9380 8398 The Maltese community has learned to deal with the pandemic. There is not much else one can do; therefore, more activities are being organised. One such gathering was at the Bankstown area under the leadership of Sam Galea (sitting first from left) at the Mt Lewis Bowling Club Bankstown NSW. The Maltese community on the move again The ever-growing popularity of The Voice of the Maltese

Min ma jkunx midħla tar raħal jew il belt li tkun qed tiċċelebra l-festa titulari, u l-aktar jekk minħabba fiha jkun ovvju li jkun jinħtieġ xi devjazzjoni tat traffiku minn xi toroq ewlenin, ‘forsi’ ma japprezzax wisq tali attivitá. Dik li ġieli jkollok tibdel ir rotta għal waħda itwal u traffikuża, u żżid il ħin biex tivvjaġġa, l aktar fil jiem sħan tas-sajf, mhix pjaċevoli. Hekk jiġri f ’San Ġiljan u hekk seħħ dan l aħħar meta ġiet iffesteġġjata l festa tal Karmnu Minħabba fiha, waħda mill-aktar toroq traffikużi f ’Malta, dik ewlenija mad dawra tal Balluta sa Spinola tingħalaq. L akbar uġiegħ ta’ ras dejjem tkun tal pulizija biex jsibu toroq alternattivi. Imma għax tgħid ... dejjem jirnexxielhom. L istess din id darba għax wara sentejn ta’ pandemija, il-Ġiljaniżi wkoll setgħu jgawdu l-festa, imżewqa wkoll bil murtali (taħt)

22 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022

21: San Piju X, Santa Luċija Santa Marija Ass , Żebbuġ, Għawdex Santa Marija, L Imġarr, Malta Sant' Elena, Birkirkara Madonna ta' Lourdes, Raħal Ġdid Stella Maris, Tas Sliema

28: Santa Marija, Ħad Dingli San Leonardu, Ħal Kirkop San Duminku, Il-Birgu (Vittoriosa) Madonna ta' Loreto, Għajnsielem, Għawdex San Bartilmew, Ħal Għargħur Marija Reġina, Il Marsa San Ġużepp, Il Manikata Il Konverżjoni ta' San Pawl, Ħal Safi San Ġiljan, San Ġiljan Santu Wistin, Valletta Il-festi liturġiċi fl-irħula, u fl-ibliet f ’Awwissu friends Group Leader: Doris Scicluna The Sutherland & St George Maltese Group Meets every first Wednesday of the month in July, September, November & December and in February, April & June 2023. From 10:00am to 12noon at the Miranda Community Centre 93 Karimbla Rd cnr Kiora Rd Miranda Meetings are interesting & informative Membership is free, so is Morning Tea/Coffee/Cake Outings every other month Come & make new friends For more information contact our Coordinator: Charles Mifsud JP Phone (mb 0421 662 298) Greystanes Maltese Seniors Meets on the second Monday of each month at the George Preca Parish Cen tre Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) Church, 198 Old Prospect Road, Grey stanes from 10 am to 12 noon Group holds regular Information Ses sions/Workshops & Bus Trips Gro up Leader: Frances Montesin Men’s Group Meets every last Tuesday of the month at the MCC Centre at 59b Franklin Street Parramatta West (next to the Pri mary School), from 10 to 12 noon. Dis cussion, information and renew friendship Pastizzi, Kinnie etc avail able Contact Fred or Laurie 9631 9295 a l t e s e S e n i o r s S o c i a l e l f a r e D a y G r o u p s

W

Is 16 il festa li jonqos jiġu ċċelebrati fix xahar t’Awwissu f ’Malta u Għawdex

Photos: Herbert Cachia

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Llandilo Maltese Seniors Meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Llandilo Community Hall, 257 Seventh Avenue, Llandilo 11am to 1.00 pm. Group holds regular Informa tion Sessions/Workshops & Bus Trips Group Leader: Helen Azzopardi Merrylands Social Maltese Seniors Meets every second Friday of the month Miller Room, Memorial Av enue Merrylands from 10 30am to 12 30 pm Group Leader: Salvina Falzon Fairfield Active Maltese Seniors Meets on the last Tuesday of the Month Group meets in St Theresa’s Parish Hall, cnr of Stella Street & The Boulevard, Fairfield Heights from10 am to 12 noon Group Leader: Dorothy Gatt Maltese of Bankstown Group meets 3rd Wednesday of month in the Bankstown CBD area Every other 3rd Thursday an outing En quiries call: Sam Galea 0410 269 519. Daceyville Maltese Seniors Meets the last Wednesday of the month in Meeting Room One, No 3 General Bridges Crescent, Daceyville Note: The Groups also arrange regular Bus Trips Join us and make new *(All Groups are coordinated 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 (Cnr Young St) Parramatta West NSW (next to West Parramatta Primary School).

and podcasts

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 The Voice of the Maltese 23 C o m m u n i t y N e w Cs o m m u n i t y N e w s We offer legal services in Melbourne (Lt Collins Street) and Werribee Family law is our specialty • wills, powers of attorney, • manage deceased estates, and provide • purchase and sell property • purchase and sell businesses • divorce, children, property, • child support, intervention orders. • Maltese Wills, Powers of Attorney • Maltese Property matters Marlene Ebejer (speaks Maltese)is an accredited family law specialist Phone: 03 9741 1722 www ebejerlawyers com au) email reception@ebejerlawyers com au We get to the point, provide the right ad vice and get the work done at a reason able price. T u n e i n t To u n e i n t o R a d i o a n Rd a d i o a n d T e l e v i s i o Tn e l e v i s i o n

e e v e n t s f o r t h e r e s t o f 2 0 2 2 St Nicholas Festa Committee

also on

On

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L a V a l e t t e S o c i a l C e n t r e The Centre is organising a bus for St Mary ’s Cathedral on Sunday 11 Sep tember to celebrate the feast of OUR LADY OF VICTORY (Il Vittoria) Bus leaves La Valette SC at 12.00 pm, and from Greystanes at 12.15pm Cost: $25 per person For booking: Antionette: 96712992; Frances: 0412320432; The Centre 96225847. Book early *The Ghost of Elvis. The Elvoss Expe rience 19th August at 7 pm. Ring the Club 9622 5847 Inc. 175 Walters Road, Blacktown Tel 96225847 MALTESE LANGUAGE SCHOOL OF NSW A division of the Maltese Community Council of NSW Inc Established in 1999 Applications are also welcome for paid positions from people to assist in language teaching. For more information, call 0419 418 547 Email: mls@mccnsw org au Due to the covid restrictions, we are only conducting lessons online. Learn Maltese

or Live Streaming on www sbs

or on TV Channel

VICTORIA 3ZZZ 92 3FM: Mondays 5 6pm, Fri days 5 6pm and Saturdays 10 11am Presenters: Paul Vella, Mario Sam mut, Liz Phillips. Listen live on www 3zzz com au 98.9 North West FM: Mondays 7 8pm and Fridays 6 7pm Maltese Pro gram Presenter: Emmanuel Brincat Listen live on www northwestfm org/ ethnic radio/ 97 9 FM Melton: Tuesday 6 00pm to 8.00pm Maltese Program. Presenter: Miriam Vella Live streaming on www 979fm com au NSW 2GLF FM 89.3 Maltese Voices with Marthese Caruana: Sundays 10:00 am to 11:00am One hour of Maltese talent, songs from Maltese artists 2GLF FM 89 3 Maltese Community Council programme: Sundays 11 00am to 12:00pm News from Malta, music, information, culture, in terviews, community notices and top ics of interest Listen live on www.893fm.com.au or On Demand on www 893fm com au/on demand/ WOW FM 100 7: Tuesdays 6pm to 9pm Maltese program with Joe Borg and Michael Mallia Listen live on www.wowfm1007.com.au VOX FM 106 9: Mondays 5pm to 6pm Voice of Valletta Illawarra Mal tese program presented by Louis Parnis Live streaming on www voxfm org au QUEENSLAND 4EB FM 98 1: Tuesdays 6:00am to 8:00am; Presenter: Lucy Stewart Music, news from Malta, topics of in terest, song requests, community an nouncements Live streaming on www 4eb org au or On Demand on www 4eb org au/shows/program bill malti global maltese/ SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5EBI FM 103 1: Maltese Community Radio Program from Adelaide Sun day: 7 00am; Monday: 8 00am; Mon day: 6 00pm Presenters: Bernadette Buhagiar and Ron Borg Listen live or On Demand on www 5ebi com au Sunday. October 16: Fete Sat. Nov. 19: Dinner Dance Sunday December 4: Festa h Plumpton -NSW

SBS RADIO: 97 7 FM Tuesdays 12:00pm; Friday 12:00pm. Listen Radio com au/radio/ 38 Demand on www sbs com au/maltese SBS TV: SBS TV news from Malta every day at 4.30 pm on Channel 35 demand

on Digital

George Cross Champions

After the match Lvski Sofia filed a protest with UEFA requesting a replay of the game against Ħamrun They said they presented evidence with regards to a gross violation of the rules by the referee and his assis tants, which affected the outcome of the match ”

24 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Ħamrun Spartans con tinued to make foot ball history in Europe club competitions when they beat Levski Sofia to become the first ever Mal tese football club to reach the play off stage of a Euro pean tournament, the UEFA Europa Conference League at the end of a penalty shoot out in Bulgaria

Sports Sports

George Cross wrapped up the State League 1st division championship in Victoria with a comprehensive 4 1 win over Whittlesea United in the penultimate game of the season Goals from Joshua Whiteley, Omar Am meche, Jack Wardle and Jay Hart saw the 2022 team equal the club record of 17 wins in a season that was set in 1972 A win against Banyule in the final game at City Vista on 20th of August would set a new club record for the most wins in a season as well as securing the most in any season

*In the NSW 3 League Parramatta FC lost 2 3 home to Fraser Park and failed to qualify for the Finals Series

The function was mainly a fundraising effort for the Heartbeat Foundation Thou sands were raised in auctions and the lottery of various sports momentous H e a r t b e a t , a g a t h e r i n g o f s o c c e r g re a t s

Top A-League striker Jamie McLaren is of Maltese descent Football in Australia has produced sev eral great players of Maltese descent, like Nick D’Agostino, and Kevin Muscat, who is at present coaching in Japan But did you know that professional football and top striker Jamie Maclaren (right) who plays for A League club Melbourne City has a Maltese mother? Jamie’s mum, Julie, was born in Hal Qormi (San Gorg side) She emigrated to Australia in 1973, and married Scotsman Donald Maclaren, who also played for George Cross FC in Melbourne Julie’s mother, Anna, also Maltese, is 91 years old. Jamie was born in Melbourne on 29 July 1993 Beside Melbourne City he has also previously played for Darmstadt 98, Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar and Hibernian. He represented Scotland at youth level but has since appeared for Australia at both youth and senior international levels He is a four time A League Gold en Boot winner as A League top scorer in the 2016/17 (19 goals), 2019/20 (22), 2020/21 (25) and 2021/22 (15) seasons Maclaren grew up in the northwest ern suburbs of Melbourne. He first joined the junior side of local team Sunbury United at the age of four or five Then in 2003 he switched to the youth ranks of nearby Victorian Pre mier League (now National Premier Leagues Victoria) side Green Gully GejtuDEGUARA L e v s k i p ro t e s t

The Spartans’ was a heroic effort They travelled to the return tie after a 1 0 first leg loss in Malta a week earlier However, they gave an im pressive performance aga inst a more renowned oppo nents in a hostile environ ment and got just reward They took the lead on 84 minutes through Matthew Guillaumier and managed to control their opponents until seconds into stoppage time when Levski levelled That would have eliminated the Maltese, however, in a final effort, barely 60 sec onds later they regained the lead through Ryan Camen zuli to force extra time Levski pushed hard for the winning tally in extra time, but Hamrun held out to take the match into the penalty shoot out where they pro duce another hero in goal keeper Henry Bonello who saved two shots from the spot from Tsunami and Krastev, while four of his team mates, Freitas,Guil laumier, Montebello and Fedele scored all theirs for a 4 1 score Victory earned the Spar tans a playoff stage match this Thursday against Ser bia’s Partizan Belgrade Re turn in Malta the following week. The prize would be Group stage qualification The other two Maltese clubs in the competition, Hibernians and Gzira Utd were eliminated Hiberni ans lost to Latvia’s RFS (1 1, 1 3) Agg 2 4, and Gzira (0 4, 0 0) Agg 4 0 to Aus tria’s Wolvesberger

Heartbeat of Football (HoF), a not for profit organisation, was established in early 2016 by media personality and football enthusiast Andy Pas chalidis (right with Lawrence Dimech) The mission of this charitable organisation is to have zero heart related deaths on the sporting grounds The intention is to have rescue ready defibrillators at all sport ing fields around Australia. It was therefore an experience to attend the second function or ganised at the Bankstown Sports Club especially targeting NSL players, coaches, and ad ministrators It was a case of walking with soccer greatness Many of them were present for this memo rable occasion Most clubs were represented. A special table was reserved for Melita Eagles FC headed by the club’s current President, Mark Tanti, Anthony Teuma (secretary) and wife Esther, Lawrence Dimech (ex presi dent and founder), Greg Dick inson (ex player) and Paul Falzon and his wife Rita

Ħamrun make it to the history books

The case is to be urgently examined by UEFA’s Con trol, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee

The Ħamrun Spartans team that made it to the history books in Sofia