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The Voice of the Maltese (driven by the voice of its readers ) Issue 71 e--mmaaggazziinnee March 18, 2014 Malta PM Joseph Muscat congratulates Marie Louise Coleiro Preca after officially ‘President of the announcing her nomination for President Maltese ....with the Maltese ...for the Maltese’ Community news on four pages ... 18, 19, 20, 21 Manny Muscat aves Muscat, ups and le alta PM Joseph M Govt did a squad in ays new Labour Malt s hs than NP page 22 more in 12 mont Albania ... ge 10 and 14 in 25 years ... pa Shanghai Electric invests €320 million in Enemalta ... page 8 NP commit Ma s to vote rie Loui in favou nom se Coleir r of ination o Preca’ ... pages s 9 and 13 The Voice of the Maltese is a bi-lingual (in English and Maltese) fortnightly publication specifically targeting all Maltese living abroad, with emphasis on the Australian scene. This electronic style magazine is sent via email by request. Subscription is free. Editors (Australia) Lawrence Dimech: [email protected] and (Malta) Joseph Cutajar: [email protected]. 2 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday March 18, 2014 It’s time to unite once again! By Mariah Camilleri (S anctuary Lakes, Victoria) read the lead article about the Maltese programmes on SBS and the current review of both SBS and ABC with Igreat interest. As mentioned in the Voice’s article, the Maltese community shouldn’t wait until the horse has bolted, like we did with the last reschedule, hoping that management is going to be kind and generous with us! I applaud the community leaders who came together to fight for more programmes last year, but they should be put - ting their heads together right NOW, generating awareness and a discussion in the Maltese community; start an online petition; work on a plan and start lobbying... as 12 months are going to fly past and we're back to square one... with Maltese programmes on SBS Radio most probably scaled down to two programmes per week!! The Maltese community lost the majority of programmes when SBS was flooded with money. We’ve already heard the managing director, Michael Ebeid saying that services provided by SBS would be reviewed if the federal govern - ment reduces its funding. I'm just hoping that, if this is the case, Mr Ebeid will look around him and reduce some of the managerial positions and departments, then he’ll have millions of dollars to sustain the measly funded programmes on radio! Much more of SBS funds should be spent on programm makers, ‘cause after all, that is what radio is all about - pro - gramme content and broadcasters!!! Not increasing mana - gerial positions and departments!! Obviously, SBS wants the support of communities against any sort of amalgamation with the ABC or budget cuts. Therefore, this is the time to ask SBS management to sup - port the Maltese cause, before we support their cause! I wonder if those languages that were allocated two con - secutive hours of broadcasting a day would be reviewed! I listen to some of these programmes and the waste of air time is appalling and a disgrace to whoever came up with such a concept! Privileged programmes with such a huge chunk of the schedule should be reviewed regularly, according to listen - ership and if they don’t attract a certain number of listener - ship, they should have part of their airtime allocated to communities that need it and have an audience. Come on Maltesers... it's time we stood up and united once again to save Maltese programmes on SBS Radio & TV! Tuesday March 18, 2014 The Voice of the Maltese 3 Sutherland, St George Maltese Group hosted by Malta HC at High Commision in Canberra ast week, the Sutherland and St. George Malta High Commission, H.E. Charles Muscat (centre), his wife Victoria LMaltese Group made up of 50 people, and and deputy HC Joseph Pirotta welcoming the Maltese group in Canberra led by Mr. Charles Mifsud organised a bus tour from Sydney to Canberra where they vis - ited the Malta High Commission. In its meeting with the High Commissioner, the leader of the group thanked him for open - ing the doors of the Commission and presented him with a gift. In return, HC Mr. Charles Muscat thanked everyone for their presence and spoke to them about the current Maltese Government and about holding on to our Mal - tese identity. He further stated that his appoint - ment reflected that he was one of them. After being entertained to afternoon tea, the group was shown around the High Commis - sion and had the chance to meet and talk to Mr. Charles Muscat and his wife Victoria Muscat, and also the deputy HC Mr Dr. Joseph Pirotta. H.E. Charles Muscat greeting the Maltese during their visit to the Malta High Commission offices in Canberra Mr Charles Mifsud (left), presenting a gift to H.E. Charles Mus - cat on behalf of the Sunderland and St Geoge Maltese Group A group photo of the members of the Sunderland and St Geoge Maltese Group in front of the Malta High Commission in Canberra with H.E. Charles Muscat (second left) and other staff from the HC 4 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday March 18, 2014 There are a lot more of us now but we still gather together to share meals. All of us at table in 2013 Growing up By Maryann Camilleri t was May 1969 when at age 10, my parents took my younger siblings and I on a trip to meet the family in Malta. We travelled by in Australia I beslhieipv.e itT whea sA hcehreil lteh aLt amuyr op awssaios no fuorr “htoom deo” my homework and look after my sib - cook these meals at a young age and over dMurailntag b tehgea fni.v e-week voyage to reach our delsitningsa !- the years I continued to practice the skills tioI nd:i dMn’atl traea. lly know a lot about Malta be - I would eagerly await my parents’ return my mother taught me! fore our holiday, except that my parents from the farm so they could open up mail We practiced our faith and attended Sun - came from there and we had lots of colour - received from Malta. We didn’t have a day Mass. Our parish back then was pre - ful Maltese souvenirs in our dominantly Maltese and we home, a few books about Malta actively participated in the Mal - and my parents’ wedding photo tese church traditions – and very album. MMyy lloovvee much looked forward to the an - After five glorious months in nual Festa, where the procession Malta, meeting and spending was a grand event. time with grandparents, aunts, ffoorr MMaallttaa The smell of freshly cooked pas - uncles and what seemed back tizzi filled the air, as thousands then a million cousins, we re - gathered the parish grounds to turned to Australia. watch the statue of our Lady being Experiencing Malta in so many nneevveerr eennddss carried out from the church. ways, has been one of the most As a member of the children’s Iamazing memories of my life: the more I telephone in the early days and letters from choir, my memories of wearing a pretty saw, the more I wanted to learn about this Malta was the only way we kept in contact white dress, singing Oh Madonna Gmiel il- beautiful island where my parents were with the rest of the family. Gonna, in the procession are vivid, as we born and where they got married: Malta. I remember trying to read Maltese texts as dropped rose petals on the ground from our (How I loved to look at their wedding I battled with trying to pronounce new specially-decorated cane baskets, honour - album). words, sounds and combinations of alpha - ing our blessed Mother Mary. Born in Sydney, growing up on a market betical letters that were quite different to the The year 1969 wasn’t my only visit to garden, my lifestyle was different than that words we learnt at school, very often asking Malta. It was just the beginning of what of my classmates at school. After school, my parents to help me pronounce them! would be a lifetime of passion for me: it was time to see what chores my parents My passion for Malta never faltered. As a Malta’s rich history, culture, its people, tra - needed help with on the farm – it would family, we upheld many Maltese traditions. ditions and its unique identity fill me with usually be something quite simple, How - My parents spoke Maltese at home and my great pride. ever, I recall how delighted I was when my mother cooked many Maltese dishes. As I parents would ask me to return to the house witnessed her passion, I enjoyed learning to Continued on page 5 Tuesday March 18, 2014 The Voice of the Maltese 5 Growing up Maryann (second in Australia right) with her mum and her sisters Together with my husband and my chil - dren, we are united in our pride and pas - sfriomn Pasa gwe e4 continue to discover more about our heritage and this beautiful island of Malta. Whilst the family home where I grew up is a lot older now, nothing much has changed. There are a lot more of us now but we still gather together to share meals. It’s also a lot noisier now, but nothing brings us more joy than to walk into the house where we grew up in, to the unsur - passable aroma of my mother’s stuffat tal- fenek (rabbit steew) or g˙agin il-forn and their families: nothing much has (oven-baked pasta).

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