Talent at its best

Owen Bonnici (Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.)

Last Saturday's Malta Eurovision Song Contest was remarkable in many ways. Congratulations to this year's winner, Aidan, who gave an excellent performance. I am sure that Aidan will do Malta proud at the Eurovision Song Contest later this year. Congratulations, and thank you to all the artists who took part in this event that unfailingly remains popular and generates huge interest every year. Thank you to the 700-strong crew that made this year's event a success. Well done to hosts Destiny, Gaia, and Keane, great job indeed. And what a brilliant reunion performance by the Maltese group Scream Daisy, they simply rocked!

International guest performers Tommy Cash and 2024 Eurovision runner-up Baby Lasagna were this year's special guests. As expected, they put on a great performance.

As a Labour government, we continue to support this festival because it provides a strong platform for emerging and established Maltese artists. We do this whilst creating various other opportunities for local artists across the wide cultural and artistic spectrum. Local talent is flourishing, and we are determined to invest further. The fact that we have a very strong economy makes it even more possible for us to do so.

Heritage Malta

Last week, together with Mario Cutajar, Noel Zammit, Chairman, and CEO at Heritage Malta, respectively, we launched the 2026 calendar. It is an ambitious calendar packed with events of interest for all people regardless of age and background. During my speech at the event, I remarked that one of the greatest achievements that we accomplished over the past year-and one that will continue into this year-is that we have democratized art, culture, and our national heritage. Thanks to Heritage Malta, we made our country's national heritage accessible to everyone. I remember a time, not so long ago, when interest in our national heritage and access to it were restricted to a small segment of the population. This happened for several reasons. Lack of awareness at a national level, and the perception that our heritage was of interest only to historians, academics, and researchers. However, the main reason why this field was so exclusive was the lack of access to it.

It was as if our only concern was preserving heritage and sealing it away inside museums-to lock it behind glass. As a result, our national heritage was out of sight and out of mind. It was within this context that what Heritage Malta has achieved-particularly over the last ten years, and especially in recent years-has been truly revolutionary.

Revolutionary because Heritage Malta, through its work, has changed the mentality of an entire country.

Today, our national heritage is accessible to all. Whether you are a researcher or an elderly person, whether you are an academic or a young person, whether you are a historian or a Maltese citizen with no academic background, but who has an interest in what is Maltese and in what makes us Maltese.

This is the great revolution brought about by Heritage Malta. Heritage Malta has opened wide access to Malta's national heritage. It has taken our heritage beyond the confined walls of museums and placed it at the heart of our cities and villages.

This year, Heritage Malta shall also be organising the second edition of the Malta Biennale. The first edition was a success, and this second edition-building on the experience gained from the first-will be an even greater success. The Malta Biennale is a powerful and outstanding showcase of our Maltese heritage. I would like to thank my friends Mario Cutajar and Noel Zammit for their genuine commitment, passion, and love for the national heritage of Malta, and my deepest gratitude to all the employees of Heritage Malta, because this success belongs to all of them.

CARNIVAL

Last week, with my colleague Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli, we announced that during the Carnival period, around 50 activities will be organised in various localities across Malta and Gozo. These events will provide a wide range of entertainment for everyone. €250,000 has been allocated for this scheme. This is being made possible thanks to the continued commitment of the Directorate for Local Government, which once again is providing financial support to Local Councils so that they can organise high-quality seasonal activities. This initiative not only enhances the festive spirit but also continues to support culture, participation, and unity within our communities. Carnival is one of the oldest cultural events in our country, and as a Labour government, we are investing heavily in it. In the next few years, Malta will have its first Cultural Hub in Marsa, which will also provide state-of-the-art working space for carnival enthusiasts in the construction of their artistic floats.

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

A large crowd attended the Labour Party rally at the Cottonera Sports Complex last Friday to celebrate Robert Abela's sixth anniversary as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. The Prime Minister touched upon the reforms carried out in the last six years, but more importantly, focused on what is to come. In a nutshell, the next 6 years are even brighter than the preceding ones, and that is a remarkable things to say given that the past 6 years Malta had the strongest economy ever, thousands of new jobs were created, families, and businesses, benefitted from historic tax cuts, and government continued to shield consumers from rising energy, and food prices worldwide. I look forward to supporting the Prime Minister in the years to come, as do the people of Malta, who, time and again, have proved that they trust Labour and Robert Abela with the leadership of our country.

THANK YOU

Malta was battered by a huge storm this week, but the brave men and women of our Civil Protection Department stood tall, protecting us all. The strong winds caused severe damage to coastal towns and villages, especially in Marsascala, Marsaxlokk, Birzebbuga, and in rural parts of Malta and Gozo. The government will ensure that repair works are done as swiftly as possible and that local councils in the most affected of areas will get the support that they need.

PAUL

On December 28, 1977, at the height of the doctors' strike, two letter bombs were sent to two Maltese doctors, Dr Edwin Grech and Dr. Paul Chetcuti Caruana. One of the bombs, the one sent to Dr Grech's household, was opened by his young daughter Karen. The young girl, thinking that the parcel was an early Christmas present for her father, was killed by the powerful blast. The other letter, sent to Dr Chetcuti Caruana's household, luckily, did not explode.  Last week, Dr. Paul Chetcuti Caruana, who was a Labour Party Member of Parliament and former Mayor of Mosta, died. Prime Minister Robert Abela appropriately described Dr. Chetcuti Caruana as a man of service not only on a medical level but in politics too. My deepest condolences to the Chetcuti Caruana family.