New shadow cabinet composed of five women and five men
From Times of Malta – print edition
The Opposition’s shadow cabinet, announced last night, is made up of five women and five men, which is a statement in itself. That is what struck me first (but it would, wouldn’t it).
I totally abhor positive discrimination, but in this case you can’t say that this is what has happened. Three of those women outstrip the other candidates hands down and the other two are on par.
Well, actually the first thing that struck me is that two of the shadow ministers – who are also two of the women – have seats in the European Parliament and not the Maltese parliament. So they are not, in terms of the Constitution, part of the Opposition. This strikes me as a problematic because I’m a huge fusspot about words having precise meanings, and that for a reason.
The cabinet of government can only be formed from people with a seat in the House – this in Constitutional terms. Members of the Opposition are also by definition people with a seat in the House – the proper, Constitutional forum for Opposition is parliament and not the media. It therefore follows that the shadow cabinet should be composed of people with a seat in the House, though as far I know the Constitution does not say anything about the formation of the shadow cabinet, probably because it is assumed to be understood.
The primary problem I can see here is that is that the shadow minister for European and Foreign Affairs (Roberta Metsola) and the shadow minister for Education and Employment (Therese Comodini Cachia) have no seat in parliament and are Constitutionally barred from speaking in the House for the same reason that the rest of us are – no seat.
These two shadow ministers – who, incidentally, are among the best – will not be able to quiz their counterparts directly in the proper forum, parliament. The Opposition says it does not matter because they have a team of spokesmen, with seats in parliament, who can do this instead. I am not at all comfortable with this situation.
I just think it is a damn shame that these two women have seats in the European Parliament rather than the national parliament, and I hope that this move means they are going to direct their efforts towards national politics next time round. Therese Comodini Cachia had stood for election to the Maltese parliament two years ago but wasn’t elected. She was then elected to the European Parliament.
Those who were elected to the European Parliament on the Nationalist Party ticket are considered to be members of the PN parliamentary group and consult on policy, have a vote within the group and so on. But that is the party and not the Opposition – the two are Constitutionally distinct.
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I don’t understand the relegation of Tonio Fenech. All we talk about is the ‘finanzi fis-sod’ the PN left Joseph Muscat with.
And then the PN relegates the man that was responsible for keeping Malta’s finances in check during the biggest economic storm the world has seen since the 20s.
Frankly, if there was someone who could be mistaken for Gonzi’s shadow in the shadow Cabinet – that was Simon Busuttil himself, having written Gonzi’s last two electoral manifestos, was Gonzi’s deputy in the last general election and was his ‘bridge’ to the civic community.
I am not saying that Simon Busuttil should resign because of these reasons. Not at all. But neither should Tonio Fenech be demoted to a spokesperson in the Foreign Affairs department managed by Roberta Metsola (who enthusiastically voted for Karmenu Vella to become EU Commissioner). How insulting is that?
Why is it insulting? Is Tonio Fenech in politics to serve the country or get promotions?
Finanzi Fis-Sod was due to the Gonzi’s effort to make his government work and not due to one minister’s efforts.
Tonio Fenech excercised extremely poor judgement when he flew with businessmen on a private jet to watch a football game.
He also showed poor judgement accepting that gift of a clock.
Whilst these actions were not illegal they caused great damage to the Nationalist Party. It served the PL’s needs by creating a perception of corruption.
In my opinion he deserves to be relegated.
Hook, line and sinker, signed Joseph Muscat. You fell for it too Mr./Mrs. Confused, actually your alias says it all.
That type of reasoning is precisely why we end up with dinosaurs in charge of our country.
Doing a good job does not entitle one to retaining a position ad eternum.
I was waiting to see your thoughts on the reshuffle Daphne, and you’ve mirrored my opinion and concerns precisely, although maybe I’m not AS worried as you are about the inclusion of the 2 MEPs.
I think that the PN has made a quantum leap here, a greatly needed shake up in my opinion. I must say I’m particularly glad Claudette Buttigieg has been given a front line role too.
This reshuffle by the Oppostion has been welcomed.
In terms of strategy, I think what has been done here is very clever.
Two years ago, the weakest point would have been Gozo, and though this is no longer the case, Gozo is an area which still needs more attention. I am not comfortable with this position in particular: it requires strengthening.
I would be overly attentive to sly moves by Joseph Muscat when attendance of the foreign-based MEPs is required.
Well, let’s face it, the shadow cabinet is mostly a PR-thing – it’s the people that the Party wants to give most visibility to.
Having said that, I have (finally) seen a degree of Machiavellism in Simon Busuttil – the positioning of Metsola in a prominent role of his shadow cabinet is to me a clear case of “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”.
The two MEP s will stand for election to the national parliament next time.
But as you say they do not yet form part of the national parliament.
And how can they cope on the two fronts in Malta and Brussels/Strasbourg?
Is it really fair for those who have been elected to parliament already and put on the back bench? I think many of those who have been left out have been irritated with such a move.
On the other hand, a change is as good as a rest.
Dr. Busuttil is putting into practice what he promised and his choice of persons for the new shadow cabinet goes to prove this.
If we yearn for a fresh start, then we must be ready for changes. Let’s trust that all the Nationalist Party parliamentary members will be giving their full support.
I feel that Simon Busuttil inserted two particularly valid people in his shadow cabinet, both happen to be MEPs.
This is possibly the first step to candidate both Roberta Metsola and Therese Comodini Cachia for election to the Maltese parliament in three years time.
There are still one or two persons I would be happy without but the circumstances are what they are.
Hopefully more new faces will be included. Ann Fenech and Joe Giglio come to mind.
As the saying goes “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”.
Whether the ‘quantum leap’ will give the results expected cannot be foreseen at the present, of course.
What the re-structuring of the shadow cabinet should have as its basic mission is to grasp the Labour government by the throat and squeeze tightly on every possible occasion that arises – no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ – in order to bring it to its senses and to remind it of its duty to deliver the promised well-being about which it boasted prior to the March 2013 elections.
That should not exclude even the tiniest hint of reneging on those promises – starting from employment and business/economic promotion (the real thing, not buddy favours or iced buns) public transport reforms, health and hospital systems improvement, public administration in general, the environment, public hygiene and cleanliness, respect for legality and law observance – just to give a few examples – in almost all of which Labour has failed miserably.
I am sure Dr Busuttil has all this in mind – and will not give Labour any respite in publicly and unreservedly criticizing where this is necessary, however slight the omission on Government’s part.
Filwaqt li dan it-tibdil kien xi haga novattiva, dejjem emmint fid-distinzjoni bejn elezzjonijiet lokali, nazzjonali u Ewropej.
Izda f’Malta hawn konfuzjoni f’dan ir-rigward u b’mod negattiv dan it-tibdil jista’ jkun interpretat li t-tmexxija l-gdida tal-PN ma ghandiex vizjoni u fiducja fil-parlament Malti u minflok qed taghti aktar importanza lill-media.
Aktar ma dan certu persuni li ta’ kuljum qed jbghatu b’mod ingust mir-rizultat fl-ahhar elezzjoni jistghu facilment jaraw lil PN bhala partit li diga qata qalbu li jikseb success fl-elezzjoni generali li jmiss u qed jibni strategija li tahseb biss f’possibilta ta’ success fi zmien tmien snin.