Gonzi keeps mum on Cabinet

Eddie Fenech Adami will not be consulted over the formation of the new Cabinet, Nationalist Party leader Lawrence Gonzi yesterday said, as the prime minister-in-waiting kept his cards to his chest over the widely anticipated reshuffle.

Speaking during a discussion programme on RTK, Dr Gonzi also ruled out the introduction of divorce or the elimination of the student stipends' system once he assumes his new job at the Auberge de Castille.

Dr Gonzi's reputation as a family man seems to be firmly ingrained as radio callers repetitively urged him to retain his strong family and Catholic values. The Sunday Times and RTK journalists were invited to pose questions to the 50-year-old lawyer, who is expected to become prime minister next week.

Asked whether Dr Fenech Adami would have any say in the choice of the new Cabinet, Dr Gonzi was categorical:

"Once Dr Fenech Adami decides to resign, his function as head of the Government will cease at once. This will solely be my decision, and I will be responsible for it."

He refused, though, to let the cat out of the bag, and would only say his parliamentary group boasted good elements all across when asked whether he saw any potential ministers among the existing back-benchers.

"They all have potential and areas of expertise that strengthen government's work. And after all, the function of Cabinet relies a lot on back-benchers."

Dr Gonzi shunned suggestions that the relationship with Finance Minister John Dalli was somewhat tepid.

Confirming he has held meetings with Mr Dalli in the last few days, as he did with other ministers, he added:

"John (Dalli) is a very important element in the existing Cabinet as he was in the previous one. He is an expert in several issues, spanning from pensions to the drydocks."

Turning to the shipyards, Dr Gonzi insisted that everybody from management to the foremen to the workers was responsible for their viability.

Dr Gonzi insisted that the drydocks agreement would not be tampered with.

"There are some people in the drydocks who want to reintroduce the different allowances that existed before, but I will tell them - over my dead body. We are not prepared to change the collective agreement."

On a more social issue, Dr Gonzi insisted that divorce was not the solution to the growing number of separations in Malta.

"On the contrary, if you look at other countries you realise that divorce has caused more crises within families."

This was why the government had sought other alternatives and introduced the Family Court. While former Prime Minister Alfred Sant had set up a commission to discuss the introduction of divorce, the Nationalist government formed a Commission specifically intended to protect the family.

Dr Gonzi expressed his worry that tertiary education in Malta was still lagging behind that of other European countries.

Stipends, he said, had provided the necessary spur to raise the number of University students from 800 to 8,000 in 10 years. However Dr Gonzi did not exclude certain "fine-tuning" to the system.

Dr Gonzi played down the Freedom Day controversy, after the Labour Party accused the government of downgrading the 25th anniversary celebrations.

He said it might be a good time to discuss the possibility of having one single national holiday, though he expressed doubts on this ever happening.

Dr Gonzi said the Church had a prominent role to play in society, and that it should air its views and opinions on different matters.

"The Church should for example also attack abuse, the same way it has started discussing the environment."

Turning to the landfills issue, Dr Gonzi said this matter should be sealed once and for all.

But Dr Gonzi refused to commit himself on whether he agreed with the proposal to construct two temporary landfills in the vicinity of Mnajdra, saying only that he would rely on the advice of experts.

"This has to be sorted out in the coming days. Let's stop dilly-dallying."