The hidden message behind Cabinet formation

"More of the same," cried Labour just an hour or so after the new prime minister announced his Cabinet. Labour obviously wanted to dish out a quick slogan to their supporters to latch on to and to repeat. To judge a Cabinet by just looking at the faces of the incumbents is like judging a product by just looking at the wrapper.

The bold message and the signals that come from the new Cabinet formation is to be found in the make-up of the ministerial responsibilities and the way in which they are clustered. For the prime minister to assume responsibility for finance himself is probably the most courageous of his decisions.

The message is loud and clear, the buck starts and stops at Castille. The government succeeds or fails in tandem with the economy's success or failure. It is a risky strategy but a logical one. The minister of finance delivers the annual budgetary statement, but it is the prime minister who has traditionally stood up at the dispatch box to defend it. From now on the prime minister will do both.

The opposition has to adjust to this new reality. The return of youth affairs to the education ministry is of no surprise. The training of youth for the challenges ahead cannot be in any way divorced from the education brief. The addition of investment promotion to the foreign affairs ministry is aimed at maximising the use of our foreign representation abroad.

In part, this change puts the lid on the criticism so often made by the opposition that Malta is spending too much money on embassies abroad. John Dalli's experience and resolute manner will endeavour to add value to our embassies by changing them into the hands of Malta Enterprise overseas, which I suppose is why Malta Enterprise is also within the same ministry.

Then comes culture. Lawrence Gonzi read the signs of the time. Malta can no longer be advertised as a sea and sun destination. With weather patterns changing, and more European destinations coming up on the market, together with the increasing sophistication of the tourist market, culture has to figure on every tourist brochure. A country that boasts temples older than the pyramids deserves no less.

The inclusion of the word "competitiveness" in the nomenclature of a ministry is an affirmation that, unless we are capable of increasing our competitive edge over our equally hungry partners and rivals, we might as well give up the fight. The times for protectionist measures are over. The challenge now is to reduce drastically the burden that red tape puts on industry, both large and small.

The elderly and community care have been transferred to the ministry of health. Once again a logical move. To divorce this aspect of health care from the mainstream health brief is to complicate things unnecessarily and possibly add to the cost of management.

Perhaps the most politically motivated switch is that of taking waste management from the ministry of resources and infrastructure and put it with the ministry of rural affairs and the environment. The government has to come up with solutions pretty soon about waste management.

The subject needed to be revisited and by landing this hot potato on the broad shoulders of George Pullicino, Dr Gonzi has prepared the way for some revision and possible U-turns without anyone's loss of face.

Besides, in a country the size of ours, taking waste management away from the environmental ambit makes very little sense.

The new ministry for urban development and roads is another message-laden move. The government needs to be seen to deliver fully and with speed, not only the projects that are already in progress but also to come up with new ones.

We need to add value to our stock of historical buildings. Jesmond Mugliett has already mentioned the ugly space that faces every visitor who enters Valletta. A decision about the future of the site of the Royal Opera House must be taken. As for roads, the progress that became so evident in countries like Spain and Ireland once they acquired EU funds should come our way soon.

And then Dr Gonzi's old ministry.

Dolores Cristina will be carrying this ministry under the banners of family and social solidarity. This is true to form. The eloquence of the speeches made by Nationalist top brasses to the party faithful these last few weeks carried a message of the importance of the family and its defence.

Social solidarity services need to be created to make our society more inclusive of single parent families and other family patterns, without giving the message that these are easy options, even if they are well catered for by the government's safety net.

Dr Gonzi was quick to move from words to action. He promised to increase the appointment of women in both government and party and he has already delivered in good measure.

Then there are the four Cabinet committees. I would think that this is where real power will be seated. Dr Gonzi must have listened and taken note of what was said at the party meetings during the leadership election.

Effectively Dr Gonzi has created four Cabinet supremos. It is of great interest that none of the ministers involved in environment, social policy, competitiveness and national projects will be chairing these committees. A wise and bold move by Dr Gonzi. It will create greater accountability, greater result oriented policies and greater discipline. The idea that the committees will be able to rope in other entities that could make a contribution to their work is more than welcome.

It shows that the government wants to be as inclusive as possible at all levels. I cannot help feeling that the ministerial formations have been influenced broadly by the EU nine councils of ministers formation. From May 1, our ministers will be engaged into the reality of EU membership.

The interaction between Brussels and Malta will change the way we have been used to do politics. When Eddie Fenech Adami spoke of a new spring he was no doubt referring to these new ways in which this country will have to be managed as from May 1. He had the vision to look into the future and make way for others to turn the vision into reality.

Dr Gonzi and his Cabinet have a tall order. They deserve our support and, dare I say, our prayers.