Debono's actions may have closed door for backbenchers

Franco Debono's walkout from Parliament last Monday may have killed prospects of any backbencher joining the Cabinet any time soon.

The momentum for the decision has not yet picked up but various options are being debated within the Nationalist Party to replace John Dalli as Social Policy Minister.

However, Mr Debono's protest has changed the landscape altogether, according to MPs and party officials who spoke to The Sunday Times on condition of anonymity.

For the past weeks, two main possibilities were being discussed within the party - that Speaker Louis Galea takes over at the helm of the Social Policy Ministry after Mr Dalli assumes the role of European Commissioner, or that the seat is filled by someone already within Cabinet, potentially creating vacancies for a parliamentary secretary.

However, after Dr Debono's protest took centre stage in Parliament, both possibilities are deemed too risky.

"Debono's move was very embarrassing for the government. I'm sure the prime minister's priority now is to stop this sort of thing from happening again," one PN official said.

"He has already gone on record saying stability was his priority, and what happened would have reinforced thoughts against any significant surgery to the Cabinet line up."

It is believed that Dr Galea's potential return to government, after he failed to be elected in the 2008 general election, would anger a number of former ministers, who were elected but still left out of Cabinet in this legislature.

"Louis Galea is a very capable politician, but this is not about ability... It is about the situation his return would create. It could literally be the proverbial can of worms," one official said.

Not everyone shares this view. A former government aide said the return of Dr Galea should not anger any of the former ministers and certainly none of the backbenchers.

"I think Louis Galea provides precisely the right solution.

He has served as Social Policy minister before, his return would not entail shifting many people around who have to re-learn a portfolio mid-legislature - and nobody can question his ability and political vision," he said.

Another option would see Giovanna Debono switched from Gozo Minister to Social Policy; her post would then be filled by parliamentary secretary Chris Said, who, as a Gozitan, is well placed to take on the portfolio.

This would create a direct vacancy for a parliamentary secretary.

Yet, as one MP put it: "What would you do? Reward the naughty MPs and face the flak from the loyal ones?"

There is also the possibility for more than one parliamentary secretary to be included to the present line up of ministers, who are known to be overstretched.

This would add a cadre of political employees (15 for each ministry) and beef up the government's customer care resources.

But the decision remains tricky because of the people who would be left out. As one MP stressed:

"I don't think any MP in his right mind is going to bring the government down because he did not get a post. But to maintain stability, it is important that we avoid any public displays of disgruntlement similar to the one we had last Monday."