A big mess of the government’s own making
Lawrence Gonzi is making one mistake after another. First he refuses to accept Transport Minister Austin Gatt’s offer of resignation and then, immediately after he defends the minister in an opposition motion of no confidence in Dr Gatt, defeated only through the Speaker’s casting vote, he sets up a high-powered task force to take charge of the bus service reform. Not only that, but he appoints himself as leader of the task force. He does this at what is perhaps one of the most sensitive financial times when buffeting winds sweeping across so many countries would suggest that his best place is at the country’s helm all the time, not leading a task force to see how to make sense of a bus service reform. Insisting wrongs are righted is one thing but actually doing it yourself is another.
In a way, this suggests he has full confidence in the work of his Finance Minister but the people will see his move as a clear indication that he is not exactly happy with the way his Transport Minister has been handling the reform. But if this is the case, why did he not accept the offer of resignation in the first place? Simply not to please the opposition? Or because Dr Gatt is indispensable? Whatever the reason, Dr Gonzi is giving the impression that he has been caught in a web of confusion and is acting practically on impulse.
It is hardly the job of the Prime Minister to go into the bus service reform, or, for that matter, into any other reform that can, or should, easily be taken care of by the people sitting in his Cabinet. What are the ministers there for then?
According to a spokesman for the Prime Minister, the task force, which held its first meeting yesterday, is entrusted with making sure there is coordination between “all government resources and players to ensure the public transport reform meets the needs and aspirations of the community”. So, is the Prime Minister or, rather, his spokesman, saying that no measure of coordination can be achieved between the constituent members of the task force without his personal intervention?
The mind simply boggles at the reasoning behind the setting up of the task force, which, by the way, is made up of Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, the Police Commissioner, the commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Transport Malta’s chairman, and ...wait for it... yes, the Transport Minister, Dr Gatt. This is really a super, super task force, more suitable to manage a national catastrophe than a reform in public transport.
That Dr Gonzi has now found it necessary to take such a drastic measure suggests that he is fully aware of the widespread national dissatisfaction with the transport arrangements in place and wants to get the reform over and done with in as short a time as possible.
His government cannot afford going into an election campaign with such a huge national outcry over the inadequacies of public transport still remaining unresolved. This is perhaps why the Prime Minister thought he should lead the task force himself, to ensure that the promised reform is finally carried out to the people’s satisfaction, if that can ever be done at all. But, then, even if the task force manages to do so within a reasonable time, there is still a thorn or two in his government’s side. Franco Debono is one of them.
Popular Stories
Labour Party resorts to political...
Why calling an election now makes sense
The only way forward for the government
Stamp out racism or suffer the...
Top businessman touches some raw nerves
If Libya is to accede to Refugee...
Stemming the tide of migrants
Did justice prevail in the Lockerbie...
Frustration over fuel price increases
In Discussion
Stamp out racism or suffer the...
The only way forward for the government
Stemming the tide of migrants
Roadworks, traffic chaos and...
Labour Party resorts to political...
Does it really pay to use public...
Migration challenges must be addressed
If Libya is to accede to Refugee...
This country must remain competitive
8 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Peter Paul Sacco
Nov 10th 2011, 18:24
I only hope that voters in the next general elections do not use Arriva to reach the polling booths, otherwise the electoral commission will have to extend voting time not by one hour, as in the last general elections, but by one day.
Edgar Azzopardi
Nov 10th 2011, 18:04
A Task Force made up of a group of high level boys - most of them overpaid - trying to close the barn door after the horse has long bolted!
I bet the Army and the Police ( and perhaps Gonzi himself wearing white gloves and waving a lollpop baton directing traffic in one of our crossroads) will be instructed to stop the little cars , so that the BIG IMPORTANT ARRIVA BENDIES- rejected by most countaries - can pass .
BTW brilliant leader , Editor. I might even start beleiving in the TImes again if you can manage to be this objective - even though I suspect you are risking this tact because we are far away from the elections. Still great editorial - reflects all of our feelings.
Joseph Calleja
Nov 10th 2011, 17:06
As we say in the real world. The prime Minister got caught with his pants down. And a good quote Mr Editor.
Why does the Task Force consist of the, Police Commissioner, the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Transport Malta’s chairman? Are these Government officials going to have the police force, the AFM personnel and Transport Malta officials drive the buses? Of course not, so why the arsenal? He has to have Minister Austin Gatt as part of the Task Force because he is the one most familiar with the deal that went down with Arriva, back then. The Prime Minister cannot ask Dr Gatt to resign because if he does, then he will have to ask Tonio Fenech and Carmel Mifsud Bonnici to do the same. And to be honest I don't think Dr Gonzi is that upset about what people think of him, as long as Nobody touches his pet project, that of City Gate and the Topless Opera House Projects. So for now we have the Transportation Department, the Legal System and the Finance Department in chaos thanks to lack of participation and leadership by the three Ministers. But you heard it from the horse's mouth himself. "The buck stops here". Except he does not realize that the buck is long gone and way past his reach. As they say, he might be a day late and a dollar short.
Charles DeMicoli
Nov 10th 2011, 15:56
Maybe now he'll give himself another 500 euro for handling the balbuljata named Arriva.
J. Scicluna
Nov 10th 2011, 15:18
Nothing to declare from the PN bloggers...
The writing is on the wall for those that have eyes to see and ears to hear!
j brincat
Nov 10th 2011, 12:30
What do the bloggers from the Charlatans' Brigade have to say?
Or are they conspicuous by their absence?
The WRITING is clearly on the wall for those who can see i.e. do not have blue dyed wool hindering their eyesight!
(jb)
Albert Farrugia
Nov 10th 2011, 11:29
"This is really a super, super task force, more suitable to manage a national catastrophe than a reform in public transport."
Wel, yes, exactly. This IS a national catastrophe. A whole country having no public transport is actually a catastrophe. Public transport is a utility like the water and electricity supply. Maybe we think that it's not the case in Malta since people practically ignore public transport once they can drive a car. But the present events show that this is not the case. Far from it.
John Azzopoardi
Nov 10th 2011, 11:18
Agree, Poor leadership all around. A task force to be credible should always be headed by someone independent. Some one needs to give our PN Leader a 101 Leadership course. And all, this has nothing to do with being a PN or PL. The time has come and gone that we all start thinking and acting independent of party politics.