One-man government

Austin Gatt may have survived the motion of no-confidence proposed by the Labour Party, but hasn’t fared so well at the hands of the Prime Minister. The setting up of a Transport Task Force headed by the Prime Minister is a resounding vote of no-confidence which belies Lawrence Gonzi’s words of support for Gatt in Parliament.

The Transport Minister may but try and put on a brave face on it and continue telling the media that he thinks the task force is a “great idea”, but his words ring hollow. If it was such a great idea, why didn’t he think of it before, instead of leaving public transport reform in the hands of bumbling underlings?

And if the inter-departmental task force was Gatt’s brainchild, how come he was so conspicuous by his absence at the press conference when its formation was announced?

All the evidence points towards the minister having no inkling of the Prime Minister’s decision before it was a fait accomplit. Gatt may try to pass off what is effectively the divestment of an essential part of his ministerial portfolio, as something which is not out of the ordinary, but even casual observers of the political scene will describe it for what it really is – a final humiliating putdown.

What started off as Gatt’s super ministry has been systematically stripped of areas of responsibility until it has started to look as if all the minister is in charge of is a couple of watchmen in the vacant Smart City.

Now that the Prime Minister has decided to step in and do what should have been done over a two-year span, Gatt’s legacy may very well be summed up as ‘From Tal-Barrani to Brussels to bus fiasco’ – a reflection of the rise and fall of this particular politician.

Gatt’s declaration that he does not intend to contest the forthcoming election makes further discussion about his career trajectory a purely academic affair. It is more interesting to see how the Prime Minister’s task force decision reflects upon him.

Looked at from all angles, it seems decidedly odd. In which country does the prime minister have to see to the implementation of policy himself? Heading a task force to boot?

It is hard to imagine David Cameron or Nicolas Sarkozy taking time off from their busy schedules to sit around a table with the head of the Armed Forces to figure out a way for bendy buses to squeeze through traffic.

So why does Lawrence Gonzi have to hammer out the routes for bendy buses himself? Isn’t that what ministers, officials and consultants are there for?

If ever there was an admission that the Prime Minister feels there is a scarcity of good ministerial material in his parliamentary group, then this is it. Otherwise he wouldn’t have to be rushing about propping up one bungled reform after another like some sort of demented Maltese superman.

From the beginning of this legislature, the Prime Minister has expressed his preference for a leaner Cabinet, but this is becoming ridiculous. While the Prime Minister has to be able to multitask (as does everybody else for that matter), he cannot be expected to take over a multitude of different portfolios or to handhold his ministers in the job they are expected to carry out.

He should be able to delegate to trusted and competent ministers. If he is not doing so, we can’t but help conclude that he has no faith in any of them to handle the job in a half-decent manner.

This does not augur well for the country. Only last week, people who voiced any criticism of the Arriva bus system were being pilloried by Nationalist exponents for distracting the Prime Minister from the far more important issue of the worrying financial situation in the eurozone.

Now I don’t concur with the view that everybody should hold back from pointing out the shortcomings of the public transport system – one that affects many people’s lives considerably – simply so that the Prime Minister can keep his eye on the financial ball. He should be able to keep tabs on matters of national importance as well as of developments on the international front.

However, he will only be able to do this if he is aided by efficient ministers, and not ones who bungle up so badly, that he has to step in to mop up the messes they leave behind.

It is doubtful whether the one-man show approach adopted by Gonzi will produce the desired results. Perhaps the Prime Minister’s decision to take over public transport reform was partially motivated by the knowledge that – if successful – it will rub off on him, further strengthening the GonziPN brand.

But it also signals the fact that he believes himself to be the Nationalist Party’s primary – or only – asset, despite the collegiality and team spirit he banged on so much about in Parliament. Whether the one-man Gonzi government can handle the impending challenges remains to be seen.

cl.bon@nextgen.net.mt