In Parliament last week, Gozo Minister Anton Refalo messed up, yet again. He refused to answer questions by Opposition MPs on travel by his ministry since the election, and then requested that they be put to him in writing.
The Opposition MPs said these were public funds and Parliament had a right to know. Education Minister Evarist Bartolo agreed with the Opposition that information on ministerial travel should not be kept from Parliament. It does not happen often that a government minister chastises his parliamentary colleague in public.
This is not the first time the Gozo Minister refused to answer questions in Parliament. In November last year, Refalo refused to answer questions about the €830,371 loan listed in his 2012 ministerial declaration of assets, insisting that what he said was based on the truth.
Refalo’s attitude is wrong and his conduct unbecoming of a government minister. The Prime Minister will definitely defend his minister and reject calls for his resignation.
Defending the indefensible is a trademark of Muscat and his government. However, this is a very short-sighted strategy. The Gozitan minister will hang on to his job until he messes up again, and then his position will become untenable and he will either jump or get pushed. Muscat will then have only himself to blame.
Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia has received a lot of stick recently. He refuses to publish inquiries concluded months ago, saying he was still going through them.
One is about a decision made by former police commissioner Peter Paul Zammit not to press charges against a person who allegedly assaulted four officers at the Żabbar Police Station, and the other is connected with the case of a man who was wrongly arraigned over a hold-up.
Asked by Times of Malta journalist, Keith Micallef, why he was dragging his feet on publishing the findings of the inquiries, the Home Affairs Minister lashed out at the reporter and attempted to ridicule him. The attempt failed miserably and only proved the minister is uncomfortable committing himself to publish the findings of the inquiries.
Mallia is no stranger to controversy. Last month, he inaugurated a mobile police station in Marsascala, which later transpired was not covered with a Mepa permit – so much for leading by example.
Muscat would better watch out. Ministers Anton Refalo, Manuel Mallia, Konrad Mizzi and Joe Mizzi may well prove to be his downfall, and he will have only himself to blame. The byword for these ministers is arrogance
The latest from the Home Affairs Ministry is Mallia’s decision to review the performance of senior police officers every three years. Many are asking Mallia, the politician, to keep his hands off the police force – but the former criminal lawyer turned politician just can’t help it.
Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi broke his most important pledge: delivering a gas-powered power station by March 2015. This was the kernel of Labour’s electoral programme, which it failed to deliver.
Mizzi was the darling of the Labour media prior to the 2013 general election and Joseph Muscat’s trophy. Two years later, Mizzi is turning out to be one of Muscat’s hopeless ministers. Mizzi also doubles up as Malta’s Health Minister, although it is Parliamentary Chris Fearne who calls the shots. Mizzi is not only detached from this sector, but many complain he has no clue about this portfolio.
Public transport, which was very disappointing when Arriva was in charge, is still in a mess. Traffic congestions, which have always been a nightmare, have now worsened. Minister Joe Mizzi made a mess out of his transport portfolio – unsurprisingly. This man is definitely out of breath and is not fit for purpose.
Muscat would better watch out. Ministers Anton Refalo, Manuel Mallia, Konrad Mizzi and Joe Mizzi may well prove to be his downfall, and he will have only himself to blame. The byword for these ministers is arrogance.
Arrogance, by certain Nationalist Party ministers, was widely considered to be one of the previous administration downfalls – which, in many ways, was true.
During the 2013 election campaign, Labour capitalised brilliantly on the real and perceived arrogance of their political opponents. However, two years later Muscat’s Labour government is rife with arrogance and lack of transparency, and this thanks to the Prime Minister’s couldn’t-care-less attitude, his habit of defending the indefensible and his refusal to call the bluff of Refalo, Mallia, and Mizzi.
The Prime Minister badly needs to re-shuffle his cabinet, shake up his top team, but a government reshuffle alone will not suffice unless there is a change in attitude. The problem, however, is that things are rotten at the very core. What a shame.
frankpsaila@gmail.com