Abela needs to shock the system

It’s only been a year since the Labour Party was returned to power with another blistering majority that Robert Abela can call his own. But a year is an eternity in politics; and just 12 months later, the Prime Minister must now take stock of the situation. 

The Rosianne Cutajar saga ended with her resignation from the Labour Party parliamentary group, just before the executive was going to be motioned by Abela to kick her out. 

It took Abela time to decide what should be done with Cutajar. His initial reaction was to describe the published WhatsApp chats as ‘misogynistic’; until he realised that the content could not simply be brushed off as ‘old hat’, for which Cutajar had already ‘paid a political price’. 

While most of what the chats contained had already been revealed, in some way or another, over the past few years, they also contained a damning indictment of the Muscat years. Cutajar implied that everyone – not just herself - was ‘pigging out at the trough’.  

It is this comment – which, in Cutajar’s case, resulted in a consultancy with the Institute of Tourism Studies – that irked a lot of people, including diehard Labour Party supporters. 

Abela was reacting to the backlash when he finally decided that Cutajar had to go. His hesitation gave Cutajar the space to make the decision herself before she was kicked out. 

In the short-term, Abela appears as a person unable to directly confront his own MPs and ask them to shoulder responsibility when things go wrong. It is probably a characteristic of his to allow situations to resolve themselves with some nudging and pushing; but no open confrontation. 

But in the long-term – when the nitty gritty of how Cutajar stepped away from the PL are forgotten - history will judge Abela as the leader on whose watch people like Cutajar and Konrad Mizzi stopped being millstones around the Labour Party’s neck. 

It remains a shame, however, that Cutajar chose to stay on as an MP: something nobody has control over, except herself. 

Nonetheless, the Cutajar shenanigans are but one of the woes hounding Abela’s administration. Her case came hot on the heels of the Steward Health Care hospitals concession debacle, after the courts cancelled the contract on the basis of fraud and unfulfilled commitments. 

But while the hospitals deal is part of Muscat’s negative legacy, the Cutajar embarrassment could have easily been avoided had she been prevented from contesting the last general election with the PL. 

These issues, and other more pressing concerns about the rising cost of foodstuffs and services, have taken their toll on the Abela administration. 

At a time of global economic uncertainty, where rumblings from the Finance Minister point to some form of belt-tightening over the coming months, ‘pigging out’ by politicians is the last thing any honest citizen would want to see. 

Alfred Mifsud - former chairman of ONE, the PL’s media arm - deftly captured the mood in an opinion piece last week: “Even if their wealth came from perfectly legitimate sources, Labour representatives should be careful not to project a perception of prioritising luxury over values.” 

This holds true for those Labour politicians who flaunt their lavish lifestyles on social media: oblivious of the rancour this creates among sections of the electorate, whose life is a continuous struggle. 

It is only worse if these lavish lifestyles become possible through ‘pigging out’ at the taxpayer’s expense; and outright criminal, if the result of corrupt behaviour. 

Within this context Abela needs to shock the system. He must have an honest and brutal sit-down session with his parliamentary group, on the shortcomings that have eroded trust over the past 12 months. The results of three surveys, showing a decline in support for the PL, should weigh down heavily on the MPs. A strong dose of humility is urgently needed. 

New ground rules on ethical behaviour must be laid down and etched into clear and transparent policies. The rules must extend to the spouses and immediate family members of MPs. 

The Prime Minister must also end the legalised practice of having MPs employed as chairpersons of executive authorities; or enjoying income from government entities. And he must take the bold step to open honest discussions with the Opposition to change the political party financing law to ensure its effectiveness. 

In Alfred Mifsud’s words: “Wasting political capital is accepting with impunity gross departures from the values that Labour stand for, especially the values of spending public funds with proper governance which must be upheld at all times on the principle of adhering or explaining in full transparency.” 

Abela may also want to consider reshuffling his Cabinet: although this will have to happen next year if Chris Fearne is nominated as Malta’s next European Commissioner. 

More importantly, there is need for a sober analysis of policy decisions that lead to visible deliverables in areas such as the environment; proper enforcement across all sectors; swifter judicial processes; better motivated workforces in the medical, educational and law enforcement fields. 

Abela must act swiftly, to ensure his administration’s ‘winter of discontent’ does not drag on indefinitely.