Gonzi refused Austin Gatt’s resignation offer

In comments to MaltaToday this evening, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi revealed that he had refused Austin Gatt’s offered to resign during a Cabinet meeting which was held on October 3.

“The party electoral programme was clear that a public transport reform would happen and that routes not dependent on Valletta would be introduced. The routes introduced in July were approved by Cabinet and not only by minister Gatt," the Prime Minister said.

“Minister Gatt has assumed political responsibility, and so does Cabinet, and I have informed the party executive last week that Gatt had offered his resignation during a Cabinet session, before MP Franco Debono had declared his position, and that I had refused the offer,” Gonzi said, adding his belief that “one cannot be clearer than this as far as the assumption of responsibility is concerned,” he said.

Earlier today, MaltaToday reported that government’s counter-motion to Labour’s call for Austin Gatt’s resignation on Friday will be characterised by an apology for the way the public transport reform was handled, and expressing a thorough commitment to improve the service and ensure better enforcement on service provider Arriva's part for the benefit of the general public.

Contacted this morning, Nationalist MP Franco Debono, who is threatening to abstain on the Labour motion, said he is so far “non-committal”on the amendment to the Labour motion.

Senior PN sources told MaltaToday that the PN executive council resolved in acknowledging Debono’s efforts to bring government to terms with the transport reform fiasco, and urged him to prepare the counter-motion which will have the backing of all the government bench, including minister Austin Gatt.

Asked if he believes the debate he stirred after threatening abstention during Friday’s vote, has weakened Austin Gatt, Franco Debono replied: “this is something which is not for me to judge. If anything the minister has weakened himself.”

PN sources said that during yesterday’s meeting, Gatt was in listening mode while MPs levelled criticism at his ministry over the handling of the transport reform.

Gatt is expected to address the House on Friday and may reiterate his previous apology he made last week for the way the reform was handled.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi reportedly described the matter as “serious” and urged his party to move forward and build on the lessons learnt from the public transport issue, and deliver a credible reform to the people.