Demoted veterans ‘all pleased’ with new portfolios

Despite having relegated them to a spokesperson’s role, the PN’s veterans appear to be very pleased with their new portfolios all claiming to be looking forward for their new “challenge”.

On Thursday, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil took a bold move to shake-up his shadow cabinet in a bid to scrub off remnants of the Lawrence Gonzi administration by assigning them ‘spokesperson’ roles instead of the more superior nomenclature of ‘shadow minister’.

The reshuffle has meant an effective demotion for people like former finance minister Tonio Fenech, who is now a spokesperson on foreign affairs; former health minister Joe Cassar, now a spokesperson on arts and culture; and for former resources minister George Pullicino, a spokesperson on early and compulsory education.

Carm Mifsud Bonnici is now spokesperson for employment, industrial relations and workers’ rights.

The parliamentary group’s new composition sees 10 shadow ministers in charge of their own set of Opposition MPs, who have become spokespersons of particular subjects. Two of the shadow ministers are MEPs Therese Commodini Cachia and Roberta Metsola.

But while Busuttil’s decision fuelled rumours of further splits within the party, Fenech, Pullicino and Cassar were all adamant that they “form part of a team” that follows what their leader says.

“I have positively welcomed my new area. I had initially shown my interest in foreign affairs during a discussion I had with the leader and I look forward to this new challenge. It is a very important sector and I will give it all my effort,” Fenech, who has retained the chairmanship of the public accounts committee, told MaltaToday.

The former finance minister, who in 2012 contested the PN’s deputy leadership race against Simon Busuttil, insisted that the ‘spokesperson role’ was not a demotion: “Effectively, I already was a spokesperson and I remain one. These are decisions taken by our leader and I understand that the party must show it is offering new opportunities to new people. I always insisted I am there to serve … In his comments to this paper, Fenech gave the impression that he was almost relieved to have been given a different portfolio, other than finance.

“Honestly I wanted a change… 10 years running the finance ministry – a thankless ministry – was a big challenge. And in life you don’t want to keep doing the same thing.”  

The same optimism was shown by Pullicino, former resources minister and who for the past two years shadowed the energy ministry. He will now be the spokesman for early and compulsory education under shadow minister Comodini Cachia.

Pullicino too claimed that, if he had had the choice, he would have opted for the education sector. “I really like this area and the leader happened to give me this sector,” he said, later admitting that he had once shown interest in the area while chatting with Busuttil.

Like Fenech, Pullicino said that in life one had to look to do different things and reiterated that final decisions were up to the party’s leader.

Likening the political party to a football team, Pullicino said the manager had the prerogative on who should play a match. “If a player is not chosen for a particular game it doesn’t mean he has lost his chance forever. In life one has to understand that it’s not about the individual but about the team and agreeing to a choice even if it would not be the choice you would have made.”

Pullicino added that his ultimate responsibility was towards the electorate.

Former health minister Joe Cassar, who for two years was the education shadow minister, said he had discussed his new role with Busuttil during a meeting earlier on this week.

“I look forward to this new role which will allow me to meet new people in two interesting sectors and which I've never worked in before,” Cassar, spokesman on arts and culture, said.

“We were all spokespersons, but now, Dr Busuttil has asked ten of us to act as Shadow Ministers. I am loyal to the party and will serve wherever the leader asks me to.”

From tourism shadow minister, former parliamentary assistant Robert Arrigo will now be the spokesman for small businesses, manufacturing, retail, self-employed and cooperatives.

“He [Busuttil] hit it right. I’m not a legal man but I’m more of a ‘people person’. I feel this was a promotion, if it’s the right word to use,” he said, jokingly adding that he must have done something good in these past years.

“It is a new line for me but, through my business, I have dealt with nearly every sector. I am an easy bridge to the self-employed, shops and the manufacturing industry. I look forward to strengthening the bond between the sectors and the PN.”

Repeated attempts to contact Mifsud Bonnici proved to be futile.