No new faces expected in Cabinet reshuffle

I agree with Mr. Arciola.!!! Mr. Robert Arrigo has done so much for the 10th District and for others - why hasn't he been appointed to something? Well next time I will recheck my vote well than since it seems that my vote was for nothing,,,,,

Well Alli can say is that I read the times as an Expat I must say nothing has changed in Malta.
Just like our current President he promissed a change becuase the American people believed Mr. Obama. the securty of the island is crucial. The EU has done little to nothing about it. ( Bzar fl-ghajnejn ) to prevent clandestines from coming to Malta. I was there in 2008, and I felt that I was in Cuba to many problems that Malta cannot handleon its own, irrelevent if its Gonzi or Micalllef in governemnt.

no new faces????? dr gonzi what about robert arrigo??? i have a doubt if dr gonzi knows how much votes did robert arrigo get in the last two elections.!!!!! he deserves to be there he does not fool people around like other candidates from sliema do!!

in 3 yrs time issa ikollna MINISTRI the following: Alex Scibberras Trigona , Joe Debono Grech , Marie Louise Coleiro , Anglu Farrugia , Toni Abela , u forsi xi Jason Micallef jew xi Maria Camilleri ...... xi gmiel!!!

Il Bandira bl arma il gdida lesta jew???!!!

If the above becomes a reality I am sure that all concerned will live up to what is expected of them! Minister Giovanna Debono seems to be very unpopular with some of those who commented.Probably because she is such a valid person with staunch principles...Education and Culture are set to benefit from such a charismatic person! She would take up any challenge and overcome obstacles with flying colours! Some are forgetting that she is a qualified teacher too! Dolores proved herself,as did the others mentioned.
Joe Grima would have spoken in a different tone a few years back...but then his doom and gloom re Dr.Gonzi is so shallow! He must be running out of ideas!

Re, Joe Grima,
Sur, Grima,
Ibqa cert, li mhux se thammarli wicci int minn tant nies.
Jien,kondotta nadifa ghandi,u qatt ma isservejt bil pozizzjoni.

Kawlata ohra ! NO NEW FACES ! Oh what a surprise from Dr. gonzi . I can't understand how's he's going out from this coma ! everythying what he's doing is all with eye's closed . kawlata wara l'ohra

The new health minister designate did not wait too long for promotion unlike many patients waiting for operations at Mater Dei!

Its the same old story, more of the same; the rest is history!

I can't imagine Giovanna Debono Minister of Education, Arts & Culture. Her past record is that of a conservative woman with no new ideas, take for example eco-Gozo, it took her 18 months to come with a proposal. In culture and arts you need to be proactive. She coundn't promote art and culture in Gozo apart from a couple of exhibitions. how can she do it on a national level. In this modern times we need an education minister who is full of new ideas and enthusiasm, our children's future is at stake. If this reshuffle materializes it will be the end of this government. Thanks Mr PM. Only the "hbieb tal-hbieb" with feel sorry!

It's the the Prime Minister’s prerogative to choose his own team .. well said ...

but we all have the right to give our opinion .. or is this also the PM's prerogative as well!!!

.. why even Frank Portelli (2BFRANK), although starting with this so well known phrase (once stated/repeated by Mr.Gonzi and being repeated here) .. he is rightly so, giving his opinion ..

What's the problem in this?

Why are we racing ahead, mentioning in future elections, etc? .. this is so far ahead yet and so many things can change the way the score will be in the next elections.

Let's hope that the new Minister of Education gives priority to our culture and to our national language.

@ Mr Gaffarena. Meta titkellem fuq il passat tan nies ghandek hafna fejn timrah. Iddeverti

I think a re-shuffle at the moment can only do good for the actual administration (To do Worse is nearly impossible)

But once again, one can see that the mentality of the PL/MLP supporters never change. They always think that they have the majority for 5 years but then somehow they ALWAYS lose the elections, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. And for once that they won (1996), they were UNABLE to complete the whole legislation.

I think that most of these comments are really PATHETIC ones. It's obvious that actually the PL has the majority of voters on their side (And I think the gap is getting wider everyday). But even 5 years ago (2005) the scenario was nearly the same, remember ? But then what happened ? In the electoral campaign, the PL made so much STUPID mistakes, that they lose a 'game' they taught have already won. And who can assure us that it won't happen the thing same when the next election approaches? After all (in my opinion) the only thing changed in BETTER for the PL from the last GE till present day is their leader (maybe!!). Everything else remained the same or got even worse !!!

j.spiteri are out of your mind?Alfred Sant's superiority back in 1998?????????wat superiority are you referring to?? he was betrayed by his own men, thats not superiority, he had to surrender to a power greater than himself..the Law, he had no other choice but to call it a day. Lets all try to speak the language we all agreed on!

I am sure that we'll have a flood of Gozitan teachers now :) No new faces around the Cabinet table - so whats new?

This never ending farce shows Alfred Sant's superiority back in 1998. When the PL (then MLP) was in the same boat as GonziPn is in now, he called it a day and called for an early election. Go on Gonzi, show us you're man and do it! Or are you not man enough to bite the bullet?

L- ghazla tal ministri hija f'idejn il PM BISS!!!!!! Dik hija decizzjoni tieghu allura please..... let Him Be!!!!! Issa meta xi darba JM ikun PM ikollu cans ukoll biex jaghzel huwa lil min irid huwa. Tal Lejber ghalissa oqodu pingu il bandiera u larma il gdieda tal partit, ghax dejjem hekk intom tal lejber ....... " bidu gdid " kollox gdid !!!!!! Lanqas tisthu mil passat taghkhom ukoll !!!!!!!!! HALLUNA NIES . BTW xsar minnu l-innu tal partit.... se tbiddluh ukoll.

Tal-Labour, jew x'tixtiequ tissejhu issa. Ma xbajtux tghidu l-istess affarjiet. Ili nisma li l-leader taghkom issa irranka u ser jirbah minn mindu kien hemm Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici. Wara kien hemm Alfred Sant u issa Joseph. U ghadkom tghidu l-istess. Li naf hu li ilkom titilfu elezzjoni wara l-ohra mill-1981 hlief ghall-1996.

I still doubt the correctness/completeness of such speculative cabinet adjustments and fine-tuning. Ultimately the PM (as PN leader) will decide on who should be the fittest candidate for the vacancies in question. I trust Dr De Marco can be a suitable candidate for a Ministerial promotion; although somehow he is being ignored. Other names may be missing as Parliamentary Secretaries. This may be a sign of incompleteness or incorrectness.

Look who is talking Mr.Joe Grima.?
My God,why and how such people forget their past,it is unbeleavable.

Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, currently responsible for public dialogue, is likely to become Minister of Gozo but retain ministerial responsibility for local councils.
And God help us Gozitans.

Re Victor Baldacchino,
,My friend,first of all relax,.I, agree with you,,but do not take it for granted,because at the
moment the two political movements, are exposing their dirty linen from their attics.
Only the die hards like you will prevail a victory in the coming election.At the moment we are
encountering negative attitude from both of them,and there will be no day gone, when we will hear negative news from them.
So, my friend think before you leap.

I am always intrigued to read articles based on information from “ informed sources” !

I sometimes wonder whether this esteemed newspaper is being used as a sounding board by these " informed sources"

In our system it remains the Prime Minister’s prerogative to choose his own team – i.e. the Cabinet.

No doubt Dr Gonzi will take many factors into consideration.

My own personal view is that Chris Said has been outstanding in his work, and a change in the Gozo Ministry after 12 years is definitely a healthy exercise.

Dr Cassar could rise to the occasion although Health reform is a minefield and requires a mine detector.

Dolores Christina would do well in Social Services

The present Cabinet setup is too concentrated and it would do well with a new infusion of blood.

I do not refer to them as backbenchers–I feel they are an integral part of Gonzi’s team

As in football--they are all on the “bench” – ready and eager to serve in different capacities

They should be called to serve

Dr Frank Portelli

Excluding the 22 month interlude of 1996 – the Malta Labour Party last obtained an absolute majority of votes in the General Election in 1976 – that is 34 years ago.

The Labour Party lost the support of the majority of the Maltese sometime between 1976 and 1981 –this is the period when the labour party was dominated by thugs and when it trampled on human rights.

This happened because the Leader of the Labour Party pronounced publicly that he considered our constitution as “a piece Anchovy Paper “ - karta tal-incova

No one of any substance in the Labour Party then stood up for our human rights.

History will show that one Labour Minister was busy --- collecting information to blackmail his own party leader.

History will judge us

Dr Frank Portelli

@ Victor Baldacchino et al
Dream on Blues. Gonzi has a group of very able back-benchers but he does not trust any of them. So he has to make do with the sorry lot of yes-men he has at his disposal. The only good thing to come out of all this is the end of her Imperious Highness's reign in Gozo - if it happens, that is.

Leo Bartolo. I do not blame you if you did not understand one word of my comment .It is definitely not sweet music to your ears. I said 34years that the maltese electorate DISCARDED the socialists. Apologies it is 29 years since 1981. Still a very impressive long time, Mr. Bartolo. I hope you understood my comment now.

Of all the changes that may be implemented, i fully agree to Dr Joe Cassar being promoted to ministerial rank! He must have enough resilience and professional support to handle the issue to the satisfaction of all taxpayers - blue, red, green or whatever.. we are all humans and belong to the same nation!

Come on Joe! Unions are there to enhance the service and i'm confident that together with them, he will now tackle the issue of long waiting lists to the best of what all of us expect and deserve!

All the PL apologists came out in full force criticising the PM for a speculative report in this paper. But none of them had one word to say about the dictatorial way with which Joseph Muscat hand-picked his choices in strategical roles in the PL(once MLP)! The same goes when he will choose the new emblem. It seems that he is trying to make us forget the worst years in the history of our islands. But this does not mean that he will have a good party as he is already showing us that the country will be governed according to his whims only!

@Victor Baldacchino. Tant irranka Joseph Muscat li diga ghadda lil Gonzi b'9% fl-ahhar survey li saret! Tant irranka Joseph Muscat li fl-elezzjoni tal-EP's ta' xkanatura lill-PN u gab 54.7% tal-voti validi. Trid izjed provi kemm irranka Joseph? Ghad hemm!

@K Farrugia

What Labour apologists? You just can't stand critisicm and the Labour Movement is certainly giving the you the shakes.

If there are any apologies..or excuses these could only be be forthcoming from Gonzipn & Co.

WOW!
Yesterday I heard Dr. Refalo saying in parliament that Gozo is being ignored!!!
What is He going to say now 2 ministers from the same village!!
WOW AGAIN

(ANTHONY E PORTELLI ).NIGGARANTILEK LI ELEZZJONI OHRA MA IKUNX IRRANKA IL-KAP TAGHKOM U NITILGHU BL-ISPEJJEZ TAGHKOM.

At all Labour apologists:

Gonzi has the right to select a cabinet of his choice, the electorate is aware that when choosing a party at polling booth, the party leader has the sole competence of choosing his cabinet.

This is in contrast to your party's administration and executive committee, where delegates' power is continuously decreasing thanks to the removal of posts previously elected by the delegates (secretary general), while on the other hand appointing "nies ta' gewwa" to new posts (CEO, Secretary to the Executive) by personal appointment of the party leader or by a handful of "executive members".

If you are okay with what is happening within your party, then you should have no problem with Gonzi making HIS personal choices in the cabinet. Gonzi has the power to do so by the national electorate; if you are not happy with this power attributable to the Prime Minister at the helm of a government, then you could either leave the country or lobby for a changing Malta into an anarchic or communist country (in the latter case, some members in your parties' administration have ample experience with countries such as Korea and China!)

@Ivan Attard

Why are you adding AD and Labour votes together? Then one could add PN and AD votes together. The fact remains that people have for many times preferred the PN than Labour. What about the majorities in 1992, 1998 and 2003. You chose to ignore them.

More musical chairs. |Mediocre choices for a comatose government.

@J Farrugia

You are right. Comparisons are odious but if I am not mistaken PN supporters never celebrated in the streets when they lost. This goes to show how PL supporters are used by their own party.

@ C. Sapiano

Dak juri d-diversi difetti tas-sistema elettorali taghna. Ma' dawn hemm hafna ezempju ta' kif is-sistema ta' pajjizna hija abbusiva....
per ezempju, jekk wiehed jghodd il-voti tal-PL u l-voti tal-AD flimkien fl-elezzjoni generali li ghaddiet, jinduna li l-PN m'ghandux dritt jiggverna ghax dawn flimkien igibu aktar mill-voti li kiseb il-PN.
barra minn hekk, tista' tispjegali ftit kif fl-1996, il-Partit Laburista li kellu maggoranza ta' 8,000 vot, gab siggu wiehed biss maggoranza fil-Parlament u fl-1998, il-Partit Nazzjonalista b'maggoranza ta' 13,000 vot gab hames siggijiet maggoranza? Allura r-rebha tal-PL fl-1996 tista' tigi paragunata b'xi mod mar-rebha fjakka li ghamel il-PN f'Marzu 2008? Ghax alla jbierek, maggoranza ta' 8,000 vot giet tiswa daqs maggoranza ta' 1,000 vot skont is-siggijiet tal-Gvern fil-Parlament! Nafu kemm sewa dak is-siggu fl-1998!

The end of the reign of the Empress is nigh. Long live the Emperor. We Gozitans kneel in adultation!

These elves are savouring victory out of nothing. Like the victory they savoured for some hours at the last Generral election, when they started hooting their horns about an election win which never materialised. Like they also did in 2003. Sour grapes mates. If the PN has extended its stay in government it is the fault of the Labour Party which had victory in its hands in 2003 and 2008, but through their venomous and erronous judgements, the people of Malta decided that MLP was not ready to govern Malta. So they put their trust in the PN and Gonzi's hands. Yes there should be a change in government sometimes, but when you have a rotten opposition party, then I'm sorry but the people wont trust it with the administration of their own lives and liberties. And that is why the PN has been in government since all these 23 years save for 2 MLP years. And that is a record. Mistakes? Off course there would be in 23 years, even in 2 years there are mistakes like the one comitted by alfred sant to go to early elections loosing the seat of power.

Terrimot wara liehor Wenz, imma taf sakemm hux? Sa kemm jirranka Joseph u mbad naraw...

@ Joseph (Joe) Grima
The biggest arrogance is when you are not present to hear your own delegates and even more vote on your proposed motion like JM did last Sunday. Ahseb u ara if Prime Minister kif jghaddi minn fuqna halliena Joe.

@Ivan Attard

You are wrong. 1n 1981 PN had the absolute majority. In 2008 PN had a relative majority but still more votes than Labour.

I did not understand one word from edgar gatt's comment. In his haste to write something about this article he got his sum wrong about the number of years in opposition........34 years!!!!....to which party are you referring Mr Gatt?

If this is true than a small village like Nadur which has less than 5000 voters would have two ministers. Not bad at all.

@Edgar Gatt

Being so emphatic on your 34 years of popularity, then there's no other party to blame but the PN for the huge debt our country is facing, the dire straits of our economy, the level of mediocrity we are surrounded by, highest school-leavers in Europe and the environment's poor state.

After 34 years, there is definitely an urgent need for change! You've just tagged your party as being skadut, lacking ideas and gone by its expiry date!

New faces are only necessary if one has no choice. Better have the same old good faces than new faces but a worst quality.

I love it! Giovanna Debono as Education Minister? Does that automatically imply that she will be Culture Minister too? All this was leaked by sources days after the launch of the draft Cultural Policy... it really does bode well doesn't it? When will the arts and culture be taken seriously by this government?

@ edgar gatt

Ma nahsibx li rizultat ta' 8,000 vot maggoranza fl-elezzjoni tas-26 ta' Ottubru 1996 jista' jitqies bhala rizultat li ma jiswa xejn! Ftakar li dakinhar il-Partit Laburista ghamel rebha li sa dakinhar kien ghadu hadd ma ghamel b'daqshekk voti maggoranza...
ftakar li l-Gvern prezenti m'ghandux jedd imexxi ghax fl-elezzjoni generali li ghaddiet, ma rnexxilux jakkwista maggoranza cara, la fil-voti u lanqas fis-siggijiet. Almenu fl-1981, il-PL kellu maggoranza cara ta' siggijiet fil-Parlament!

@Eddie Gatt
your attitude is of sour grapes. We all know that you are hurt with his attitude. BUT you are trying to justify his mistakes. As Joe Grima said (since he is no longer MP he is talking sensible) the PM is wasting a lot of time justifying his old, expired cabinet. If this is going to be the reshuffle this clearly means that the PM is deeply afraid to promoit new faces . His big trouble still to come. Mr Prim Minister the people are worried that you are doing more harm than good. Take a weekend break away from anyone and come with the right solution before it is too late. This is to go for election.

To all Labour apologists. It tigrija sal barkun. Remember that since 1976 ,except for a freak result in 1996, Labour has been discarded by the Maltese electorate.. 34 years in opposition is no joke and wishful thinking is understanble. One week in politic is a long time..........3 years ??

@ Charles Buttigieg. Perhaps not Giovanna, but the rest of us should be.

dream on by Gonzi's present woes. He who laughs last laughs better. Nothing is written in concrete. Only fools dream while others keep their feet firmly to the ground.

Playing musical chairs is unlikely to help Dr Gonzi's present woes.

This position for Chris Said had been intended by Lawrence Gonze from the start of this legislature. The need to remove Giovanna Debono from Minestry of Gozo was urgent in my opinion and this after the disastrous results she's been having.

It seems that Gonzi's moves in this game of chess are evolving even through the many problems that he has. Wise decisions but may also be very dangerous.

Both Joseph Cassar and Chris Said had been working hard for this and one can say that they deserve it.

There's just one move which is stalling Gonzi' path and this is Austin Gatt. If he could just remove this warrior out of his way. This is and will be the most difficult move and maybe could prove to be fatal for Gonzi's carreer.

In Italy every Monday morning everyone is a football coach... telling what & what not to do to the respective club coaches.
In Malta football unfortuneately is what it is; so we turn our 'expertise' to politics...
well said Ronnald Gatt.. its the Prime Minister's prerogative and solely his decision..
If proven right he will govern in the next election.. now he is serving his duty; which is to lead this country after the 3rd consecutive win..
i guess there must be some good in the PN's politics..
until the next election be patient...

Reshuffling is healthy, but can be counterproductive if not done right.

The title should have read OLD FACES in Cabinet Resuffle to be precise. What a gloomy government!!!!!!

And the public dialogue???
Will the ministry of education will be transferred to Gozo?

Dr. Joseph Cassar for Health Ministry..............a man who can deliver!!!!! A Polite politican with an excellent approach towards people............AWGURi DR. Joe!!!!

In the best interest of LG's obsession with power...that makes perfect sense.

Same people whose use by date is long overdue..but what else could you expect from a Prime Minister who is himself "skadut"

Iktar inkwiet ghal Gonzi!

Ghandi seba' mitt sena biex nara lil Giovanna Ministru tal-Edukazzjoni u Chris Said Ministru ghal Ghawdex... sewwa qal Gavin Gulia ilbierah li f'Marzu ser ikollna zviluppi interessanti fil-hidma tal-Gvern... minn kif sejrin l-affarijiet, aktarx li Marzu 2010 ser ikun il-bidu tat-tmiem ghal dan il-Gvern li qed jaqa' bicciet.

Jekk dak li qed ikun allegat f'dan l-artiklu isehh, verament li l-pjagi tan-Nazzjonalisti ser jibqghu jaghmlu d-demm! Dawn huma moves ta' PM li ma baqaghlux fejn jaghti rasu!!

@ Ronnald Gatt

Would you have still embraced the same attitude in a reverse situation if Joseph Muscat was the PM in a Labour government?

Repeat performance of Gorg Borg Olivier before he lost his last election and his own people turned on him to depose him. The same will happen to Dr Gonzi. Pity. He coudl have been a good Prime Minister but chose to dig himself into a the trough of arrogance, of defending the indefencible in his Ministers and of the resultant unpopularity of his pariah Goverenment now looked upon with disdaiin by most voters. Dr Gonzi has succeeded where no one else has. He has succeeded in in unting the Maltese people ...., against him

That's the Prime Minister's prerogative. When all these people will be elected Prime Ministers they will have the same prerogative. Until then lie down and stay quiet.

Very cautious moves, which are understandable. However, additional parliamentary secretaries or junior ministers would be welcome, especially in the PM's office and in charge of certain projects (infrastructure); councils, implementation of electoral program, transport, environment, R&D, etc.

I'm sure that Giovanna Debono would be ecstatic about this promotion.

This is only musical chairs and I was expecting better! Valid people backed by massive support from the electorate are being left on the backbench - this is not what's best for the country...