Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1192401
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 DECEMBER 2019 NEWS years later when the Panama Papers scandal broke and Mizzi had his portfolios removed, Fearne was appointed health minister. He became deputy prime min- ister in 2017 after beating Ed- ward Scicluna and Helena Dalli for the post of deputy leader par- liamentary affairs. After having obeyed the party Whip and supported Mizzi in a no-confidence vote proposed by the Opposition in Parliament in 2016, Fearne slowly distanced himself from his former minis- ter, who is also a district rival. He asked the Auditor General to probe the multi-million hos- pitals concession deal with Vitals Global Healthcare brokered by Mizzi. The probe is still ongoing. And when Vitals went belly up, he described the incoming con- cessionaire, Steward Healthcare, as "the real deal". The American company, which unlike Vitals has a track record in the health industry, has delivered the Gozo medical school that is being used by Barts but is nowhere near completing the promised state of the art general hospital on the sister island. Fearne has acquired a reputa- tion of being a decisive and no- nonsense person, very much in line with his professional back- ground as a surgeon where clini- cal precision is a necessity and sugaring the pill is anathema. He has delivered in the health sector but his ability to grasp economic fundamentals still has to be tested, especially in a gov- ernment that has prided itself on orchestrating an economic mir- acle and putting public finances on a sound footing. Fearne has said that with him as prime minister, the govern- ment will be a friend to busi- ness but not be led by it. What this means in practice still has to be seen but it was an important message to those in the party, who feel that under Muscat the PL drifted too far away from its socialist roots into the hands of big business. Fearne's ability to navigate the legal minefield of reforms also has to be tested. He was quick to embrace the Opposition's pro- posal to have the police commis- sioner chosen by a two-thirds parliamentary majority, a posi- tion previously scorned by the government and shot down for its legal complications. Fearne may have made the proposal because this moment requires a strong dose of humil- ity and reaching out to the Op- position on matters involving law and order is a necessity for the country to regain stability. But he will have to explain the details of this volte face and how he will convince his parliamen- tary group to play ball. In his first interviews on Dis- sett, Xtra and Lovin Malta, Fearne projected himself as a prime minister-in-waiting. Al- though gunning for his party's top post, he has not limited him- self to speaking to the member- ship base. He has acknowledged the country's problems and stressed that these are not normal times. There was also the mandatory act of contrition by recognising the mistake of not doing enough in 2016 to push for Mizzi's and Schembri's resignations when the Panama Papers scandal broke. Fearne has ruled out a return to Cabinet for Mizzi and prom- ised justice will be done without fear or favour. It will take much more than words to ensure this is achieved but Fearne has also pledged to boost resources for the country's law enforcement and regulatory agencies. He has also promised not to extend the highly controversial cash-for-citizenship scheme (In- dividual Investor Programme) when the capping limit is reached. Fearne lacks the charisma and people skills that made Mus- cat an endearing character. His public speaking is a far cry from the enthralling speeches of the Prime Minister. And in a political environment where people contact remains more important than the razzle and dazzle of marketing mate- rial, Fearne will have to improve on his human relations. But at a time when the coun- try is wounded, these consid- erations may be of secondary importance. The country needs a healer who is not scared to ad- minister the sour-tasting medi- cine necessary to restore nor- mality and stability. Fearne appears willing to bite the bullet. However, he will also have to reach out to the official Opposition and the unofficial opposition out in the streets, the Labour converts angered by the betrayal, and the Labour grass roots who cannot understand why their own government has ended up in such a pitiful state. Navigating these waters will require more than just surgical precision: Fearne will need to hone the skills of compassion, listening, compromise and per- suasion. He needs to heal the country but eventually, he will also have to ensure that the glue that kept the PL movement to- gether is restored. Robert Abela The 36-year-old lawyer was elected for the first time on a Labour ticket in the 2017 gen- eral election, filling the void on the Sixth District left by Marie- Lousie Coleiro Preca. Abela's political foray can be traced back to a PL meeting be- fore the 2013 general election when he delivered a hard-hitting speech against then Prime Min- ister Lawrence Gonzi. It was at a time when his father – George Abela – was still presi- dent. The speech was not well-re- ceived by Nationalists, who felt Abela's criticism was unwar- ranted when Gonzi had broken convention in appointing his father as president. Gonzi's deci- sion had been a first in that the president was from the opposing political camp. Other than this occasion and the occasional appearance as a commentator on TV discussion programmes, Abela's political career took off in 2017 when he accepted to contest the general election. He was elected but refused an offer to join Cabinet as a parlia- mentary secretary, choosing to continue pursuing his legal ca- reer that also included a retainer with the Planning Authority. However, he was also ap- pointed as an advisor to Muscat with the right to attend Cabinet meetings, something, Abela says worked to his advantage because he now has a broad view of all ministries. Abela's contributions in Parlia- ment have been largely legalistic in nature, focussed on the nitty gritty of legislative proposals be- ing debated and always towing the party line. His decision to contest the leadership did not come as a sur- prise though. His name has often been touted in Labour circles as a potential successor to Muscat. His youthfulness is charm- ing although it could be seen as a disadvantage at a time when the seriousness of the situa- tion demands maturity. Abela tried anticipating this on Dissett when he said maturity was not a question of age but determined by how a person acts in certain circumstances. He told his host that he had told Konrad Mizzi in no unclear terms that he had no place in his Cabinet. He was equally forceful when saying that the police com- missioner had to be replaced and how he was not at all happy with certain aspects of the Caruana Galizia murder investigation. Abela did not elaborate on this but it is clear that this was a ref- erence to the police's deficiency in investigating Keith Schembri properly. Abela was reported to have angrily addressed the Prime Minister during an emergency Cabinet meeting that discussed the possibility of a pardon for Yorgen Fenech, telling him "Dak il-kurnut fottik (that cuckold fucked you)", with reference to Schembri. On Xtra, Abela hinted that he could retain the Home Af- fairs portfolio under his wing as prime minister, a sign of the im- portance he intends to give the portfolio. Abela has also spoken about how the government has de- parted from values held dear by a broad section of Maltese society. He has not qualified the statement but it appears to imply that he is uneasy with the liberal and cosmopolitan streak the party has embraced over the past years. On immigration, Abela has gone on record expressing the concerns of many. While this may not be a bad thing because it acknowledges people's wor- ries, it still has to be seen how this will translate into policy if he becomes prime minister. Malta's economic growth has fuelled the need for imported labour and unless Abela is ad- vocating a slowdown, it remains unclear how he intends tackling the concerns. His grasp of eco- nomic matters also has to be tested. But Abela has also used his parting shots in this leadership campaign to speak to the PL grassroots. He has focused on how the party has gone astray and how "Labourites" have end- ed up with the wrong end of the stick. The discourse may be appeal- ing to the PL's traditional vot- ers but does little to reach out to the rest of the country. In this sense, Abela has appeared more inward looking, almost disown- ing the glue that kept Muscat's broad church together. It is true that the voting base to elect the leader is made up of PL members but Labourites also know that to win an elec- tion the party has to keep with it the thousands who gravitated towards it over the past decade. Abela has since tried to qualify his reference to "Laburisti" as a reference to the downtrodden, the working class and those on society's lower rungs. Abela still has to prove he can rise above the pettiness of party politics at a time when the coun- try is yearning for justice, truth and reconciliation. His descrip- tion of protests as "a provoca- tion" does not help the situation – he will also be the prime min- ister of these people if elected. The underlying fact is that PL members will not simply be electing a party leader but also a prime minister, which makes it incumbent on contestants to project themselves as leaders for the whole country. Robert Abela Age: 36 Profession: Lawyer Status: Married Elected first time to parliament: 2017 Role in Muscat's administration: He was appointed as special advisor to the Prime Minister, a role that saw him attend Cabinet meetings after the last election