Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1514242
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 JANUARY 2024 ANALYSIS uration of landscapes. Camilleri also hails from a district where numerous landowners have profited by selling properties to developers and are bene- fitting from current planning policies. Another risk of coupling Gozo and planning is that of a possible conflict when ministry projects are assessed by the Planning Authority. But Abela may see this as the perfect recipe for strik- ing an elusive balance between environ- mental concerns and the pressures of the developers' lobby by having a minis- ter trusted by developers who can make the required changes. When justifying his choice, Abela hinted that as an ar- chitect himself Camilleri will give more importance to aesthetics. But this also suggests that there is little appetite for a radical overhaul of policies presently skewed in favour of developers. Still the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. The planning portfolio's transfer to Camilleri has also left a casualty - Ste- fan Zrinzo Azzopardi. The latter lost his ministry and was only kept in the Cabinet after being given the Lands Au- thority, which was removed from Silvio Schembri's ministry. Having a minister solely responsible for the byzantine and secretive Lands Authority could intro- duce greater accountability. This deci- sion also came in the wake of criticism on the transfer of public land in Mell- ieha to a private developer. But Schem- bri has been compensated for the loss by being handed back the enterprise portfolio and given the responsibility for 'strategic projects', whatever that means. 4. Far from the most feminist government in history... Abela has lost an opportunity to increase the number of women in his Cabinet. Abela has lost an opportunity to in- crease the number of women in his Cabinet by for example elevating Ali- cia Bugeja Said or Rebecca Buttigieg to ministers. Miriam Dalli and Julia Farru- gia Portelli remain the only two female ministers while the number of female parliamentary secretaries has remained the same. This suggests that the new gender mechanism in parliament has either not helped to increase the talent pool to enable wider representation of women; or has not been followed up by a mentality change in the male-domi- nated world of politics. The appointment of Naomi Cachia as the parliamentary group's Whip does not compensate for this imbalance. 5. Abela is banking on a bigger and more representative Cabinet and the injection of new energy, thus conveying the message that Labour can renew itself from within. Abela is being criticised for further increasing his Cabinet from 25 to 27 members. But while this further erodes the distinction between the legislative and the executive, with most Labour MPs being given executive roles, it also fosters a stronger team effort. Labour's greatest success in the past decade was its ability to renew itself by con- stantly injecting new blood and thus avoid stagnation. This was in marked contrast with the post 2008 Gonzi ad- ministration which was characterised by a leaner Cabinet, a decision which contributed to increased conflicts be- tween a restricted inner circle and rebel backbenchers. Moreover, a larger Cab- inet also means that constituents are more likely to be represented in parlia- ment by a minister or a parliamentary secretary who has access to the levers of power. This may be a double-edged sword as it could increase the likeli- hood of clientelism but also ensure that ministers are sensitive to the mood of constituents hailing from different dis- tricts. This emphasis on inclusion also makes Aaron Farrugia's removal harder to decipher. Moreover, the departure of Chris Fearne will deprive the Cabi- net of an all-rounder with a standing of his own and whose presence in Cabinet both compliments and counterbalances Abela's more populist approach to pol- itics. mid-terms: Abela's reshuffle Chris Fearne Omar Farrugia Naomi Cachia