Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/444527
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 JANUARY 2015 6 MIRIAM DALLI FRESH from the European Parliament elections less than a year ago, MEPs Therese Comodini Cachia and Roberta Metsola have each been given a shadow ministerial role in the PN's par- liamentary group. But although both Euro parliamentarians in- sist that they are concentrating on fulfilling their current political responsibilities in Brussels, they have not ruled out contesting the 2018 gen- eral elections. In Simon Busuttil's new shadow cabinet, the two MEPs are now expected to shadow education and foreign affairs while running the show in Brussels. No mean feat, so is this a confirmation that Busuttil wants the two MEPs on the 2018 election ticket? Comodini Cachia says she will "serve in the party as the party deems best to use my contribution" while Metsola points out that the general election "is still years away" – none of them ruling out running for the general elections. Busuttil's reshuffle has effectively given birth to a new type of shadow cabinet where MEPs have been included. The PN leader divided his parliamentary group in 10 shadow ministries, each having a number of MPs acting as spokes- persons. Comodini Cachia is the shadow minister for education and em- ployment, and her team includes George Pulli- cino as spokesman for early and compulsory education and Carm Mifsud Bonnici as spokesman for em- ployment, indus- trial relations and workers' rights. Metsola is the shadow minister for foreign and Eu- ropean Affairs with Tonio Fenech acting as the spokesperson for foreign affairs, including re- lations with non-EU countries, international organisations and Mediterranean policy. The change carried out by Busuttil – which resulted in an equal number of women and men sitting on the shadow cabinet – also means that two of the shadow ministers will not be able to sit in the national parliament. But for the two MEPs, this should not be a problem. "An MEP already plays a role in the national parliament, especially on legislation related to EU matters. But an MEP also plays a vital role in rep- resenting the electorate in different sectors. At the European Parliament I chose to represent the people within the education committee and in this respect have been meeting with a number of stakeholders," Comodini Cachia told Malta- Today. "The role of a shadow minister is predominant- ly to take stock of what is happening in the sector which one is assigned to shadow. Taking stock of the situation to me means understanding the position, the burdens and the aspirations of those concerned." Comodini Cachia argues that, at the same time, a shadow minister's role is to influence govern- ment decisions and to set policy goals: "I am de- termined to continue doing this in my new role as shadow minister for education and employment. As an MEP working within the education com- mittee at the European Parliament I had already been shadowing what was taking place in Malta in both sectors. Now I have an official voice to speak out and act." She adds that she has been assigned two members of parliament with whom to work. Metsola, who described the reshuffle as sending a mes- sage that the PN can and will continue to re- new itself, explains that all PN MEPs form part of the PN parliamentary group. "Ever since I was first elected as an MEP two years ago, I have fed into the party's positions and policies, particu- larly those dealing with EU and Foreign Affairs. I have always worked with national MPs and other MEPs to ensure that our policies are consistent across the board in the EP and in the national parliament," Metsola says. She is also a member of the national parlia- ment's Foreign and EU Affairs Committee where legislation and positions are discussed be- fore going to Parliament. Metsola will continue to be part of this Committee in her new position as shadow minister and take on a greater role here. "The key to Simon Busuttil's bold reshuf- fle is team work. By its very nature, EU Affairs is a cross cutting issue that touches upon every topic. As shadow minister, I will ensure that all the PN MPs are well briefed to debate any issue in Malta's Parliament and do so as needed. I will also be working very closely with Tonio Fenech," she says. News Demoted PN veterans are 'all pleased' with new portfolios MIRIAM DALLI DESPITE having relegated them to a spokesperson's role, the PN's old guard expressed themselves to be very pleased with their new portfolios, all claiming to be look- ing forward to their new "chal- lenge". 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 minis- ter'. The reshuffle has meant an ef- fective demotion for people like former finance minister Tonio Fenech, who is now a spokes- person 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 educa- tion. Carm Mifsud Bonnici is now spokesperson for employment, industrial relations and workers' rights. The parliamentary group's new composition sees 10 shadow min- isters in charge of their own set of Opposition MPs, who have be- come spokespersons of particu- lar subjects. Two of the shadow ministers are MEPs Therese Commodini Cachia and Roberta Metsola. But while Busuttil's decision fuelled rumours of 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 ef- fort," Fenech, who has retained the chairmanship of the public accounts committee, told Malta- Today. 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 impres- sion 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 com- pulsory education under shadow minister Comodini Cachia. Pullicino too claimed that, if he had had the choice, he would have opted for the education sec- tor. "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 dif- ferent 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 particu- lar 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 ulti- mate responsibility was towards the electorate. Former health minister Joe Cas- sar, who for two years was the ed- ucation shadow minister, said he had discussed his new role with Busuttil during a meeting earlier on in the 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 10 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-em- ployed 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 some- thing 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 manufactur- ing industry. I look forward to strengthening the bond between the sectors and the PN." Repeated attempts to contact Mifsud Bonnici proved to be fu- tile. MEPs promoted to shadow ministers not ruling out running in 2018 election Therese Comodini Cachia and Roberta Metsola say their presence away from the national parliament is no problem for their new roles in Simon Busuttil's frontbench international organisations and The change carried out by Busuttil – which resulted in an equal number of women and men sitting on the shadow cabinet – also means that two of the shadow ministers will not be able to sit in the national But for the two MEPs, this "An MEP already plays a role in the national parliament, especially on legislation related to EU matters. But an MEP also plays a vital role in rep- resenting the electorate in different sectors. At the European Parliament I chose to represent She adds that she has been assigned two members of parliament with whom to work. Metsola, who described the reshuffle as sending a mes- sage that the PN can and will continue to re- new itself, explains that all PN MEPs form part of the PN parliamentary group. "Ever since I was first elected as an MEP two years ago, I have fed into the party's positions and policies, particu- MEPs promoted to shadow ministers not ruling But although both Euro parliamentarians in- sist that they are concentrating on fulfilling their current political responsibilities in Brussels, they have not ruled out contesting the 2018 gen- In Simon Busuttil's new shadow cabinet, the two MEPs are now expected to shadow education and foreign affairs while running the show in Brussels. No mean feat, so is this a confirmation that Busuttil wants the two MEPs on the 2018 Comodini Cachia says she will "serve in the party as the party deems best to use my contribution" while Metsola points persons. Comodini Cachia is the shadow minister for education and em- ployment, and her team includes George Pulli- cino as spokesman for early and compulsory education and Carm Mifsud Bonnici as spokesman for em- ployment, indus- trial relations and workers' rights. Metsola is the shadow minister for foreign and Eu- ropean Affairs with Tonio Fenech acting as the spokesperson for foreign affairs, including re- lations with non-EU countries, Clockwise: Tonio Fenech, George Pullicino, Joe Cassar and Robert Arrigo