Leadership is not about your title, it’s about your behaviour, Robin S. Sharma, leadership expert, says.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has the title of leader, but his behaviour in not consonant with the title he holds.

The Libyan and Algerian visa scams have rocked the government’s foundations, not least because in the latter case a relative of the PM’s is deeply involved in the issue, about which Joseph Muscat has remained silent. Malta’s name continues to be tarnished in the international sphere because of this kind of attitude.

We are a nation of amateurs, and the government is the perfect example of our amateurism. A movement that promised meritocracy never fulfilled its pledge, quickly becoming one in which whom you know is more important than what you know.

But there’s more.

The largest scandals that have hit the current administration have all taken place in the Lands Department, a sector that the Prime Minister wanted all for himself when he drew up the list of assignments upon taking office. It is the first time ever that a Prime Minister included lands in the OPM’s responsibilities, and therefore it is clear that, right from the start, Joseph Muscat wanted to be in full control of what was taking place there.

It started off with the Australia Hall fiasco, a gift that the Labour government gave to the Labour Party in spite of public dissent. It continued with the Cafe Premier bailout, which saw Joseph Muscat right at the heart of a €4.2 million deal that was lambasted  from all quarters (except of course those who just follow Super One).

The Old Mint Street property scandal was the prelude of other embarrassing situations for the government. This included the breach of contract by the General Workers’ Union which, according to the National Audit Office, rented out property to Arms Ltd when it was bound by a contract with the government not to rent office space to companies in which it does not have a majority shareholding. Not to mention the Siggiewi civic centre, which the Labour Party will continue to use in part as a club following a secret agreement which has now been exposed.

Parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon has not resigned in the wake of the Gaffarena scandal. He says that it is not his political responsibility. In other words, he has shifted the blame onto his direct superior, Joseph Muscat, and will not go away. Staying on where he is and saying that it is the PM’s prerogative to take decisions is a direct challenge to the PM. “I won’t budge; if you have the guts, sack me” is what Falzon is indirectly saying.

Joseph Muscat is employing delaying tactics on this one. He is incapable of taking a decision in Michael Falzon’s regard, and is waiting for reports to be followed by other reports before making up his mind. He will then use the reports as an “excuse” to either fire or keep Falzon.

 

My guess is that Falzon will stay. If he goes, since Joseph Muscat is his superior, the PM will have to go too.