Labour MP Says New PN CEO Is Competent Regardless Of Gender
PL MP Ramona Attard has questioned the motive behind the appointment of a Sabine Agius Cabourdin as CEO of the Nationalist Party (PN).
Her appointment was one of four announced by new PN leader Alex Borg on Thursday, who said that he had taken the decision after a meeting with the Labour Party during which it occurred to him that all those in attendance were men.
In a Facebook post earlier today, the MP congratulated all the newly appointed members, adding that she hoped this would lead to “a politics of substance, without personal attacks.”
She was, however, critical of Borg’s suggestion that Agius Cabourdin’s appointment was mainly intended to offer more gender equality.
“It is precisely because I know Sabine, that I don’t believe the reason given by the Opposition Leader,” read Attard’s post.
She said that Borg’s delivery had made it seem as though it was a ‘tick the box’ exercise for the PN to appear to have women around the table.
“The choice is a fair one, but the reason should only ever be based on the competence of the woman selected.”
Attard insisted that Labour has always felt strongly about women’s contribution. She pointed to the fact that all Presidents nominated by Labour have been women and that the country today had an equal number of male and female members of the judiciary, along with other achievements.
“Unlike what the Leader of the Opposition implied, women should be present not for some box-ticking exercise, but because of their competence,” she reiterated.
The statement comes amid ongoing debates on gender representation in Maltese politics, particularly in light of recent reforms and efforts to improve equality across party structures.
What do you make of Attard’s statement?
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