|
James Debono
If men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi would surely find it easier to get elected to the female planet.
More findings in MaltaToday’s first survey rating Malta’s cabinet ministers and the three political party leaders shows that Gonzi, who three weeks ago was confirmed as the most trusted leader according to 40 per cent of respondents, is also big amongst the female vote.
With 42.9 per cent of female respondents having more trust in the PN leader, Gonzi is less popular with males (34.8%), an indication that his brand of compassionate conservatism strikes a chord with the female section of the population. The projection of Gonzi as a family man in the media, and his emphasis on female participation in his party’s structures, must have also paid off.
The trust gap between Labour leader Alfred Sant and Gonzi among females amounts to 17.6 per cent – that among males is narrowed to 10.7 per cent. However Sant does not fare any better with males than he does among females.
In fact, a significant 12.5 per cent of males express their preference for Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Harry Vassallo, although the Green party leader does not generate the same level of trust among females – only 6.9 per cent of females have more trust in Vassallo than in Sant and Gonzi.
The more confrontational style adopted by Vassallo during the last months could explain his greater popularity among males.
When it comes to rating ministers, Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina tops the list among both males and females.
But it is Education Minister Louis Galea who fares better among females than among males – in fact, females choose Galea as their favourite man in the cabinet with 61.9 per cent of approval. Only 47.3 per cent of men choose Galea, a sign that children’s education development remains a greater concern to mothers and women than to men.
And while abrasive Investments, Industry and IT Minister Austin Gatt hits rock bottom amongst females, it is Health Minister Louis Deguara who gets the worst rating among males, with a dismal rating of 34.8 per cent.
Males turn out to be generally more sceptical than females on the government’s performance. While eight ministers are given a positive rating by the majority of females, only three ministers are given a positive rating by males.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
|
