Austin Gatt

Infobox_Politician


name = Austin Gatt
order = Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications
president = Eddie Fenech Adami
term_start = 12 March 2008
term_end =
birth_date = birth date and age|1953|29|07|df=y
birth_place = Floriana, Malta
death_date =
death_place =
party = PN
religion = Roman Catholic
spouse = Marisa nee’ Zammit Maempel
children = Gege
Paul

Austin Gatt (born July 29 1953 [http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/ministries_and_departments/justice.asp Profile at Maltese Department of Information website] .] ) is a Maltese politician, currently serving as Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications.

History

He studied at the University of Malta where, in 1975, he graduated as Doctor of Law. He has been involved in politics since 1976 when he was responsible for the Nationalist Party Electoral Office.Fact|date=August 2008 On February 5 1988, he was elected as Secretary General of the Nationalist Party, holding that post until 1997.

Political life

Gatt first stood as a Nationalist Party candidate in the 1996 general election and was elected from the First District. He was the Party Spokesman for Justice, Local Councils and Housing from 1996 to 1998, while the party was in opposition. After the September 1998 general election, in which the Nationalist Party returned to power, he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, and after a few months, in March 1999,Fact|date=August 2008 he was promoted to the post of Minister of Justice and Local Government. After the 2003 general election, in which Gatt was re-elected from the First District, he was moved to the post of Minister of Information Technology and Investment, with Industry being added to his portfolio in 2004 after the resignation of John Dalli from Cabinet.

After the March 2008 general election, Gatt was appointed as Minister for Communications and National Projects with responsibility for IT, the Water Services Corporation and Enemalta, Malta Shipyards and the roads on March 12 2008; he lost responsibility for industry at this time. [ [http://www.timesofmalta.com/election2008/view/20080312/news/new-cabinet-sworn-in "New Cabinet sworn in"] , "Times of Malta", March 12, 2008.]

On 14 April 2008, the government announced that the name of the Ministry for Communications and National Projects was changed to the Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications (MITC); Gatt retained his post under the new title. [ [http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080415/local/ministry-changes-name "Ministry changes name"] , "The Times of Malta", April 15, 2008.]

He is married to Marisa Zammit-Maempel and they have two sons, Gege and Paul. Dr. Gege Gatt is one of the co-founders of http://icon.com.mt, a web application development company.

References