Yesterday the members of new Cabinet were sworn in at a ceremony held at the Palace in Valletta presided over by President Dr George Abela, with Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat, the Chief Justice Dr Silvio Camilleri and the Attorney General Dr Peter Grech in attendance. The guests included the families of the new ministers and parliamentary secretaries.
The Cabinet is composed of the Prime Minister and fourteen Ministers as follows:
- Joseph Muscat – Prime Minister
Responsible for Cabinet Office, Internal Audit and Investigations, Public Administration, Strategic Policy Coordination, Management Efficiency Unit, Information, Planning, Policy and Priorities Coordination, Malta Environment and Planning Authority, Government Printing Press, Lands, Land Registry, Joint Office
- Louis Grech – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs
Responsible for relations with the European Union EU Internal Coordination, EU Presidency 2017, EU Funds and Programmes
- George Vella – Minister of Foreign Affairs
Responsible for relations with Foreign and Commonwealth Countries, Relations with International Organisations and Institutions, International Economic Relations, Maltese Communities Abroad
- Karmenu Vella – Minister of Tourism
Responsible for Tourism, Tourism Studies, Cultural Heritage, Restoration, External Transport, Airport, National Library, National Archives, Culture and the Arts, National Orchestra, Theatres, Valletta 2018 Local Government
- Evarist Bartolo – Minister of Education and Employment
Responsible for Childcare and Early Education,Compulsory Education, Higher Education (including MCAST), Life-long Learning, Examinations, Public Libraries, Employment and Training, Research and Innovation, Centre for Development, Research and Training, Science and Technology Policy, Youth, Sport and Sport complexes.
- Leo Brincat – Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change
Responsible for Climate Change Policy, Environmental Policy, Waste Management Strategy, National Parks, Afforestation and the Countryside, Rural Development, Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Aquaculture, Animal Welfare Veterinary Services
- Joe Mizzi – Minister of Transport and the Infrastructure
Responsible for Manufacturing and Servicing, Construction and Maintenance, Cleansing, Coordination of Major Government Projects, Internal Transport, Roads, Coordination of Road building, maintenance and landscaping.
- Anton Refalo – Minister for Gozo
Responsible for Gozo Affairs (excluding Health services and Education)
- Helena Dalli – Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties
Responsible for Social Dialogue, Civil Liberties, Equality, Data Protection, Non-Governmental and Voluntary Organisations, Competition and Consumer Affairs, Medicines Authority, Industrial and Employment Relations.
- Chris Cardona – Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business
Responsible for Economic Policy, External Trade, industry and investment promotion Government Investments, Small Business and the Self-Employed, Cooperatives, Trade Services Ports, Maritime Affairs, Promotion of Financial Services, Information and Communication Strategy, Digital Economy
- Marie-Louise Coleiro – Minister of the Family and Social Solidarity
Responsible for Social Policy, Family Policy, Child Policy, Social Housing, Social Security, Pensions Solidarity Services,Policy concerning Persons with Disability, Elderly, Community Care
- Manuel Mallia – Minister of Home Affairs and National Security
Responsible for Defence, Armed Forces, Police, Immigration, Airport Security, Correctional Services, Probation and Parole, Civil Protection, Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs, Central Visa Unit, National Identity Management, Courts of Justice, Attorney General’s Office, Notary to Government, Broadcasting, Public Broadcasting Services
- Edward Scicluna – Minister of Finance
Responsible for Budget Office, The Treasury, Inland Revenue, Indirect Taxation, Customs and Excise, Contracts, Financial Services Regulation, Malta Statistics Authority, Relations with Central Bank
- Konrad Mizzi – Minister for Energy and Water Conservation
Responsible for Development of Alternative Energy Sources, Oil Exploration, Energy Policy, Malta Resources Authority, Enemalta Corporation, Water Policy, Water Services Corporation
- Godfrey Farrugia – Minister of Health
Responsible for Health Services Regulation and Standards, Health Services, Occupational Health and Safety
Parliamentary Secretaries
The following eight parliamentary secretaries were also sworn in and will work under the various ministers.
- Michael Farrugia, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Administrative simplification within the Office of the Prime Minister.
- Ian Borg, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds and 2017 EU Presidency within the Ministry for EU Affairs.
- Jose’ Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government and Culture within the Ministry of Tourism.
- Stefan Buontempo, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport within the Ministry for Education and Employment.
- Roderick Galdes, Parliamentary Secretary for for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights within the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change.
- Edward Zammit Lewis, Parliamentary Secretary for for Competitiveness and Economic Growth within the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business.
- Franco Mercieca, Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing and Disability Rights within the Ministry for Family and Social Solidarity.
- Owen Bonnici, Parliamentary Secretary for Justice within the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security.
Elected Members of Parliament
The following is a list of candidates elected as members of parliament in each district.
DISTRICT 1: Deo Debattista (PL) Louis Grech (PL) Jose Herrera (PL) Mario de Marco (PN) Claudio Grech (PN)
DISTRICT 2: Joe Mizzi (PL) Joseph Muscat (PL) Stefan Buontempo (PL) Helena Dalli (PL) Lawrence Gonzi (PN)
DISTRICT 3: Carmelo Abela (PL) Owen Bonnici (PL) Etienne Grech (PL) George Vella (PL) Mario Galea (PN)
DISTRICT 4: Konrad Mizzi (PL) Joseph Muscat (PL) Silvio Parnis (PL) Chris Fearne (PL) Jason Azzopardi (PN)
DISTRICT 5: Marlene Farrugia (PL) Joseph Sammut (PL) Karmenu Vella (PL) Edward Scicluna (PL) Anthony Bezzina (PN)
DISTRICT 6: Marie Louise Coleiro Preca (PL) Roderick Galdes (PL) Silvio Schembri (PL) Ryan Callus (P
N) Clyde Puli (PN)
DISTRICT 7: Ian Borg (PL) Joe Cassar (PN) Lawrence Gonzi (PN) Farrugia Godfrey (PL) Buhagiar Charles (PL).
DISTRICT 8: Chris Cardona (PL) Edward Scicluna (PL) Edward Zammit Lewis (PL) Tonio Fenech (PN) Beppe Fenech Adami (PN)
DISTRICT 9: Manuel Mallia (PL) Simon Busuttil (PN) Pullicino George (PN) Arrigo Robert (PN) Brincat Leo (PL).
DISTRICT 10: Evarist Bartolo (PL) Manuel Mallia (PL) Robert Arrigo (PN) George Pullicino (PN) Francis Zammit Dimech (PN)
DISTRICT 11: Anthony Agius Decelis (PL) Louis Grech (PL) Simon Busuttil (PN) Agius David (PN) Cassar Joe (PN).
DISTRICT 12: Evarist Bartolo (PL) Michael Farrugia (PL) Robert Cutajar (PN) Tonio Fenech (PN) Michael Gonzi (PN).
DISTRICT 13: Anton Refalo (PL) Franco Mercieca (PL) Justyne Caruana (PL) Giovanna Debono (PN) Chris Said (PN).
Candidates who are elected from more than one district must select which seat to give up, so that by-elections can be held to elect a replacement. Unelected candidates in a district may nominate to contest the by-election, in which the votes received by the elected member are then distributed among the by-election candidates in accordance with the preferences on the ballot papers.
Last Tuesday Prime Minister Muscat indicated that Parliament is planned to be convened after Easter with the passing of the Budget for 2013 as it top priority.
