Veteran PN MPs roped back into Bernard Grech’s shadow cabinet

Updated at 5:54pm with Labour Party statement

Opposition leader Bernard Grech has roped three veteran MPs back into his shadow cabinet in a mini-reshuffle.

Mario de Marco is now the PN’s tourism spokerspon and Carm Mifsud Bonnici will be in charge of constitutional reform.

Meanwhile, Chris Said will act as spokesperson for quality of life. He is also the President for Social Dialogue within party organs.

The three MPs were left out of Bernard Grech's initial shadow cabinet appointed shortly after the 2022 General Elections.

Other changes include the addition of trade skills to Justin Schembri’s portfolio and lifelong learning for Charles Azzopardi.

Albert Buttigieg, a recent addition to the PN parliamentary group, has been appointed spokesperson for a better standard of living with a commitment against cost of living.

Buttigieg was elected to the House of Representatives in October 2022 through a casual election for the seat of late MP Robert Arrigo.

The rest of the shadow cabinet remains the same. 

'Grech is being led, not leading' 

In reaction to the mini-reshuffle, the Labour Party issued a statement calling out Bernard Grech for failing to take leadership in his party. 

It noted that PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami said during a radio interview that it was not fair that the three veteran MPs were not given any portfolio after the election. 

"The Leader of the Opposition had to do what Beppe Fenech Adami ordered him to do on the radio a few weeks ago. No wonder he is not able to stick to an agreement that has been reached around a table. Bernard Grech is being led instead of leading."