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Junior minister’s failure to shake Muscat’s hand ‘inadvertent mistake’
José Herrera, former shadow minister for justice, ‘honoured with culture appointment’
14 March 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
New parliamentary secretary for culture, José Herrera.
Malta's new parliamentary secretary for culture and local councils has stated that his failure to shake the hand of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Wednesday evening's swearing-in, was "an inadvertent mistake".
José Herrera, for the past decade a shadow minister for justice, was not given the ministerial post many would have expected him to have. Instead it was newly-elected Labour MP Manuel Mallia, who was elected on two districts, to be given the post of home affairs minister while young MP Owen Bonnici was given the job of parliamentary secretary for justice.
As it turns out, Herrera appeared to 'break ranks' with the rest of his colleagues - 14 ministers and eight parliamentary secretaries - when he failed to shake Muscat's hand after taking his oath. But the queer moment was evident as Muscat returned the snub with an icy stare.
"I am honoured and privileged that the Prime Minister has faith in me by appointing me parliamentary secretary for culture and local councils," Herrera told MaltaToday. "I will reciprocate this faith with hard work for the country. The lack of shaking hands with the Prime Minister during the swearing in ceremony was an inadvertent mistake which I regret."
Herrera is brother to magistrate Consuelo Herrera, and in 2012 he strongly supported the separation of the home affairs and justice ministries when they were under the stewardship of minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici.
The former Nationalist MP whose demands for a separate justice and home affairs ministry led to the resignation of Carm Mifsud Bonnici, has expressed no regret at seeing the two portfolios fused together under a minister and a junior minister. "At least two separate persons are responsible for justice and home affairs," Franco Debono said. "It's an improvement over the situation under Carm Mifsud Bonnici. Justice doesn't necessarily merit a ministry unless you add other responsibilities to that portfolio. It's not that vast.
"In reality, my criticism of Mifsud Bonnici was vindicated when he was not elected, and if he scrapes through into the House it will be through the law of proportionality."
Debono had embarked on a solo campaign to have home affairs and justice ministries separated, with vocal criticism of the stewardship of the justice portfolio by Mifsud Bonnici. When Lawrence Gonzi responded with a Cabinet reshuffle on 6 January, 2012, leaving Debono without the justice ministry, the MP broke ranks and finally forced the resignation of Mifsud Bonnici by supporting an Opposition motion of no confidence in the minister.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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@KDZ . It looks like you do not have the kind of foresight of Dr Joseph Muscat.Can you imagine what would have been the reaction out there if Dr Herrera was appointed as Minister of Justice when there is a close relative(Hon Consuelo Herrera) serving as a Magistrate.
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@KZD. What a stupid comment you make. But, alas stupid comments are becoming a common occurrence, coming from the blue camp.
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cant make everyone happy,even god himself took decision when he gave the keys of paradise to st peter from all the 12 appostiles and build the church on st peter and paul but all the others become saints and we respect them all.cheer up dr herrera and lets start work.
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Dr Muscat keeps getting it right. Appointing Dr Herrera as justice minister would have been a grave mistakes. First of all - even under PN, the biggest scandal in the judicial was the Herrera family.
Then one has to keep in mind that Debono fought so hard for reforms - to then put Herrera in charge would have been a middle finger at all those who voted labour because they trust labour to give us a better country.
To top it all off, Herrera quite simple lacks the energy and vision for such a job - or more precisely he likes the prestige but not the work that comes with it.
Well done Dr. Muscat ... you are not disappointing!
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Your first mistake noted. A second one and you are fired.
From a citizen. :)
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Your first mistake noted. A second one and you are fired.
From a citizen. :)
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EVEN GOD HIMSELF HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS ,HE HAD 12 APPOSTLES BUT HE GAVE THE KEY OF PARADISE TO ST PETER AND BUILD HIS CHURCH ON ST PETER AND ST PAUL BUT AT THE END THEY ALL BECAME SAINTS AND WE RESPECT THEM ALL,COME ON DR HERRERA CHEER UP AND LETS GO TO WORK .
VERY PROUD OF YOU ALL .
MEXXMEXX
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U iva, ma gara xejn. Zball mahfur.
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It did not look good for sure. Your inadvertent mistake was noticed by two Ministers sitting on the front row and above all also by the Prime Minister, who disliked the moment. May I take the opportunity to congratulate all the new Ministers and Secretaries in their new role. Let us all demonstrate our abilities to improve all aspects in our beautiful united Malta.
