‘Malta has an even better Cabinet’ – Labour

In the wake of the government announcing a major shake up to Malta’s Cabinet – which among its changes includes the appointment of Konrad Mizzi as health and energy minister and the nomination of former tourism minister and Labour stalwart Karmenu Vella as European Commissioner – the Labour Party has dubbed the new Cabinet as an “even better one than the previous one.”

Buoyed by its electoral victory in March 2013, the government had pledged that the Cabinet would be the best that Malta has ever seen, but a year into the government’s legislature, Joseph Muscat has rung up the changes, promoting backbenchers to the role of parliamentary secretaries and junior ministers to ministerial roles.

With president-designate Marie Louise Coleiro Preca expected to be sworn in next week and former tourism minister Karmenu Vella set to pack his bags and fly to Brussels, as well as Godfrey Farrugia and Franco Mercieca’s resignations, Saturday saw Muscat announce several changes to the Labour Cabinet – a move which according to Simon Busuttil has proven that the Cabinet was not the best Malta has ever seen, and instead, by Muscat’s yardstick, it is only “second best”.

However, in a reaction to the Busuttil’s comments, the Labour Party has lambasted the Opposition Leader, accusing him of being stuck in the past.

“The country had the best Cabinet and now has an even better one. The new ministers and parliamentary secretaries will continue to work on the momentum that the government picked up during its first year in power,” the Labour Party said.

Busuttil, who this morning addressed the PN faithful at Ghajnsielem, argued that the reshuffle killed off the Labour Party’s mantra of Malta Taghna Lkoll – culminated by the prime minister’s “lack of trust” in former health minister Godfrey Farrugia.

“The reshuffle is a clear proof that Muscat used and disposed of Farrugia. The party’s battle cry of meritocracy failed because even its ministers feel that they cannot work with the prime minister,” Busuttil argued.

Meanwhile, after Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi this morning announced that the energy tariffs be implemented as of tomorrow, the Labour Party said Simon Busuttil cannot “stand the fact that electricity tariffs will be reduced.”

According to the Labour Party the electricity and water tariffs, which as of tomorrow will be reduced by 25% and 5% respectively, are the Achilles Heel of Simon Busuttil.

“[In the run up to the election] Simon Busuttil had said that utility tariffs could not be reduced and even branded the government’s pledge to implement reduction as the ‘gimmick of the century’.”

“A few hours after these reductions had been announced, Busuttil did not say anything on the subject, instead resorting to insulting Konrad Mizzi,” the Labour Party said.

“Simon Busuttil cannot stand the fact that the electricity tariffs will be reduced,” it continued.