Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1514570
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 JANUARY 2024 ANALYSIS mittee with dignity avoiding unnecessary confrontation with officials grilled by the committee while asking pertinent ques- tions. He now finds himself 'promoted' from spokesperson on local government to spokesperson on home affairs, a post he has taken from criminal lawyer Joe Giglio. In shadowing home affairs, Car- abott will have to articulate a discourse on the thorny migration issue. The PN has often found itself on a slippery slope, by trying to pander to rising anti-immi- grant sentiment while still paying lip ser- vice to the humanitarian values the party supposedly still cherishes. Yet a coherent discourse on migration also requires in- put from other spokespersons including Ivan J Bartolo who shadows employment and Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici whose port- folio now includes human rights. But ul- timately it is Bernard Grech who needs to find the right balance. 6. Little effort to project women as front benchers. All seven women MPs sitting on the Op- position benches are represented in the shadow cabinet as are all men. But there was little effort to nurture women in the unofficial front bench. Women are also notably absent in portfolios associated with the economy, the infrastructure and energy and are mostly concentrated on environmental, social and cultural sectors. 7. The reshuffle evades the greatest question facing the party; which is Grech's own future as leader. After being trounced in the last gener- al election, Bernard Grech has stoically remained at the helm, mostly because of the sheer lack of alternatives, but at the risk of projecting a lame duck leadership. The question facing the party remains: Should Grech be re-shuffling his shadow cabinet, or should he be the one to be re- shuffled? Still, with no changes expected on that front and before mid-terms in June, Grech has no choice but to soldier on. Still, Grech has at least managed to re- store a degree of peace and harmony in his own house by being inclusive. But will the peace last beyond MEP elections? Only time will tell. reactive reshuffle Major changes in portfolios PREVIOUS POST NEW POST Adrian Delia Transport/mobility/capital projects Health Graham Bencini Sports/broadcasting Finance Jerome Caruana Cilia Finance Economy/Enterprise Darren Carabott Local councils/civil service Home Affairs/ Reforms Joe Giglio Home Affairs/Reforms Infrastructure/Capital Projects Rebekah Borg Lands/Consumer Rights Environment Ryan Callus Energy/Research Infrastructure/public works Stephen Spiteri Health Social Policy Mark A. Sammut Energy/Enterprise Transport/mobility Stephen Spiteri Health Social Policy Albert Buttigieg Cost of Living Family/Social Security Claudette Buttigieg Civil liberties/social dialogue Civil service/broadcasting David Agius Social Policy EU funds/sports MAJOR FACE-OFFS* Clyde Caruana vs. Graham Bencini Finance Cylde Caruana vs Ivan J Bartolo Employment Chris Bonnet vs. Mark A Sammut Transport Chris Bonnet vs. Joe Giglio Infrastructure Silvio Schembri vs Jerome Caruana Cilia Economy Silvio Schembri vs Robert Cutajar Small Businesses Byron Camilleri vs Darren Carabott Home Affairs Miriam Dalli vs Ryan Callus Energy Miriam Dalli vs Rebekah Borg Environment Miriam Dalli vs Bernice Bonello Open spaces Jo Etienne Abela vs Adrian Delia Health Jo Etienne Abela vs Ian Vassallo Mental health Michael Falzon vs Stephen Spiteri Social policy Michael Falzon vs Albert Buttigieg Social Security Clint Camilleri vs Stanley Zammit Planning Clint Camilleri vs Alex Borg Gozo Clint Camilleri vs Charles Azzopardi Hunting Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi vs Stanley Zammit Lands Clayton Bartolo vs Mario De Marco Tourism Jonathan Attard vs Karol Aquilina Justice Clifton Grima vs Justin Schembri Education Clifton Grima vs David Agius Sports Ian Borg vs Beppe Fenech Adami Foreign Affairs Owen Bonnici vs Julie Zahra Culture/Heritage Owen Bonnici vs Claudette Buttigieg Broadcasting Julia Farrugia Portelli vs Graziella Galea Inclusion Glenn Bedingfield vs Eve Borg Bonello Public cleansing Anton Refalo vs Toni Bezzina Agriculture/fisheries Rebecca Buttigieg vs Graziella Attard Previ Equality Roderick Galdes vs Ivan Bartolo Housing Alicia Said vs Janice Chetcuti Animal rights Malcolm Paul Agius vs Paula Mifsud Bonnici Active Ageing Andy Ellul vs Ivan Castillo Social Dialogue Keith Azzopardi Tanti vs Ryan Callus Research/innovation Alison Zerafa Civelli vs Chris Said Local councils *Does not include PN spokesperson whose portfolio does not match with that of a Minister or parliamentary secretary.