One can sympathise with a parliamentary old-timer such as Minister Michael Farrugia for the bad deal that the cards have dealt him.

After a lifetime following the medical sector, and a past that included the health ministerial portfolio, it must be beyond imagination with what internal turmoil Dr Farrugia has seen a newcomer, Godfrey Farrugia, being appointed Minister for Health.

Dr Michael Farrugia had been shadowing the health ministry for years and years, he knew everyone, spoke to everyone, knew all the issues – and yet, ministerial appointments being the prime minister’s prerogative, on that day that Labour was rejoicing in the 37,000 plus majority, Dr Michael Farrugia had to sacrifice his past life and was given the ministry with the most insignificant name – that for Planning and Simplification of Administrative Processes. And to add insult to injury, he was demoted from his past post as minister to that of a parliamentary secretary.

Dr Michael Farrugia, however, accepted this post and tries his hand at areas with which he was never familiar. He is a doctor, not an architect, and Mepa is an area where he never ventured. Other people could be more adapted for such a role such as lawyers, planners, etc. But Dr Michael Farrugia is none of these.

As a result, he is already floundering, which is not surprising seeing he has been made to swim in waters where he never swam before.

Mepa, then, is a particularly tough bone for anyone: it features among the reasons why people overthrow the government at elections. It can satisfy no one: on the one hand it does not please the environmentalists and on the other it can never fully please the developers and all those who want a quick Mepa permit.

Dr Michael Farrugia’s other responsibility, that of simplification of administrative processes, is vague. One does not know if each minister or parliamentary secretary was given a to-do list with his appointment and what, in this case this task list entailed. But one remembers similar ministerial appointments in such countries as Italy which had a Minister for Bureaucracy until this ministry got aborted as an act of mercy killing, it became victim of its own efforts to streamline bureaucracy.

Anyway, Dr Michael Farrugia has all the reasons on earth to feel angry and out of sorts. What is unacceptable, however, is for him to take his anger and frustration out on the Opposition as he did when he was answering questions in Parliament last week.

We cannot have once again Parliament turned into a shouting match, or a quarrel between fishmongers. Dr Michael Farrugia got trapped by repeat questions by George Pullicino and soon he was at his invective best, or worst.

People listen to Parliament, more than perhaps is evident. That is one reason why Parliament should set an example to the whole country, that, while disagreeing it is still possible for people to disagree in a civilized manner.

To clarify, there was no abuse in Dr Michael Farrugia’s words, nor calling of names or such. It was clear, however, that Dr Michael Farrugia was on a knife-edge and he was easily rattled.

Such episodes easily undermine the positive approach with which the Labour Party won such a huge majority.