Silvio Parnis will no longer form part of Cabinet, and his political career might well be over. However, one statement he made raised many an eyebrow.

Speaking to iNews Malta, Parnis said that with what happened on Saturday (the reshuffle), his political career was over. “How can I contest when I cannot help people?” he questioned.

This line of thought is exactly what is wrong with Maltese politics.

First of all, Parnis fails to realise the distinction between an MP and government. MPs, be they on the government side or members of the opposition, are there to scrutinise government work. Just because he is no longer a minister does not mean that he cannot do any good for the Maltese people.

This is a problem that Malta faces as it is quite rare for MPs whose party was elected to govern to actually speak out against government proposals. MPs are there to represent their constituents and not just be yes men. So yes, an MP from a party elected to government, who does not form part of Cabinet, can still do a lot of good for those who elected him or her by representing them in the best way he or she could.

Secondly, his argument has been taken to mean by some that he would not be able to compete as he would not be able to directly help his constituents.

The idea of ministers handing out favours to their constituents has long been an issue in Maltese politics. Such a thing is highly unethical and is not correct in any way. Sadly, however, through their customer care units, ministers (regardless of which side of the House of Representatives they would come from) will likely continue this practice. Now it is unclear whether Parnis particularly meant this or not.

Efforts that were made to get in contact with Parnis after he was excluded from Cabinet were met with a message that he is not taking calls at the moment.

The Prime Minister was quite right to remove his portfolio for the elderly. Parnis was not really vocal during the pandemic, and to be honest the elderly were the ones who were, and still are, suffering the most.

News of him then sending a roly poly to elderly people during the pandemic then broke. The move became a joke at best, and became a symbol of how the government was treating the elderly.

Abela did not really have much of a choice when it came to removing this portfolio from him.

Abela had said that he wants the Cabinet after the next election to have the most youths and women. Bit by bit he is moving out the more veteran MPs and making way for newer blood. Parnis is not the only one, with Scicluna having been removed after the announcement that he will seek being made Governor of the Central Bank.