Since 2013, I have been serving my country as a Cabinet member, and since 2008, as a Labour Member of Parliament. I shall continue to serve in the Cabinet during this new legislature as the Minister responsible for Accommodation and Lands. It is an important portfolio with its own unique challenges, which I am glad to carry and execute to the best of my abilities. As always, I shall give it my all. Serving your country is the highest calling.  I am humbled to be doing this.

4th win

In this general election, Labour made history by becoming the first Maltese political party to win four consecutive general elections. It did so by securing another landslide victory - an impressive 22,000-vote gap between Labour and the Nationalist Party, the latter having secured the same number of votes it did way back in 2017 when Simon Busuttil was leading the PN.

Tomorrow, Parliament will reopen, and then we will hit the ground running. As for me, I am truly humbled by the confidence the electorate has shown in this election. I am deeply honoured by the trust once again placed in me by Prime Minister Robert Abela. When he called me at his office and informed me of my new ministerial role, I gave him my word that I would carry out my new responsibility to the best of my ability.

Grateful

I worked hard in my districts for the entire legislature, and hard work pays off. From the Third District, which is made up of Żejtun, Għaxaq, Marsaskala, and Marsaxlokk, I obtained a very strong result-2,721 people gave me their first preference vote, placing me second in the first count after my friend, former Deputy Prime Minister and once again Minister, Chris Fearne. It was an excellent result for me and a strong vote of confidence from the electorate of the Third District, as I increased my first-preference votes  compared to the 2022 election. My heartfelt thanks to the voters of this district.

In the Fifth District, made up of Birżebbuġa, Ħal Kirkop, Mqabba, Qrendi, Ħal Safi, Żurrieq, and Bubaqra (Żurrieq) where Prime Minister Robert Abela contested, I obtained 2,572 votes when the second count was concluded. My sincere thanks to the electorate of this district.  I am very grateful for this strong show of support.

From culture and the arts

During the previous legislature, I served as Minister for Culture, Lands, and Local Government. I am extremely proud of what we managed to achieve together.  There is widespread agreement that in culture and the arts, we managed to revolutionise the sector.

We provided an outstanding platform for local artists. We promoted Malta's name throughout the world and brought it the highest honours. Maltese artists excelled on the world stage, and we even placed first in the prestigious London Design Biennale. In Malta, we organised two Biennales that were both extraordinary achievements. We invested heavily in our national heritage and did our best to protect Malta's cultural patrimony. We poured in robust local and EU funds into extensive restoration projects. 

Congratulations to Minister Malcolm Agius Galea for his new role as Culture Minister. I am sure he will do a very good job.

We gave our undivided attention to public land, executing organisational reforms in the administration of public land. We returned Manoel Island, Fort Tigné, Fort Campbell, White Rocks, and Fort Bengħajsa, along with many other public spaces, to the Maltese and Gozitan people for their enjoyment.

In Local Government, together with my friend, Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli, we strengthened Local Councils and provided them with all the necessary tools to perform more effectively. Local government is now in the safe hands of Alison as a new minister in her own right.

To Accommodation and Lands

In this new legislature, the Prime Minister Robert Abela has entrusted me with the Accommodation portfolio, alongside the Lands portfolio. I cannot thank Robert Abela enough for the trust that he has placed in me, and I will do my utmost to deliver.

As for public land, its management and administration, much remains to be done. We must continue the modernisation process within the Lands Department, Lands Registry and the Joint Office, while ensuring that public land is placed at the service of the people.

The Accommodation sector is a tough nut, a politically sensitive portfolio, and one that requires full focus, sensible policies, and a strong sense of social justice. All those who came before me did their best, and I shall build on their many achievements. I have already started meeting the many hardworking women and men who work in this sector, and I am aware of the current challenges and those that lie ahead. Society has changed, so did peoples' needs and aspirations, making the accommodation sector a complex issue. However, bottom line, one thing remains staple: people deserve a decent house to make a home.

Housing, as it is commonly known, lies at the heart of Labour politics. Labour has long been synonymous with social housing, dating back to the era of Prime Minister Dom Mintoff when extensive social housing projects were built, and whole new villages too. Circumstances have since changed, but the need for affordable and social housing remains.

We have very strong proposals for this sector. We will work hard in the field of affordable housing and we will build 700 new social housing units to be completed over the next five years. We will allocate €16 million to restore and improve housing estates, while investing €15 million to install new apertures, photovoltaic (PV) panels, and heat-pump water heaters in 1,000 social housing units.

Before me, my friend Andy Ellul managed this sector and gave it his all during the short time he was responsible for it. His predecessor, my friend Roderick Galdes, worked hard and successfully in this area. I will continue building on the strong foundations laid by Roderick and Andy, and all those who came before them, as I am committed to implementing the Labour Party manifesto that the absolute majority of Malta's electorate endorsed.

Parliament

It will convene tomorrow, just 21 days after the general election, the shortest time possible following a general election. As the Prime Minister said, this sends a clear message: that despite the approaching summer months, the new government is ready to hit the ground running to implement new laws. We have a 1000-plus manifesto to implement, important reforms to carry out, numerous projects to execute, and loads of goodwill and energy to make Malta better.