Abela's mini reshuffle: Owen Bonnici has lands added to portfolio, Zrinzo Azzopardi gets EU funds

Updated at 2:25pm with government statement

A mini reshuffle in cabinet portfolios on Wednesday saw Owen Bonnici being handed the lands portfolio in addition to the responsibilities he already had for culture, heritage and local government.

Bonnici had originally been slated for the home affairs portfolio but the plan was disrupted after Byron Camilleri turned down the prime minister's offer for a different portfolio.

Meanwhile, former Lands Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi is now responsible for EU funds and retains the responsibility of ensuring the electoral programmes implementation. EU funds formed part of the prime minister's portfolio.

Byron Camilleri has retained his portfolio in its entirety—home affairs and employment—but has also been given the responsibility for the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), the equivalent of a sovereign wealth fund financed by the sale of passports to rich foreigners.

Another change involves parliamentary secretary Andy Ellul, who in addition to his current responsibilities will also be responsible for the Competition and Consume Affairs Authority.

The changes were confirmed in a government statement released on Wednesday afternoon. "With the aim of consolidating work done as part of the lands portfolio with the efforts to preserve national heritage and the needs of local councils, minister Owen Bonnici will now be responsible for the Lands Authority," the statement said.

Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli, who was responsible for local government under Bonnici, will retain her responsibilities within the same ministry.

No other justification was given for the other changes.

Camilleri snubs offer

Earlier on Wednesday, Byron Camilleri exited Castille still responsible for the home affairs and employment portfolio after he snubbed a proposal put to him by Robert Abela.

Camilleri was the first to be summoned to the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday morning for what promised to be the start of a mini reshuffle of ministerial portfolios.

The Home Affairs Minister had long been asking to be given a different portfolio but sources close to the Labour Party told MaltaToday the prime minister’s offer did not match Camilleri’s expectations.

It is unclear what the prime minister’s offer was but sources noted that Abela was not too keen to hive off tourism from the foreign ministry—tourism had been considered as an option for Camilleri at one point.

​Camilleri is understood to have been requesting a change in portfolio ever since the theft of cannabis from an Armed Forces of Malta compound. An inquiry exonerated Camilleri from any responsibility but the case caused major embarrassment to the government.

After the heist, Camilleri had offered his resignation to the prime minister, but the latter turned it down.

Camilleri’s refusal to relinquish the home affairs portfolio, however, complicated matters for the prime minister, who ended up shifting around a handful of responsibilities causing no great shakes to his cabinet.

Owen Bonnici is currently in the cross-hairs of PL diehards over a €25,000 contract awarded to blogger Mark Camilleri by the Arts Council.

However, on Monday, the prime minister praised Bonnici and insisted he is happy with his performance, and expressed full trust in him.  Abela went on to say he would be backing Bonnici “with greater force”.

Sources interpreted this comment as a signal that Bonnici could be handed a more prominent portfolio by the prime minister. Whether the outcome of the reshuffle satisfies this higher expectation is doubtful.