[WATCH] ‘I did not see it coming,’ Oliver Scicluna says on his parliamentary co-option

Oliver Scicluna accepted to join the Labour Party’s parliamentary backbench because he wants to address its shortcomings, the newly co-opted MP said.

“Not everything is perfect, if it was I wouldn’t have joined. My plan is to help address those imperfections,” Scicluna said on TVM’s Xtra on Thursday night.

The former disability rights commissioner was co-opted to parliament on Monday after the resignation of Gavin Gulia.

It was Prime Minister Robert Abela who asked Scicluna to join the PL parliamentary group in a controversial move that saw Gulia resigning his seat seconds after being sworn in as an MP.

Scicluna admitted he was caught by surprise by the invitation. “I have always followed politics from the outside but I didn’t see it coming,” he said.

“I often had talks with other people who encouraged me to consider getting into politics. I always said that I wanted to see people with a disability to take this step,” Scicluna said.

Asked about his relationship with Abela, the MP said he was comfortable working with the Prime Minister.

“Robert Abela entered the political scene at a difficult time and changed many things… [he] is a man who can take decisions. I feel I can trust him and I do. This is why I accepted when he asked me to stand,” Scicluna said.

When asked what his dream for the country was, Scicluna said it was his wish to see people come together to tackle subjects that are normally brushed aside.

“My dream is to see people come together to tackle subjects, which are swept under the carpet, such as abortion and euthanasia, and that these are discussed in a fair and objective way,” he said.

Scicluna added that his personal dream was to live a simple life as much as possible and have all the time for his family.