Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is ready to assign “executive” tasks to Opposition MPs if they are willing to take part.

He said he would be changing the role of parliamentary assistants, assigning his backbenchers specific tasks instead of linking them to ministries.

Addressing a press conference in Brussels, Dr Muscat referred to the fact that his 23-strong Cabinet was the largest and most costly in Maltese history.

“The point is not how much you spend but whether you get value for money,” he said, pointing out that he could have appointed a Cabinet of two to make sure it was the cheapest but that would reduce its effectiveness.

“This is the right size. We will get value for money,” he said.

As an example, he pointed out that in the last legislature the Finance Minister was unrealistically expected to focus on everything including the Budget, all public companies, economic planning and energy. “We sometimes need 11 people just to run a local council,” he added.

Dr Muscat was asked for clarifications about the Cabinet portfolios, especially those regarding immigration and tourism.

He said Air Malta was included in the Tourism Ministry headed by Karmenu Vella.

Immigration would be split between two ministries.

Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia will be tasked with the security aspect, providing synergy between the army, the police and the Civil Protection Department.

The issue of immigrant integration will be the responsibility of the Minister for Social Dialogue and Civil Liberties, Helena Dalli. Dr Muscat stressed that the permanent secretaries who would be replaced would not be discarded. Their talents would be utilised in other roles and “nobody would be locked in a room and given nothing to do,” he said, stressing that everyone would be treated with dignity.

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