In the House before it rose on Wednesday, newly anointed Minister Carmelo Abela happened to be the only Minister around at lunchtime, so he had to answer all the supplementary questions that are traditionally made to the Prime Minister during the last session before the New Year*.

 

Q: Would the PM kindly state whether he agrees with the apparently normal practise that his Office pays for parking and other tickets affixed to the windscreens of his minions?

 

A: It is not in the interest of the public for this information to be given.

 

Q: Would the PM kindly describe to the House what guarantees have been that Sheik Al-Sawd will actually perform charitable and similar activities in return for the pre-award to him of Gieh ir-Repubblika?

 

A: It is not in the interest of the public for this information to be given.

 

Q: Would the PM inform the House what has been achieved by his visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, and whether he brought any carpets back with him and if so whether they actually fit the hallways of the new Parliament Building?

 

A: It is not in the interest of the public for this information to be given.

 

Q: Would the Minister, since this falls under his remit, inform the House whether the vehicle used by Hon. Herrera recently (when it was publicised that he had maybe, perhaps, very slightly, backed into another car) was immediately placed on a low-loader?

 

 A: Given that there were no bullet holes to examine and no forensic examination to be carried out, especially as no hysterical report was lodged by any Ministerial driver, no such measures were resorted to.

 

Q: Would the PM agree that it is unfair for you, Minister Abela, to be lumbered with having to answer these questions and, whatever the answer, Where's Everybody?

 

A: It is not in the interest of the public for this information to be given insofar as concerns the first part of the question.   Insofar as concerns the second part, I invite my Hon. Interlocutor to put same to the Minister responsible for Public Broadcasting Services Ltd, when he returns from lunch.

 

Q: Mr Speaker, on a Point of Order, the second part of the question to the Minister relates to the location of his colleagues, not to with whom the Minister responsible for PBS feels comfortable working, would he please direct that the question is answered?.

 

Mr Speaker:  Hon. Minister, answer the question as put please.

 

A: I am informed that the current location of my colleagues is as follows:

 

Hon. Joseph Muscat: buying a carpet in Baku

Hon. Konrad MIzzi: helping Hon. Joseph Muscat choose the colour

Hon. Louis Grech: not known

Hon. Joe Mizzi: stuck in traffic

Hon. Helena Dalli: at MEPA

Hon. Owen Bonnici: having lunch with the legal profession 

Hon. George Vella: trying to get in touch with Hon. Joseph Muscat to describe Afghanistan to him, as he thinks it is the same as Azerbaijan

Hon. Leo Brincat: addressing a conference about waste management and the application of hot air to the problem of waste disposal

Hon. Roderick Galdes: bird-watching

Hon. Edward Scicluna: at MFSA filing Annual Returns

Hon. Edward Zammit Lewis: welcoming the 23,455,321st tourist to Malta

Hon. Chris Cardona: inspecting slot machines  and watching a movie

Hon. Jose Herrera: at the panel beater trying to see what the devil  the  Nationalist media are talking about

 

As to the rest of the Cabinet, if any, my apologies to the House but there are so many of us that I can't be expected to know where they all are at any given time.

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