Opposition MP Beppe Fenech Adami yesterday chastised Economic Affairs Minister Chris Cardona for having “failed to keep his promise” to come up within 24 hours with a list of people related to his chief of staff who had been given government employment since the elections.

But Government Whip Godfrey Farrugia told the House that Dr Cardona, along with the Prime Minister and other Cabinet members, had been caught up in a meeting at Auberge de Castille.

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici chipped in, saying that Dr Cardona had promised that if he were given a written PQ in that sense on Tuesday, he would give the answer on Wednesday, even though Standing Orders statutorily gave him up to three days.

Dr Bonnici recalled that deputy speaker Ċensu Galea, presiding over the House at that time, had told Dr Cardona that Standing Orders would not allow that.

Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil quipped that either the minister had broken his promise or the list was too long to be compiled in one day.

When Dr Fenech Adami asked if any guidelines existed on government employment for relatives on chiefs of staff, Dr Bonnici said every minister was regulated by a code of ethics which included provisos on family members. The guidelines for family members of each secretariat were less strict.

There was not much difference between current guidelines and those laid down by former Speaker, later Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi.

Dr Bonnici said it was time to stop attacking individuals because of their family relationships and instead focus on their skills. It would not be the right message that people should not work because they were related to certain people, and Dr Fenech Adami (whose father was Prime Minister and later President) should know that well.