A dynasty of PN defectors - Episode Five

Marisa Micallef: Defecting from money to money

Marisa Micallef was a PN candidate and a scathing anti-Labour and anti-Sant columnist. She was also politically appointed to the chairmanship of the Housing Authority.

A single mother, she got a good package from the public coffers, including custom-made flexible hours. But then things changed, or did they?

She crossed over to Labour when the government did not give her a job she wanted. Here is the story, straight from the horse's mouth, Paul Borg Olivier, the PN secretary general: "I understand she was unhappy the government was not able to provide her with a job but the government is not an a la carte restaurant or simply contributing to 'pocket money'".

So she walked up from the PN's headquarters to the Glass Palace, dumped her principles along the way and picked up a €40,000 a year job as Joseph Muscat's "consultant".

Going after money seems to be an important family value in the Micallef's household. Here is a pearl of wisdom she claimed to have passed on to her daughter: "I’d guide her into thinking about the financial side. I never imagined I’d have to maintain myself financially. I hope she’ll realise that a lot of money doesn’t make you happy, but it does give you the luxury of choice." Prophetic words, indeed.

When Ms Micallef was engaged as Joseph Muscat's "consultant" in 2009, her brief was to guide him around the political terra incognita trodden by Sliema types. Since then, no one knows quite what she's been up to. All that can be said with certainty is that Maltastar is still being written in abysmal english, more of Labour's old guard have been occupying desks around Ms Micallef's and the PL and its media have become even more militant than they were even in Sant's time. With the "consultant" on the job for two years, Sliema remains terra incognita at the Glass Palace.

A final footnote. Marisa Micallef used to be a fervent promoter of her soft focus public image. Quite mysteriously, today she has become as elusive as Big Foot. What happened?