Joe Debono Grech (born 17 September 1939) was a
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...
politician.
He was a Member of Parliament in the
House of Representatives of Malta
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
.
Political life
Joseph Debono Grech started off in the
Labour Party in 1959 both as a Secretary and also as a president of several branches of the party. In 1959 he was one of the founders of the ‘Brigata Laburista’. In 1967 he was appointed secretary of the Labour Youths and the representative in the bureau of I.U.S.Y. for the same committee. In 1969 he was elected Deputy Leader for party affairs. He contested the general elections for the first time in 1966 on the 13th and 8th district. He was elected in the Maltese Parliament in 1966 and in all subsequent elections until 2013.
In 1983 he was appointed
Minister of
Parastatal
A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a business entity created or owned by a national or local government, either through an executive order or legislation. SOEs aim to generate profit for the government, prevent private sector monopolies, provide goo ...
and People's Investments and later held the Agriculture and Fisheries portfolio for four years until 1987. When Labour was reelected in 1996 he served as minister of Transport and Ports. From 2003 till 2008 he was the shadow minister for the
Malta International Airport
Malta International Airport is the only airport in Malta, and it serves the whole of the Maltese Islands. It is located on the island of Malta, southwest of the Maltese capital, Valletta, in the town of Luqa, and occupies the location of the f ...
and the country's security. He also worked in the
General Workers Union as a Secretary for the Petrol, Chemical and General workers. Today he is a Labour MP on the government side.
For many years he represented the Union in
Gozo
Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...
. He was a representative of the
Labour Party in the Council of Europe and also a member of the Socialist Bureau in the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
, since 1998. He has been a member of the National Executive committee of the party since 1960.
References
Members of the House of Representatives of Malta
1939 births
Living people
Labour Party (Malta) politicians
Government ministers of Malta
20th-century Maltese politicians
21st-century Maltese politicians
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