Giovanna Debono (née Attard; born November 25, 1956) was the Minister for Gozo (Maltese: Ministru għal Għawdex) in a number of Nationalist governments.[1]

Giovanna Debono
Minister for Gozo
In office
6 September 1998 – 10 March 2013
PresidentUgo Mifsud Bonnici
Guido de Marco
Eddie Fenech Adami
George Abela
Prime MinisterEddie Fenech Adami
Lawrence Gonzi
Personal details
Born (1956-11-25) 25 November 1956 (age 68)
Victoria, Gozo, Crown Colony of Malta
Political partyIndependent (2015-2017)
Other political
affiliations
Nationalist Party (1987-2015)
SpouseAnthony Debono
Children2

Early life

edit

Debono was born in Victoria on the island of Gozo. She is the daughter of the late Coronato Attard, who was a Member of Parliament from 1965 to 1987, and Anna née Tabone.[1]

She completed her studies at the University of Malta from where she obtained a B.A. in Education. From 1981 to 1987, she worked as a teacher with the Education Department in Malta.

Public life

edit

Debono was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1987, making her the second female Nationalist Party member to be nationally elected. She has been re-elected at each subsequent election. She was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Social Development on April 17, 1995, and was subsequently appointed as Minister for Gozo in 1998. She was re-appointed to that post in 2003, confirmed in 2004, and further re-appointed in 2008.[2] She was succeeded as Minister of Gozo by Anton Refalo after the Nationalists lost the general election of 2013.

In May 2015, Debono resigned from the Nationalist Party after her husband was accused of fraud.[3] She retained her seat in parliament as an independent politician.[4] She did not contest the 2017 Maltese general elections and therefore retired from Maltese politics.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Page at Maltese Department of Information website.
  2. ^ "Airport bus direct to Gozo ferry from July 9". MaltaMedia.com. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Giovanna Debono's husband pleads not guilty to fraud, misappropriation; Busuttil to hold press conference". Times of Malta. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Giovanna Debono resigns from PN, staying on as independent MP". Times of Malta. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.