Becoming a mother changes you. You can read about it, friends can tell you about it, everyone wants to give you advice on it. But until you experience the absolute and complete dependency that your newborn child has on you, you do not really appreciate it.

Becoming a politician changes you. I was an academic in the field of fisheries. As an anthropologist, I listened to and often went to sea with fishermen and their families. But until I became politically responsible for some of the most important decisions that affect fishermen’s lives and livelihoods, I was a well-trained but passive observer.

The same is true for the lives and welfare of the animals under the care of the Animal Welfare Directorate and Veterinary Services.

Becoming a mother, an MP and a parliamentary secretary, all in such a short period of time, has brought about changes in me.

Responsibility makes you grow up and I have been growing up very quickly and I feel I am ready for it. It feels like I have been preparing for these roles all my life.

The question then arises of how I am supposed to balance all these responsibilities and deliver on them. In reality, women have been balancing and managing different roles for millennia – just as men have. Will I have to work harder? Of course, I will.

Will there be times when I need to focus more on one set of responsibilities than the other? Of course, there will. And, yes, there will be times when I will criticise myself about that balance. But it is nothing new or special – we all have responsibilities and we all have to balance.

What I have quickly come to appreciate is the support that I find around me. My husband, Malcolm is a superstar, he is already a great dad and he has my back in everything in life.

Becoming a politician changes you- Alicia Bugeja Said

Anyone who is a parent knows the difference that a supporting partner makes. They know when you are exhausted and step in to take over.

I am already getting back to work. And, here too, I know I have the support of great people. I have a great team in my office and I have amazing support from my colleagues in the public service. They offer sound advice, work hard and make sure we deliver what the country needs.

Thank you all.

When I see my roles as a mother, a wife, an MP and a parliamentary secretary there is an overarching thought that helps me see clearly what needs to be done. It is to help build the village that will raise our daughter and make sure that she becomes a good person who contributes to society.

I believe that this is something which all of us wish for. We want our children to be the best that they can be and live in the best society that we can build for them.

We all have a part to play in this – in raising each other’s children, in providing the best that we as a society can give to them. We may sometimes disagree on what we think is best but we all want the same thing.

I am proud to be an active member of our society, I have worked hard to get here.

I am proud of the country that we are building together, not just our government and the work that we do but every one of us who has made their contribution since we gained our independence and became a republic.

In this sense, we are all young parents building a new society – our own village to raise our children.

Alicia Bugeja Said is Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Welfare.