Two women have been appointed parliamentary secretaries by Prime Minister Robert Abela, completing Abela's list of ministers and junior ministers. 

They are Rebecca Buttigieg, who entered parliament by virtue of a casual election in the ninth district, and Alicia Bugeja Said, who became an MP through the gender-balancing mechanism, which saw an additional six women from each side of the House become MPs.

Buttigieg will be parliamentary secretary for reforms and equality within the Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality Ministry. It is familiar territory for Buttigieg, who until last legislature served as communications coordinator of that ministry. 

Her new post was previously held by Rosianne Cutajar, who will remain on the Labour backbench. Cutajar was elected to parliament on the same day as Buttigieg following a casual election for a seat in the sixth district vacated by Foreign Minister Ian Borg.

She had resigned from cabinet in February 2021 over her alleged role in an Mdina property deal with Yorgen Fenech, the businessman accused of masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Bugeja Said will be parliamentary secretary responsible for fisheries, aquaculture and animal rights within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights.

A former director of the fisheries department, Bugeja Said has a PhD in anthropology and conservation from the University of Kent, with her expertise focusing predominantly on marine and fisheries governance.

Both parliamentary secretaries are expected to be sworn in on Thursday.