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Wednesday, 16 May 2007 |
Personal Profile Dr John Attard Montalto B.A. (Hons), LL.D., MEP
Dr John Attard Montalto was born at Sliema, Malta, on the 7th February 1953, son of the late Josie Attard Montalto and Miriam neè Despott.
He attended primary school at Chiswick at Sliema, where he used to reside and at the Jesuit’s College of St Aloysius in Malta. He received his secondary education at Ardwyn College in the United Kingdom. He subsequently attended the University of Malta where he read history and graduated with an Honours Degree in 1974. In the following year he initiated his Masters degree. From 1975 to 1979 he read law and obtained a Diploma as a Notary Public and subsequently a Doctorate in Law. He was given his warrant and was called to the bar in 1980.
During his student years at the University of Malta, he was very active in student affairs and occupied nearly all the official positions on the Students’ Representative Council. He also represented the Students’ Body in the University Senate. He attended numerous international conferences and was Chairman of the Forum for Mediterranean Students’. He also represented Malta in the Executive Committee of the Non-Aligned Student Movement. On a national level he organised various campaigns and was Chairman of the Grants’ Campaign, which was aimed at gaining financial help for students.
John Attard Montalto earned his living even before embarking on his professional career. He worked on a part time basis before he became a teenager. He worked on weekends and holidays on a turkey farm and later sold fast foods. When a student he enrolled in students’ workers schemes where for successive summers he worked as a pointer, cook assistant and trencher. He became a teacher in state secondary schools, teaching history and civics. He graduated as a tourist guide and exercised this profession with vigour, especially in Gozo which he used to visit twice a week. In the meantime he decided to enter business and set up an animal feeds factory which for a number of years revolutionised the fodder industry in Gozo as his enterprise went back to traditional methods of preparation. His business acumen was probably derived from his mother’s family which was involved in industry, shipping and commerce. Subsequently he was to set up companies which focused on publishing of magazines, incentive tourism and in later years investments.
After gaining hi advocate’s warrant in 1980, he started his law practice, specialising in commercial law and became senior lawyer on commercial matters to the largest trade union in Malta, the General Workers’ Union, a position which he still occupies. He was also senior consultant to the National Telecommunications Corporation (then TeleMalta), the Principal Investment Bank (then IFB), National Associations (Travel, Coaches, Rent-A-Car) and numerous private companies in services, industries and tourism. At a later stage in his career he got interested in Criminal Law in which he later specialised and set up a legal firm in 1991 with his colleague and best friend Dr Michael Sciriha. Today the law firm Sciriha, Attard Montalto, Galea and Associates consists of twelve lawyers and deals with all aspects of law. In the local context it is considered one of the largest law firms.
John Attard Montalto was brought up in a political environment. His late father, Josie, had contested the General Elections in the 50’s on behalf of the Malta Labour Party. Dr Attard Montalto became a member of the Labour Youth Movement in 1971. He became the lawyer and company secretary to United Holdings, an investment company of the Malta Labour Party and the General Workers’ Union. This brought him into direct contact with the main players of the workers’ movement. In 1983 he was approved as an official candidate of the Malta Labour Party. He contested his first General Election in 1987 and was elected on the VII District. He was appointed main spokesperson for Maritime Affairs. As the electoral commission divided his constituency in half an as under Malta’s electoral law, it is possible to contest more than one district, in 1992 he contested on two districts, namely the 6th and 7th and was elected from both. He was appointed main opposition spokesperson for Justice and Legal Affairs. In 1996, he contested again two districts. Once more there was a change in the electoral boundaries and he contested the 6th and 7th districts; and once again he was elected from both districts. In same year, the Malta Labour Party had a landslide victory and Dr Attard Montalto was appointed Minister for Industry; while in 1997 the Economic Affairs was added to his portfolio. Unfortunately, in 1998, the Labour Government was defeated on a vote of no confidence and an early General Election was called. John Attard Montalto was re-elected from the same two districts and appointed main opposition spokesperson for Industry and Economic Affairs. In 2003, he contested his fifth General Election, this time on the 6th district and was also elected. He was appointed main spokesperson for the Opposition for Industry and Public Investments.
In June 2004, just a few weeks after Malta joined the European Union, Dr Attard Montalto contested and was elected a Member of the European Parliament. He is in fact one of the three Labour MEPs.
On being elected as an MEP he was appointed Member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and a substitute member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism. He is also a substitute member on the Committee on Human Rights. Dr Attard Montalto is also a member in the Delegation for Relations with the Gulf States, which includes Yemen and a substitute member in the Delegation for Relations with Australia and New Zealand.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 07 August 2008 )
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Biography 
