Muscat urges opposition to change tack on gay adoptions

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat insists the ‘Malta Taghna Lkoll’ mantra is alive and results are tangible.

12 January 2014, 12:00am
by Jurgen Balzan

4 min read

Calling on the Nationalist opposition to return to the stand taken by its previous leader Lawrence Gonzi who put children's rights above sexual orientation, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the issue should not be politicised.

"Lets not politicise this issue, I certainly disagreed on many thing with former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi but we both agreed on protecting children and ensuring that experts decide who should adopt," Muscat told Labour supporters gathered in the party's Hamrun club.

#Equality is a must, not an option. #CivilUnion bill shows the #progressive way forward -JM #Malta — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) January 12, 2014

Hitting out at PN leader Simon Busuttil's proposal to carry out a social impact assessment on gay couples interested in adopting children, Muscat called on Busuttil to "remove prejudice" and go back to the position taken by Lawrence Gonzi before the 2013 elections, which Muscat said "makes sense in today's realities."

Insisting that the much-criticised "Malta Taghna Lkoll" mantra was alive and kicking, Muscat said that the people could feel the "tangible results."

"Whatever people say this is a solid government which unlike its predecessor is united. We are implementing what we promised despite taking some unpopular decisions."

Underlining his determination to introduce the civil unions bill, granting gay couples a right to regularise their relationship and allowing them to adopt children, Muscat said that his government was unwavering in its conviction to grant "dignity" to gay persons.

"I feel energised by the need to convince people on this. Equality is a value which is part and parcel of our social-democrat creed," a resolute Muscat said.

Shooting down opposition's proposal to carry out social impact studies on gay adoptions, Muscat said that gay persons already have a right to adopt as single persons.

Pointing out that several gay couples were already caring for their own children, Muscat asked, "Will the PN take away these children from gay couples?"

Stressing that his government was ready to listen to everyone, Muscat insisted thatg the civil union bill needed to be introduced "to safeguard equality in Malta."

"On one hand we have a divided and weak opposition party and on the other a government which is resolute, a government which is humble and determined to make Malta fairer and stronger," he added.

Education is key to Malta's economy

Speaking before Muscat, education minister Evarist Bartolo today announced that the government is set to embark on a project aimed at training early school leavers and drop outs.

The new programme for fifth formers who did not register to sit for 'O' level exams will be launched tomorrow, and minister said that the government would focus its energies on addressing a situation where half of new jobs created were going to foreigners.

Hailing the programme which will include work training and academic training, Muscat said that education was the key to bolstering Malta's economy.

Noting that in its first 10 months in office the Labour government had created twice as much jobs as its predecessor, Muscat said that his administration would address employability issues.

He said that jobs were being taken by foreigners for a number of reasons, including precarious job conditions, a deficit in skills and the natural evolution of the job market.

Explaining that young people were sometimes trapped between precarious job conditions and a lack of skills, Muscat warned parents to discourage their children from dropping out of school.

However, Muscat said that addressing the lack of certain skills among the younger generations was one of the government's priorities. Rejecting accusations of xenophobia, Muscat said that it is "rational" for governments to protect and support their citizens.

The envy of other countries

Turning to the controversial citizenship scheme, Muscat said that the programme was aimed at attracting "big talent" and new networks of investors. He added that the projected €1 billion fund the scheme would generate was "unprecedented" and these would be used to strengthen training, education and social services.

Comparing the Individual Investor Programme to EU funds, he said the citizenship scheme was better because the €1 billion which will be invested in a National Development Fund "will be all ours" and unlike European funds, Malta will not need to pay anything back to the EU.

Pointing out this government's achievement in its first 10 months, Muscat said "Just imagine what we'll do with €1 billion. We must be the envy of other countries."

He added that the Nationalist opposition was not opposed to the citizenship scheme because it was concerned with losing the country's identity but because the PN was "running scared" of his administration's successes.

Muscat added that the people's choice is between the PN which puts its own partisan interests before the country's interests and Labour which has the "historic maxim 'Malta first and foremost' running through its veins."

Underpinning the government's internationalist vision to become a world leader in the economic, social, civil rights spheres, Muscat said "Years ago we were the pioneers in introducing a minimum wage and once again we will not wait for other countries to take the lead but we will be precursors and others will copy us."

Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.

More from Jurgen Balzan

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The PM is boasting that his so-called investment scheme will bring in a billion, but fails to say that he will actually be doing this by selling a European passport. The same Europe that the PM is so hostile towards, the same Europe towards which he yesterday directed his "bully-ish" words..."we will not allow Europe to dictate to us what we do". But it is ok for the PM to use Europe to his advantage. Oh this is a trait that we have all seen so clearly during the electoral campaign when he got rid of Anglu Farrugia. The PM excels in his ability to use and abuse! "Usa e getta" must be his trademark. Where is the respect that makes us humans with dignity? Does everything really have a price?

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Priscilla Darmenia •

"Muscat urges opposition to change tack on gay adoptions". Reading in other media about countries closing their doors for Maltese to adopt, in my opinion it is better for the Prime Minister and government to change tack on gay adoptions.

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I appreciate the determination of Prime Minister Dr. Muscat to introduce the civil unions bill. The decision of gay and lesbian couples to raise families is part of the high-profile political, legal, and religious debate over gay rights in many countries including Malta. Studies conducted over more than three decades are remarkably consistent in reporting that the sexual orientation of parents does not harm the development of children raised in same-sex families. And the vast majority of studies published to date report no significant differences in gender development, personal development, and social relationships among children of same sex couples and children raised in heterosexual households. But there is no complete agreement among researchers who study same-sex parents and their families. Some say the data show certain differences do exist, although the differences identified are not necessarily harmful to a child´s development. However, organisations such as the American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, and the Child Welfare League of America have found the evidence that children raised by same-sex parents fare as well as children whose parents are heterosexual to be strong enough to warrant their support. “Research has shown that the adjustment, development, and psychological well-being of children is unrelated to parental sexual orientation and that the children of lesbian and gay parents are as likely as those of heterosexual parents to flourish,” reads a portion of a 2004 American Psychological Association resolution supporting joint adoptions and second-parent adoptions of children raised by same-sex couples, and denouncing sexual orientation-based discrimination in such matters. One of the central issues in the debate over legal rights and policies related to same-sex parents is the WELL-BEING of Children raised in those families. The body of research conducted over more than three decades provides insight into a range of issues, including the personal development, gender development, peer relationships of children with same-sex parents. Studies suggest, for example, that children´s development is influenced more by the nature of the relationships and interactions within the family than by the sexual orientation of their parents. Overall, studies that have looked specifically at children raised by GLTB parents report that their development is not harmed by having same-sex parents, and most have found no significant developmental differences between those children and children raised by heterosexual parents.

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To the Minister of Education. “Evarist Bartolo today announced that the government is set to embark on a project aimed at training early school leavers and drop outs. The minister said that the government would focus its energies on addressing a situation where half of new jobs created were going to foreigners.” COMMENT: No wonder foreigners are taking half of the jobs created: we must remind the minister that his actions not to renew the contracts for 58 kindergarten assistants must have inflated his figures on his assessment. Shame on this minister and his policies whose claims for a better education are being implemented at the detriment of throwing people out of work to accommodate foreigners. To the Prime Minister. “Turning to the controversial citizenship scheme, Muscat said that the program was aimed at attracting "big talent" and new networks of investors. He added that the projected €1 billion fund the scheme would generate was "unprecedented" and these would be used to strengthen training, education and social services. Pointing out this government's achievement in its first 10 months, Muscat said "Just imagine what we'll do with €1 billion. We must be the envy of other countries." COMMENT: The Prime Minister must get it through his thick skull that what the Maltese people are waiting for, is his accountability towards what 1800 new bought up citizenships and their dependents of fathers, mothers, sisters, sons and daughters will cost the tax payers for the rest of their lives considering that only the main character in this scheme is obligated to pay the 650,000 euros. It is futile for the PM to keep his optimism intact by looking at the credit side of the ledger of 1 billion euros while neglecting the debit side that could turn that 1 billion asset into a few billion euros deficit. That’s where the pertinent question persists to challenge the imagination of the Maltese people and what to do with the funds from this half baked scheme.

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The PN and a well known monsignor always tie themselves in a series of knots and nonsequiturs. Yes I fully agree that potential gay couples should be carefully assessed on a case by case basis by child pschiatrists and social workers before being entrusted with children but so do and should other couples. For me the problem of bringing up children by single mothers and in an institution is of more concern than entrusting them to a gay couple in a loving, faithful and long standing relationships. It is time that these conservative institutions admit once and for all that while they may be not against gays per se (many of their own senior members are so oriented anyway ) they becone totally homophobic and want to deny them true love and belonging where horror of horrors the fact translates to a model of a couple living together in the same way as a man and wife union with children in tow.