Monday, 26th January 2009
PN is not liberal - Tonio Borg
Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg passionately defended the conservative ideals of the Nationalist Party yesterday during a political activity where he spoke about rent reform.
"The Nationalist Party is not a liberal party; we are Christian Democrats. We will only protect those who deserve protection," he said, referring to the government's rent reform proposals which have so far excluded protection of cohabiting and gay couples.
The Labour Party has criticised the reform for not catering for "today's realities", leaving such couples without a right to inherit the properties from their partners.
Speaking at a political activity in Balzan yesterday, Dr Borg brought up the issue again, saying that the Nationalist Party had a "social conscience" it had to abide by.
His words echoed the speech he gave in Parliament recently when responding to Labour's criticism - a speech that was described by Labour MP Evarist Bartolo as "offensive, cynical and derisory".
Dr Borg had said the aim of the rent reform was to protect "those who deserved protection" by restricting who can inherit the rented property.
"That's all we need now! After we've finally decided to limit inheritance to married couples and children, now we are expected to extend this protection to those who decide to go and live with someone of the same sex," he said in Parliament.
He argued that restricting inheritance to married couples would help to cut out abuse, whereas with gay or cohabitating couples things would get tricky because there is no documentation involved.
"Do you think we should create a register for those who are cohabitating?" he suggested sarcastically, addressing the Labour Party.
"So first you say you are against gay marriage, and then you say that the land owners should not only have to deal with married tenants but even those who went abroad, to Holland, to marry someone of the same sex and then returned to Malta expecting to be recognised by the landowner..."
Writing in Malta Today, Dr Bartolo said yesterday that, if the government had kept its promise to establish rights and obligations between couples who cohabitated, this would not have been an issue.
He added that Dr Borg's "sarcastic and cynical tone on gay couples was in stark contrast to what the PN told gay people during last year's electoral campaign".
PN MEP candidate Edward Demicoli says he is in favour of "the same civil rights" for cohabitating and gay couples, his stance highlighting a long-standing ideological divide within the Nationalist Party on such issues.
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Comments
Re taxes, aren't we all tax payers? Paying taxes does not give us the right to tell the gov what to do or what not to do. Paying taxes due is just what it is, paying taxes. Love them or hate them (I hate them, actually I hate the situation knowing that I pay more tax than others who are much well off than me) the country would not stand for an hour.
This commentary initiated from the fact that the minister concerned brought up the issue of our national pastime of picking from the national coffers whatever we can grab, like free or subsidised housing, by co-habiting couples registered as singler mothers for the money, as just one example. Many more tricks are banded about. Stretching the rubber band a little bit more, we will have ersatz same-sex couples claiming heritancy of a cheap rented house while the administration is trying to solve the age-old rent saga which problem no previous government had tried to settle seriously. This is what in my opinion can really be called as calling a spade a spade.
Christian Democracy shows respect to the individual.
Christian Democracy is on the same side of the conservative political spectrum but it is not conservative.
Tonio Borg, we're proud of your principles.
I was at the same event and I did not manage to hear Tonio Borg DEFEND THE CONSERVATE IDEALS of PN. Perhaps we were at different events?
BTW: Nietzsche, who said God is dead, is dead.
@Helena-Psaila: Your self-praising comment: "I don't keep my music too loud, I lend my neighbours a torch when they have a power cut, I take care of their pets when they are away... It's about living in a society where everyone cares for each other." has nothing to do about morality. I must assume that most civilised people are like that, of whatever colour, race, creed or non creed.
But look what happens when we throw morality to the dogs:
Just yesterday, in that great Liberal city called greater London, where schools are devoid of religion, another child was been murdered (knifed) by a gang of boys. I forgot what victim number this one is since I stopped counting some time ago. This is just one problem. There are towns in the UK where old people are afraid to to go out DURING THE DAY because of gangs of boys terrorising the citizens. What liberal society? Yes of course, liberty for the criminals, thats what we will get.
@Helena-Psaila: One of the most immoral things one can do is to try to put words into other peoples mouths, words that were never said that is. Should you follow my comments, and yours too, you will realise that I never commented, inferred, or directly said that you are immoral. I do not care what you do in your life because 1. I do not have the right to interfere in your life, 2. I do not care at all.
The logic behind my comment quoting Jesus followed your comment wherein you quoted Jesus.
Should you extrapolate logically your last comment you will find that you have actually accused yourself, which is then up to you to defend yourself against yourself until proven innocent.
Truly disgusting!!! What Tonio said is not called having a backbone in my dictionary but its called having the face to show yourself infront of people after you break your promises in such a shameless way!!
I don't keep my music too loud, I lend my neighbours a torch when they have a power cut, I take care of their pets when they are away... It's about living in a society where everyone cares for each other.
And you say I am immoral just because my partner and I do not wear rings round our fingers?
the PN should also realize that Europe is a secular and Liberal continent.
Marriage in itself is a safeguard against abuse, as is more tight and legally committed. And yes this count, but there is more to it. Every political party has the right to promote whichever 'union' above others he wants. Without interfering in anyone's private life.
Please be liberal as much as you like, but not in others' property. Rent inheritance to the children is already a debatable. The aim of the reforms was to introduce some fairness to the owners, not decreasing it.
He harps to take Malta back to a dark medieval place, rather than aspire to become a modern secular and inclusive European state. I seriuosly hope he does not represent the modern mainstream Nationalist party.
Morality is subjective, or as Nietzsche (him that said God is dead) said "Morality is herd instinct in the individual."
Meaning: When humanity throws morality to the dogs, society will follow suit.
Be afraid, be very afraid!
I appeal to our Parliament to change the constitution so that we will no longer swear on the Crucifix or the Holy Bible, abolish Christian principles while all parliamentarians have to take an oath (by laying their left hand on a copy of Robinson Crusoe?) etc etc. ouch my tongue and cheek, they hurt.
May I appeal to all the liberals that there is a way for them to get their wishes come true, and in a democratic way. Set up your own political party and propose all your wishes in the form of an electoral programme. How about it?
The PN is losing votes due to energy issues, hunting issues, environment issues, illegal buildings issues, moral issues, etc.... It can easily appease all, but the country will not stand for long.
I have come into contact with Dr. Borg in the past and have found him caring and understanding where minorities are concerned.
We need an explanation from him as to why he has said what he said.
If you were the owner of a Lm100,000 property rented to some rich family at a poor man's rates, and finding it is now being rented to two supposedly homosexuals or co-habiting people, What would you say? What a can of worms this would open up? Nightmares.
When Malta gets totally liberal, we will have state-registered same sex unions, adopting children, these children would then inherit the right to keep on renting the houses etc etc.. Anyone would be able set up unions, adopt, etc etc so that a property would remain in the hands of the same family... for ever.
Tonio Borg is calling a spade by its proper name, nothing else.
During storms the weak will abandon ship, while the strong will stay steadfast.
Secondly, could I also indicate to Dr Borg that should the state decide to recognise same-sex partnerships, it would actually have a record of such people, so abuse would be limited as much as would be the case for marriage. I don't think it is acceptable to limit such privileges only to marriage because of bureaucratic reasons ... that's not a Christian perspective of justice and as such only reflects administrative incompetence.
So it's not about a list of people living in the same building, it's about a list of partners whether they are mixed or single sexed. I wonder how countries with populations which run into millions manage this while we don't with just a population of over 400,000!
Let politicians try to have a minimum of decency and not cover up their own agendas with religious or bureaucratic statements, which don't respect their readers' in any way!
As a matter of fact YES.
It exists in many other countries and helps solve the problems Dr Borg postulated as well as many others.
I was under the impression that in a democracy no single individual decides who has human rights or not. But then again, it seems I'm wrong.
Tonio Borg is the deputy Prime minister, so one assumes that his enlightened words are a true reflection of party values and philosophy. In your PN pick n'mix of liberal conservatism, are his words to be taken with a great pinch of salt then ? Keep deluding yourself that the PN subscribes to a liberal agenda. Liberal in insulting intelligence perhaps. Don't even bother speaking of a more inclusive society please! It verges on nausea now. Hats off to PN again for scoring so highly on cognitive dissonance. Well done indeed!
NB
Could we please have the deputy Prime Minister's view on the merits of theonomic legislation in a secular democracy ?
He thinks his people are too immoral to 'deserve' protection. But Dr Borg does not have the right to decide who deserves protection. All citizens must be protected from injustice.
Evarist bartolo deserves praise for being one of the few people who dares to stand up for citizens when they face disgusting discrimination.
@ John Spiteri
"in my view as an ex PN supporter it has become an opportunistic party which has long lost its soul in exchange for votes."
I could not have put it better myself. I'm also an ex-PN supporter, and I am convinced that the PN has become nothing but a power-hungry power-tripping power-obsessed bunch.
The time for real, democratic change must come , and it will.
Dr Borg, I suggest you stop trying to act like a hero and open your eyes and ears to support those whose votes got you where you are today.
Dear Dr Borg, Many people in Malta choose not to marry because they know that if their marriage breaks up, the state will force them to stay together or never marry again.
So because your government will not introduce divorce, these people choose to cohabit. And you have the cheek to say that they do not deserve protection! Hypocrisy, hypocrisy!
Jesus was the first to protect a prostitute, a leper, a hated tax collector, a Roman. If I was Jesus I would disown you!
These factions have existed since the post-GBO era, and have contributed to a balanced approach by PN over the last 20 years or so.
Nowadays, Joseph Muscat's LP is verging on conservative liberalism, while PN is more into liberal conservatism.
What about 'structural sin'?
Dear, Hon. Tonio Borg, please do not give a bad name to Christianity! Indeed Christianity is beautiful and far deeper than the regulation of co-habting adults!
Exactly. And that is its biggest flaw.
How can same-sex or cohabiting be proved? Would one want to relinquish his property from his children, to allow it to cohabiting couples or same sex? No way.
We may already have rampant abuse with single parentage declaring unknown father, to the detriment of the State and taxes. Why open further abuse to the detriment of individuals?
On this one, PL is being regressive, and if it persists with this reasoning it should not be considered by owners of rented properties. It is working against their RIGHTS.