Kurt Sansone
No place for homophobics in Labour's new movement - Muscat
Joseph Muscat speaking during a question-and-answer session with Labour delegates at the party's headquartes in Ħamrun. The meeting was chaired by former Super One head of news Miriam Dalli.
Those who hated gay people or who believed that being gay was a sickness had no place in the new movement of progressives and moderates, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday.
Defending the notion of a state that did not pry into the private lives of individuals, Dr Muscat said the rights of gay people were central to the principles of the new movement.
"Being gay is not a defect, not a sickness or something bad. Gay people have a right to a dignified life," he said, insisting this was one issue that signalled the difference between the new movement and the Nationalist Party.
Dr Muscat was speaking during a question-and-answer session with Labour delegates chaired by former Super One head of news Miriam Dalli.
The session formed part of the party's marathon 10-day conference, which ends on Sunday. The one-and-a-half-hour long event was filmed for transmission on Super One and each time he answered the questions, Dr Muscat stood up from the stool he was sitting on.
Fielding questions from the floor, Dr Muscat said a Labour government would give police officers, soldiers and other uniformed corps members the right to join a union, however, without the right to strike.
He said that in its 90th year of existence, the PL would be asking people to submit their ideas on a new emblem to replace the traditional torch and it would be the party's 25,000 members who would choose the final design.
The brief for the new emblem was ready, he added, and it reflected the party's aspiration to become a movement of progressives and moderates.
The choice of emblem was cosmetic, Dr Muscat said, but it signalled the party's intention to continue changing even after this general conference, which had the aim of turning the party into a movement, was over.
A sure sign of the PL's attempt to reach out towards the middle ground was Dr Muscat's reiteration that the "responsible reduction of taxes" was central to job creation.
"I know this is not traditionally part of a social democratic party's discourse but if it helps to generate jobs and incentivise work we should have no problem to adopt it," he said, underlining that for some time the PL stopped talking about work.
Urging Labour delegates not to take victory at the next election for granted, he said the "best days for this country were yet to come".
"I do not want this party to suffer from overconfidence as it did in the last election. We have to keep our feet on the ground," he said in answer to a question by a veteran activist who was worried that the party was capable of winning every electoral appointment except the general election.
Dr Muscat said there was a time when the Nationalist government was working well and did good things for the country but accused Lawrence Gonzi's Administration of losing its "bearings and its soul".
"The country needs change but we also have to have the courage to acknowledge what is good," he said, insisting this was part of the mentality change the party had to undergo.
"It is easy to say no; more difficult to say yes. But change is our lifeblood," Dr Muscat said.
Earlier, the Labour leader commemorated the nine drydocks workers who died in the Um el Faroud explosion 15 years ago to the day.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
19 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Joe Xuereb
Feb 8th 2010, 08:10
Offering the hand of acceptance to the gay community - a veritable voting force there seeing that this social phenomenon is so widespread and common it is everywhere. One must not alienate potential voters. One must do everything in one's power to attain premiership. I can see you're no fool Joseph. But a somewhat transparent one I regret to say.
Time was, Joseph Muscat, when I and mine were diehard Reds. But I am older and wiser these days. I have learned to recognise a sop when I see one. Political spiel is where it's at. It ain't necessarily so! (from Porgy and Bess).
Joseph, the Blue Party may not be great shakes but you, my old son, will have to do better than this. Unfortunately you cannot. Your hands are tied. That is the nature of the political beast in Malta. Malta must stop living in a time-capsule created 2000 odd years ago. It is self-defeating. Whinging that we don't want to go the way of other countries is no argument. Go the way of other countries and deal with matters as they arise. Being stuck in the mud is not an option Simple.
R. Caruana
Feb 6th 2010, 18:14
Mr. Gatt, people like you, who use "god" as a weapon, are the reason I am unable to believe in a religion anymore.
Is this "kingdom" so overcrowded that he's handpicking who inherits it and who doesn't? Will this god of yours will judge my sexual preference over how I lived my life? And what happened to "god is love"?
Society needs to accept the fact that people like me exist, have feelings, and are human just like everyone else. Mr. Muscat has earned my respect in this.
Clint Cassar
Feb 6th 2010, 17:10
@ James Gatt
The word of the TOOTH FAIRY says that
Tooth Fairy Tales 4:12
"Those who live their lives believing that after death they will have the right to inherit something other people won't, will be wasting their lives. Treat everyone equally because in a world where we reward soldiers for spraying napalm on people, loving someone, regardless of his or her gender, surely must be commendable. Now go ahead and pull out a tooth."
I think I'd rather believe that, thank you very much.
Well done Dr Muscat.
James Gatt
Feb 6th 2010, 16:36
The Word of GOD says that...
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, "NOR HOMOSEXUALS", nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
M.Gauci
Feb 5th 2010, 11:51
@I.Abela
What you are stating as women would still be without vote etc.. is like saying, had the PN not worked hard for Independence, we would still be under colonial rule and women would still be without vote. Doesn't make sense.
Don't you think then that Labour might have then worked for independenve (nothwithstanding their first preference was for intergration with Britian).I would think so.
After all, Labour had 16 years (5 of which against the will of the majority of the Maltese people) in government, so it would be stupid to think that they only did harm to this country.
Do you really believe that had Labour not given voting rights (which was unanmously agreed with by the majority of the house and not the labour ministers only by the way, something you might not want people to know) then subsequent governments, be they PN or other, would not have given them rights? Lesson on democracy by MLP?:)
About beggers I would be a bit prudent. Begging was outlawed and punishable, that is why you THINK that poor old people stopped existing, thanks to Labour. Poor people still exist today, but Labour of the time would have incarcirated them.
C Cassar
Feb 5th 2010, 11:48
Well done Joseph! It is high time that people in this country talk openly about issues such as gay rights which continue, despite some progress, to remain largely a taboo in this country. However declarations are not sufficient. Gay people want to see tangible and concrete objectives by either political party as to issues which need to be addressed. For instance basics such as same sex partnership recognition (NOT marriage!) which may be addressed through proper co-habitation legislation; taxation etc. As to your views on change ... couldn't agree more. We should not be complacent that changes and good things have happened in the past but change is the only way to remain abreast with the times and look at a brighter future!
Raymond Sammut
Feb 4th 2010, 23:24
@ A.Scerri
At the end of this report it is mentioned that Dr Muscat commemorated the nine dry-dock workers who died in the Um el Faroud explosion 15 years ago to the day. I had not read about this tragic incident, and was not aware that it had happened. So I did some googling on the motor tanker Um el Faroud, and discovered (among other things) that the vessel was scuttled in the vicinity of Wied-iż Żurrieq. After watching a 10-minute video on YouTube, I was not impressed about the way the site had been chosen and on the fact that its location was not kept secret following the scuttle. I think the Maltese authorities should be more prudent about how ships are scuttled around the Maltese islands. There are clearly a number of ecological and safety issues involved.
My comments here are in no way related to the issues Dr Muscat is addressing --true. But the end of this article triggered something which, admittedly, was totally off-tangent on my part. As to your hair going 'abjad' --I'm hoping that this is not happening also to Dr Muscat while he keeps worrying about the new labour party emblem.
I Abela
Feb 4th 2010, 21:13
@ Karl Abela - "Hasnt this already been done in the past? Or is labour only running after their vote?" - Yes Karl this has already been done in the past. Guess by who ?? It was Dom Mintoff who decriminalised homosexuality. So labour shouldn't be running after their vote. It should be the other way round. Homosexuals owe their freedom to PL. Women owe their right to vote to PL. Middle class citizens wouldn't exist if it weren't for PL. It was either RICH or POOR. Old people would still be working or begging in the streets if it wasn't for PL. Your rich neighbour had more than one vote while you had one or none. And BTW Karl. Did you know that disabled persons were hidden inside the house or in the basement until PL got them out through education and social welfare? You want to speak of the past Karl? You know nothing of the past !!
A.Scerri
Feb 4th 2010, 19:19
@Raymond Sammut
Tista tispjegalna, xil-pacenzja, l-kitba tieghek, ghanda x'taqsam ma l-artiklu? Skuzani jekk forsi qed nistaqsi, izda, bjadli xaghri nipprova naghmel konnesjoni.
Il-lejl it-tajjeb.
Raymond Sammut
Feb 4th 2010, 18:31
I hadn't been aware of the Um el Faroud tragedy and her scuttling near Wied-iz Zurrieq.
It appears that a scuttle --aimed at creating a diving site-- has to be done with care. The following are excerpts from a website about scuttles in Darwin, Australia.
"…the materials are selected because of their high-profile (height from the sea floor) qualities. This determines the reef's ability to interrupt current flow. This interruption causes small organisms to move in, creating a habitat, encouraging other species to move into the area."
"One school of thought believes that these reefs only encourage fish to congregate around the area. The other school of thought believes that the greater number of aquatic habitats will encourage the fish to breed in larger numbers."
"The location is usually decided upon through a consultation process. Once an appropriate site has been found and materials sought, the construction of the reef can begin. The location of the reef is usually kept secret for a period of one year so that a habitat can be established without interruption."
It's clear to me that the Maltese government needs to employ a regime for scuttling based on sound engineering.
Christian Sciberras
Feb 4th 2010, 15:50
If we were to pick sides, any political party would win.
Because who doesn't want to be popular?
Who doesn't want to be favoured?
Who doesn't need anymore votes?
Labour, Nationals, all of them, work in the name of political favours.
They'd kill if that's what it takes to get the majority.
Nowadays, the tables have slightly changed - a couple of marketeers have been added to the mix.
Be it gays, lesbians, marriage, abortion, condoms or whatever issue that is popular enough *RIGHT NOW* is what gets these parties going.
Of course, people fall for it, each time, without question.
The ideal party would be one that promises less and does more. One which reasons options with the aid of people.
That's far from what's going on now, where dishonesty and unreasonable promises reign supreme.
Tafu il-qawl; "min **xa, mexa".
s.fenech
Feb 4th 2010, 15:32
not so muscat, gonzi's government must be doing somethings right! ...the economy for instance. inspite of the financial havoc, and bigger economies getting a battering, the gonzi's governemnt acquitted itself quite reasonable. latest to acknowledge this is moody 's report which gave thumbs up to the maltese economy. now had we followed muscat's advice and stayed out of the eurozone, we would be just like iceland, in a mess. iceland a country muscat apparently knows well. talking is cheap, being right in adversity is quite another thing
Karl Abela
Feb 4th 2010, 14:02
Why is the gay movement suddenly so important for the labour party? Is this an implication that in the past gay people's rights where missing from labour's policies? Why do we need to affirm gays rights NOW? Hasnt this already been done in the past?
Or is labour only running after their vote?
I Cassar
Feb 4th 2010, 12:11
Hoping that the words of Joseph Muscat are sincere and not simple political opportunism I feel he left a very good impression. His stand on gay people is admirable and objective while his attitude of putting practicality before dogmatic ideology is refreshing. It is high time more people understood that political creeds are not a religion that should be adhered to for life. Any way it is the floaters like myself that determine the outcome of elections. Keep it up LP you might even merit my vote.
Ramon Casha
Feb 4th 2010, 12:06
Well done PL.
Victor Fiorini
Feb 4th 2010, 11:52
Dear Muscat the Progressive,
What about the xenophobes that pollute your party? Will they be shown the way to the door as well?
E Gatt
Feb 4th 2010, 11:27
Although PN’s principles are close to those of the Church, there are many liberal minded people that do not follow the Church’s teaching to the letter, or are not practising Catholics, but are traditional PN voters. Liberals feel at home within PN because generally speaking PN supporters value their personal freedom, mind their own business and want others to do likewise. Dr Muscat’s cheap attempt at portraying PN as homophobic is dishonest.
In Malta there are some bigots who look down or discriminate against gay individuals. Some of these bigots support PN and some support MLP. We live in a free country, where people are allowed to express themselves as they wish – sometimes it boils down to whether the individual has the courage to ignore the bigots and the political parties do not feature in this.
M.Gauci
Feb 4th 2010, 10:55
Being a PN supporter is not a defect, not a sickness or something bad either, but Charles Mangion, Labour Party shadown minister, called PN supporters having something wrong with their DNA, month ago.
Practice what you preach dear Labour, because you send so many different messages out that even the lowest level of intelligence is aware of the oceans that seperates facts from words.
J.Cauchi
Feb 4th 2010, 10:42
Bravo Joseph!! The Progressive movement is not the place were minorities are hated, discriminated or just blatantly ignored pretty much like what happens down in Pieta. Its useless saying that you are against homophobia and then not having the guts to stand up and make a declaration such as this. I can assure you that this morning some of my gay collegues who have always supported the PN are very, very happy with Muscat's declaration!
If ever we needed proof that joseph doesn't wan to please everybody this is it