Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando is giving both sides of the House a deadline to have the divorce Bill he presented discussed in Parliament by January.
"I expect both parties and society in general will be engaging itself in the debate revolving around this sensitive issue in the coming months and I feel we should be prepared to discuss this Bill in Parliament by January," he said, stopping short of saying how he planned to proceed if nothing happened.
He reiterated that he presented the Private Member’s Bill before the summer recess to ensure his colleagues from both sides had ample time to go through it and come forward with any suggestions they might have.
"We must ensure that the final Bill presented for approval by the House of Representatives is the best possible for our country," he said.
Asked which issues he would like the discussion to focus on he outlined the measures guaranteeing that children were protected and that no one took the step capriciously.
He pointed out that through his proposed Bill no one could file for divorce unless they could prove they have spent four of the previous five years apart from their spouses.
"There are a number of measures which ensure that the most vulnerable members of the family unit, particularly children, are protected as much as possible in such difficult situations."
Dr Pullicino Orlando denied the Prime Minister got to know about the Bill through an SMS sent by another MP.
"As though I would let him find out from someone else," he said, arguing that a lot of the information emerging about the discussion that went on in last week’s PN parliamentary group meeting was incorrect.
The Times asked both major political parties whether any particular structures would be set up to discuss the Bill in detail over the coming months.
The Nationalist Party referred to the statement the parliamentary group issued last week about their meeting in which it was decided that talks would continue.
The Labour Party said discussions within had been going on for the past two years, "without the need of any prompting", and would continue. A party spokesman said leader Joseph Muscat had long made it clear he was in favour of "responsible and realistic" divorce legislation.
The Times asked if Dr Muscat felt that a public mandate was required for an issue like divorce. The spokesman replied: "The starting point of Dr Muscat’s personal stand has always been that he should first face the electorate with his crystal-clear stand on divorce rather than acting by stealth."
He added that the situation emerged from within the PN, so it was the Prime Minister who needed to make "the necessary considerations".
"Joseph Muscat acknowledges that families are the cornerstone of our society. The reality is that society is already facing marriage breakdowns. People, especially children, have to be protected," the spokesman added.