A Labour government would set up a special consultative council to draft a new law on civil unions, the party’s leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday.

He said the law would be a breakthrough for Maltese society and that Labour was the first main political party to dedicate a whole chapter of its electoral manifesto to civil liberties, civil rights and equality.

During a meeting with representatives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Malta, Dr Muscat said he would make someone politically responsible for the sector.

“We don’t want a top-down approach but first drafts of the law will be drafted by this consultative council who are the people in the know,” he said.

After this law is presented and enacted, the council would then have a “tall order” to address other issues such as discrimination within the present laws.

“A new government will be showing leadership in the way it will be operating by removing discriminating clauses and wording in Maltese laws. This is not about political correctness,” he said.

Dr Muscat said the law on transgender people, which has already been presented in Parliament, would be enacted.

Commenting on the current ban on blood donations by homosexual men, Dr Muscat said he believes there should be a risk-based and study-based approach rather than a blanket refusal of anyone who had sexual contact with another man during his life.

Malta Gay Rights Movement spokeswoman Gaby Calleja said the group wanted future governments to open up the IVF service to same-sex couples.

It also called on the parties to address the lack of education on gay issues in schools and training for teachers to deal with these issues.

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