Gonzi admits people did the right thing on divorce
Muscat met police chief on case of minister
Nationalist Party leader Lawrence Gonzi yesterday admitted the people did the right thing when they voted for divorce in a referendum two years ago.
The admission from the Prime Minister, who voted against a divorce law in Parliament despite the referendum result, came during a debate for party leaders organised by The Times yesterday.
Dr Gonzi was asked the point blank question by moderator Herman Grech, head of media at The Times, during a yes-or-no, 20-question session that characterised the last part of the hour-long debate that was also transmitted live on One TV and Net TV.
But Dr Gonzi answered with a plain “no” when asked whether he would resign if the PN lost the forthcoming election, something Dr Muscat answered with “I will not hang on to power”.
The Big Debate, held at the Intercontinental Hotel, started off as a three-way match that also included Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio.
The leaders sparred almost robotically for the first part, upping the tempo in the second half when Dr Muscat said a whistleblower was ready to speak out on a case in which, the Labour leader alleges, a minister had put pressure on the police to release somebody from custody. Dr Muscat had first mentioned this incident, involving an unnamed minister, on February 14 without giving details – he had urged journalists to carry out their own investigations.
The whole Cabinet had subsequently denied the allegation but the Labour leader returned to the case yesterday.
When asked how the allegation squared up with his stated desire to run a positive campaign, Dr Muscat said he had passed on the details of the case to the Police Commissioner.
“I spoke to the Police Commissioner and passed on the information that I had. I also told him there was a whistleblower who was ready to testify but this person did not feel protected enough to speak out now without a Whistleblower’s Act,” Dr Muscat said.
Reacting to this statement, Dr Gonzi said he had no information on this case and would go to the Police Commissioner if he had any.
Dr Gonzi rejected a suggestion that the PN’s criticism of Labour deputy leader Toni Abela was a mud-slinging campaign.
“This is not mud-slinging but a question of how Toni Abela behaved in the situations he was faced with. Whenever I received reports of illegalities I always referred the matter to the police and never interfered in investigations.”
Both leaders willing to enter a coalition with Alternattiva
Apart from reiterating their respective parties’ electoral proposals, Dr Gonzi and Dr Muscat committed themselves to reform fireworks laws and enter into a coalition with AD if the party were elected to Parliament.
But they were non-committal on whether illegal boathouses should be pulled down and disagreed completely on whether the shipyards reform was a good thing – Dr Muscat said it was bad while Dr Gonzi repeatedly insisted it was a good thing.
Dr Muscat disagreed with holding a referendum on spring hunting while Dr Gonzi defended a loan his party’s commercial arm took from construction magnate Nazzareno Vassallo.
Both leaders committed themselves not to increase VAT in the next legislature although there was a hint of hesitation before Dr Gonzi gave his reply.
On immigration, Dr Muscat said he agreed with a push-back policy for immigrants if Libya was stable and could guarantee their human rights, something Dr Gonzi disagreed with.
In a brief tit-for-tat just before the first part of the debate was up, Dr Gonzi acknowledged that the Government’s public transport consultants had got the route changes wrong when bus operator Arriva started running the service in 2011.
The public transport reform was described by Dr Muscat as the Government’s “biggest fiasco” along with the €500 honoraria increase for ministers.
At the start of the debate the leaders made their pitch on why people should vote for them on March 9.
Dr Gonzi said the PN was the party that could guarantee more jobs, pointing out that a recent forecast by the European Commission had said Malta will be one of the best performers in the EU. “The PN can offer a strong future,” Dr Gonzi insisted.
For Dr Muscat, voters should choose Labour if they wanted a new way of doing politics that maximised the potential of all people. “We will not look at the colour of your face,” he said.
Dr Briguglio reiterated that voters knew where AD stood on a number of issues that were ignored by the other parties. Taking the podium in the first part of the debate, Dr Briguglio said AD had been effective outside Parliament by putting a number of issues such as divorce on the country’s agenda and urged voters to give it a chance to be more influential by having a parliamentary seat.
“We have a historical responsibility to speak on those issues the other parties ignore such as the rights of the LGBT community. In Parliament AD will raise those issues others want to ignore and we will force them to discuss and vote on them,” Dr Briguglio said, urging voters to “write history” by choosing AD.
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45 Comments
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Michael Grech
Mar 1st, 07:13
Fejn huma dawk li sa jumejn kienu jpingu l-PN bhala l-bastjun tal-valuri kattolici?
S Vella
Feb 28th, 15:50
Dan bis-serjeta?
Hasel idejh billi mar ghal referendum Konsultativ ghax ried li xorta l-parlament jiddeciedi u HU stess ivvota kontra r-rieda tal-maggoranza....issa qed jaqbel!
Addio valuri u principji fejn jidhol dak l-imbierek siggu li ggranfat mieghu sur Gonzi!! Kif jinbidel id-diskors lejlet elezzjoni.
John Cachia
Feb 28th, 15:10
Even though I hope I will never resort to it, I voted YES for divorce as I do not believe it was my place to deny the option to others who may genuinely need it.
Having said this, I understand people who voted no (such as my parents) due to their religious beliefs. Dr. Gonzi voted according to his morals and in comformity with Catholic views on the subject and I respect his very hard decision.
LOUIS JOSEPH BORG
Feb 28th, 16:41
mr john cachia
marriage is a sacrifice and not a game of chess!
i voted no for divorce because i will not sacrifice my soul for nobody!
if any person on planet earth had a problematic marriage they will not marry again!
also by time we will have people that divorce 5 or even 6 times!
it clearly will show that they themselves are the problem not marriage itself!
GL Calleja
Feb 28th, 15:04
First of all an excellent job done by Herman Grech of the Times of Malta. The debate was calm and well controlled and so was the audience. I think the coolest man of those three was Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio. Mr Biguglio was calm knew exactly what he had to say and did not mince words. It is about time the voter takes a serious look at AD.
Alfred Zammit
Feb 28th, 13:06
He said they did the right thing to have a referendum not to accept Divorce.
Michael Grech
Feb 28th, 11:52
Dan hu l-istess politiku li kien qal li jekk jidhol id-divorzju z-zwieg ser isir gherusija?
LOUIS JOSEPH BORG
Feb 28th, 11:35
dr gonzi was right being against divorce because no real catholic can be pro divorce!
also in malta we have 400 thousand people and pro divorce voters did not make half of that amount!
Michael Grech
Feb 28th, 11:49
So is he wrong in saying what he said?
Duncan Scerri
Feb 28th, 12:16
Louis, even fewer voted against the introduction of divorce.
Franco Attard Trevisan
Feb 28th, 13:04
With your same reasoning the number of people against divorce are even less and the referendum result confirmed this!
Your argument is void of any logic and false because there is no way of knowing whether the ones who didn't vote are in favour or against!
The only people who count in this issue are those who voted.
Mr Roderick Cutajar
Feb 28th, 14:02
Doesn't matter anymore, divorce is here to stay
Joseph Grech Attard
Feb 28th, 11:28
What a farce PM? If you approve of aomething you are MORALLY against, then your morals are like chewing-gum. As all elastic things, they have a breaking point. Are you really and honestly putting politics in front of your own personal morals? Go ahead and, together with Joseph Muscat, entrench anti-abortion laws into our Constituion before someone gathers enough signatures for a referendum!!
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 28th, 12:58
@J GrechAttard
The Prime Minister did what Moses did before him. Because of the people’s “hardness of heart” he presented a divorce bill with which he disagreed but voted against it since it was against his personal moral conviction. Both in the case of Moses and also in Malta’s case, divorce WAS the people’s choice, but it was also AGAINST the wish of Christ and Dr L Gonzi.
Anthony Schembri adami
Feb 28th, 14:47
I totaly agreewith Dr Saliba It was undemocratic if Dr Schembri to pretend that all MPs accept her opinion after that Dr.Gonzi promised that the result of the referendum would become law.
GL Calleja
Feb 28th, 15:16
Never mind Moses Dr Saliba. Dr Gonzi is fighting for his political life and he said what he had to say. Dr Gonzi presented the referendum because he was absolutely sure he was going to win but alas the people did not agree with him. How come now he said that the people were right to vote yes for divorce? What changed his mind all of a sudden? Sometimes politics do weird things to people.
Victor Pulis
Feb 28th, 16:08
Nationalist Party leader Lawrence Gonzi yesterday admitted the people did the right thing when they voted for divorce in a referendum two years ago.
If the people were hard headed and went against god's wishes how did they do the right thing?!
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 28th, 19:08
@GL Calleja
I did not hear Dr L Gonzi's precise word/s and the contest in which they were said. Please ask him.
If, as I suspect, he was forced to answer "yes" or "no" (without elaborating), in his place I would have bluntly refused to answer for the simple reason that a yes/no answer was not suitable and would be manipulated.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 28th, 19:45
@Anthony Schembri Adami
Dr Gonzi NEVER promised that if the referendum result was "yes" the divorce would "become law". The promise was that a divorce bill would be presented, and he did just that. Gonzi never promised that there would be a whip enforcement but a free vote was given. Any different version is a lie that has been repeated incessantly so that some would believe the lie.
Michael Grech
Mar 1st, 07:16
@ Frans Though Moses accepted what the people wanted, he never said the people were right. Gonzi did. But some people want to have the cake and eat it.
Kurt Waschnig
Feb 28th, 11:26
Yes Mr Gonzi had to admit that the Maltese did the right thing on divorce. The referendum on divorce is a landmark in Malta´s history and further progress will be made soon. It will be possible for gay couples to adopt children and I am absolutely sure one day gay couples will be able to marry in Malta. Even conservative politicians must accept what the voters want.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 28th, 13:04
Whether the people "did the right thing on divorce" or not depends on the yardstick used, morality or democracy. It was never right according to the moral teaching of Christ but people have wanted it out of the "hardness of their heart" since the time of Moses.
Marie Roberts
Feb 28th, 11:26
Talk about want to win votes. Changing face at the last minute about divorce does not wipe out the "I am totally against divorce" when it was needed the most.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 28th, 11:25
So what has happened to his conscience? has it been cleaned by the vision of a lost election? Why this sudden change of opinion? I hope the holy brigade which are so keen on the Pn now realise that the PN has become a liberal party with approcal of divorce by its leader. gay rights being espoused in its manifesto and gay slogans for its election CAMPaign.
A.M. Galea
Feb 28th, 10:10
Mela Dr.Gonzi issa qed jgħid li il-poplu Malti għamel sewwa meta ivvota iva fir-referendum dwar il-liġi tad-divorzju . Anke hu (Gonzi ) għamel sewwa meta ivvota kontra fir-referendum , bħall ma kellu kull dritt li jagħmel . Izda meta tħabbar ir-rizultat tar-referendum li wera ix-xewqa tal-poplu , hu (Gonzi) ma kellu ebda dritt li jivvota kontra . Gonzi kien politikament zballjat .
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 28th, 11:34
@A M Galea
Jekk tiftakar in numru ta' dawk li vvotaw kontra fir-referendum tad-divorzju u dawk li astjenew milli jesprimu r-rieda taghhom ikollok tikkonkludi bilfors li dawk li wrew approvazzjoni ghal dik il-ligi kienu minorita' zghira.
A.M. Galea
Mar 18th, 15:16
Dr.Francis Saliba, Dan min meta dawk li jkunu astjenew tista tgħid x'inhi ir-raġuni għall astensjoni tagħhom? Mela insejtu kemm għidtu meta Dr Alfred Sant qal hekk wara ir-referendum għall Ewropa? Jeww fejn ikun jaqbel lillkhom dan jista jsir u fejn ma jkunx jaqblilkhom isir ħazin? Dr Gonzi kien zbaljat politikament meta ivvota kontra dak li kien iddeċieda il-poplu. Tkompli..
A.M. Galea
Mar 19th, 19:00
It-tieni parti tar-risposta għall xi raġuni ma deheritx. Sur Saliba, Dr.Gonzi ezerċita id-dritt tiegħu u ivvota b'mod liberu fir-referendum skont il-kuxjenza tiegħu. Wara ir-rizultat tar-referendum,Dr Gonzi kellu obligu Kostituzzjonali,Politiku u morali li jivvota skont dak li ried l-elettorat għax issa ma kellux dritt għall vot liberu aktar.
E. Azzopardi
Feb 28th, 09:56
Good, so why did you and others vote against it in parliament? It is either YES or NO. No other way.
Now, if it were against one's conscience (and one has every right) then the honourable thing to do for those who voted against or abstained (yes even these) was to resign.The PEOPLE are sovereign and there will MUST be respected by ALL.
The Honoraria mistake is minute compared to this one.
Victor Zammit
Feb 28th, 07:44
The question on divorce was misleading. The people did right in their collective sovereign ‘conscience’. But then there is the individual’s conscience which alone chooses between right and wrong. It is not a voting matter. Hence one could rightly accept divorce for public governace, and at the same time choose as an individual to accept or refuse it in the sovereignty of one’s conscience
J Giardina
Feb 28th, 09:39
Well said. Spot on.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 28th, 11:30
Victor, Gonzi never accepted divorce for 'public governance'. If he has done so now, it is a complete u-turn made purely for political convenience, which makes it even more despicable. Again, who does Gonzi think he is fooling? Again, please Dr Gonzi stop treating us like morons.
Victor Zammit
Feb 28th, 12:27
Andrew, I beg to differ. That the bill was to pass into law was a certainty. That is the word and spirit of the referenda law and of our democratic credentials. That is also public governance. It could not be otherwise. Were that not to have happened the only honourable exit for government would have been to resign. The prime minister said as much. But my conscience is mine not parliament’s.
Richard Caruana
Feb 28th, 06:34
I am sorry to say that the more I hear Gonzi and his friends, the more I see desperation. I am really sorry for Eddie Fenech Adami as he had built a great party who now is not even a shadow of what was before.
Lawrence Fenech
Feb 28th, 04:46
Gonzi will probably difer again after elections after going against the people's will in the referendum.
LOUIS JOSEPH BORG
Feb 28th, 11:39
what are you saying? that the prime minsiter denounce his catholic faith! so others can live the way they want!
dr gonzi proved himself and showed that he is a real catholic not a catholic inpersenator!
Jos Borg
Feb 28th, 00:20
After all the scaremongering campaigns spearheaded by a score of high officials of the Gonzi government paid out of people's taxes, this is very rich.
Gonzi kept resisting divorce until the very end.
And yet he maintains that he has always been on the right side of history. Incredible!
marc pace
Feb 27th, 23:35
ergajt hlomt biha il whitleblower's act issa muscat???ax 'insejta' fil-kas ta' toni abela u il blokka 'silg' kif sejjahtilha u il kas liehor meta mar u sab pulizija laburist u qa.lu biex ma jtellax kunsilier laburist il qorti
Victor Calleja
Feb 27th, 22:18
Spicca il principju u il moralita. Il poter jitla ghar ras. We need a change and fast.
Andrew Vella
Feb 27th, 22:00
Lawrence Gonzi is a man of principle. I voted YES for Divorce in the referendum. The Prime Minister has earned my respect through the way he handled an issue over which he had moral doubts but which society called for to be settled one way or another.
Alfred Gatt
Feb 27th, 21:18
Irrespective of what the leaders of both parties say, I still think the people did wrong. DR Gonzi had no choice but to accept the decision of the referendum. The effects of this decision, however, which in my opinion was made on emotional pity, will be felt for a long time. The originators of the divorce issue did a disservice to the nation, aided, of course by those who voted for it.
Frans Aguis
Feb 27th, 21:08
Yes but GONZI did not when he voted against the will of the people in parliament, making the whole point of a referendum null if our representatives will then vote according to their OWN conscience in parliament. And don't give me all that hogwash of a non binding referendum. The whole point is that WE decide!
Martin Saliba
Feb 27th, 20:11
Nationalist Party leader Lawrence Gonzi yesterday admitted the people did the right thing when they voted for divorce in a referendum two years ago.
Is he saying that his morals are out the window or is he lieing through his teeth ? What say those that defended his position then ?
Edward Camilleri
Feb 27th, 20:07
"The people" with the help of JPO and opposition had to force the divorce referendum on Dr. Gonzi & his clique, for him to realise 2 years later that "The people" did the right thing!! Oh how disgusting.
Now its the time to divorce politics from the church!
Massimo Gatt
Feb 27th, 20:05
Another u-turn by dr.Gonzi.
Please choose the reason of your report below: