I am very much in agreement with Vanya Aquilina (August 25) that the Nationalist Party needs to embrace diversity for it to regain the electorate’s trust; not least internally.

However, she attributed to me suggestions I did not make.

Never did I suggest that the way forward for the PN is to silence one group or another – neither is the ‘solution’ to ride ‘the liberal wave’ but, rather, to put the person at the very centre of its policies – whatever his or her creed, skin colour and sexual orientation. These are the core values of the PN.

The party cannot afford to get it wrong on issues that matter, not least on civil rights and liberties; the civil unions vote being a case in point.

I also suggested that Simon Busuttil, while being the right man for the job, needs to prove, further, than he can be bold and assertive, not least with his own side, by which I meant not the suppression of ideas but by making sure that everyone is aware of the challenges the party has and the need for it to become, once again, the people’s party.

Otherwise, the correspondent and I are on the same page.

We both want to see our party in government again and Busuttil as prime minister. Whether that happens depends on whether diversity is truly embraced and the necessary changes (and much needed shake-ups) happen.

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