Three Labour MPs will present a motion in Parliament this week proposing structures to safeguard and help strengthen the family, party leader Joseph Muscat said.

The motion, to be presented by MPs Carmelo Abela, Justyne Caruana and Marie Louise Colerio Preca, proved that the Labour Party wanted to take “concrete steps” towards having families with strong foundations, Dr Muscat said yesterday in an interview on the party’s One Radio.

“We need to see what is helping families and what is hindering them from staying together,” he said without giving further details about the contents of the motion.

Financial difficulties, he said, were one of the main factors that created pressures and problems for families.

Politics in favour of the family did not involve speaking out against “responsible divorce” but giving a chance to all to raise a family without heavy financial pressures.

Describing the proposed divorce legislation as “responsible”, Dr Muscat said it would protect children and the second family as well.

He pointed out that marriages broke down in the past and would continue to do so.

“At present, there are annulment and separation procedures and children still suffer in these cases.”

People who were against divorce had every right to express their opinion but the principle of tolerance demanded that one spoke out in favour of any minority – including those who needed divorce, he said.

He admitted it was going to be difficult for the divorce proposal to pass in the upcoming referendum on May 28 but, either way, he would respect the people’s will. He said he would personally campaign for a Yes vote, without bringing the party into it.

He appealed to all parties to run clean and honest campaigns in the run-up to the referendum without, for example, bringing abortion into it.

In reaction, the Nationalist Party said Dr Muscat tried to give the impression he had always been in favour of a referendum on divorce legislation while Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was against.

However, Dr Muscat had been against a referendum until January 31 when an editorial reflecting the Labour Party’s position stated the decision should have been taken in Parliament.

Also, Dr Gonzi had always made it clear that the decision on whether to introduce divorce could only be taken through a referendum as no one had the mandate to introduce the legislation.