Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1509678
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 OCTOBER 2023 9 INTERVIEW Below are excerpts from the interview. The full interview can be found on MaltaToday's online portal and our Facebook and Spotify pages. First of all I was a member of the PL because of my beliefs. Everyone knows that I have a different background but I've always stuck to my beliefs. I was a socialist, I still am and I will always be a socialist and I've always wanted to stand up for the little guy... There was a clear example of how a work- er's party should have acted [in the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry]. If there is a worker appealing for an inquiry, you cannot go against that call... I told the Prime Minister to his face: 'Thank God that I'm not with you in parliament because I would've voted against you.' I know that there were ministers who voted against their own wishes. And then he changed his mind because of a protest. That's no way to lead a country. I'm not saying that he shouldn't have changed his decision but when you're a leader, you have to be sure of your decision. Let's just say we can promote equality through other means. I have children of my own. I don't want my son to come home and ask me questions that he shouldn't ask. You don't need a drag queen to ex- plain equality. All you need is to talk with your children and they'll understand. We can explain equality in a more ed- ucational manner, rather than placing unnecessary questions in children's heads. There were people who interpreted what I said as me being against civil liberties. That's absolutely not the case. I believe everyone has the right to live as they please without bothering any- one. It can be avoided. President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has just said that children nowadays are stressed before they're born. Why should we add these questions when children are already stressed? For me, children's innocence is sacrosanct. When they're aged between zero and nine years old, children are form- ing their character. My kids are seven and four years old. I love their innocence. Why should they ask certain questions, and then research certain topics, turning their curiosity into oth- er things? I can only speak for myself. For example this foot-drag- ging on a public garden [the Gzira Garden]. All this fanfare when we complete a minor project, but when it comes to a garden that should've started at the beginning of the legislature, we do noth- ing because there are private interests... Everyone expects government to make good decisions. No arguments there. You can't make mis- takes like these in a country this small. And I won't even call that case a mistake be- cause it was intentional. But money cannot trump public interest. There were many decisions that I wasn't in favour of. For example I had given advice during the pandemic [against an amnesty to those fined for breaching social distancing rules] that was ignored and ultimately government was humiliated [when the Prime Minister made the sugges- tion]. Is government leading the country or is it being lead? These issues anger me great- ly, I've been patient for long enough but now I've had it. If you had to boil down the reasons behind your resignation and your anger towards the PL, how would you group it all together? You've described yourself as a socialist, however you do have your own conservative beliefs. You came out against an event that promoted equality to children. What's so wrong with children seeing a drag queen? You resigned on the same day that MaltaToday's survey was published. It seems you're not the only Labourite who feels estranged from the party. What do you make of people's an- ger towards Labour? PHOTO: JAMES BIANCHI / MEDIATODAY