Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/298224
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 APRIL 2014 13 Interview survey commissioned by the church which showed that 80% of are against child adoptions by same-sex couples. Isn't this a populist approach? "We are concerned about allowing same sex couples to adopt children not because they are not capable of being good parents. If anything, in some instances they could even end up making better parents than het- erosexual couples. However, I am concerned because it's not just that 80% of the population isn't prepared for this – they reject the notion of having gay couples adopt children outright. We cited the 80% in this context, reflecting how ill-prepared society is. It's not a question of be- ing populist because as a matter of fact, judging from the reaction of all newspapers, including your own, we did not take a stand to please the media. Our only concern is the chil- dren's well-being." He insists that the PN's decision was "well-though out" and "in our circumstances, was the best one we could take". But on what grounds did he arrive at the conclusion that society is not prepared for gay adoption? "It is clear. 80% of the people are against adoptions by same-sex cou- ples, so how ready is society if 80% are against? We told government, let's first introduce civil unions and allow some time for this social change to sink in. We could have then carried out studies, not on whether parents are capable of adopting children, but to identify whether society is ready. I at least hope that government in- troduces measures to prepare soci- ety for this new reality before its too late." Turning to the bigger picture, I point out that last week's MaltaTo- day survey showed that despite the gap between the two big parties hav- ing shrunk, no significant shift from Labour to the PN was registered. Is he concerned? "Do you expect a party which only last year lost by 36,000 votes to re- gain 36,000 votes in a year? What I do know is that we have rebuilt the party from scratch, financially, struc- turally and also in creating policies. We are working hard to reach out to the people, to make it a people's party once again. In time, if we work hard enough and centre everything around honesty, the truth and se- riousness, we'll regain the people's trust." Busuttil adds that his isn't a one- year project, and says that his target for the May 2014 elections is to elect three seats to the European parlia- ment for the very first time. If the gap between the two parties shrinks, the PN would make a step forward. I turn to the imminent spring hunt- ing referendum, which if approved by the electoral commission and the law courts should be held in March 2015. What stand will the PN take? "By proposing a referendum, the people have taken the power from the politicians and I believe that poli- ticians should step aside and let the people express themselves. The PN's stand on the issue has matured along the years. The PN in government had a very clear direction, a short and controlled season, so much so that the party lost the hunters' back- ing while Labour promised a free- for-all." Busuttil adds that it would have been ambiguous for the PN to par- ticipate in the spring hunting refer- endum campaign, however if and when the referendum takes place the party will take a stand. "When the referendum becomes official the party will discuss the is- sue internally and decide whether we should take a stand. What one must understand is that this is not a choice between the PN's balanced spring hunting season and Labour's free for all, but it's a choice between Labour's hunting and no hunting at all," he said, stressing that "ultimate- ly the people will decide and the par- ties should listen to what the people have to say". As time was running out, I ask the PN leader what his vision for the party is. Busuttil explains that he has a five year-pan, in which he would like to see the party strengthen and renew itself while becoming an "effective Opposition" during the first half of the legislature. "In the remaining two-and-a-half years I want the party to transform itself from an effective opposition into an alternative government with clear policies." This, Busuttil says, will allow the PN to with the 2018 election. In one of his most difficult weeks as party leader, Simon Busuttil stands by the PN's decision to abstain in the civil unions vote, insisting that the party made the right choice PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD Muscat is 'flattening' detractors