Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/846769
10 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 JULY 2017 News the argument that LGBT people must be tolerated, but tolerance means that they are merely accepting them while secretly wishing that they weren't around," he said. "Labour isn't on the level of tolerance, but on the level of celebrating diversity." Muscat warned fellow politicians that the rise of civil society in Malta means that they can no longer ignore the signs of the times. "If politicians believe that they can sweep certain changes under the car- pet, then they haven't yet understood how much our society has changed," he said, recounting the debates on divorce and the morning-after pill that had both been prompted by civil society. "If politicians don't recognize these changes and create laws to suit them, then civil society will force these changes upon us," he said. During his interview, Muscat also referred to the Labour Party's upcom- ing extraordinary general conference, during which PL delegates will choose between ministers Edward Scicluna, Helena Dalli and Chris Fearne as the party's new deputy leader for parlia- mentary affairs. The Prime Minister said that del- egates are faced with a choice between three "excellent" candidates and in- sisted that the party and his Cabinet will remain united regardless of the outcome. He also said that he would be ad- dressing Thursday's conference, when he will outline his vision for the Labour Party. TIM DIACONO PRIME Minister Joseph Muscat delivered his harshest criticism yet of the Nationalist Party's proposed amendments to the landmark Mar- riage Equality Bill, arguing that the proposals would have created "social apartheid". The PN's proposals to the Bill, that will in- troduce gay marriage, would have retained the terms 'mother', 'father', 'husband', and 'wife' in articles of Maltese law while adding the terms 'parent' and 'spouse' to cater for married ho- mosexuals. In an interview on One Radio, Muscat said that the proposals essentially amounted to le- gally categorising people based on their sexual orientation. "It would have created distinctions and dis- crimination, and would have essentially creat- ed an apartheid society because it would have segregated people," he said. The Bill is expected to pass into law on Wednesday, during a parliamentary sitting in which – at the Prime Minister's request – MPs will have to individually declare their votes. Muscat reiterated that he made this request because he believes that the Marriage Equality Bill will be a "historic vote of conscience" and because he was confused at the reaction to it by several Opposition MPs. "Many Opposition MPs have harshly criti- cised this Bill but then said that they will be vot- ing in favour of it next week," he said. "The PN had said that the last election was about princi- ples, but what sort of principles are these? The people who vote in favour of this Bill should do so because they are proud to do so." The Prime Minister said that the parliamen- tary debate on the Bill proves that Labour and the PN are on "completely different wave- lengths" when it comes to addressing LGBT equality. "Many PN MPs who supported the Bill used CALL FOR A HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER JOBSPLUS PERMIT NO: 330/2017 The Institute for Education would like to inform the general public that a vacancy for a Human Resources Manager has arisen within the Institute. Inte Interested applicants are requested to submit their CVs including their ID number and a true copy of their qualifications by not later than the 16th July 2017 via email on ife@ilearn.edu.mt. For For more information on this position kindly visit the Institute's website - ife.gov.mt Marriage Equality bill 'in the com- mon good', PN branch says TIM DIACONO THE proposed Marriage Equality Bill is in the "common good" as it will give eve- ryone in society the right to marry their loved ones, the Nationalist Party's equal- ity branch has said. In a statement, FOIPN said that the bill, which will introduce gay marriage, will give the LGBTIQ community the rights they deserve and recounted how the PN had proposed the same proposal in its electoral manifesto "because it believes in equality and equal opportunities". The PN is officially in favour of the Bill, which will introduce gay marriage and which is set to pass into law on Wednes- day evening. However, several PN MPs have raised concerns about the bill's terminology and one of its conservative MPs, Edwin Vassallo went rogue, voting against the Bill in its second reading ear- lier this week. In a move designed to test the resolve of the Opposition's conservative MPs, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has de- manded that MPs individually cast their votes in the final reading in Parliament. FOIPN argued that a truly inclusive Marriage Equality Law would not have abolished the words 'mother', 'father', 'husband', and 'wife' from certain articles of Maltese law, but rather maintained them while adding the gender neutral terms 'parent' and 'spouse'. "The Bill concerns a very sensitive is- sue and the terminology could have been chosen more appropriately," it said. "De- spite this though, the law will represent another important step forward for equal opportunities in Maltese society." Muscat: PN's marriage equality proposal would have created 'social apartheid' Joseph Muscat is to outline his vision for the Labour Party