PN's Equality Bill walkout 'gave a voice to the voiceless' - Alex Borg
Opposition leader says party not against the Bill but condemned lack of consultation
Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg defended the party's decision to walk out of parliament before the Equality Bill final vote earlier this week, saying it gave "a voice to the voiceless".
"The decision to walk out of parliament was not because we disagreed with the law; if we did, we would have voted against it," Borg said.
"We walked out of parliament to give a voice to the voiceless."
Borg was speaking during an interview with MaltaToday where he was asked why earlier this week, Opposition MPs decided to exit parliament before the final vote.
The Bill, which required a two-thirds majority, failed to do so following the Opposition's decision. Opposition whip Ivan Castillo had urged the government to postpone the vote and reopen talks with stakeholders and civil society organisations.
The walkout followed mounting criticism from organisations representing employers, businesses, insurers, pharmacists, women and church schools, who all argued that legislation of such constitutional and social significance should not be approved without wider consultation.
During the interview, Borg argued that 26 NGOs, from different backgrounds, had asked for further consultation on the bill.
"Do not think they were conservative; they all came from diverse backgrounds and all expressed their concerns that there was not enough consultation," he said.
"How can I vote in favour or against a law, when no opportunity was given to those who will be impacted directly to be consulted? It's not on."
Borg said the bill was presented to the Opposition 11 days ago.
The Bill was spearheaded by Equality Minister Rosianne Cutajar, and was the first to be presented by the new administration. The proposed law would have established the National Commission for Human Rights and Equality, bringing equality and human rights protections under a single institution.
A similar legislative initiative was abandoned after it lapsed at the end of the 2017 legislature. That proposal had also faced objections from several sectors, including church schools concerned about the possible impact on their Catholic ethos.
Following the PN's walk-out, the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) urged the government and the opposition to "move forward" after the Bill was halted.