Opposition MP Robert Cutajar said in Parliament on Monday he was voicing the concern of many Maltese that the government would be paving a path for abortion to make Malta more "modern".  

Asserting his pro-life beliefs, he was joined by fellow Opposition MP Claudio Grech in arguing that the rights of the unborn needed to be defended.

Dr Grech also called for more support to be provided to those experiencing unexpected pregnancies and raising children alone, and insisted on the need for a thorough examination of which factors could lead Maltese women to seek abortions.

These comments were made in the context of a technical amendment to various social laws which followed the establishment of the Social Care Standards Authority last year in place of the Social Services Directorate.

Social solidarity minister Michael Falzon spoke of the need for consensus to govern social matters, and he was thanked by the Opposition for making the Bill available to them in advance.

The interests of children needed to reign supreme, Dr Grech said, and the Opposition would work shoulder to shoulder with the Government in order to achieve this goal.

There were also calls for a parliamentary debate into an investigation which had been carried out by Judge Michael Mallia into the operations of the Children and Young Persons Advisory Board.