The Gender Identity Bill is still in the first reading stage and the government is evaluating the feedback it received during the public consolation stage, Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli said this morning.
Speaking at a Gvern li Jisma event in Valletta, Dr Dalli said the Bill aims to make people's lives better and should not be turned into a political confrontation.
Although it only affects a minority, the issue has to be tackled. "Imagine a woman going to the bank and being asked to present her ID card, which is of a man. These things do not even cross our minds but they are issues that exist. Some people end up depressed and unwilling to leave home because of the way society looks at them. Let us give them a status and a voice."
Dr Dalli said the process was also serving to inform people about issues they did not even know existed.
She said the government is also working on is the Cohabitation Law and will issue a White Paper on Human Rights in the coming weeks.
Replying to a man who said he earned €630 a month working as a security officer, Dr Dalli said the government had immediately introduced regulations for contractors who win government tenders. Dr Dalli said she and the Prime Minister regularly receive reports of precarious work Blacklisting of companies that do not abide by these regulations will come into force soon and the government has already increased the number of inspectors who visit work sites. Minister Dalli said only a minority of contractors do not obey the laws and many times the situation is not easy to solve because they are not actually breaking employment laws.
Occupational Health and Safety Authority Mark Gauci said Occupational Health and Safety Laws will be strengthened next year, introducing harsher penalties. Accidents at the workplace have decreased.
Prof Serracino Inglott, Chairman of the Medicines Authority, said the authority is helping the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority ensure that medicines are sold at a fair price.
Government MP Charles Buhagiar spoke about the Skills Cards initiative and said this would help eradicate abuse and ensure competition in the construction industry.
PL MP Silvio Parnis spoke about the work being carried out by the Consultative Council for the South, which he chairs. Referring to the Privatisation Unit proposals on building three hotels on the Xghajra coastline, Mr Parnis said nothing is set in stone and the council is still evaluating the proposals. Next year, he said, there will be a national conference where developers, NGOs and environmentalists will discuss the development of hotels in the south.
A study on the rehabilitation of Wied Blandun, which used to serve as a dumping ground for the dockyard, is expected to be completed by mid-2015 and the Schreiber area in Paola will be rehabilitated. The project will include a garden, car park, clinic, and commercial establishments. There will also be a new health centre in Kirkop.