Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg admitted that the PN's abstention in the 2014 parliamentary vote to introduce civil unions to Maltese law, was a mistake.
Speaking in Parliament this morning, as the House debates the second reading of the Marriage Equality Bill, Buttigieg apologised to those who expected her to vote in favour of civil union. She explained that the PN's vote back then was because the party had reservations on gay adoption.
"I know I might have hurt people with the decision I took. I know many were expecting something different from me but we have to understand it was a collective decision."
"Today I will also be part of the group decision to proudly vote in favour of Equal Marriage. I appeal for consensus by respecting the concerns of those who feel the language used, hurts them. When government chooses to ignore the Opposition it is not hurting the opposition but it is hurting all mothers and fathers concerned about this", she said.
Spokesperson for local councils Robert Cutajar disagreed with his colleague.
He said that he cannot understand the haste with which the government wanted to enact the law, and just as much as delicate subjects such as euthanasia and the morning after pill went before the Social and Family Affairs Committee, so should the gay marriage bill.
He said the references to "mother" and "father" should be retained, while the term "spouses" should be added to the law.
He said he did not agree that the PN made a mistake when it abstained on the civil unions law in 2014. "We were in favour of civil unions but the government maliciously included gay adoption in the same legislation. We made the mistake of not explaining ourselves well at the time," he said.
He said he will be voting in favour at this stage while awaiting the government's reaction to the amendments proposed by the opposition. We have the chance of sending out a positive message by agreeing on this subject without political pique, he said.
Spokesperson for economic affairs and competitiveness Claudio Grech said that MPs are sitting in Parliament on the strength of the people, and the highest institution in Malta should be genuinely representing the will of the people.
He criticised the text being proposed for going beyond the scope of changing the name from civil union to marriage, in view of the fact that the civil union act gave homosexual couples the same rights and privileges as married couples.
In the light of this, he said the proposed change of wording to gender neutral terms and remove traditional terms like mother and father, the law goes beyond the intention of the marriage equality act by creating division.
"In these matters, we should be looking how the diversity between us can help the legislative process. When initiating the change in the law, the point of departure cannot be one of prejudice. Before you discuss and debate with the Opposition, you cannot have already made up your mind regardless of the arguments being made."
He was making reference to the Prime Minister's speech where he said that the PN's amendments to retain gender specific names will not be accepted as it goes against the principle of equality. Grech has argued that the government should not be prejudiced against arguments presented, especially when the underlying principle of the introduction of gay marriage is a common goal between both sides of the House.
"Is this liberalism?" he questioned.
Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield said he cannot understand why people are so concerned with the distinction between father and mother, husband and wife. He said that equality in the full sense of the word should not be making any distinctions between anybody.
Dignity will be awarded to all couples in society through this law, and Malta will be taking a step in the right direction, he added.
PD MP Godfrey Farrugia said that parliament must acknowledge that the make-up of families has changed, and that laws must be passed to reflect this change. He appealed for the government to acknowledge the Opposition's concerns and reiterated his stance in favour of gay marriage.
Parliament will be called to vote on the bill later today.