Minister for Equality and European Affairs Helena Dalli this afternoon said that at this point she would not consider introducing paid vacation leave for women seeking to have an abortion abroad.

Dalli, together with Minister for Health Chris Fearne were addressing a news conference following yesterday’s objection by PN on a legal notice regarding surrogacy and gamete donation. The PN said it had nothing against granting extra leave to couples seeking medical assistance for procreation purposes, but wants a discussion on ethical issues.

Dalli and Fearne were asked by the media whether at this point they would consider legalizing paid vacation leave for women seeking an abortion abroad, to which Dalli replied with a straightforward “no”.  Health Minister Chris Fearne also shared the same reaction, adding that the topic in discussion today is regarding procreation.

They are two different laws

Dalli said that what the law the Nationalist Party is objecting to and the law of the legal notice are different laws.

“We are talking about two different laws,” she said, “the law about foundations of work and that of IVF.”

She went on say that at first she thought the objection of the Nationalist Party towards the law granting vacation leave was fake news.

“I thought it was fake news when I read it,” she said, adding that the Nationalist Party “is the same party which agreed that there cannot be discrimination against someone based on their sexual orientation. One thing is not agreeing with the other.”

“To have arrived at the decision about this legal notice we held consultations with the employments relations board and there was an agreement with social partners, the government, employers and unions,” she said.

She added that the people in question already experience hardships as it is difficult for them to have children “these people need empathy,” she said.

‘Adrian Delia wants to take Malta back many years’

Health Minister Chris Fearne said that the motion placed yesterday is a “regressive motion”. “PN wants to take us back in time,” he said.  “This is discrimination when it comes to medical treatment, IVF is a medical treatment and no medical treatment should be restricted because of sexual orientation.”

He added that the Labour Party electoral manifesto stated that the party wants to change the law in order to give the right to anyone needing medical treatment. “We want to change what is bad into what is good,” he said.