Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli today said that the issue of burqas should not be sensationalised since the issue was never about religion but the fact that a person cannot cover his/her face in public.

Speaking in parliament during a budget debate on the ministry for dialogue, civil liberties and consumer rights, Dr Dalli said she strongly disapproves of statements such as ‘ban the burqa’. Everyone agrees that a person cannot cover his/her face in public, so why put an emphasis on burqas? We don’t want to make religious connotations since everyone has a right to practice his/her religion. “This is not about burqas or niqab but about the safety of the public," she said

Guidelines for the police, she said, will also be discussed and issued soon after concerns were raised on the interpretation of the law.

The minister said that she also visited the St Paul’s Bay school and found that “we adults have a lot to learn from children on integration”.

Dr Dalli said that the blacklisting of companies from being granted public contracts is not a witch-hunt but it is only when company directors persist in failing to improve conditions of their workers that companies are blacklisted.

She said two companies have been blacklisted so far and one of the cases has been confirmed by a court. "This is a last-resort measure for those who continue to breach employment regulations," she continued.

On medicines, she said that the government announced a reduction in the cost of certain medicines, some up to 65 per cent.

Dr Dalli also said that the government has approved several generic medicines, which are much cheaper than branded ones. One such medicine, approved earlier this year, was 87 per cent cheaper than its brand name counterpart.

On the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, she said that the authority’s stringent measures have led to less injuries and deaths of workers at the place of work, particularly on construction sites.

“It is thanks to the measures being taken by the OHSA that we have witnessed a decrease in deaths at the workplace although even if one death at the workplace occurs, this worries us tremendously,” she said.

Turning to the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality’s vision, she said NCPE’s vision is based on integration and the principles of equality. She said that a Commission for Human Rights and Equality will be set up soon. A White Paper had been issued last year.

Dr Dalli highlighted that she appreciated the fact that that the PN’s criticism on issues pertaining to her ministry was constructive.

Government's work in the south unprecedented - Silvio Parnis

PL MP Silvio Parnis, who also heads the Committee of the South, said that the investment being made by this government in the south and the measures being taken to help regenerate this part of Malta is “unprecedented”.

Mr Parnis said: “Never before have we seen this kind of investment being made in the south by a government. This government is upgrading the standards in the south so that its people can enjoy a better quality of life, contrary to what happened in the past.”

He referred to projects such as the American University of Malta, the proposed 30 million euro for the redevelopment of the Pace Grasso stadium, health centre and family park projects.

He thanked Minister Helena Dalli for her constant support in ensuring that the Marsascala park project is in fact implemented.

1969 law in favour of disabled persons lay dormant for years – Deborah Schembri

PL MP Deborah Schembri said that civil union rights came about thanks to the Labour Party in government since what was written on paper, was never implemented by the previous government.

She also referred to the fact that a 1969 law which binds employers to employ persons with a disability was never enforced by the previous government and it was this administration that enforced the law.

Dr Schembri said that instead of the PN having learnt a lesson following the divorce referendum and voted in favour of the rights of civil unions, it abstained.

Quoting an Ambrose Bierce saying ‘when in doubt abstain’, she said that the PN did exactly that since it was in doubt whether to vote in favour or against.

PL MP Charles Buhagiar said that this government was working to ensure that the phenomenon of vacant properties is reduced through new amendments to property laws. The laws will allow a faster sale of properties whose owners are not entirely in agreement on the sale of the property.

Derelict commercial buildings could be penalised if not sold and a consultation is to begin soon.

Mr Buhagiar referred to a number of commercial properties in Sliema which lay abandoned.

Regarding construction site skill cards, he said this government is aiming to ensure that anyone who enters a construction site, must be in possession of a health and safety awareness course. Casual workers will be able to enter the site using a white card. These white cards will be given to estate agents or contractors who employcasual workers so that the contractor can shoulder responsibility in the event something happened while casualty workers are working on construction sites.