The P.N.: Is it about being Conservative or Liberal?

Conservatives in the P.N. are complaining that they are not being listened to. For this reason it is important that the P.N. becomes more open than it already is today. In other words, the P.N. should not become confessional or insular, as some are suggesting, but should become relevant for both conservatives and liberals a like. It is possible for those who are in favour of civil liberties to live side-by-side with more conservative elements, if the party embraces both positions as equal, and doesn't try to silence any position. The P.N. should be more open, so that both so-called conservatives and liberals are comfortable within the party. The questions is: Is this attainable? And if it is,  how could this balance be reached?

I will explain myself by giving examples of how the P.N. tackled civil liberties, and present my ideas on how they could have been tackled better. Let us take the divorce referendum: this all started with Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando's private members bill for divorce to be legislated, which opened the door for a referendum. The party took a stand against divorce throughout the referendum. The way forward would have been allowing a free vote, and the P.N. not taking a stand in favour or against divorce. However, adopting the latter position costed them dearly. It drove the liberal middle class voters away from the party. Then after the 2013 election came the civil union legislation and the abstention by the P.N. The way forward in both situations would have been to allow a free vote in parliament.

The P.N. should not take a stand on ethical issues. Ethical issues are private matters, and should be represented in parliament by M.P.s., who represent constituents and their ethical positions among other things. The M.P.s should be allowed by the party to represent in parliament what they perceive  the way forward on ethical issues i.e. without the hindrance of the parliamentary whip or party. A free vote should always be the solution for ethical issues of all kinds. This will make the P.N. an inclusive party that allows people of different opinions to live side-by-side in the same party. M.P.s will not need to go against their conscience, because they are part of a more democratic mechanism that allows them to express themselves on the issues that concern them most. Adopting this system will also ensure that civil issues are not exploited for political gain as the P.L. did on L.G.B.T.I.Q issues. Liberals, conservatives, and minorities should always be respected.