Q&A | PN is the safer pair of hands | Karl Gouder

What is your background and how did you get involved in politics?

I would say my background is both in politics and business management. I graduated in management and worked in the private sector and also with a business related NGO before working full time as assistant director of information. I graduated from University of Malta in business management, however I've been involved in politics as from a very young age. In sixth form, at St. Aloysius's College, I was president of the Student's Council. At University I was very active in various student organisations such as AIESEC and ended my student years as President of KSU. In 2005 I contested Local Council Elections in St Julian's where I was elected deputy mayor, a post that I kept when I was re-elected in 2008. In 2010 I was co-opted to parliament after Michael Frendo vacated his seat so as to be elected speaker and I was chosen by the Party to fill in Michael Frendo's seat.

Why PN?

Over the years, PN has always shown that it is the safer pair of hands. PN has always been the party with a vision, a vision to make Malta a better place and to always offer better opportunities for all Maltese and Gozitans, irrespective of who they are or where they come from. Over the past year it  has been guided by strong values, that have served us very well. We have always put the person at the centre of our attention, hence our three main pillars of belief, work, health and education. We have more than managed to steer the country very well even in times of economic difficulties. The PN is the only party that has, over the years, proven to be the party that created work and which invests money collected in a way that will allow all Maltese and Gozitans live a better quality of life. We are the only party that understands what the basic issues of politics are and what needs to be done so as to keep improving quality of life for all.

What have you brought and what will you continue to bring to the table?

I hope to have brought with me the energy that young people have in them. I hope to have brought with me the voice of young people but also I may have brought a different way of seeing things. At times I have spoken about certain issues that could have not been in synch with the party but I always did this to make my party even stronger. I am in a party where I feel not only comfortable but also proud of because I can speak my own mind and still feel respected by all. The divorce issue was one of them, gay issues is another. The party is made up of different voices and when we say that we embrace different ideas, it's not a cliché but it's the truth I live every day.

On energy, can a PN government guarantee that it will not raise the utility bills during 2013 and can it guarantee that by 2020, Malta would have applied and acquired EU funds and built the pipeline?

I'm not the oe who can guarantee energy prices, it would be very irresponsible of me. We live in a world that is changing all the time and in an economic environment that is so volatile. Would have anyone imagined seven years ago that the world was going to pass through the economic crisis that it is passing through? So none of us can really say what will happen during the next seven years. However we must strive as much as possible to charge the lowest rates possible for utilities and we have a clear plan to do this. We are now working on the interconnector that will provide us with a wider choice from where to buy our electricity; our longer term plan is to invest in a gas pipeline that would make generation of electricity even cheaper - more than that we need to invest millions in alternative energy such as PV cells and solar water heaters. However the truth is that we will still be dependent on natural resources and no one really knows what the price of these natural resources will be. With regards to the pipeline it seems that, yes, this is the direction PN is taking and we should be in a position to have it implemented by 2020.

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat has said that while the PL have so far had a positive campaign, the PN has embarked on a negative campaign, one of fear that reflects 'politics of the past' (by way of example the leaflet sent to Enemalta workers). What is your comment?

A Stable Future - Work, Health Education, that is PN's main message for this campaign. If you see that as a negative campaign then we beg to differ big time. PN is looking ahead and its message is one of courage. As a country we have achieved so much in the past five years, which were really difficult with all the economic turbulence around us: imagine what we can achieve in the next five years.

The PN has so far had a relatively quiet electoral campaign. Does this reflect a tired party or is it waiting for the last days to pick up momentum? What can we expect from the PN during February?

I don't agree that the campaign is a tired one... but yes it is one that will build momentum in time. This is the longest campaign in around 25 years so one would expect us to start at a slower pace and increase by time. Next Friday we shall be launching our electoral programme which will then give us six weeks to clearly explain it to all. It will be our vision: what was presented in the manifesto will now be put into clear proposals. I expect February and the beginning of March to be six weeks of explaining our electoral program and expanding on our vision.

The PN is portraying itself as a party that does not intrude in people's personal lives: is this the main lesson that was learnt since having opposed divorce in 2011?

Well, the PN is at very important crossroads when it comes to civil liberties. Unlike Labour, we are a party that is based on values and strong core values. Our values have served us very well in the past and have reaped very good results - not only for the party but also for the country. However, society is changing and changing at a fast pace. We are a more open society and we believe that no one should intrude in our personal lives. PN acknowledges this and probably yes the divorce issue was a great eye opener for the party. We have learnt from this and have also moved on. There are no doubts that PN is more open when it comes to personal lives. Mind you, I have to say that I can't think of anybody over the past years who felt uncomfortable within the PN because of his personal life. I for one have been active in the party for a number of years now, and have always felt very comfortable working within the Nationalist Party.

While Labour says it wants to legislate for civil unions, the Nationalist government has drafted a bill to regulate cohabiting relationships for both opposite and same-sex couples - what is your reaction to the criticism of the gay movement on the cohabitation bill, and why not legislate for civil unions of gay couples as well? Or is there no difference between these two legal relationships?

Cohabitation was the first step, and an important step for any person whether gay or straight. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, we were not in a position to pass the law. However, from what is being said I understand that we are now going to make the next very important step. From what has been reported in the media I understand that we are seriously considering adoption by same-sex couples - i.e. by both partners - and we are also seriously considering increasing the rights given to same-sex partners who are in a relationship. I believe this is the way forward. This is obviously the result of very intense discussions held within the party over the past few years. PN is very alive and the discussions are very open. I am sure we shall be hearing more about this in the next few weeks.

The Prime Minister also says that experts should determine whether children should be adopted by gay parents - should the state legislate in favour of adoption by gay cohabiting couples as well? If the Prime Minister does not oppose children being adopted by a gay, single parent, shouldn't IVF also be made available to single women and gay couples?

Let's make one step after the other: changes to society must be made step by step. Yes, I agree that the next step should be that gay couples should be able to adopt together and not as the present legislation stands, where only one member of the couple can adopt. With regards to IVF, we'll need to discuss that further.

As an openly gay MP, do you expect the Nationalist government to eventually be in favour of gay marriage, like other similar centre-right parties such as the British conservatives? (Just like the previously anti-divorce PN changed its position after the loss at the referendum).

I understand that the word marriage for same-sex couples is an issue in Malta. What I would expect is that we would allow the rights enjoyed by married couples extended to same-sex couples and it seems that PN is moving towards that direction.