PN is NOT a Conservative party.... It needs a change in direction of its social conservatism.

When you analyse the way forward for the Nationalist party, you come to a point where you ask one important question.  Should the party now embrace a different ideological point of reference ? Should it become more liberal ? Or should it become more conservative? Should it go to the Left or go to the Right ?
This poses one important question.  Is the Nationalist party really conservative? as everyone seems to be depicting it.   Does the Nationalist party want to adopt a extreme liberal attitude as did the Labour party embracing all,  in a so- called Movement and denuding itself completely from its Socialist background promising everything to everyone.  By doing so, and ultimately wining the election, can it actually  deliver all the goods ?  Will it now retract to a more subdued Liberalism pointing more to the center ?

Liberal politicians are defined as the ones who want change.  Conservative politicians are the ones who are happy not to change, content with things as they are.  Conservative politics would never have embarked into a Transport Reform, they would have been content with the old buses.  The numerous milestones Malta has passed from, whether entry into European Union, and numerous  reforms are all Liberal in nature; never conservative.

Therefore saying that the Nationalist party should NOT remain Conservative is absolutely wrong because it never was .Ideologically the Nationalist party was always a champion for change and never status quo .It does have economic conservative thoughts in that it stimulates business by direct help including tax credits ,grants etc ,hoping that these would trickle down to increase jobs and decrease unemployment . These are however also labor s economic proposals . Liberal economic principles envisage a less government intervention, letting supply and demand dictate economy while at the same time taxing the rich.

What is really meant by PN changing from being conservative is in the social conservatism.  Do we need to radically change the social conservatism characteristic of PN ? The Divorce issue pointed to that.  It hit PN where it hurt and in total surprise.  The referendum result and not the Parliamentary result is an answer to radically change and re-think its social conservatism ideology.  The majority voted for a radical change in radically conservative issue .The majority voted for a minority right.  This is a sign of change in the  acceptance of social issue which was unthinkable in the 80s and 90 s.  Also Labour s landslide victory in March could also be attributed to a voting shift in the young generation caused by a "Progressive" attitude by Labour  to minority rights and therefore to social issues which could have been perceived as taboo by PN

PN ,in its electoral manifesto was moving in that direction, albeit in measured steps and with the least possible aplomb.  It was( and is ) shedding its social conservative skin.

 It is now time to elicit debate on what social conservative issues to regard as archaic and, most important those issue in which part of our society are suffering.

It is not because of an election defeat PN has to change or because of a leadership change but because PN during its history has always evolved to represent todays challanges in today s changing society.