The fear to tackle the sacred cows

Our front page story citing hunting officials claiming to have come close to signing a “memorandum of understanding” to endorse Labour is very worrying.

It is even worse than Joseph Muscat’s reply to a question on whether his government would consider holding a referendum on spring hunting merely confirmed why most hunters feel the Labour Party is their natural home.

By answering No, without a moment’s hesitation, to a straight question during The Times leaders’ debate last Tuesday, Dr Muscat showed his party was not even prepared to listen to a silent majority which is simply demanding that Malta sticks to EU rules.

Dr Muscat also inadvertently painted himself into a corner because the holding of a referendum on hunting might not even be in his hands. An abrogative referendum could be forced if 10 per cent of voters sign a petition.

The Labour leader’s consistent pledge to give Maltese hunters the same treatment as European ones only convinces those completely unaware of the EU’s Birds Directive. If Maltese hunters receive the same treatment as their European counterparts that means they cannot hunt in spring.

The Nationalist Government persisted in challenging the law on spring hunting, irrespective of the fact that Malta has already been taken to the European Court and could one day face fines.

Dr Muscat might have once again secured the majority of the 10,000-odd hunters’ votes, but in the process could have alienated many more who have had enough of a lobby which thrives on bullying tactics.

Birdlife Malta yesterday raised some pertinent questions the PL has to respond to before next Saturday’s vote.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s willingness to consider organising a referendum on spring hunting surprised many and won him several accolades.

But within hours, there was a retraction by the PN, evidently forced into submission by a statement issued by two hunters’ organisations, which accused the PN of wanting to abolish hunting through a referendum.

The PN quickly stated it was in favour of sustainable legal hunting and trapping and rejected the hunters’ claims they wanted to abolish spring hunting.

Once again we are left with Alternattiva Demokratika as the only party not beating about the bush and calling for a ban on spring hunting.

What Nationalist and Labour politicians should realise, albeit late in the day, is that the environment lobby has grown substantially in recent years.

The number of those who care for the nature around them and who will not tolerate hunters’ antics by far outnumbers the shooters’ lobby. If a referendum to ban spring hunting was held, in all probability the majority of Maltese would vote in favour.

Hunters have occupied public land at the expense of the Maltese public for way too long. On the eve of an election they are once again threatening the two main parties at gunpoint.

Their statement that foreigners should not be allowed to roam “as the please” in the countryside rightly elicited derision – even though once again the two political parties’ silence was deafening.

With Dr Muscat standing a good chance of becoming Malta’s prime minister by next week, he had better be careful about making promises he might be forced to break in the coming five years.

If he feels his party is safe dancing to the hunters’ tunes and giving them privileges they are not entitled to, it will be the EU, or even better this country’s voters, who could trigger off the change.