It always helps to have a good sense of humour, more so when you live in Malta. How else can you get through the day after seeing what passes for serious news in this country?

Take that ridiculous petition presented by the hunters last week. A bunch of mostly pot-bellied men wearing an assortment of hoop tops, checked shirts and the occasional camouflage suit marched into Valletta waving a banner depicting the practice of different hobbies and a same-sex couple. Our brave marchers were taking up the cudgels in support of minority rights. At least that’s what the wording of their petition stated.

Now the common understanding of the term ‘minority rights’ is the rights of people belonging to a racial, ethnic, religious or sexual minority. And many of the well-meaning people who signed the hunters’ petition thought it referred to gay rights and had no idea it was a sneaky move disguising the actual objective of the hunters.

Most people would support a petition calling for a stop to the persecution of minorities. They may not be so willing to append their signature calling for bird blasters to be given the right of veto over the rights of others. The hunters’ petition is akin to smokers presenting a petition posing as a minority and asking for a stop to any regulation of their hobby.

Many people have commented on the audacity and deceptiveness of the hunters’ move. These are the people who are expected to dutifully send a text message when they bag a bird. If their faux ‘minority rights’ petition is anything to go by, it doesn’t look like they’re particularly concerned with accuracy, transparency or honesty.

• Carmel Scicluna is the author of the disturbing but pitch-perfect Ossessjoni – a book written from the point of view of a paedophile. It sounds horribly grim – and it is. But besides being unrelentingly realistic, the book contains flashes of humour. Not the crude, slapstick Benny Hill-type of humour that so many Maltese people find very funny, but a wry sort of humour based on observation of real-life situations.

Now, Scicluna has published a satirical book about local politics entitled Il-Kummidjanti tal-Parlament. This includes a side-splittingly hilarious description of a prison breakout (the politicians’ reaction to which is not so far off the mark). Then there are thinly-disguised accounts of the Alfred Sant-Dom Mintoff showdown (now both firmly entrenched in the pantheon of Labour greats), the most accurate reading of the Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s play-acting at that debate, Franco Debono’s actions and even the John Dalli saga.

Many people have commented on the audacity and deceptiveness of the hunters’ move

In the story about Sant’s rise to power in 1996, Scicluna describes Dr Leonardo DiMalta/ Sant’s secret pact with the devil to gain control of Castille. The devil delivers but then double-crosses him with inevitable results. A subtle parallel is drawn to the predicament Dottor Lukardu Ciappara/Lawrence Gonzi finds himself in after supporting Pullicino Orlando’s media stunt.

This book can be read on many levels – for entertainment or as political commentary and observation of the way politicians eventually have to pay the price for their compromises and secret pacts. You can read this book and then watch out for history repeating itself in real life.

• The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has called upon the government to set up some sort of professional service audit system to recognise outstanding service. The MHRA president said this was needed because association members “have been bombarded by self-appointed culinary and service experts and at times are harassed for advertisements and other fees to receive good reviews in bogus online blogs and worthless awards”.

I wish the MHRA the best of luck with that, but if its members think some official/expert seal of approval is going to substitute the online reviews by diners, they’re sadly out of touch. First, because there is no way you can shut people up online – you’d have to close down the internet and we’re not China (yet). People talk. They love to share recommendations of the fantastic burger joint, gourmet palace or new ethnic restaurant they’ve just discovered. And people love hearing them and usually act on their friends’ recommendations.

It’s the word of mouth phenomenon transposed to the online stage. It’s true – there are some unscrupulous online commentators who pose as restaurant reviewers to extract freebies. Most of us know one. But that’s not to say that a couple of negative reviews from these faux critics will ruin a restaurant.

People will still give it a try and pass their own judgment on the food and service. Quality will out – and it doesn’t need any official seal of approval to do so.

cl.bon@nextgen.net.mt