I’m not entirely sure that the Labour Party has completely grasped this electoral manifesto concept. At some point in time, preferably before the election, it becomes important to fish or cut bait, an expression that baffles me as I have no understanding of fishing. There’s an equivalent, less salubrious, expression, but let’s draw a veil of discretion over it, shall we?

This confusion on my part stems from the announcement a couple of days ago, made after the Prime Minister called on the Archbishop, that efforts are to be made to separate Church and State, starting with the removal of the supremacy of the Curia’s Tribunal over the Civil Court when it comes to the matter of annulment of marriages.

This, to the best of my knowledge, was not part of the thousand and seven promises made to all and sundry and their brother in the run-up to Labour’s triumph.

Lest I be misunderstood, if the secularisation of the country is something towards which Joseph Muscat is moved to strive, I’ll take my hat off to him.

I’ve long been of the firm view that, as a nation and a people, we are way too beholden to the Church. You can take a look at what I wrote about divorce (in favour), about censorship (against) and women priests (why not?) if you want evidence.

The thing is, though, this is a pretty fundamental step, in the circumstances, and it should have been made pretty clear in Labour’s electoral GPS or manifesto or whatever the compendium of promises was finally called. It’s not as if I’d have suddenly switched to calling them the best thing since sliced bread or anything, I’m too far gone a member of the evil oligarchic clan for that but don’t you think people should have been given a heads-up about it?

Still, if this all means we’re going to become a more liberal, less fundamentalist, society, then all the better, though I won’t be holding my breath, given that the general tone of the comments I’ve been seeing has been “OK, PN and its apologists, shut up now, we’re the bosses of you”, which doesn’t augur well.

The pipers are starting to get paid, have you noticed?

You may have seen my blog on the subject of that Debono person, so I won’t repeat myself, but the Federation of Conservationist Bird Shooters must be feeling pretty smug, for all that the changes to the spring hunting regulations probably aren’t as liberal as they might have wanted.

Actually, since they probably want to be free to shoot anything that flies, if it weren’t for the fact that it was their venerated Labour Party that had done so little for them, they’d probably have been out on the razzle and generally behaving like the epitome of restraint and decorum to which they have made us become accustomed.

Oh well, being told they needn’t pay their licence fee is a decent start for them, I suppose. On the other hand, I’d like to propose that we – the people – exercise our rights and get a petition to have a referendum together.

Why not? I’m against hunting and I know that many others think likewise, so why shouldn’t we see if we can’t get the requisite number of signatures together and demand a referendum?

The question could be: “do you want spring hunting banned?” It could be: “Do you want hunting banned altogether?” for that matter.

I know I’m putting the cat among the pigeons and I’ve no doubt that I will be slagged off big time for daring to contrary the hunting lobby but, hey, this is a democracy. If for no other reason, it will be an interesting exercise, if it gains traction, to see where the parties come down on this one.

Equally interesting would be the two parties being forced to take a clear position about immigration.

The debate is hotting up in Britain because, with two years to go, the loony UKIP is gaining ground, so the anti-European insularity that is endemic in most Brits has to be massaged if the main parties don’t want to end up with eggs on their faces. Here, we’re not apparently that worried about European migration, we’re more basic than that, as the crypto-racists all around us never fail to remind us.

So, it’s about time that the main parties, and the Church too, for that matter (after all, it still remains a relevant social force, for all the moves towards secularisation), took a clear and unequivocal stand, Northwards-looking as well as south.

In other words, it’s about time that we stand up and be counted as a civilised country that recognises its obligations to souls in peril on the sea, at the same time making it clear to our northern cousins that we expect them to do the same.

After all, if they have no qualms about relieving Cyprus of many of its euros, they should have the same eagerness to take the strain when our own resources are stretched.

And while on the subject of Cyprus, could all of us take every opportunity to point out to the geographically challenged, such as The Guardian, that we are not, excuse us, the same as that beleaguered nation? We have a decent economy, thank you for very much.

And, in the end, we shall discourse on nourishment of the spiritual and temporal kind.

A gent that goes by the name of Carlos Bonell strummed some mean strings at the Manoel last Tuesday and we followed up with some wholesome nosh as only Rubino’s does it.

imbocca@gmail.com

www.timesofmalta.com/articles/author/20