Nationalists' mixed signals on hunting

What a real muddle. While thanks to the EU and also to the steadfast campaigning by Alternattiva Demokratika and NGOs such as Birdlife, Friends of the Earth and Nature Trust - in spite of the insults and accusations of being traitors - hunting in spring has been banned and the countryside given back to all us Maltese people, the PN is sending mixed messages.

The government insists that it obtained a derogation for Malta to allow the practice of spring hunting; PN MP Philip Mifsud declared that the Nationalist government had promised in writing that spring hunting is here to stay.

PN European election candidate Edward Demicoli, on the other hand, seems to have forgotten that the EU has already stopped spring hunting as from January 1, 2009 and declares himself against the practice four years late, conveniently after others stuck their necks out when the going was tough.

Mr Demicoli conveniently forgets that while AD and environmental NGOs were sticking their necks out, for five years he and his boss at MIC, Simon Busuttil, were trying to negotiate a derogation on spring hunting.

Indeed, Mr Mifsud scolds Mr Demicoli in an article in The Times (January 22) and calls the latter's statement "cheap personal political mileage" while going on to say that the Nationalist Party is in favour of hunting in spring. Paul Borg Olivier confirms this. How confusing. A clear case of the PN trying to please everyone all the time.