Under the Hot Sun even Umbrella Parties Wilt

The MEP election run is still in low gear yet the Great Umbrella Party of Priests and Liberals is already beginning to feel the heat. Of course I am referring to none other than the Party that tries to please all and whose hodge-podge of conveniently chosen principles and promises should be entitled The Great Oxymoron of Conflicting Truths for the Gullible Voter and Fanatic Supporter. Now I can truly understand why erstwhile commentators so firmly believe that the PN is truly a liberal party albeit in cassock and sandals.

I’m sorry but the Chinese-like manner of naming things can be infectious and ever since I read of GonziPN’s renaming of the National Library as the National Palace of New Thinking I am on a roll. That is not what I am here to talk about however. I am here to show you why it is still difficult to please all of the people all of the time or – as I wrote some days ago – why you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

So back to Edward Demicoli. The brave young turk took a stand on hunting. Against it he was and convincedly so. He is one of the kings’ men in a race for MEP running on a PN ticket to join that other Great Umbrella in Europe known as the PP. Someone else who had sheltered under the same Great Umbrella (the national one) in an earlier race held last year was irked by Ed’s position vis-a-vis all things hunting. Here’s what a local newspaper reported (my underlining):

Nationalist MP Philip Mifsud had confirmed with the party’s general secretary that the PN had not changed its stand on spring hunting before writing an article criticising his own party’s MEP candidate Edward Demicoli. Mr Mifsud yesterday wrote in The Times criticising Mr Demicoli’s categorical stand against spring hunting, accusing him of “compromising” the party to “gain some personal political mileage”.

It transpired that PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier was aware of the bad vibe Mr Demicoli’s declaration created among Nationalist hunters. Mr Mifsud was elected for the first time to Parliament in the last election from the seventh district, a hotbed for hunters and trappers.

“I am not contesting whether Mr Demicoli is right or wrong on the issue but as a party we promised hunters and trappers that we will defend their right to spring hunting and we have to keep it. The article was my personal reaction but it also reflected that of my constituents,” Mr Mifsud said when contacted yesterday. He said constituents were annoyed by Mr Demicoli’s declaration that he will work to stop spring hunting.

Ouch. So in other words are we to understand that the Nationalist Party has a clear policy to protect the right to spring hunting? Are we Paul? If so, then aren’t we in a bit of a quandary when we choose to vote for Ed Demicoli come June? Will Ed toe the party line or stand up for his admirable principle? This is what Ed thinks:

“I believe everybody is entitled to his opinion so I will not dwell on the article. What is important is that people have a right to know who they are voting for and how they are going to be represented. I have made my personal opinion against spring hunting and on several other issues clear. Now it will be up to the people to decide come June”

Of course you are entitled to an opinion you schmuck (and I say schmuck lovingly and in a very friendly manner)… sadly the voter is also entitled to know whether you will be voting according to your conscience or in line with the latest dictat from Gonzi’s PN. Somehow I get the feeling that this umbrella business can be very unwieldy – to the point that the PN might leave it up to the ECJ to decide its policy on hunting:

Contacted yesterday, Dr Borg Olivier confirmed the version of facts as given by Mr Mifsud. Dr Borg Olivier said the PN’s position on hunting and trapping is “the same as that negotiated and agreed by the government with the EU and is part of the Accession Treaty”. The interpretation of this position is now subject to a case before the European Court of Justice, Dr Borg Olivier added.

Eh? Trust me when I say this… nowhere in the remit of the ECJ is there written that it is bound to interpret the position on hunting and trapping of any umbrella party. If the PN cannot be clear, black on white, where it stands then I am sorry for candidates with balls and guts like Ed Demicoli but voters cannot really afford to throw their ballot in favour of an umbrella that will fly off with the first gust of wind….

When the sun shines, we’ll shine together
Told you I’ll be here forever
Said I’ll always be a friend
Took an oath, I’ma stick it out till the end

Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we’ll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella

(Ella ella, eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(Ella ella, eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(Ella ella, eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(Ella ella, eh eh eh, eh eh eh)

This post also appears in the Malta Chronicle.

That Governmental Schizophrenia

or god of two-faced cock-ups

When a party has been in government for two long it runs the risk of developing a multiple personality or schizophrenia. None of the two conditions are ideal for the general well being of the party.

Whether it is suffering hallucinations of being “holier than the pope” or “more liberal than a brothelkeeper in Soho” the Nationalist party’s multiple facet often boils down to trying to please all of the people all of the time.  I do recall an old hand at the PN works in my time who listed Bob Marley as one of his firm favourites. Sadly the person in question passed away so I am not sure whether there is anyone left in Pietà who can sing: “You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”.

Unless of course the “you” in question has sufficient masks to make us believe that  “you” and “you” are not the same person. Take Mater Dei for instance. It was inaugurated in all pomp and circumstance last year (that’s less than 12 months ago) by the Nationalist Party in Government (N-PiG for short). A few months down the line Social Policy Minister brought back from the dead in one of those N-PiG transformation moments is announcing “a revolution” at Mater Dei. The N-PiG will tackle the problem of long waiting lists for operations.

It takes a big big party to be able to be the problem and solution in one. It takes a huge huge party to not notice it. In a way it’s a bit like the fat fat man who cannot see his own private parts whenever he goes to take a leak – most times he might end up making a mess.

Then there is the Edward Demicoli (MEP hopeful) business. Sure the hunters are generally pains in the arse and sure, J’accuse cannot wait to see their sport banned because like bull-fighting and fox-hunting it is as anachronistic as someone riding a penny-farthing. Sure all of that and more. Yet they are not the only ones in this business to fall short of making sense to the reasonable voter.

The pre-EU referendum descriptions given by MIC in order to please the hunting community are documented. There might have been a legitimate expectation that the EU might give in to the whole Spring Hunting thingy but then again any mind worth its salt might have foreseen the difficulty of gettng away with it – you just had to read the law innit? Let’s just say that a more cautious explation would have been more appropriate.

So what happened? I do not blame Ed Demicoli who is quite a hard-working individual. An employee of MIC he was and there is no doubt at whose bidding he was working. The plan was one – please everybody now… talk later. A bit like putting your weight behind a tearful JPO … at least until the elections. It all boils down to one thing I’m afraid.. you cannot trust anything the Nationalists promise you before an election. Their credibility is fast whithering away with the JPOs, the false assessments on electoral weights and voting, and environmental promises in public while promising away pieces of seashore to the biggest lobby group….

We might have been out on a news-commenting slowdown… but we have noticed this and more. Remember… you can fool some of the people some of the time…. but j’accuse ain’t some of the people is he?

The Times (UK) Editorial

Ladies and Gentlemen, in case you have not noticed Malta is getting its fair bit of coverage on the illustrious Times (de Londre). An article and a third of the editorial dedicated to isle of milk and honey. Surely the MTA must be proud of such advertising!

The Editorial:

Fowl Play: Malta’s annual slaughter of migrating birds must be halted

The ritual massacre claims thousands every year: finches, quails and turtle doves, as well as kestrels, owls, marsh harriers and lesser spotted eagles – rare birds whose feathered beauty enchants millions in their native habitats. Each spring, as they undertake the long migration to their northern nesting places, they fly into the merciless gunfire of men who kill for sport – “hunters” who claim the slaughter as cultural observance.

Key migration routes across the southern Mediterranean have long posed the greatest threat to some of the rarest and loveliest species as marksmen in Italy, Cyprus and Lebanon compete each spring to bag the greatest number of migrating birds. Ornithologists and environmentalists have gradually succeeded in tightening European Union laws to force a halt to this pointless sport, though resistance in France and Italy remains strong. But Malta, one of the newest EU members, remains a blackspot. With more than 16,000 registered hunters out of a population of 400,000, the spring shoot is so ingrained that Malta pressed, disgracefully, for an opt-out in 2004. This is now being challenged in the European Court of Justice on the ground that hunters still shoot birds in the autumn on their way back from breeding – when not only quails but also swallows, warblers, osprey, purple herons and bitterns stand a chance of being gunned down.

A total ban is essential. Whatever the national culture, the fowls of the air belong to all nations. Urbanisation, loss of habitat and modern farming threaten millions of birds. Diversity must not be reduced further by gratuitous gunfire.

The Article:

Bird Hunters become the hunted in battle to halt migration massacre*

David Charter in Brussels and Austin Sammut in Valletta

Hunters who are willing to defy an international ban and shoot thousands of birds as they migrate from Africa to mainland Europe are being confronted by furious bird lovers in Malta. The Mediterranean island is a stopover for more than 100 species heading for northern nesting sites — oblivious to the local obsession for blasting birds out of the sky or trapping them under nets.

Malta has more than 16,000 registered hunters out of a population of 400,000 — by far the highest proportion in Europe — who regard the spring shoot as a part of island culture under threat from outsiders. They are especially angry this year because of a European Union attempt to silence their guns for ever at the European Court of Justice, viewed as the betrayal of a hunting concession to Malta when it joined the EU in 2004.

As hunting gets under way, the tension has increased further, with volunteer ornithologists arriving to monitor what they say is an annual massacre. According to International Animal Rescue Malta, last year gunmen claimed thousands of finches, quail and turtle doves as well as kestrels, hobbies, honey buzzards, owls, marsh harriers and a rare lesser spotted eagle.

Lino Farrugia, the president of the Maltese association that supports the hunt, said that it had been “instilled in the Maltese for generations” and there was little understanding of this. “I can assure you that the tension here is very high,” he said.

Mr Farrugia has called for calm after a couple of ugly incidents last year, including one alleged gunshot wound to a local ornithologist and the setting alight of several observers’ cars. “We know they \ are organising a camp this spring and we are trying to prevent confrontation,” he said. “It is not a birdwatching activity, it is a manhunt.”

Despite a general EU ban on shooting migrating birds before they can breed, the Maltese hunters argue that they have an opt-out allowing them to bag turtle doves and quail. For four years their Government has backed them but this year it has not opened the hunting season formally while the European Court of Justice decides whether the opt-out is legal.

The EU argues that, while an opt-out was discussed in 2004, Malta did not qualify because birds could still be shot on their way back in the autumn after breeding. An interim court order outlawing the spring shoot could be issued by the end of this week.

Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: “From our perspective, Malta has been contravening European law ever since they acceded to the EU. This has cost the lives of many tens of thousands of birds and makes them the villains of Europe when it comes to bird protection because it is one of the key migration points across the Mediterranean.

“They want to be able to shoot turtle doves and quail but many birds like swallows, warblers, osprey, honey buzzards, marsh harriers, purple herons and bitterns also stand a chance of being gunned down. Hunters have taken to hiring boats to shoot birds out of the sky over the sea before they reached the island.”

Across the 124sq miles (320sq km) of Malta, some hunters have already started shooting and many more are likely to defy a ban, arguing that their traditions are misunderstood.

Alfred Zammit, 63, said: “I could tell you it’s the thrill of the chase, the feeling of being at one with nature, the hope and happiness or disappointment at the day’s outcome, the pleasure of working my dogs, the satisfaction of providing wild fare — and you would still not have understood, unless you are a hunter yourself.

“Quite simply, it is a way of life. For the real hunters the hunt fills practically every moment of their lives, including their dreams.”

Fox-hunting anyone?

* Note the article titles are taken from the Print version.

Bang! Bang! They Vote Him Down

Cometh the election, cometh the hunter. What has finally become an endangered species of its own right still numbers 17,816 voters of its own. Or at least that is what the Hunter’s Federation claimed today. Now we do get the feeling that public interest in the number of hunters is mostly based on the hope that such number begins to dwindle in proportional amount to the increase in the number of visiting wingèd beasts all year round. We all know however that the reason for this sudden flurry of statistical activity by the hunters’ lobby is to corrupt the incorruptible politicians vying for a place in the parliament. The HF went so far as to break down its membership district by district announcing that Gozo is its strongest hold with around 3,000 votes.

The hunters have laid down their trap and are now whistling through their whistles trying to attract their victims using the only bait they can think of. The whistle is supposed to lure those fat birds used to opportunistically pander to their needs in times of vote grabbing battles. In doing so the fat birds also tend to ignore the fact that when asked the question, close to 90% of the electorate (Times Sample) felt that the government should stop spring hunting without waiting for a definite no-no from the EU.

But that is the problem isn’t it. The antics and delay tactics of the present government, the enigmatic promises of the potential government in opposition and the charade of derogation that has gone on until now only serve to give the 17,000 hunters hope. They still think that they can shake the electorate with the rattle of a gun and the daubing of some paint here and there. When they are really called to make their vote count in their own name they cannot go beyond the measly 3,000 votes (see EP elections). We get that. Most people get that. Do the MLPN get that? The dragging and shuffling of feet and hiding behind the Commission’s back does not point in that direction.

Methinks that every budding MP has his kacca gear hidden somewhere in the back of his closet… just in case it has to make a token appearance to grasp for those last few votes. In the meantime the job of introducing proper environmental measures that stop irresponsible hunting is left to intelligent voters who use their vote wisely… as in the case of joining the EU – voting in the right institutions, and in some cases representatives, who can be trusted to do the job that has been long left on the back burner.

One question I have is… do the hunters see the MLP as a solution to their woes? If so why? Has MLP promised them a return to better hunting days? It’s a genuine question. I need info as to whether MLP has a concrete policy on hunting. Preferably without references to PN. We know where PN stand. It’s somewhere between an EU Commissioner’s back and the bench of judges at the ECJ. What we need to know is where MLP stand on this one. Pronto.

Goodwill Hunting (No Legal Comment)

Maltarightnow report the latest phase in the Spring Hunting saga. The Commission decides to request interim measures before the European Court of Justice against Malta’s Spring Hunting policy. The Nationalist government had remained adamant that it would keep spring hunting open for all the hunting enthusiasts. The nationalist media now feign surprise at the Commission decision to come down heavily on a government whose hands are tied.

“Il-Kummissjoni Ewropea qalet ukoll li se titlob lill-Qorti Ewropea biex, sakemm tinqata’ l-kawża, l-Qorti toħroġ mandat ta’ inibizzjoni biex il-Gvern Malti – lanqas jekk irid – ma jkunx jista’ jiftaħ l-istaġun tal-Kaċċa fir-Rebbiegħa li ġejja. Il-Qorti Ewropea mistennija tiddeċiedi jekk il-Gvern Malti jiftaħx l-istaġun tal-Kaċċa fir-Rebbiegħa qabel id-data tal-ftuħ ta’ l-istaġun li jmiss, jiġifieri sa Marzu.”

Should the European Court of Justice decide in the Commission’s favour (and I am precluded from commenting any further on the legal aspect of the issue) the decision would be a boon to the PN government (or so they think). Faced with the ire of thousands of hunters, the government can easily claim “It wasn’t me – it was the Commission”.

On the one hand I am happy I voted to get into the EU – without which we would still have Maghtab Mountain, many more bumpy roads, and possibly (depending on how this case goes) still more hunting (among other things of course). On the other it’s disgusting that the most europhile of parties needs to use this oldest of tactics within the multi-level governance system to shield itself from the anger of a part of the electorate it could never control.

The fact that such action will increase the hatred and mistrust of the EU among those groups that are not sufficiently informed on the issue is once again considered collateral damage that is worth paying for. Or at least so they think.

Incidentally in case you were wondering how much public opinion counts on this issue take a look at the current Times poll. Out of the 1979 persons who had voted by this morning, 91.4% believed the government should fall in line with EU insistence not to open the spring hunting season. Not exactly a proper survey but hey, 91.4%???

And is the government falling in line. Not of it’s own accord it isn’t? It will wait for the slap on the hand from the EU (if it comes) and then seem to be resigned to complying. And come the next election after this, when the storm has abated, they will be claiming to be the greenest of parties having stopped spring hunting.

I just hope the government doesn’t take to playing poker… bluffing is not exactly it’s game.

What kind of democracy is this when a government can be so confident to defy public opinion … and rest assured that the votes will still come its way come election time?

Ah well… it’s either us strong decision makers or waste your vote.