Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/396532
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2014 10 JAM ES DEBONO NEARLY 60% approve of the government's decision to suspend Autumn hunting. The survey also shows that an absolute majority of 59% of respondents want the spring hunting referendum to be held on the same day as next year's local elections. The hunting season was sus- pended by government between 21 September and 10 October fol- lowing a spate of illegal poaching last month. The survey held among 400 re- spondents contacted over the past week also reveals that the govern- ment's abrupt decision has diso- riented a category of pro hunting Labour voters. In fact 37% of Labour voters dis- agree with the government's deci- sion to stop the season. Moreover Nationalist voters are more likely than Labour voters to support the government's decision to suspend the season. While 69% of PN voters support the government's stance, only 54% of PL voters do likewise. This suggests that demographi- cally the pro hunting lobby enjoys the support of a significant part of Labour's electorate, to the extent that nearly four in every 10 Labour voters express open disagreement with the government's decision to suspend the Autumn season. The survey shows that recent events which included a rowdy protest by hunters against the government's decision have not significantly altered voting inten- tions in a possible referendum on Spring hunting. Support for a ban on spring hunting remains the same as last month. While 49% would vote to abolish Spring hunting 34% would vote to keep spring hunting. Moreover despite the anger of the hunting community, which culminated in a protest in which the Prime Minister was the target of abuse before birdwatchers and journalists were attacked, the ma- jority of Labour voters will vote against the spring hunting ban. The survey also shows that re- spondents overwhelmingly (59%) want the spring hunting referen- dum to be held on the same day as next year's local elections. But the same survey shows a rel- ative majority (43%) favouring the postponement to 2019 of elections due in 2015 and 2017 as suggested by the government. This indicates that a significant part of the electorate has not made a link between the proposal to postpone local elections to 2019 and attempts to accommodate the hunting lobby by ensuring a stand- alone referendum. In fact when respondents were asked whether elections should be postponed to 2019, a relative ma- jority of 43% replied yes. But when asked specifically whether the referendum should be held on the same day as next year's local elections 59% replied yes. PN voters support Muscat's decision The survey shows clearly that Muscat's decision to stop the sea- son is more popular among Na- tionalist voters, 69% of whom sup- port the decision. Only 54% of PL voters support the government on this issue. The survey reveals that 37% of PL voters disagree with the gov- ernment's decision. This shows that Labour harbours a large fol- lowing of voters who sympathise with hunters to the extent that they even disagree with decisions taken by the present government when these are deemed unfair by the hunting lobby. The survey also shows massive support among university-educat- ed respondents, 86% of whom sup- port the government's decision. But support for the government's decision falls to 60% among those with a post secondary level of edu- cation and to 57% among those with a secondary education. Among those with a primary level of education, support for the government's decision falls to 49%. Majority will vote for Spring hunting ban The survey confirms a majority in favour of a ban on Spring hunt- 59% support government decision 10 mt survey Majority want Spring hunting referendum to be held with next year's local election 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Jul 2013 Jun 2014 Sep 2014 Oct 2014 PN PL Switchers All University Post-Sec Sec Primary How do you intend to vote in the spring hunting referendum? For abolition | Against abolition | Won't vote | Don't know 59.9 44.1 50.2 49.2 73.3 39.1 54.5 49.2 82.8 45.5 47.9 29.2 28.1 32.3 26.9 31.6 50.8 36.4 31.6 13.6 37.4 49.4 6.1 15 20.5 22.7 12.4 12.1 17.6 7.9 9.2 6.7 9.1 9.2 17.3 10.4 9 10 10 18.2