Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/463339
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2015 15 season in itself that acts as a smoke- screen to allow these illegalities to take place…" At the same time, 'minority rights' have been very much at the fore- front of the Yes campaign. Already there are indications that there may be more to this referendum, in the minds of voters, than the sum total of the issue at hand. Is the No cam- paign concerned that people may vote on the basis of issues unrelated to hunting… that the FKNK's warn- ing of 'you could be next' may have resonated with a segment of the elec- torate? "Let's look at it another way. That the 10,000 hunters are a minority is a fact. But one can also argue that it is a minority of people who can actually go out into the countryside when the hunters are out. In reality, if you go to the Mellieha local council to get a permit to camp in L-Ahrax, they will tell you: 'not during the spring hunt- ing season.' If you try to organise an educational programme in places like Majjistral, they will tell you: 'we're not doing educational programmes, because for the last two years we had to stop them because there were hunters too close to the children'. So the minority argument, for me, does not really count in itself." What about the argument that oth- er minorities may be affected by the outcome of this referendum? "First and foremost, we are only us- ing the referendum as a tool. We did not create the referendum process. It was already there. So the outcome of the referendum doesn't make any difference to any future referenda. Whether the 'Yes' or 'No' wins, no one can guarantee that there will not be another referendum on another issue in future. Furthermore, we need to understand the legal effects of a referendum. Personally, with all due respect to the Yes movement… I tend to believe Judge Giovanni Bonello's declaration about ab- rogative referenda. In fact, even the FKNK's legal representatives have not come out and said that Judge Bonello was wrong…" Bonello argued that an abrogative referendum can only remove a law, and that there are no specific laws which can abolish a pastime if re- moved. Still, few can deny that the hunters are tapping into a psycho- logical phenomenon that may prove effective. Even if the core argument has been shattered, there may still be a negative backlash against the No campaign on the ground that it represents an attitude that seeks to limit the enjoyment of others. Is Sul- tana worried that this may affect the outcome? "Yes, I am concerned. It concerns the whole SHout campaign. The only thing that gives us hope is that the people of Malta tend to value argu- ments these days, and we intend to put forward our arguments in this campaign. I would like to give the people who may be feeling this emo- tional response you mention some pointers to think about. The real rea- son hunters want to keep hunting in spring is because they want to have the enjoyment of killing birds. Now most people would object to that; so how would I defend that position? I would try and turn it into a national issue. I would call it a 'tradition'. I would say, 'you'll be next'… but this is the approach you would normally use in a situation where you don't have solid arguments. The fear fac- tor. And yes, fear is one of the big- gest emotional factors that can sway votes…" How does the No campaign plan to counter fear? With facts, Sultana replies. "What we're trying to tell people is: get your facts straight. Any spe- cial interest group, any association practising a pastime, will have a legal advisor. Meet them. When my child is sick, I go to a doctor; I don't go to Joe Perici Calascione. When I need legal advice, I go to a lawyer. Giovan- ni Bonello has already spoken; but maybe some people might think he made a mistake. I doubt that myself; but go to your legal advisor, and ask: 'which laws, if removed, would affect our pastime?' Because the chances are, if laws are removed, their pas- time might even grow. It might not be limited any longer... because laws usually set limits on practices. In fact, an abrogative referendum cannot even be used to ban autumn hunting. It can be used, perhaps, to remove an aspect of hunting regulations, such as the afternoon curfew. But not to ban hunting altogether…" Sultana is nonetheless confident that, in this argument, the truth will prevail. "My appeal to the public is: I un- derstand the fear… but why would someone try to frighten you, unless what they are saying is not true? So find the truth; then ask yourself, but why would this lobby try to put fear in me, when there is no reason to be afraid? The reason is: because your vote would continue to give them the enjoyment of killing birds." Interview SHout campaigner MARK SULTANA outlines the main arguments in favour of a 'No' vote in the forthcoming spring hunting referendum on April 11 facts