Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/825522
2 maltatoday, THURSDAY, 18 MAY 2017 News Il-politika nadifa ma tiġix mix-xejn. Ivvota AD. Labour: 'PN's animal welfare proposals already in place' TIM DIACONO IN the latest tit for tat between the two mainstream parties, La- bour said that the PN's electoral proposals on animal welfare have already been implemented by the current administration. Addressing a press conference yesterday morning, parliamen- tary secretary for animal rights Roderick Galdes questioned why the PN is proposing a cem- etery for domestic pets when the Planning Authority has already green-lighted a crematorium in Ta' Qali. He added that the PN's propos- al for the banning of shock col- lars for dogs is part of a draft law that is already being discussed in Parliament and that its proposal for stricter regulation on the im- portation and ownership of ex- otic wild animals has been part of Maltese law for over a year. Moreover, Galdes expressed his disbelief that the PN is pro- posing a national council on ani- mal welfare when such a council has been functioning for two years and that it is proposing a neutering scheme for stray dogs and cats, when such a scheme is already ongoing. As for the PN's proposals to strengthen legislation and au- thorities promoting animal welfare and launch a national campaign on animal welfare, Galdes noted that the Labour government has already updated the Animal Welfare law twice an that the Animal Welfare Com- missioner has already embarked on an awareness-raising cam- paign. The parliamentary sec- retary also dismissed as "popu- list" the PN's proposal to remove from the market all poisons and pesticides that can cause harm to animals. "The target should be the people who carry out cru- el acts on animals, and not the chemicals themselves," Galdes said. "Human medicines have sometimes been used to tor- ture animals, so should they be banned too? Simon Busuttil has no idea what he's talking about." Fgura mayor and PL candidate Byron Camilleri said that the PN's proposals prove it hadn't consulted with animal welfare NGOs, as every single animal welfare NGO is represented on the animal welfare council – that the PN is proposing. "If the PN didn't waste its four years in Opposition shouting and walking out of Parliament, then it might have been aware of the laws that passed under this government," he quipped. Roderick Galdes questioned why the PN is proposing a cemetery for domestic pets when the Planning Authority has already approved a crematorium Anti-poverty activists reform' in education, JEANELLE MIFSUD ANTIPOVERTY Forum (APF) Malta has put forward a number of proposals to the political parties ahead of the 3 June election, including "radical reforms" in educa- tion and health, aimed at "focusing on individuals in a holistic way". In a statement issued yes- terday, APF proposed a more informal and non-for- mal education, putting more focus on basic and soft skills in school syllabi. "Therefore, we need a radical reform at every level of our education- al system which is failing our students," APF said. The education system has recently come under criti- cism for practising the 'one size fits all' principle, with major reform proposed for consultation within the edu- cation ministry. Turning to the health sec- tor, APF vouched for free universal healthcare, saying that governments should shift their focus from infra- structure to "ideology". APF also spoke against the privatisation of the health sector, after three local state-run hospitals were pri- vatised year. "Whoever is involved in the health and mental health sector agrees that there should be a radi- cal reform but not privatisa- tion."