Labour: ‘PN’s animal welfare proposals already in place’

The Nationalist Party’s electoral proposals on animal welfare have already been implemented by the current government, the Labour Party has said.

Addressing a press conference, parliamentary secretary for animal rights Roderick Galdes questioned why the PN is proposing a cemetery for domestic cemetery when the Planning Authority has already green-lighted a crematorium for pets in Ta’ Qali.

He added that the PN’s proposal for the banning of shock collars for dogs is part of a draft law that is already being discussed in Parliament and that its proposal for stricter regulation on the importation and ownership of exotic wild animals has been part of Maltese law for over a year.

Moreover, Galdes expressed his disbelief that the PN is proposing a national council on animal 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 authorities 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 Commissioner has already embarked on an awareness-raising campaign.

The parliamentary secretary also dismissed as “populist” 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 cruel acts on animals, and not the chemicals themselves,” Galdes said. “Human medicines have sometimes been used to torture 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.