Hunters say democratic referendum is ‘tax’

The campaign in favour of spring hunting has described the exercise of people’s right to vote in a referendum as a “tax”.

In a statement accusing SHout of scaremongering over claims that exercising a derogation from the EU ban on hunting costs taxpayers money, the Iva movement said that it was the April referendum that was costing the public money.

“If there’s a tax the people are paying it’s this referendum, which is taking place despite the people having already voted in favour of EU membership, and the European Court of Justice’s decision on the derogation,” Iva said of Malta’s derogation from the ban on spring hunting.

Spring hunting is banned in the EU, but Malta derogates from the ban. People are being asked to vote on whether the Maltese government should keep derogating from the ban on spring hunting.

“Iva wants the ‘no’ camp to tell the public how many millions of euros are being spent to hold this referendum on just 20 days of hunting,” the yes camp said.

“We believe this referendum was started because the ‘no’ camp failed in its arguments and now the public is paying for the manoeuvres of the Green Party, to undermine the Maltese parliament and to dictate its agenda from outside.”

Over 43,000 signatures were collected from voters to ask the Electoral Commission to hold a referendum on whether the government should keep derogating from the hunting ban. The petition was accepted by the Constitutional Court, as enshrined in Maltese law.