Muscat won’t reopen accession negotiations on hunting and trapping

Labour leader Joseph Muscat this evening reiterated that Maltese hunters and trappers will enjoy the same rights as their European counterparts do.

Without explaining the what and the how, Muscat said the PL had a "simple policy".

"We are members of the European Union and there will be no reopening of the Maltese accession negotiations. We have regulations to follow, which means that illegal hunting will remain illegal," he said.

"However, Maltese hunters will be treated like the rest of the hunters and trappers in the European Union. Where derogations are applicable, we will apply them."

On immigration, Muscat said that a Labour government would be "tough" with the decision makers over those regulations which don't benefit Malta.

"We will make sure to protect our rights. But, there will be no space for xenophobia or racism."

On transport, Muscat said a Labour government would continue working with public transport service provider Arriva as the problem was the way which the government planned out the routes.

Muscat was speaking during Affari Taghna, under the 'dome' in Mosta and, as expected, the topic of the evening was the PL's electoral manifesto unveiled on Wednesday.

This evening's panel was made up of former chief executive of the Social Welfare Services Foundation Joe Gerada, lawyer Ramona Frendo, sociologist Andrew Azzopardi and architect and columnist Robert Musumeci.

Muscat said the manifesto was worth three years of hard work, reiterating that it was a roadmap for the coming five years. He said the PL found it difficult to "prioritise" the ideas which would make it into the manifesto.

"We are not competing over who spends the most," he said, reiterating that the PN's programme, costed at €1.1 billion, would either break the bank, introduce new taxes or would not be fully implemented.

Muscat said that his €732 million manifesto was realistic, based on IMF and EU projections and which took into consideration the country's €5 billion debt.

PL deputy leader Louis Grech said the country did not belong to a party in government but to the citizens. "And this is reflected in the manifesto," Grech said, adding that a Labour government would be in a position to create a balance between a competitive economy that created jobs while protecting the social dimension.

"It doesn't make sense that after you bring about economic growth, you don't protect the most vulnerable... a just society."

Grech said the PL knew what its responsibilities were: "We know where we want to head to. We have the will, the determination and the ability to implement our proposals. We also have the honest relationship with the citizen."

In line with the spirit of 'testimonials under the dome' - as the weekly event is dubbed - two interventions were made. Stitching director Adrian Buckle and former PN candidate Mario Tabone Vassallo both had their say as to why they endorsed the PL manifesto.

On the other hand, the panelists gave a more general view of how the manifesto's proposals would impact the different sectors.