If I were the PN, I would communicate the message differently: (a) the PN is in agreement with minority rights and these are enshrined in the Constitution and in the Declaration of Human rights;

(b) the PN agrees with spring hunting as long as it is sustainable and that protected species are not killed;

(c) it is the burden on those hunters to prove that they are a minority at law AND that hunting plus killing protected species is a fundamental human right.

I take it you expect stamp albums be subsidised.

It’s a very fair comment. I want clear statements from my politicians, not legalistic pussyfooting to avoid offending any electoral segment.

You cannot dissociate the aim of this petition from its organisers. The organisers are the hunting lobby. So we know what the real aim is.

I’m not a lawyer, so don’t expect me to think like one.

No. I signed the petition for the spring hunting referendum but not the second petition. The second petition raises the question: “what about the interests, rights and privileges of the majority”.

If the proposal in the second petition had to be adopted as a rule by Parliament (if it applies to legislation by referenda, why not to legislation by Parliament?), its effect would be that of blocking most legislation. Democracy would be transformed into a ‘Tyranny of the Minorities’.

The way to address basic individual and minority rights is by entrenching them in the constitution thus making them off limits for any legislative or political authority.

Baxxter, I think that’s an unfair comment. The hunters’ petition goes beyond hunting. It is an attack on participatory democracy. If their proposed amendment goes through it would block most requests for abrogative referenda. Most laws or policies affect the ‘interests, rights or privileges’ of some sector or other of the population.

Minorities are adequately protected against discrimination by the Maltese constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. The Referenda Act contains provisions to safeguard these rights.

I suspect that the 25,000 illiterate are amongst those who signed petition.

No Silvio. What I ask you is the following: since paedophiles and murderers are a minority group, should be fight for their rights just because they are a minority group?

Quite… so will/can these signatures be verified?