At the end of the day, our electorate decided, albeit with a slim majority, to retain the derogation on spring hunting.

Consequently, the spring hunting season opened on Tuesday and will end at the end of the month. Unlike previous referenda, civil society took the lead and the political class promised to take a back seat.

Both party leaders declared they would vote ‘Yes’ and would leave it up to each individual to vote as he or she wants. The Leader of the Opposition stated from the outset that he could not vote for the removal of the derogation on hunting he himself had negotiated in the run-up to EU membership. How could he not do this when there was so much at stake for Malta? The Prime Minister surprised no one when he declared he would be voting ‘yes’. After all, he had repeatedly demonstrated that he was ready to bend over backwards to secure power. He certainly crossed the red line when he tried to influence the electorate just two weeks before the referendum Did he do this out of conviction or sheer convenience as he has done over and over again since he came to power? Dr Muscat broke his promise. Dr Busuttil did not. So it will be unfair now for anyone to put both leaders in the same basket. Who was the gentleman in all this? ‘threatening’ them that this was their last chance. He would have appeared more genuine had he stayed out of the campaign and kept his word.

Undoubtedly, the referendum result needs to be analysed even by the Nationalist Party. It showed that our population did not ignore a significant environmental issue. A significant percentage of the electorate participated in this democratic exercise voting either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The close result also showed that if the majority chose to retain the derogation a large segment of the population voted to abolish it. This result should increase our resolve to put the environment very high on the agenda. A bigger effort should be made by all, including the hunters themselves, to fight illegal hunting. At the time of writing this piece, the island is still coming to terms with the shooting down of two protected species in the first three days of the spring hunting season. This shows what a huge challenge we have to eradicate illegal hunting. I still reiterate my belief that not all hunters are irresponsible persons. But the behaviour of some continues to put the whole hunting community in a bad light.

We now need to move on. After all, there are also other pressing environmental issues which should be tackled with urgency. As an alternative government, not just a party in Opposition, the Nationalist Party is determined to put the environment high on its agenda. The challenges may seem overwhelming, particularly because of this government’s poor record in this sector. Land use, air pollution, transport, groundwater, open spaces, illegal developments are but a few issues that require urgent attention, out-of-the box thinking and a lot of resolve. As we formulate future environmental policies and ideas we will be listening to what eNGOs and stakeholders have to say. Nobody will be excluded from this exercise. We want our party to be the home of those who have the environment at heart. I know that there are some who still feel that they cannot trust us basing their judgement on some decisions taken in the past that may have been questionable or even wrong. My appeal is to trust Simon Busuttil because he keeps his promises and one can certainly rely on him to keep his word.

Under Dr Busuttil’s leadership, the PN’s only ambition is to make this country a better one for all to enjoy now, and in the future.