Editorial: Lobby of armed kingmakers

With less than a week to go to the polls, and with the spectre of a low turnout haunting a rather subdued electoral campaign, the hunting lobby has made its grand entrance, stepping in to endorse a number of PL candidates including Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia and hunter and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri.
Just like the government, FKNK has its own fresh blood running the cavalry, with new president Lucas Micallef showing an eagerness to feature in PL rallies and videos endorsing individual candidates.

Not only is Micallef contributing to the rebranding of the lobby of armed hunters, previously fronted by the Lino Farrugia/Joe Perici Calascione duo, but he has also taken the role of one of Labour’s main kingmakers.
There is little chance, according to surveys in the last week of the campaign, that the PN will win the election. Even so, only a small part of the hunting lobby can be expected to vote, or even consider voting PN.
This is because Labour has literally pulled all the stops to deregulate hunting as much as possible, and handed over two huge swathes of woodland to the FKNK in a scandalous decision taken behind everyone’s backs. Therefore, Labour is merely trying...