From electoral victory to smear campaign

Barely had Alicia Bugeja Said been re-elected before she debased herself by making false, unsubstantiated claims about an environmental NGO, the Malta Rangers Unit.

She said, with no evidence whatsoever, that the Malta Rangers Unit “invaded private property”.  She even claimed she had “seen instances” of this. That was just a big fat lie.

Why smear an environmental NGO when you’ve just been voted back in to represent all your constituents?  Why would a former Animal Rights parliamentary secretary slander the Malta Rangers Unit, who spent effort and time trying to prevent environmental crimes and monitor protected areas?

Why would a newly re-elected MP choose to foment lies about volunteers who have already been subjected to hostility, abuse and violent threats?

Bugeja Said’s supporters had been celebrating her electoral victory.  Their idea of celebration consisted of insulting the Malta Rangers Unit and Birdlife by driving their massive truck festooned with Bugeja Said’s banner with a wheelie rubbish bin labelled “Rangers” and “Birdlife” tied to the back of their truck.

Bugeja Said was challenged on the inappropriateness of her victory celebration truck insulting the two environmental NGOs in such poor taste. Instead of politely commenting that she disagreed with such antics, she leapt to the defence of her supporters.

“Everyone is free to express their thoughts,” she said. “I think that yesterday’s celebrations were not meant to offend anyone”.

She went one step further.  She voiced her support for hunters – a key component of Labour’s electoral victory, and Bugeja Said’s too.

She had been fostering close relationships with hunters and their federation, the FKNK, for years. She comes from a family of hunters herself, and she has never hidden her close affinity for hunters and her support for hunting and trapping.

As early as 7 March 2022, just days before the general elections, Bugeja Said uploaded a Facebook post with a clip of her meeting with the FKNK.  She said, “I have always insisted that hunters and trappers should be heard”.

She was accompanying then-Labour Party President Ramona Attard and trapper minister Clint Camilleri to canvass the hunting and trapping vote.  Leaving nothing to the imagination, Bugeja Said told FKNK, “With your trust on 26 March (the day of the 2022 elections), I will keep fighting for the needs of those who have a hobby”.

The first comment came from Ninu Baldacchino: “Well done Alicia – fight for us”.  Bugeja Said promptly replied, “We’ll keep working for Maltese hobbies”.

On 26 June 2024, Bugeja Said was again ingratiating herself with the hunting lobby.  She uploaded a photo of herself surrounded by hunters.

She announced: “Yesterday I handed out prizes to a number of dogs during the hunting dogs show at the Imnarja celebrations organised by FKNK… how beautiful it is to enjoy and acknowledge the animals we love so much”.

Presumably, Bugeja Said’s love extends to the dogs who chase after and bite into wild rabbits and other dogs who fetch birds shot down by their owners, but not to those same rabbits or birds slaughtered by her most loyal supporters.

In April 2022, just weeks after she was first appointed Parliamentary Secretary responsible for animal rights, Bugeja Said enthusiastically welcomed the news that a court had turned down a request by Birdlife to issue an injunction to stop turtle dove hunting.

Just a few years earlier, the European Commission had threatened legal action against Malta if turtle dove hunting continued, since the species was considered vulnerable.  But Labour was much obliged to the hunting and trapping lobby for their vocal support and enthusiastic vote mobilisation.  So Labour opened the spring hunting season and granted hunters the right to kill turtle doves and quail.

Birdlife tried to stop them. When the court turned down Birdlife’s request, Bugeja Said couldn’t contain her joy – and made sure the trappers and hunters she’d met weeks before the elections knew she was on their side.  She wanted to make sure FKNK clearly understood that although she was now parliamentary secretary for animal rights, she wasn’t going to defend any feathered animals from the leaden massacre her loyal hunters had in store for them.

Bugeja Said’s support for hunters and trappers hasn’t wavered since. So it came as no surprise that she spared herself no embarrassment to defend her loyal friends when they chose to mock the rangers and Birdlife with their garbage bin.

Labour has a long history of an incestuous relationship with FKNK. It’s defied the European Commission several times to appease hunters and trappers. And it’s made no secret of its efforts to circumvent European law to benefit them.

But Bugeja Said chose to accuse the Malta Rangers Unit of breaking the law.  At the same time, Labour has agreed to reduce penalties and even reverse lifetime bans for those hunters and trappers who have truly broken the law.

Bugeja Said said she had personally “seen instances of rangers invading private property”.   The MRU wasted no time rubbishing the claim.

Her reckless, unfounded allegations against the rangers only embolden those who harass, intimidate, and abuse those who reveal abuse of the law. Through her falsehoods, Bugeja Said has endangered their safety.

It’s bad enough that the former Parliamentary Secretary for animal rights takes the side of those who slaughter animals rather than the animals she’s meant to protect. Her attacks on environmentalists put her suitability to sit in parliament, let alone at the cabinet table, in serious question.

MRU shouldn’t let this go, for everybody’s sake.  If Bugeja Said fails to apologise and retract her slanderous statement they should pursue her in court. It’s high time elected officials were held accountable for their recklessness.