Next Time, we need a Free Vote!
I understand that Alliance MLA John Blair is planning to put forward a Bill to Ban the Hunting and Killing of Hare, Deer and Fox with packs of Dogs. If so, I'm sure he will have watched the recent fiasco in the Dáil with great interest. No doubt he will have paid particular attention to how the wording of the Bill in Dublin was twisted by the Pro Hunting lobby to deceive and imply that the Shooting of Foxes was also included in the Ban, which of course it wasn't, in a scurrilous attempt to mislead and garner more support from the farming / shooting community and their associates to oppose the Bill. It will therefore be vital that John is very careful with how he words his Bill, to ensure that there is no wiggle room for misinterpretation, which might allow attempts at skulduggery by pro hunt supporters. Following the vote in the Dáil, it was rather shameful to see the list of those 124 TDs who were proud to support, encourage and be seen to be associated with this quintessentia...
