Monday, 28th April 2008 - 11:01CET
Mifsud Bonnici hits out at EU, government, over hunting
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, chairman of the Campaign for National Independence (CNI), said this morning that the European Court's decision to ban spring hunting this year impinged on the good faith of the Maltese government and the European Commission in the EU membership negotiations.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici, former leader of the Labour Party, said he would not go into the merits of whether or not spring hunting should be allowed, but before the EU membership referendum, the then prime minister, Dr Gonzi as his deputy, as well as then Foreign Minister Joe Borg and then MIC chairman Simon Busuttil had officially told the people that spring hunting would be allowed even when Malta joined the EU.
Therefore, was somebody lying?
If it was the government that had been lying to the people, then the people concerned should resign. If it was the commission which had lied to the government, then something should be done to take Malta out of the EU, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, because the people had voted for accession on a package of information which included spring hunting.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the government had known for some time that the EU was going to come down on spring hunting, but it had failed to grab opportunities to insist on preserving its position. These opportunities included the negotiations and signing of the Lisbon reform treaty and the accession talks with Bulgaria and Romania.
Those opportunities could also have been used for Malta to insist that state aid to the Malta Shipyards should be allowed, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said.
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Comments
CHICKENS AND RABBITS ARE DOMESTIC BREED FOR MEAT AND FOR ONE EATEN 2 ARE REPLACED
NO HUNTER HAS EVER REPLACED ANY OF THE BIRDS HE KILLED.
However please do not go on twisting this issue .. it is not about hunters. It is about the fact that EFA and Laurence Gonzi did not tell the truth .. and we all know this!
i guess that you did not learn one of the most important lessons from the EU; 'Respect for the minorities'.......and this respect should go for any type of minority!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, no EU information desk should have misinformed people in order to achieve its own means.
Please help protect chickens and rabbits now too, since you seem to have the same level of eloquence!
Also where do you people get figures? 96% are these the people you asked to vote on The Times website? Other antis from other countries? this would have been considered treason in past times!
anyway spring hunting may have been stopped for the time being, but responsible hunting per se will continue since this is a perfectly acceptable passtime where real hunters take pleasure in taking a couple of birds home for a traditional meal.
you surely would not understand or appreciate since you clearly have no concept of reality!
To hell with other benefits coming from the EU like e855 million, like conforming our laws to the EU's and to having a voice in the 27 nation union rather than a donkey's bray from nowhere.
The accession treaty included a clause that said, 'Malta may apply for a spring hunting derogation' and it may have been interpreted wrongly as some kind of a guarantee.
Moreover, is the opinion of over 90% of the Maltese population, worthless?
Maybe the other 10% should join Dr. KMB and his CNI.
The EU forced the government to do what 96 percent of the Maltese wanted.
I feel that it would be more appropriate and polite if foreigners inform themselves well before interfering in our culture and tradition. I would, personally, refrain from commenting on other countries' businesses as this is quite unethical. It is bad enough having foreigners policing our countryside under the pretext of birdwatching. So please, there is a limit!
How about that?
Finally, now we can start getting some overdue things done!
It could be true that the strength of the euro against the USD is holding us together and with less burden relating to inflation especially regarding Fuel Prices.
It could be true that the unity with the Super State of EU is favouring commerce and reducing some red-tape.
But as I said (wrote) before - Was it all worth it ?
I might have taken the bad medicine on the first instance and could be in for more when the real case gets underway but all the diversity and cultural conservation the EU boasts is just a pile of crap used as a punchline to obtain credits. This is just one big mockery which is effecting me and other fellow hunters. I wish, for the country, that this was the end of it but after what I`ve seen it surely will not.
You can mention the monetary aids from the EU but what does it matter if you loose your freedom. You call it freedom to kill birds - so what - its what they agreed to in the first place !!
Next time it could be the freedom to walk on your beloved front or park your car in front of home.
One would expect responsible individuals to tackle facts immaterial from whom they come. However no one has as yet tried to explain why the hunting lobby were taken for a ride by persons holding high positions in the country. The yes majority for the referendum was based on promises made to hunters. If these knew the truth, the hunters who voted yes would definitely have refrained from doing so. In my humble opinion I believe that the referendum result is null and void.
I personally do not agree that responsible spring hunting should be abolished but that is beyond the point.
The real question now should be what other issue will the EU decide to change?
" On the other hand, there were areas where different Maltese groups held opposing views. Perhaps the best example of this concerns the hunting and trapping issue and the conflicting views of the hunters and environmentalists. It was clearly necessary for us to find a solution that was fair to both sides, as well as to the rest of the population. The result is that hunting and trapping will certainly not be abolished – contrary to what was said in certain quarters. Moreover, they will be practised in a sustainable and responsible manner."
To quote Dr. Lawrence Gonzi - " Nixtieq inkun naf minn dahak b'minn"
Any further comment is superflous...
what a shame that the nationalists, have always lied to all hunters and trappers.
people like eddie fenech adami and the likes are traitors to all maltese and gozitans.
Certainly for KMB, this would be ideal - bringing Malta out of the EU and allowing Malta to revert back to the Dark Ages, when people such as Dom Mintoff and himself, ruled without any limitations. But thank goodness, even if things are not at their optimum, at least, such a possibility is remote with Malta within - and not under - the EU.
I am sure that not even Labour would agree with KMB on this matter - no wonder that he is completely side-lined, never mentioned.
I am sorry: but it is simply impossible to try and imagine our country out of the EU - and what for? Simply because some Maltese citizens want to carry on shooting and trapping birds.
Let's stop being ridiculous.
The EU decision is a blessing to Malta. The hunters will have to be patient and accept that the majority of the Maltese want the ban on spring hunting.