So, according to the Department of Information, replying to the hunters' and trappers' federation, the government does not want to reach a situation where the European Court of Justice would fine Malta, with the fines having to be paid from the people's taxes.

How nice! If only the government were always so careful with our money. Such as in awarding the contract for the power station extension, for example. That would have saved us millions in commission and pollution. Or, to mention another example, if only the proper attention had been given to drawing up the shipyards' Fairmount contract. That would not only have saved us many, many more millions, it would also have left us with our shipyard, where there were trades which will now be lost to us forever.

But what I find extremely disturbing is the government's admission, or shall I call it "claim", that the European Union is reneging on the accession agreement.

The Department of Information said that the government is continuing with the talks so that there would be an implementation of what had been negotiated before accession.

Is the government saying that, after all its bluff about the EU, and all its praise for it, the EU is not abiding by what had been agreed? Why does the government not do something more substantial than talk, if that is the case?

We must really have sold our souls to Brussels, if we are abiding by an agreement which the EU is not honouring. I am beginning to think that, after all, the much-maligned Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici is correct.

We have enslaved ourselves to Brussels. The Nationalists attained political independence and they have also ditched it. I wonder what George Borg Olivier would say, if he were around.