Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/487054
maltatoday, Sunday, 29 March 2015 9 News The 'Yes to spring hunting' cam- paign insisted that a 'Yes' vote in the upcoming referendum is "a positive choice in favour of mutual respect and tolerance". "On one side, there is the respect for those who practise their recreational activity within the law, and on the other hand the elimination of a right en- joyed as an eU member state," Yes campaign spokesperson Kathleen Grima told a public dialogue session in Birkirkara. Grima, the lawyer of hunting or- ganisation FKNK, accused the 'No to spring hunting' campaign of lying and scaremongering. "They claim that spring hunting con- tributes to higher taxation, but both the application of the derogation and the enforcement during the hunting season are covered by hunting licence and other fees paid by the hunters on an annual basis," she said. "The people are still expecting the 'No' campaign to explain how much this referendum will cost the taxpayer. "The people will be paying money as a result of the extremism of the 'No' campaign that cannot come to terms with the fact that spring hunting is permissible by the european Com- mission." The truth, she claimed, is that the people are paying for the "stubborn- ness" of Alternattiva Demoktatika. "AD are pulling the strings of the 'No' campaign to impose its agenda from outside Parliament," Grima said. "Unfortunately, the 'No' campaign cannot understand the principle that one cannot eliminate a legal and le- gitimate activity just because one does not like or agree with it." SeriOUS measures must be taken to ease traffic and to reduce air and noise pollution in St Julian's and Paceville, Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola said. "St Julian's and Paceville are major tourist areas, with a high concentra- tion of traffic, and consequent air and noise pollution," Cassola said. "it is therefore imperative that serious measures are taken in order to help reduce pollution and ease the traffic gridlock." he called for the enforcement of the law that regulates noise levels al- lowed in commercial establishments and bye-laws that prevent contrac- tors from occupying pavements with their cranes for long periods of time. Julio Caruana, AD candidate for St Julian's, said that the local council must increase the number of open spaces in St Julian's, and ensure that the water in Balluta and Spinola bays remains suitable for bathing and non- polluted. "A system for the collection of run off water should be devised to prevent this from depositing all sorts of waste into the sea," Caruana said. "As an elected councillor, i will work for the implementation of an efficient collec- tion of electronic waste and of used clothes, on the model of the system successfully implemented in Attard. As regards domestic waste, more us- er friendly literature on the different types and times of waste collection should be distributed to residents." he also said that the public trans- port system should be reinforced, particularly in the spring-summer pe- riod when the tourist concentration is highest. "it is also imperative that more ticket vending machines are installed along the whole St Julian's- Sliema sea front," Caruana said. "en- suring that the St Julian's local library is made more accessible to users will also be a priority for me as an elected councillor." PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami praised the PN-majority Gharghur local council for the work it carried out during its legislature. "The Gharghur local council is a clear example of an efficient local council," Fenech Adami told a press conference at Gnien il-Paci, Ghar- ghur. "it applies for eU funds and makes use of them in the best way possible." in particular, he praised the local council for building Gnien tal-Ponti, refurbishing Gnien il-Paci, carrying out road maintenance, and employ- ing security measures for pedestrians and drivers alike. he also congratu- lated the council for organising a number of activities over the past three years and for creating a new user-friendly website. PN local council spokesman David Agius said that all local councils with a PN-majority have visibly improved their localities. "While the Labour Party enjoys a comfortable majority in these up- coming elections, the Nationalist Party is doing all it can to achieve positive results," Agius said. "indeed, all of our party candidates have been carrying out house visits so as to be closer to residents." Yes campaign insists they are 'in favour of tolerance' AD want less traffic and noise, more buses in St Julian's, law enforcement 'Gharghur council a clear example of efficiency' – Beppe Fenech Adami 'Time to stop hunters blackmailing politicians with their votes' – SHout Tim Diacono The time has come to put an end to hunters using their votes to black- mail politicians, Spring hunting Out (Shout) spokesperson Mark Sultana said. "We know that politicians want the spring hunting controversy to end once and for all," Sultana told a cam- paign event in Valletta. "Many Labour and Nationalist MPs and thousands of Labour and Nationalist voters are in fa- vour of abolishing spring hunting." he took the broadcasting authorities to task for not showing the film clips of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Op- position leader Simon Busuttil publicly declaring that civil society should take the lead in the referendum campaign. "The population is faced with a chal- lenge – to progress or to stand still," Sultana said. "We are asking the people to make a decision that, for once, is un- related to their political allegiance." he warned that a loss for the No vote would send out a signal that hunters could do whatever they please, as well as a clear message in favour of "people who want to stop the clock from turn- ing". he recounted how several different bird species had flocked to Malta to roost when the spring hunting season was closed 20 years ago, and how hunt- ers had protested in the streets and in court against the referendum. "We were called anti-democratic and intolerant, simply for wanting to hold a referendum," Sultana said. "A refer- endum is the greatest democratic right and we have the right to exercise it." he called on people who have not yet done so to collect their voting docu- ment. Mark Sultana: To progress or to stand still