Antillian Parliament Thread

[Insula Dei]

Mr. De Bruijn

Gentlemen,

If Mr. MacPherson truly believes that a steady link with the mainland will not influence the integration of the Pitfarrian economy into our general economy, he must be very misguided indeed. In addition to that, I feel secure that the commission to be formed will repeat what I also said when simmilar proposals were on the table back in 2001, id est that the financial cost of this project will be compensated by the general growth of the aforementioned Pitfarrian economy.

Thank you.

[Elyski]

x- Peter Kuzel

[lilTommy]

Mr Bastian De Wilde
Speaker, Honorable Members...

To continue this debate, the Cooperatives propose that this government, and thus the Antillan people profit from this venture to the utmost. Meaning the ownership of said tunnel High Speed Rail link should lay in the hands of the state owned corporation, RailAntilla. To encourage Private sector growth as well we believe this is a perfect opportunity to work with partners from private rail industry to find a common end.
Our proposal would have RailAntilla build the link, and then lease the use of the Rail link to a) a single private partner or b) multiple partners in a competitive process.

This also leads me off topic some, but addresses comments made by my colleague Mr Harlow. We here do believe indeed that air travel, in its current state is far to expensive and pollutant and thus, like the gas-engine auto, and industry we should not promote as a viable island wide travel option. So we feel this link, as well as greater investment in our Ferry industry will both prove to be economic engines and an advancement towards a more sustainable island.

I yield my time...

[ChairmanSanchez]

Ian Harlow


Mr. De Wilde
Is the ecological concerns of the nation, more important the speedy communication between our citizens? First, this government promises to throw the Ferrymen who serve the Firth under the Bus, and then, condemn the pilots, and automobile drivers? I love Antilla dearly. I love our environment, and just like you, Mr. De Wilde, I am committed to keeping it. But, where do we draw the line?

[Insula Dei]

Achilles De Bruijn

Mr. Harlow,

Could I just remind you of the fact that we are, indeed, debating this issue on the instigation of the PNF? The Government does not have an official line on the issue as of yet.

Thanks.

[lilTommy]

Mr Bastian De Wilde

To my colleague Mr Harlow, i understand the idea of nation building through government investment might be a foreign concept to the Patriots but the state at is more often then not best equipped to save economies after being ravaged by right-wing corporate greed... (pause for cheers and desk thumbing from the Cooperative caucus)...
More to your point, Antillans are tired of being fed the falsities that they "can have their cake and eat it too", Cooperatives believe that a society shift needs to occur to save our beloved land, and the shift starts with the truth! Mr Harlow, please note that i mentioned gas-engine automobile, this party has been pushing for an expansion to investment in mass production of alternates like electric and fuel cell for years. Not to dwell but experience as the Kristiana  government proved that moving away from building cities, and revolving our lives around the auto, we can grow and diversify economies thru livable, local pedestrian community, extensive rail transit, parks and localized farms... something the Nation needs to start doing.

To answer your question... "where do we draw the line", the answer is... Nowhere

(the Cooperative Causes rises and cheers....
Speaker: Order members... Order!

[Χahar]

x Marcus Davenport

[ChairmanSanchez]

Mr Ian Harlow leaves the Chamber for a smoke, clearly defeated.

[Sibboleth]

Mr Iorweth Roberts

Point of Order, Mr Speaker. Could a window be opened? Because all the hot air being spouted in the Chamber is making breathing quite uncomfortable.

[Senator Barnes]

Mr Christian Søndergaard

(Shouting from the back of the chamber) Mr Speaker, maybe if Mr Roberts took a trip to the Pitfarrian mountains he'd be able to cool down, and possibly learn to appreciate Pitfarris for it's full worth!

Mr Speaker
Order! The gentleman will sit down!

[Χahar]

Mr Marcus Davenport

If certain members from Pitfarris wish to promote tourism to that island, they may do so in their own legislature. This is not the appropriate venue for nationalist bloviating.

[lilTommy]

Bastian De Wilde

Mr Davenport, if Pitfarris HAD their own assembly, indeed if all the Regions had their own assembly's, perhaps thats where this chatter could happen.

OOC - i believe we established that Pitfarris did not have a devolved level of government yet, correct?

[Insula Dei]

OOC - I believe we actually sort of did.

[lilTommy]

OOC - Gotcha... so lets say i said instead:

Mr Davenport, tourism can indeed be a national issue... especially if Pitfarris wishes to see any money for programs come from the National government.

[afleitch]

Mr Anders MacPherson

Gentlemen, may I ask you to stay on track. No pun intended.

[Insula Dei]

Mr. De Bruijn

Mr. Speaker,

It appears that there is a broad consensus among the major parties in this House that Mr. MacPherson's proposal should be put before the Public Works commitee, where it will be judged on its merits and, quite probably, be passed back to us in its final form. As it happens, this would be my advice on the matter as well.

[lilTommy]

Speaker: As the Matter has been referred to Committee, is their new business for the house? The Speaker recognizes Mr Bastian De Wilde, Cooperative.

Mr Bastian De Wilde

Thanks you Mr Speaker, I would like the government to comment on the recent Debt crisis facing many European countries, in particular Greece. This is a worrying and troubling event of epic perportions that many of our European partners are demanding Greece adopt fiscal policies, these same policies of privatization and deregulation that led to the recession that the world is suffering through in the first place.

The Assembly has yet to be informed on what role, if any, Antilla has played in emergency financing of loans to Greece? Does the governments support of such force austerity in the rest of Europe mean these programs will soon see the light of day at home.

I strongly recommend that Assembly debate any involvement in the euro-zone debt program.

Thanks you, i yield my time.
 

[Sibboleth]

Mr Iowerth Roberts

I had assumed that this was common knowledge but I can confirm to the Mr De Wilde that Antillia was not involved in the financing of any loans to Greece. There are two reasons for this: the first is that we are, of course, not members of the European Union. The second is that our own financial position is far too parlous to even think about bailing out other countries; I remind members that we were very fortunate to avoid being caught in a similar situation to that of Iceland.

[lilTommy]

Mr Bastian De Wilde

I would like to thank Mr Roberts for his response, and its never healthy to assume anything now is it my colleagues. As the Assembly is well aware we opposed EU membership in the last referendum and still do to this day, the Greece situation being a perfect example of why there is no benefit to this country.
I think this country does indeed owe a debt of gratitude to the MacDougal/Houstman governments... who governed in coalition with our predecessors, for their steadfast rejection of the Icelandic and Irish model of deregulation. Yes, i did just indeed thank the SPP for a job well done, i might be fiercely leftist but i will give credit where credit is due.
I was a meer youth, passionate even then, in the days of the Wanbeck government, but i knew then their policies of privatization and deregulation were wrong and I marched and protested in the streets, helping to shut down the Exchange District and the Ports in Kristiana. Those successful National strikes and civic protests are something i do not want to see again. So we in the Cooperatives are looking for commitment from the SPP that the EU pushed policies will not be in consideration as public policy.

Thanks you

[Insula Dei]

Mr. De Bruijn

Our financial situation clearly is fundamentally sound and, barring unforeseen events, we should get trough the current crisis with very little to no problems, gentlemen, as has been said repeatedly in this house over the last 3 to 4 years. We all know that what has to be done immediately when we have the opportunity to do so, is to reduce our national debt, and to reduce the proportion of our national debt that's in the hands of foreign investors and banks. To that end we don't need to do anything beyond maintaining the intelligent and rational financial policies of the current government.

[ChairmanSanchez]

Ian Harlow


Mr. De Bruijn is absolutely right, we must reduce the debt, very, very soon.

[lilTommy]

Bastian De Wilde (since Stella Brunn-Bailey is still in debate)

I agree, as stated before, that thanks the previous SPP coalitions we are indeed on sound footing but i must disagree with my fellow colleagues Mr. De Bruijn or Mr Harlow on the state of the economy as where to proceed from here. The Cooperatives support paying off the debt but at this time, with the economy stagnant, we should not be increasing the amount of debt payments we are making.
With our own economy barely moving and Europe and America in financial uncertainty we must look to infrastructure investments, strategic partnerships and selective tax incentives to boost economic activity. We feel the best use of Government resources should be to help diversify and move our economy to be less dependant on external forces.
To my colleagues, if the government proceeds to increase the debt repayment, what will you cut to make this happen? who will suffer now?

[Sibboleth]

Mr Iorwerth Roberts

It occurs to me that this bridge proposal is also relevant to the issue of the economy. Even in the short-run it would create a lot of jobs in the construction industry, many of them on the Adland peninsular (which is, of course, an official Depressed Area). The long-term benefits would also be substantial. Set against that, what does the cost matter?

[afleitch]

Mr Anders MacPherson, rising

Does Mr Roberts feel his party can take on the ferrymens unions who will undoubtedly be opposed to this plan?

[lilTommy]

Mr Bastian De Wilde

I would like to state that we agree with the idea that the Tunnel, again we do not support the proposal for a bridge and again only support a rapid rail tunnel link in order to continue to support the ferrymen... but the idea that this will be a short term economic boom for a depressed area in both Adland Peterford and Bergenshire Pitfarris is one we should continue to pursue.

Mr MacPherson, the Cooperatives have a very close relationship with the Ferrymen union and we have heard their cries, we feel the restrictions placed on this Tunnel being only a trail link will temper their opposition, which as in our discussion with their executive, since the ferry system is also something we should look at improving and investing in. As Cooperatives we do not believe in putting the Unions against one another when all can benefit.