NE2: Stand with the Kurds Act (Passed)

[Blair]

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Sponser: Blair, I have 36 hours to advocate this bill

[Blair]

I proposed this bill to really confirm what TNF was saying in the Senate, his original bill has got clogged down and been virtually stripped of any value before Bore managed to get the PKK mentioned in it again.

I don't want to deal with IS or domestic terror in this bill, purely because it's a different subject and I feel the bill I proposed already came close to breaking the idea that we leave foreign policy to the Senate. Clyde, I encourage you to propose something in the legislation thread then we can discuss it further

[Blair]

I don't want to deal with IS or domestic terror in this bill, purely because it's a different subject and I feel the bill I proposed already came close to breaking the idea that we leave foreign policy to the Senate. Clyde, I encourage you to propose something in the legislation thread then we can discuss it further

I'll wait for the currently proposed bills to be voted on before proposing something else. Also, I can completely understand separating the two issues.

Feel free to post it in here, we often have a backlog

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=127652.600

[Blair]

Correct, we cannot be making foreign policy decisions.

This bill, however, simply confirms our solidarity, as an Assembly, with the Kurds in their struggle against ISIS.  That has my full support.

One point of clarification, regarding the flying of the Kurdish flag on a designated day, I assume this means on one designated day, and not on an annual basis.  Is that correct?

Yes, it would be on a designated day this year, and not an annual basis. This would be open for review, but if we make it annual then we're going to have to get 365 different flags

[Blair]

Correct, we cannot be making foreign policy decisions.

This bill, however, simply confirms our solidarity, as an Assembly, with the Kurds in their struggle against ISIS.  That has my full support.

One point of clarification, regarding the flying of the Kurdish flag on a designated day, I assume this means on one designated day, and not on an annual basis.  Is that correct?

Yes, it would be on a designated day this year, and not an annual basis. This would be open for review, but if we make it annual then we're going to have to get 365 different flags

I fail to see your reasoning that we would have to have 365 different flags to fly a flag once a year.

Anyway, this event, the flying of the Kurdish flag, should be a one time only event.

if we did set it annually I basically meant that we'd have to put a host of other flags annually as well, were in fact flag flying is generally reactionary.

But yeah we agree on when it should be flown

[Blair]

everything appears good with this bill. I'm happy to open voting early if that's okay with everyone?

[Blair]

I don't wish to interrupt as I am not a Northeast citizen, but should a regional assembly really concern itself with foreign policy? (Especially by trying to lobby the pass of the Kurdish Solidarity Act) It's a mostly symbolic effort, yes, but it is quite unorthodox.

Mr President, I said at the beginning that I knew this bill was close to line but I feel that it doesn't bridge the gap into foreign policy. I believe it fits into the 1980's model, and that recently where many local councils, and authorities flew the Palestinian Flag and opposed Apartheid despite the weak actions of their National Government. The line between foreign and domestic is increasingly blurred

The motion is simply showing the Kurdish people in the Northeast that the Assembly stands beside them,and supports their dream fro state. I knew when I proposed it that it was unorthodox, but I felt something needed to be done in light of the slow action of our own government.

[Blair]

I made every care possible to ensure that this bill didn't cross the line into foreign policy, I'd be happy to amend the lobbying part of the bill out, but otherwise I still think that the bill is fine.

I don't think we should let a President, who is hostile to the theory of a Kurdistan state dictate what the Assembly does. I have strong feelings that he objects this simply because it's strongly supporting the Kurds.

It would take too long for a ruling, I'd rather the administration challenge it after it's been passed

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[Blair]

I'm happy to extend the debate until tomorrow, if other members of the Assembly wish so as there's clearly the potential for more debate here

[Blair]

I'm going to extend the debate for 10 hours to ensure that we get a good view of the entire Assembly, considering this bill has gone down a controversial path

[Blair]

Alright, I'm going to start the final vote on this bill. All members have 48 hours to vote Aye, Nay or Abstain. Below is the final version of the bill

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[Blair]

Aye

[Blair]

By 5-0 this act has been passed, and is now being sent to the Governor to sign