| [IC] The Qaz Lower Chamber |
Speaker's Special Statement to the Lower Chamber, 11 June 2021
Speaker: ORDER! Order! I have organised this further special statement on the issue of resurfaced allegations of misconduct of Kenneth Kelley. I thank the honourable gentleman for his patience with these speeches. I will not permit questions but Points of Order are always welcome. Order! The honourable gentleman has continued to lose work, apart from in this Chamber, as a result of resurfaced allegations from years ago which we all knew about already. The question of the sitting is, is this justice? Order! Apparently, I cannot just get off of this topic. Sometimes the best way for me to find out how I feel is to talk it through. Just to be sure everyone is up to speed, the honourable gentleman has been known for flashing pranks and not sexual flashing. Were there warning signs? Colleagues, this is not new information about the honourable gentleman but there is a new conversation starting surrounding the topic. The honourable gentleman has been keeping his head down, which is the best possible thing he could be doing. Any public appearances and conferences the honourable gentleman had planned have now been cancelled. I do know the honourable gentleman and I have always had a great experience with him and I cannot shake that off. Former Vice-Prime Minister Gill's accusations accidentally brought up the current allegations against the honourable gentleman. Colleagues, there isn't really a conversation to be had about former Vice-Prime Minister Gill, his allegations are accepted and not disputed. There are a number of reasons why actually seeing events cancelled makes me uneasy. The way in which he is being made to be held responsible feels weird and off and a little wrong to me. None of this is new information. There have been some reportings of incidents after 2008 but it is nothing significant for the Chair to consider. Colleagues, I don't want to put too much focus on this topic. The idea he has done nothing like this since 2008...I find that very hard to believe. The honourable gentleman's stories are well-known. Only now, however, is punishment being dealt. It's not a case of, "Oh, we didn't know he was like this." Yes, we did! Colleagues, we knew, we all knew. I'm not saying there should be no consequences but it feels weird and wrong to me because this is now new information. This is not an exposé. We knew this about the honourable gentleman, this is not a sudden revelation. We knew and we were OK with this. Colleagues, It feels like the public suddenly don't want to be OK with it. One of our former Deputy Speakers has spoken since my last speech saying that she gave him a warning at the time but she is the only person who sat in this chair to have said that. The atmosphere here let it happen. There is a culture here that let this be OK until it was brought back up when it's no longer OK and now punish it in a delayed fashion. Colleagues, this makes me uncomfortable because the public are responding with, "If we have to punish former Vice-Prime Minister Gill, then we have to punish the honourable gentleman." It is clearly, evidently, not related. The same thing, to be treated in the same way? No! I'm not saying he doesn't deserve some sort of punishment but this information is not new to any of us. Colleagues, this is only a fairness move. If we're going to say that the honourable gentleman, then we have to own up and say we were wrong. I remind the honourable gentleman, however, this Chamber does not exist for his entertainment. Parliament: Yeah. Speaker: We help perpetuate the behaviour. Are we responsible for his behaviour? Colleagues, no, we're not. I don't feel comfortable to say the public reaction is right or wrong. I don't have a definitive conclusion. I don't have a conclusion yet. I am asking myself, however, more questions, I hope you will start to ask yourself too. Colleagues, if I don't share these things with you, they will keep bugging me. Please refrain from name calling and personal attacks. Colleagues, just while I have you hear, I also have a few more matters to clear up with you. First of all, I wish all MPs a happy pride month. I wish I could say this is the beginning of a series of LGBTQ+ speeches but I can't because it's not. What does LGBTQIA+ mean? I wanted to take a look at this cluster of letters you see quite often. A does not stand for ally. Being an ally is deeply appreciated but that does not mean you get to jump into the community and get benefits from it. You don't get a prize for that. Is "Trans" an umbrella term? It is meant to be an umbrella term, yes. It's a bit more complicated than what the public mean. Those are not the only sorts of trans there are. It means that people aren't the gender they are assigned at birth. Trans-men, trans-women and non-binaries all fall under the umbrella of trans. I think this country needs a new approach to pronoun etiquette. Anyone who has, in some way, transitioned to a new point in their life, their pronouns have changed. You do not refer to them in the past, you use their current names and genders only, even when talking about the past. Finally, what is non-binary? What is the binary? Male or female. That's a binary. Non-binary is also an umbrella. Non-binary is not any one particular thing. It can mean gender fluid but that is only one non-binary. It covers a lot more ground than that. Order! I now open the floor for Points of Order if there are any. Parliament: (Silence) Speaker: Points of Order? None? Johnny Alvarado: Point of Order! Speaker: Yes! Point of Order, Mr. Johnny Alvarado! Johnny Alvarado: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Is it not odd for the Speaker to call Point of Order? Speaker: No, order, listen! You didn't listen! Order! I said Pointsssss of Order! Johnny Alvarado: I apologise, Dr. Speaker. Speaker: That's OK! Anyone else? No? OK, thank you for coming out on a Friday, I must now head, we have our first meetings today. I call Cecil Walton to motion adjournment. Cecil Walton. Cecil Walton: I move to motion that this chamber do now adjourn. Speaker: The question is that this chamber do now adjourn. The State Minister for WF Affairs, Sheri Clark. Sheri Clark: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Since my appointment, I have been very grateful to have been appointed in this position and I look forward to the Referendum in August with eagerness. I thank my honourable friend and the other MPs of this chamber involved in today's debate for showing their interest in this particular area of our year's politics. Dr. Speaker, earlier today I had meetings with the Ministers for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Prime Minister and I will go on having further such meetings later today. Speaker: Clarence Norton. Clarence Norton: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. There is a bit of confusion in my constituency regarding the Referendum for membership of the WF. As far as I am aware, the country have yet to reach out to the WF and actually begin talking and finding out what happens in the event we pass the Referendum. Does my right honourable friend intend to reach out and have such meetings? Speaker: Sheri Clark. Sheri Clark: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I do, of course, intend to reach out to them but only in the event that we do pass the Referendum. Clarence Norton: Give way. Sheri Clark: I will, of course, give way. Clarence Norton: I thank my right honourable friend for giving way. I might just ask my right honourable friend how she expects the public to make an informed decision on joining or not joining the WF without first having the information available to them? Sheri Clark: Dr. Speaker, might I ask for an elaboration? Speaker: Yes, indeed, Clarence Norton for an elaboration. Clarence Norton: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. There isn't really anything to elaborate on but people won't be able to vote for or against WF membership without knowing what life as a member of the WF is likely to look like. Speaker: Sheri Clark. Sheri Clark: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, I take my honourable friend's point, it is noted and I thank him for his elaboration. Speaker: Clarence Norton. Clarence Norton: Dr. Speaker, I must ask, with just over two months until the Referendum, when does my right honourable friend intend to have these talks? Sheri Clark: Dr. Speaker, I have noted his point and I will now move forward on that. Clarence Norton: With respect, Dr. Speaker- Pedro Evans: Give way. Clarence Norton: I give way to my honourable friend. Pedro Evans: I thank my honourable friend for giving way. I noticed, and I think this is the point my honourable friend was making, that my right honourable friend didn't answer the question. I stress, when will you have these talks? Clarence Norton: I thank- Sheri Clark: Dr. Speaker- Speaker: Order, order! Clarence Norton first. Clarence Norton: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank my honourable friend for his intervention. He is absolutely right, our constituents want to know when these talks will take place. Speaker: Sheri Clark. Sheri Clark: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank my honourable friends for their interventions. I have to say to the chamber, it's very difficult, as one who has only just noted this to tell when these talks will happen, the closest I can say is next week or the week after. Contact will need to be made first. Clarence Norton: I appreciate that but constituents are confused and angry as to why this was not done before. Sheri Clark: I must remind the honourable gentleman I was only appointed to this position two weeks ago. Clarence Norton: My final question of the night, unless others want me to give way, is what is going to be discussed when these meetings take place? Sheri Clark: Again, I won't know this before I reach out. I hope that your constituents will have some clarification on what life looks like as a member of the WF. Speaker: The question is that this chamber do now adjourn, all of that opinion, say aye. Minority: Aye. Speaker: On the contrary no. Majority: No. Speaker: I think the nos have it. The nos have it. Order! So, you have voted to discuss more business in this debate. I'm not entirely sure why you've done that but let us continue. Angelo Carson: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order! Angelo Carson! Angelo Carson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. If we've reached the end of the day's business, why does the chamber still need to vote on adjourning? Speaker: Order! It's designed to ensure I haven't forgotten anything or that if someone has a spur of the moment concern, they can raise it. Al Arnold: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order! Al Arnold! Al Arnold: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I want to chime in with the honourable gentleman. The tradition of voting to adjourn just seems old-fashioned. I wonder if it's time for an abolition? Speaker: Order! There is a tradition to how we conduct our business in this chamber and this tradition remains intact. It's designed, as I said before, to ensure I haven't forgotten something or someone. Nicole Morales: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order! Nicole Morales! Nicole Morales: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. What happens when, as with this morning, you have somewhere to be and we vote not to adjourn despite not having too much more to discuss? Speaker: Order! I have an Order Paper, as you know. Once that's finished, as it is now, I do trust our MPs have enough pressing issues for us to continue to sit and then I will bring the motion to adjourn before the chamber again when that is brought to a conclusion. In this case, Points of Order seem to have been your reason not to adjourn and Points of Order are always welcome. Anyone else? Parliament (Silence) Speaker: OK! Order! The question is that this chamber do now adjourn. As many as are of that opinion, say aye. Majority: Aye. Speaker: On the contrary, no. Minority: No. Speaker: I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Order, order!
Opposition Business, 22 June 2021
Speaker: Orderrrr! Order. We commence today's sitting of Opposition Business. On the Order Paper today is Income Tax, led by the Opposition. Leading this evening's debate is the Shadow Minister for Finance. Other key Opposition speakers involve the Shadow Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Shadow Minister for Employment Affairs and Retail Business and the Shadow State Minister for Financial Services. I am glad to see the actual members of Cabinet corresponding to those areas are also present. We will allow for giving way and points of debate to be made by people around the chamber but please try and keep questions for the specific sessions dedicated to questions. To begin the debate, I call on the Shadow Minister for Finance, Shelly Griffin. Shelly Griffin: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As the chamber will be well aware at this late stage in the term, the Tax Nobody Party sees no point in taxes at all. This evening, we are focusing, as an Opposition, on the benefits of abolishing Income Tax. We do, obviously, understand the position the Government has taken on retaining Income Tax, however, it is our Party's ambition to rid the country of Income Tax. Opposition: Yeah! Shelly Griffin: Dr. Speaker, the first, and I think, most striking, benefit to removing Income Tax is that the engine of tax complexity disappears. When it disappears, lobbyists demanding fairer taxes also disappear for there are no longer any taxes to lobby against. Kirk Lee: Give way! Shelly Griffin: I give way. Kirk Lee: Dr. Speaker, essential workers' wages come from taxes. Workers for whom we are their boss, their wages come out of taxes. Our wages, Dr. Speaker, come out of taxes. I'd love to know how the right honourable lady intends to get around that. Shelly Griffin: I thank the right honourable gentleman for his intervention. That can all be worked out. Kirk Lee: I fail to see how that can be worked out. Speaker: Order! I say to the right honourable gentleman he did not request the right honourable lady to give way and, hence, she did not give way. Shelly Griffin. Shelly Griffin: Dr. Speaker, responding to the right honourable gentleman's intervention, either way, I have to suggest, as the Opposition seem to every other minute, that the Rainy Day Fund be used to pay those workers. Speaker: I hope the right honourable gentleman will forgive me for calling the Minister for Finance at this time. Xanatos Lobachevsky. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. You only know how many times the Government have had to remind the Opposition that the Rainy Day Fund is not for that and without money coming into it, it will not last. The Rainy Day Fund is for when we have a crisis and we need to urgently pull on a fund we've been saving up, it's not for replacing taxes and, I might add, Dr. Speaker, the Rainy Day Fund also survives on taxes. Speaker: Shelly Griffin. Shelly Griffin: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Corporate managers are currently most concerned with after-tax benefits, because that is what the stock market cares about. After-tax profits are largely an artifact of lobbying success. Dr. Speaker, with no income tax, management would concentrate on what is now pretax profits, an artifact of actual wealth creation. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Give way! Shelly Griffin: I give way. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Dr. Speaker, Government taxes support a wide range of vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges and dams. State and local governments build and maintain parks and public recreation areas with tax income. The abolition of Income Tax can reduce the Government's ability to perform these vital services. Dr. Speaker, the Government can finance infrastructure projects with bond offerings or other debt, but we need Income Tax to repay the debts. Shelly Griffin: Dr. Speaker, I'm not sure about that. However, there would be no reason to tax dividends at a lower rate to compensate for the fact that they are now paid from after-tax profits. They would be taxed at the full rate, removing a perennial tool of leftist demagoguery. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Give way! Shelly Griffin: I give way. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Dr. Speaker, I must ask if the right honourable lady is for or against taxes. Speaker: Order! Order. I feel the need to intervene, there is a bit of confusion with what the Shadow Minister for Finance just said, I did initially wonder if I heard it right, can we have clarity on what you just said, please? Shelly Griffin. Shelly Griffin: Dr. Speaker, I am against taxes. Speaker: Order. The right honourable lady just stated that she supports taxes at the full rate, can you explain that, please? Shelly Griffin: Dr. Speaker, I did not say that. Speaker: Order! My clerk advises me you are on record saying that and I was not daydreaming when you said it. I ask for clarification one final time. Shelly Griffin. Shelly Griffin: Dr. Speaker, I was simply stating why the Tax Nobody Party think taxes are unnecessary and how to deal with running the country without taxes. Speaker: Orderrr! That is still not a clarification! For failure to comply with the Chair, I order the right honourable lady to withdraw from the chamber for the remainder of this day's sitting. Xanatos Lobachevsky. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Shelly Griffin: You're an absolute joke. Speaker: Order! The right honourable lady is required to make absolutely no comment on her way out, thank you. Xanatos Lobachevsky. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The right honourable lady calls me a joke and she's the one suggesting the country live without taxes. That's a joke to me, Dr. Speaker. On a further point of why an absolute removal of taxes is not realistic, Dr. Speaker, public servants are paid out of tax revenue. Lower Income Tax can prevent police officers, firefighters, teachers, park maintenance crews and a host of other Government employees from increasing their personal income as Government salaries decrease more slowly. One way to deal with a salary budget shortfall is to reduce the amount of Government workers, reducing the number of public servants in communities across the country. Speaker: OK, conveniently, I was due to call the Shadow Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform anyway now. Vera Washington. Vera Washington: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. With suddenly increased profits, corporations would increase both dividends and investments in plant and equipment, with very positive effects for the economy as a whole. Speaker: Order. Sorry to intervene rather than allow to give way but just to get us started on this line of order, I call the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Cecil Walton. Cecil Walton: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Government uses tax revenue to pay off debts. Even if the Government shifts debt from one lender to another, the debt still has to be paid with tax revenue, taking the possibility of confiscation and other unethical Government acts out of consideration. When the Government has less money to repay their debts, their cost of borrowing can increase, since interest can accumulate for longer periods on larger balances. This can actually increase the amount of debt taxpayers have to pay without the Government receiving any additional benefits. Speaker: Vera Washington. Vera Washington: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Stock prices, which are a function of perceived future earnings, would rise substantially, including a wealth effect as people see their mutual funds rising in value. Cecil Walton: Give way! Vera Washington: Of course. Cecil Walton: I thank the right honourable lady for giving way. Taxes are necessary for the Government to run. Without taxes, the Government would not be able to hire employees or fund any social programmes. Money from taxes pay for infrastructure such as roads, water systems, parks and public transportation. Dr. Speaker, social programmes such as Social Security and healthcare would not be possible without taxes. Vera Washington: I thank the right honourable gentleman for his intervention, however, the distinction between for-profit and nonprofit organisations would disappear. So nonprofit corporations would not have to jump through hoops to qualify for that status and the Government would have less means of corruption available to it. Speaker: Orderrrr! Order! No member of this chamber may accuse anyone, generally or individually, of corruption, I order the right honourable lady to withdraw that word immediately. Vera Washington: Dr. Speaker, to withdraw would be to claim I didn't mean it and I did. Government: (Outraged) Speaker: ORDERRRR! ORDER! Order! Order. Order, order. The right honourable lady is senior enough to know the rules of the chamber. Withdraw. Vera Washington: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order, Vera Washington! Vera Washington: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. You are an MP. The Speaker of this chamber must be an MP. With that in mind, when you are not sitting in that chair, you are a Modern Marxist in your constituency and you are following the policies and terms with come with being a Modern Marxist. Dr. Speaker, surely you can understand me standing with my Party and fighting what they believe. Speaker: Order! How dare you criticise me? How dare you? I am a Modern Marxist, that is not news to this chamber but I am neutral in this chamber. I promised to be neutral and I am. Vera Washington: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order, Vera Washington. Vera Washington: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Please understand I am not the Speaker in this chamber and am, therefore, entitled to take my side. Speaker: Orderrr! Order! You are adding insult to injury here, you are not only refusing to withdraw a word, you are now disrespecting the Speaker. You are making things worse, not better. You have now committed two offences against the chamber. I, therefore, order the right honourable lady to withdraw from the chamber for the remainder of this day's sitting. Cecil Walton. Cecil Walton: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Taxes are essential for basic Government operations. Vera Washington: You're giving me a headache. Speaker: Order! Goodbye! Cecil Walton. Cecil Walton: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Defence spending and spending on homeland security would not be possible without taxation. Speaker: Order! It's like the Tax Nobody Party are executing a planned walk-out because I was, conveniently, about to call the Shadow Minister for Employment Affairs and Retail Business, Annette Clark. Annette Clark: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Without taxes in the country, liquid capital would go up. Interest rates would go down. Investment in plant and equipment and new technology would go up. The economy would go up. Federal revenues would go up. Speaker: Order! I couldn't really tell if the right honourable lady was saying something for our benefit or for hers, however, I now call on the Minister for Employment Affairs and Retail Business, Virgil Waters. Virgil Waters: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The abolition of tax can effect those who rely on programmes like Social Security and infrastructure spending. Speaker: Sorry, you caught me off my guard, short and sweet, I wasn't expecting that. Order! Annette Clark. Annette Clark: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As Qaweritotyu would now have the the lowest Income Tax rate, that is 0%, foreign corporations would flock to invest here, especially as they would not have to pay taxes on profits when they brought them back to their home country. Virgil Waters: Give way! Annette Clark: Yes, indeed. Virgil Waters: I thank the right honourable lady for giving way. Taxation has the power to shape certain behaviours. Annette Clark: I thank the right honourable gentleman for his intervention, it seems he made as much sense as you thought I did, Dr. Speaker. Foreign countries, faced with a huge investments boom in Qaweritoyu, would be forced to lower or eliminate their own Income Taxes, increasing domestic corporate profits and thus domestic profits and personal income. Virgil Waters: Give way! Annette Clark: Yes, indeed. Virgil Waters: I thank the right honourable lady for giving way. What seems far less questionable is that the pressure on the Qaweritoyu already apparent, even before the full negative economic consequences of having a Marxist Government manifest themselves, will make raising taxes in the country an unavoidable imperative. Fleshing out a Marxist tax programme is problematic, if one's first discourse is to the pre-eminent Marxist economists. Marx himself acknowledged the primacy of tax, both as a burden on the poor, and as a catalyst for political change. Marx's personal involvement in campaigning belies his image. Consider the campaigning on tax by Marx, why other Marxists have not engaged with tax and what tax avenues the Government could be exploring. Annette Clark: I thank the right honourable gentleman for his very detailed intervention. I'm not really sure what to say about that, Dr. Speaker. Speaker: Order! I think the whole chamber feel like that, we're in a stunned silence wondering how the right honourable gentleman missed out on being the Prime Minister. I congratulate the right honourable lady on being the first Opposition MP of the sitting not to get kicked out. Order! I now call on the Shadow State Minister for Financial Services for the final Opposition point of the day. Edgar Simon. Edgar Simon: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Eliminating Income Tax would deal a blow to crony capitalism. It would knock out the remaining strands of capitalism lingering in our country. No Income Tax makes it much easier to hold political account. Speaker: I now call on the right honourable gentleman's Government counterpart, the State Minister for Financial Services, Cynthia Erickson. Cynthia Erickson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. While Marx and Engels present no overarching theory of inequality they do frequently discuss income inequality, and tax inequality but with a striking contradistinction. Marx makes the case for the legitimacy of income inequality. Marx and Engels seem no less definite, for the most part, that tax inequality, in contrast, can be addressed by tax reforms that do not require the advent of communism. Speaker: Order! I am glad they don't too! Order, that concludes this sitting of Opposition Business. I now suspend the chamber for break, until 8:35PM. Order!
Prime Minister's Questions, 23 June 2021
Speaker: Order, order! We now progress to Prime Minister's questions. I thank those who kept questions for today rather than other irrelevant sessions. Colleagues, I want to take a moment to remember Vice-Prime Minister Barrett, Mr. Barrett and young Barrett at this time. Vice-Prime Minister Barrett's surgery was successful on Sunday and she continues to recover in hospital. Government: Yeah! Speaker: Order! I am just going to progress through the Order Paper as quickly as I can and hope to get to as many of you as time allows us to. Question one, Merle Frank. Merle Frank: Question Number One, Dr. Speaker. Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I unite, with the chamber, in wishing Vice-Prime Minister Barrett and her family well. I was permitted to visit her yesterday, she seemed to be in good form and looking forward to being discharged and recovering at home amongst her family. Government: Yeah! Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, this morning I had meetings with Ministerial colleagues, I will have further such meetings later on today. Speaker: Merle Frank. Merle Frank: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. We recently had our First Minister Necessity (Abolition) Referendum. 75% of our population voted to abolish the position and 25% voted against it. The majority in my constituency, however, voted against abolishing the position. What can my right honourable friend offer the people of my constituency, who still see a need for the position? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for her question. All I can say to her and her constituents is that the majority, overall, voted to abolish the position and we are phasing the position out by the close of business on Friday, 31 December 2021. I might also mention that the position has no real grounding in our politics as well as a Prime Minister for the simple reason that we are not a subject of our own Government. We don't need a First Minister to represent the Prime Minister to the country. Speaker: Meredith Stone. Meredith Stone: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must ask about our colleague, the First Minister and Minister of Environment, Climate and Communications, is she being unfairly dismissed in this year's turn of events? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for his question. The right honourable lady in question is not being unfairly dismissed. Firstly, we have a duty, as MPs, to uphold any and all first time results, if the public didn't want it, they wouldn't vote for it. Secondly, the right honourable lady in question will be continuing in her role as Minister of Environment, Climate and Communications so, rest assured, the right honourable lady in question is not being dismissed at all, nevermind unfairly. Speaker: Sally Stevens. Sally Stevens: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. My constituents are very concerned, following proceedings this past Parliamentary term, that the Universal Social Charge is about to be abolished. What support can the Prime Minister offer those who don't realise that this is not going to happen and we are not on the edge of economic turmoil? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for her question. I say to the constituents of Ashhollow, trust your elected Government. We said we'd heighten some taxes and lower others but not abolish them so the Universal Social Charge isn't going anywhere. There will also be no economic turmoil, such as a recession, because the Government are committed to taking their in transitioning the country to a Marxist system from a Capitalist system of Government, to ensure economic collapse is not a possibility. In fact, the slower the better. Speaker: Cynthia Erickson. Cynthia Erickson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I would like to touch on the same point my honourable friend made, my constituents are also getting mixed information from somewhere, I have ensured them many a time, it's not from the Government. My constituents are terrified, for some reason, that Income Tax is about to be abolished. What does my right honourable friend say to reassure my constituents that this is not the case? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for her question. I say to the constituents of Cahacala, also, trust your elected Government. As far as I am aware, Income Tax was only discussed in Parliament yesterday and I commend my right honourable friend for Shadowfen and Minister for Finance for his very good justification of Income Tax in the country and I also commend my right honourable friend for Clearhill and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for his justification of taxes in the country too, both of these people are absolutely right and due to their wisdom and very good arguments yesterday, which I watched back with great attention and interest, Income Tax cannot be, reasonably, abolished in the country under this Government. Speaker: Carmen Adkins. Carmen Adkins: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. My question follows the line of enquiry of my two honourable friends before me. What does the Prime Minister say to the people of my constituency who fear the abolition of the Standard Rate Band? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I say to the constituents of Vor Moldir, along the same lines I have done so to the other two honourable ladies, trust us, you'd know for sure if we were abolishing taxes and the Standard Rate Band because it would be in our manifesto, for a start, and we'd have discussed and done this well before now. I dare say, you wouldn't have elected us to Government if that had been the case. Speaker: Lyle Ryan. Lyle Ryan: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Businesses across Money City are frightened they are losing EITC. What can my right honourable friend say to reassure Money City EITC is going nowhere? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for his question. I say exactly that to the businesses of Money City. EITC is going nowhere. Speaker: Colleen Stewart. Colleen Stewart: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. My constituents were following June H Summit Major C last Friday. The topic was Secular Schools. Whilst the majority of them supported the Government, some of them are actually religious and so asked if there will be any leeway at all or must all schools become secular? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for her question. First of all, it is important to note that our H Summits Major are discussing future Government Business, not current Government Business. Secondly, I did say there would be leeway with Ponitifical Universities and Seminaries. There will be leeway in the cases of schools run by Dioceses in this country and other similar schools run by other religious organisations, they will, of course, be allowed to retain their status as religious schools, however, all state schools, that is, all schools run by the Government, will become secular when we get around to discussing this business and then putting it into action. Speaker: Tyler Harrison. Opposition: Yeah! Tyler Harrison: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As the first Tax Nobody to be called in this session, may I ask what the Prime Minister says to religious children attending state schools? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank the right honourable gentleman for his question. I repeat what I said on Monday during June H Summit Major D, we will continue to teach Religious Education in state schools due to a recognition of the people's right to practice a religion and, so, we will not deprive them of that education and practice. Speaker: Henrietta Jefferson. Henrietta Jefferson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The majority in my constituency voted for the Tax Nobodies and, hence, I am their elected MP. For the constituents I represent, what can the Prime Minister do about the Wealth and Corporation Tax they now endure, the cuts in VAT they have to put up with and the higher pensions and social benefits they now have? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I simply say to the people of Intercourse, that's the luck of the draw. You voted Tax Nobody but not enough constituencies did, 236 constituencies voted for Modern Marxists and that's how we come to be in power so for those who don't support us there, I'm sorry, we're the Government and we are working according to our manifesto. Opposition: (Yelling) Speaker: Orderrrrr! Orderrrrr! Order! The Prime Minister is indicating he wishes to respond. Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I say to the Opposition, I didn't say we have always stuck to our manifesto, I said we are now and we have been since we won the 2020 General Election. Speaker: Manuel Ortiz. Manuel Ortiz: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In my constituency, the Government's work this year has been very popular, the effects of which we continue to see being played out. The national minimum wage has risen by two-thirds. The link between state earnings and pensions at the original value and the second state pension has been restored. Privatisation has been halted, public services invested in. Around the area, we're already seeing necessary improvements being made to public services and more council and sheltered housing is being built. Support here couldn't be higher at the moment. In December, when the Government sit down to put together the 2022 plan for Government discussion and implementation, how will the Prime Minister ensure that support for the Government doesn't slip? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my honourable friend for his question. The Government are continuing to do the work we were elected to do according to our manifesto and 2021 plan and we will continue to work through the manifesto in 2022, it's what we were elected to do and we will continue to do so. Speaker: Sasha Lovegood. Government: Yeah! Sasha Lovegood: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In the Prime Minister's recent Cabinet shake-up, I was appointed Minister Without Portfolio. Looking to the future, what do Government developments mean for me and my future as a Cabinet Minister? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank my right honourable friend for her question. I think she ought to relax a bit and not think too far ahead. When Vice-Prime Minister Barrett takes back Office, it's highly-unlikely my current structure will remain intact so by the time that future arrives, maybe 2022, this will no longer be of your concern. This Administration is the Phelps Administration. When Vice-Prime Minister Barrett resumes the role, she kickstarts Barrett III. Speaker: Jeanette Romero. Jeanette Romero: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Higher Chamber Reforms are very much ongoing ahead of reopening in September. The Higher Chamber is also larger than this chamber, in that, it seats more MPs. How will the Tax Nobody Party be represented in the Higher Chamber when it reopens? Opposition: Yeah! Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I would have thought this was more your ground than mine, however- Speaker: Order! Order. With respect to the Prime Minister, I will answer questions regarding what is within my jurisdiction to do so. I simply ask the Prime Minister to answer what is within his to do so, please. The Prime Minister. Prime Minister: I apologise, Dr. Speaker. The honourable lady shouldn't worry too much about Higher Chamber representation. It will be similar to this chamber and the percentage held in this chamber will be calculated according to the amount of seats in the Higher Chamber and will be translated to suit the larger chamber as closely as is possible. Any disputes on how this was done can be brought before the Supreme Court after the new Higher Chamber has been opened and they will decide the best course of action to take as a result which will be binding on us all. Jackie Payne: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order, Jackie Payne! Jackie Payne: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. It came up during another debate this week that- Speaker: Order! Orderrr! I appreciate the honourable lady's Point of Order but it doesn't relate to this sitting, can it wait until the sitting it happened in or must it be here? Jackie Payne: Well, it's a question for the Prime Minister, Dr. Speaker. Speaker: Order! Points of Order are not questions for the Prime Minister, they are questions for the Speaker or Deputy Speaker or the Mother or Father of the House on the rare occasion he or she is chairing debates and sittings in between Speakers and Deputy Speakers. I ask again, must it be here and now? Jackie Payne: I'd prefer it was. Speaker: I'll allow it if it's brief because it doesn't belong in this sitting. Jackie Payne. Jackie Payne: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In another sitting this week, it was mentioned that you are still a member of the Modern Marxist Party as well as being Speaker, is that true? Speaker: It is true, it is a long-standing tradition in this chamber that that be the case and that the Speaker be obliged to be impartial. Jackie Payne. Jack Payne: But you're not impartial, you're a Modern Marxist. Parliament: Ooooh! Speaker: Orderrr! Order! I am still a Modern Marxist because that's who my constituents currently have me elected as, however, I am obliged to be impartial and I am impartial. Parliament: Oooh. (Stunned silence) Speaker: Order! It is clear to me Parliament were not aware of that fact or, if they were aware, that they no longer agree with it, either way, that has been the tradition since 1850 and it is still the tradition today. We have wasted enough time on this topic. If MPs wish time to be dedicated to it, they might write to me and if enough do so, I'll organise a special sitting in which to discuss it, it does not belong in this sitting. Where were we? Elena Mendoza. Elena Mendoza: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the Lower Chamber needed a new Speaker who was going to be experimental, in 2017, and try new things and that the experiment has failed and back-fired? Speaker: ORDER! That is not a question for the Prime Minister, it is a Point of Order and it is not on the Order Paper, therefore, it is off topic. Let's try again. Elena Mendoza. Elena Mendoza: Dr. Speaker, you are testing my patience. Parliament: Oooh! Speaker: Orderrr! Order! I am giving the honourable lady a warning and a final chance to get back onto the Order Paper. Elena Mendoza. Elena Mendoza: Dr. Speaker, my concern, now, is with you and what you have just revealed to the chamber. Speaker: Order! I have not just revealed anything, if this Parliament was not aware of that fact, they ought to have done their research before taking their seats in this chamber. I find it very hard to believe that some people have spent the last year to three years not knowing that fact and electing Speakers they thought were independents, it's ridiculous, do your research, please, colleagues. Elena Mendoza: You'd best hope our paths never cross. Parliament: Ooooh! Speaker: ORDER! Order! You will not threaten the Chair. Am I clear? You will not threaten the Chair. Elena Mendoza: I'll do what I like. Speaker: Then so will I. I inform the honourable lady that making threats of any sort to anyone in this country anywhere is a crime and she has just committed this crime on national TV. I now order the honourable lady to withdraw from the chamber from the remainder of this day's sitting and for the honourable lady's information before she leaves, I will be suspending her from the chamber for one week starting now, reporting her to the police and the police will be in touch during your week away and whether you are allowed to sit on these benches again after this period of time will be decided by the police. There will be no threats made in this chamber and I will not throw out of this chamber and will not stand up to. Parliament: Yeah! Speaker: Leave. So, colleagues, with that, I am terminating Prime Minister's questions. This is a losing battle. Please stay in touch with me and I'll see what I can do for you. If anything does come of this, it'll probably only mean myself and the Deputy Speaker resign our Parties and continue our work, I think that's all Parliament are asking or, at least, that's what I gathered from today's sitting. I now suspend the chamber for lunch until 2:19PM. Order!
Topical Issues, 24 June 2021
Speaker: Order! We progress, now, to Topical Issues. As always, you have submitted your areas of concern to me ahead of today, I have selected four, each member makes a statement, the relevant Minister responds and we have a closing statement. The four issues I have chosen for today are the Necessity of the Universal Social Charge, the Necessity of Income Tax, the Necessity of the Standard Rate Band and the Necessity of EITC. I do have to say, in all my years as Speaker, so far, this term seems to be the most repetitive. I take consolation in the fact that we have onto the third Parliamentary term next week. The four MPs I have granted these topical issues to are the honourable gentleman for Ullanalume, Erik Olson, the honourable lady for Intercourse, Henrietta Jefferson, the right honourable gentleman for Ballater, Kade Chandler and the honourable lady for Flawless City, Jessica Pittman. The responding Minister this afternoon is the Minister for Finance, Xanatos Lobachevsky. I now go to Erik Olson to get us started. Erik Olson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Universal Social Charge is a tax payable on our total income, but there are some types of income that are exempt. The Universal Social Charge is a tax payable on our total income. The standard rate threshold in 2021 is 0.5% on the first D12,012, 2% on the next D8,675, 4.5% on the next D49,357 and 8% on the balance. Reduced rates of Universal Social Charge apply to some people who are aged 70 or older or hold a full Medical Card but not a GP Visit Card. The following payments are exempt from Universal Social Charge, all welfare payments and payments similar to welfare, such as Blind Welfare Allowance, Community Employment Scheme, Farm Retirement Pensions, Fund for Students with Disabilities, Job Initiative Scheme, Mobility Allowance, VTOS and Youthreach Training Allowance. The questions I put to the Minister are these. How do we calculate Universal Social Charge individually? What are the terms for married couples and civil partnerships? How do redundancy payments work? Speaker: Minister. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I commend my honourable friend on his statement and questions. Maybe we have a found a budding Minister for Finance! Dr. Speaker, If your income is greater than the exemption limit, which is D13,000 in 2021, you pay Universal Social Charge on your full income. The Universal Social Charge rates apply to both you and your spouse or civil partner individually. Statutory redundancy payments are exempt from Universal Social Charge. Speaker: Henrietta Jefferson. Henrietta Jefferson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Nearly all income is liable to tax. Under the PAYE system, Income Tax is charged on all wages, fees, perks, profits or pensions and most types of interest. Your credit certificate shows the rate of tax that applies to your income and the tax credits you are entitled to. For most people, the cumulative basis for tax should be the normal position and makes sure your tax and Universal Social Charge liability is spread out evenly over one year. Speaker: Order! Order. The time for discussing Universal Social Charge is past. Please stay on the topic of Income Tax. Henrietta Jefferson. Henrietta Jefferson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In certain cases, Revenue may tell the employer to deduct tax on a week 1 or month 1 basis, sometimes called the non-cumulative basis.You may be taxed on an emergency basis called emergency tax if you are changing job or starting work for the first time. Taz is charged as a percentage of your income. Tax credits reduce the amount of tax that you have to pay. Dr. Speaker, society is monetised and what for? It just causes stress! Abolish Income Tax! Speaker: Minister. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The honourable lady left some details out. Tax allowances reduce the amount of tax that you have to pay. Before calculating your income tax, subtract the following from your income, pension contributions and payments to a Permanent Health Benefit Scheme, to a maximum of 10% of income. The standard rate cut off point may vary according to your personal circumstances. Speaker: Order! Order! Orderrrr! The Minister has done the opposite to the honourable lady. He has travelled forward on the Order Paper. We're not onto the Standard Rate Band yet, please stay on Income Tax. Minister. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. If you are married or in a civil partnership, they may affect your tax bands and tax reliefs. Income that may be exempt from tax includes the following, payments to approved pension schemes, statutory redundancy payments, certain social welfare payments, scholarship income, interest from savings certificates and Savings Bonds and National Instalment Savings Schemes, within limits, certain earnings by artists, certain payments in respect of disabilities linked with Thalidomide, wins from licensed lotteries, certain army pensions and allowances, payments made by Health Service Qaweritoyu to foster parents for the care of foster children, some compensation payments under employment law and compensation for personal injury which prevents a person maintaining themselves. If your income exceeds the limits for low income exemption, but is less than twice the amount of the limit then you can claim marginal relief. Some work expenses can be deducted from your income but it is assessed for tax. If the honourable lady wishes to keep in touch with me on the issue, I would be more than happy to keep her up to date during our transition period. Speaker: Kade Chandler. Kade Chandler: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. A tax rate band is the amount of income which will be taxed at a particular percentage. Your income up to a certain limit is taxed at the standard rate of Income Tax, which is currently 20%. Speaker: Orderrrr! Order! What is going on today? You have travelled backwards to Income Tax and now we're on the Standard Rate Band. Colleagues, when I wanted you to stick to Income Tax, you wouldn't and now that I don't, you want to. Stick to the Order Paper, please, I don't have one for the laugh. Kade Chandler. Kade Chandler: Dr. Speaker, any income above our standard rate is taxed at the higher rate of Income Tax, which is currently 40%. Speaker: Orderrrrrrrr! Stay on the Standard Rate Band! Second warning! Kade Chandler. Kade Chandler: Dr. Speaker, the amount of your tax rate band is dependent on your personal circumstances. If you are an employee, then your tax rate band will be shown on your Tax Credit Certificate. My question to the Minister is this. What happens with unused rate bands? Are they refunded? Speaker: Minister. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr Speaker. You cannot get a refund of any unused tax rate bands and you cannot carry them over into another tax year. Speaker: Jessica Pittman. Jessica Pittman: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Earned Income Credit is available since 1 January 2016. My question to the Minister is this. How do you claim EITC? Speaker: Minister. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. To claim EITC, you must log into the Revenue website and claim this credit or else complete a Form 11. Speaker: Erik Olson for a parting comment. Erik Olson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I would like to thank you for facilitating us this afternoon and thank the Minister for being present. Speaker: Minister for a closing statement. Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Speaker: Orderrr! Order! I apologise to the Minister. It would be courteous if MPs entering the chamber ahead of the next sitting were not having loud conversations, we are still in session! The Minister! Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank you for having me today and I thank those who participated and had questions for me to repeat today, I am always happy to do so. Speaker: Order! It was a bit repetitive but the whole term has been a bit repetitive. The sooner we progress to the next, the better. Order! Thank you to all who participated in this sitting, we now progress to Private Members' Bill.
Prime Minister's Reaction to Elena Mendoza's Expulsion, 29 June 2021
Speaker: Orderrrr! Order! We have, now, a very important and urgent statement and reaction from the Prime Minister on today's news. Colleagues, I must also mention that Vice-Prime Minister Barrett has been released from hospital to recover at home, her surgery was successful. Government: Yeah! Speaker: She, as Leader of the Modern Marxists, also joins us today via video link for a statement. Please do keep questions for tomorrow's Prime Minister's Questions. Without further ado, the Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and thank you for granting my urgent reaction and statement to the recent turn of events. Dr. Speaker, according to the Alton Dictionary, the act of threatening is defined as having a hostile or deliberately frightening manner, of showing an intention to cause bodily harm and as causing someone to feel vulnerable or at risk. It is sickening to me, Dr. Speaker, as Prime Minister, that this behaviour could have been going on in this chamber far longer than we knew, did happen to you, yourself, Dr. Speaker, last week and had the potential to continue to happen in this chamber. What sickens me further is that this person called themself a Modern Marxist, however, I will let my right honourable friend speak about that in a moment. This behaviour is never OK anywhere but certainly in this Parliament where we are setting an example for our constituents. Parliament: Yeah! Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I have devised a way forward for the constituency involved, which I will elaborate on a bit later. Speaker: I thank the Prime Minister for his words. We now go via video link to the Leader of the Modern Marxists and Vice-Prime Minister Joanna Barrett. Dr. Barrett. Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. It's great to be joining you, even via video link. I hoped my next appearance would be in person here, however, I thank you all for your kind words, I continue to improve. Government: Yeah! Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Dr. Speaker, in my current state, the recent turn of events was not well-received. I was sickened to learn of what the honourable lady said to you and even more sickened to realise she has potentially committed this crime silently in the past. This is not an accurate representation of the Modern Marxist Party. We seek to equalise society, to create a socialist system of Government. You know well, Dr. Speaker, we argue with the Opposition, but that's not threatening or bullying, it is politics and it is simply the fact that our manifestos clash. If that's the Parliament the Qaz people want, that's what they get. Dr. Speaker, the Modern Marxist Party are committed to representing and setting an accurate example for their constituents and to see through the work of the Government in their constituencies. We envision a safe and passionate environment for our MPs to work in in their offices and where constituents can walk in and meet MPs and feel safe and can feel our MPs passion radiating off them. It sickens me further that Dirty City constituents may not have felt either of these where the honourable lady was concerned and I can only offer my deepest apologies to the constituency. Government: Yeah! Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Dr. Speaker, I can't say I'd blame Dirty City constituents for not voting another Modern Marxist into Office as MP, however, I wish our candidate all the best in the upcoming by-election. Speaker: I thank the Leader of the Modern Marxists for joining us today and speaking, it has been a rough and brief return to work for her but I appreciate it and I think the chamber appreciates it. Parliament: Yeah! Speaker: I now call on the Leader of the Opposition for a brief reaction to that. Lorraine Drake. Leader of the Opposition: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I join with the chamber in wishing Vice-Prime Minister Barrett a speedy recovery. Opposition: Yeah! Leader of the Opposition: Dr. Speaker, I'd just like to confirm what the right honourable lady said, the debates between the Tax Nobody Party and the Modern Marxists aren't threatening, they're not bullying, they are simply a clash in manifestos. Dr. Speaker, I think I am safe saying, myself and the right honourable lady sleep justified at night knowing we tried our best for our respective Parties with no hard feelings for each other. Parliament: Yeah! Speaker: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her brief reaction. I now head back to the Prime Minister for the way forward. Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. First of all, I thank the Qaz Police for their thorough investigation and I respect the decision they arrived at. Government: Yeah! Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, the honourable lady leaves her role as MP for Dirty City at the close of business tomorrow. During this time, she is being allowed back to work in her constituency office to tie up any loose ends, gather up her things and make way for her replacement. During this time, she will not be sitting in this chamber and she will not be permitted to speak to constituents in person. Dr. Speaker, the by-election schedule will resemble our General Election schedules. First is the Nominations Period, opening on 1 July and closing on 31 July, this is followed by the Campaigning Period, opening on 1 August and closing on 31 August and this is followed by an Election Preparation Period, opening on 1 September and closing on 30 September. The by-election takes place all day on 1 October, opening at 7AM and closing at 10PM. The results will then be counted all day on 2 and 3 October, with the result being announced by you on 3 October at 10PM. The newly-elected MP will then join us as soon as possible. Speaker: I thank the Prime Minister for his timeline, I can also confirm to the chamber that this by-election was run through me and is approved. There are rumours of a 2022 election. Apart from any by-elections which may occur in 2022, there are no elections planned for 2022 at this time. Order! I now suspend the chamber until 2PM. Order!
New Term Matters, 2 July 2021
Deputy Speaker: Orderr! Order! We now have New Term Matters, a relatively short session in which we discuss the Parliamentary term just finished and the new one starting. Firstly, I call on Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz on behalf of the Prime Minister to get us started. Vice-Prime Minister. Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz: Thank you, Dr. Deputy Speaker. The term just past was very repetitive and I'm glad we only had a minimal part in this term and that the Government weren't the ones embarrassing themselves. Deputy Speaker: Order, please don't jibe at one another today, the schedule is very tight, thank you. Vice-Prime Minister. Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz: I apologise, Dr. Deputy Speaker. In the last term, the only Government business run was the First Minister Necessity (Abolition) Referendum and the surrounding debate. The public decided there is no need for a First Minister and so the position will be abolished by the end of the year and the holder of that Office is not being unfairly dismissed because they are continuing in their role as Minister of Environment, Climate and Communications. Government: Yeah! Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz: Dr. Deputy Speaker, this has been a successful Parliamentary term for the Government. Government: Yeah! Deputy Speaker: Order, order! I thank the Vice-Prime Minister for that. I now call on the Leader of the Opposition. Lorraine Drake. Leader of the Opposition: Thank you, Dr. Deputy Speaker. This term was given over to the Opposition by the Government for Opposition business and, to be honest with you, Dr. Deputy Speaker, it went exactly the way we were expecting it to. We got nowhere but that's hardly surprising given our manifesto and the Government's manifesto. To summarise, Dr. Deputy Speaker, we debated abolishing the Universal Social Charge, Income Tax, the Standard Rate Band and EITC. None of these have been achieved in this term. Dr. Deputy Speaker, this term has been a failed term for the Opposition. Deputy Speaker: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for that. I now call on the Leader of the Incompetent Democrats to speak on the Parliamentary term ahead of us and the work we will be doing this term. Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr Deputy Speaker. The Incompetent Democratic Party are very grateful to the Government for allowing us this Parliamentary term to focus on some of our Party issues. Firstly, the World Forum Referendum is the first thing on our manifesto which will be run in August and which will continue to be debated right up until this time. We are very grateful to the Government for appointing a Minister of WF Affairs and we look forward to working more closely with her this term. Incompetent Democrats: Yeah! Stephen Spencer: Dr. Deputy Speaker, this term, we will also be striving towards introducing a tax fall against the Health Service. Government and Opposition: (Laughter) Deputy Speaker: Order! Order! ORDER! I know the Speaker may not run this chamber like me but I am in the chair today, not the Speaker. I haven't called on the Government and the Opposition to make any noise whatsoever, so I'd appreciate silence from them. Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Deputy Speaker. This term, we're striving to introduce a tax fall against the Health Service. We are also striving to introduce expensive childcare and we want to push the Government to be able to say our country depends on 20% of renewables by the end of the decade. Dr. Deputy Speaker, I also understand it that the Dirty City By-election will be continuing during this term. We look forward to declaring and supporting our candidate for the election. Incompetent Democrats: Yeah! Deputy Speaker: Order. Just some housekeeping. Moving into the new term, Opposition Business will become a session called Elected Business and it will remain that to the end of the year and we will facilitate the Business of the Party the Government have given way to for the relevant term. Order! I now call on Irma Byrd for the motion. Irma Byrd. Irma Byrd: Dr. Deputy Speaker, I beg that this chamber do now adjourn. Deputy Speaker: The question is that this chamber do now adjourn. Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Deputy Speaker. The constituents of Little Heaven express their support for a WF Referendum but some of them also ask what comes next. Looking ahead to next week's business, I hope to approach the Minister for WF Affairs to suggest we run an Observer Referendum if the Membership Referendum fails. Raymond Taylor: Give Way! Stephen Spencer: I give way. Raymond Taylor: I thank the right honourable gentleman for giving way. My constituents, in Naurkidraz, seek the information the relevant Minister promised us ahead of the Referendum. I am very aware, as the Referendum gets ever nearer, it is now next month, that we still have no clarification on what a life in a WF country looks like. Stephen Spencer: I thank the honourable gentleman for intervening and he makes a valid point, I also seek that clarification from the Minister next week. Arnold Daniels: Give way! Stephen Spencer: I give way. Arnold Daniels: I thank the right honourable gentleman for giving way. I must ask if the right honourable gentleman is just desperate to be involved in the WF and I must ask why? Deputy Speaker: Order, order! No, sorry, it's way too late for asking why, that needed to be done long before a Referendum was even on the cards. Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Deputy Speaker. If we observe, we can see what goes on and almost act as whistleblowers. We're unpopular as a nation anyway, we'd may as well make ourselves even less popular as whistleblowers. If that's quite enough for us, we needn't even become members but membership is what the Incompetent Democrats seek to do first and foremost and that's what we're striving to do. Deputy Speaker: Order! The question is that this chamber do now adjourn, all of that opinion say aye. Majority: Aye. Deputy Speaker: On the contrary no. Minority: No. Deputy Speaker: I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Order, order.
A Casual Chat with the Speaker, 8 July 2021
Speaker: I've gone the last couple of days meaning to re-apply these nails but I've just run out of time, what with working here and everything. Via video link, Joanna. Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Wow! Special makeup. Speaker: Yes, I mean, I don't get to treat myself often in this job. My book is out! There are currently two paperback editions. The paperback illustrated is not in colour because of the expense of doing them in colour. Do be aware of that. If you want the full-colour, it will take a bit more time, it will be hardback and more expensive. I don't have control over how long that takes. It's still on a really tight timer. Just get the edition that you want. I know some people were asking. Lynn. Lynn Douglas: Happy Birthday, Ben. Speaker: Who's Ben? By the way, I'm gonna wait and see what sales are like. The hardcover will be available through your local businesses and public services. Marlon. Marlon Reyes: Nah, hardcover will be illustrated, but will take another week or so... Speaker: Yes, exactly. Johnny. Johnny Alvarado: Are they coming to indigo by any chance? Speaker: I can't afford to pay for a re-reading. Ronald. Ronald Terry: Congratulations, Dr. Speaker, no one has earned this more than you. You're so passionate and loving and everyone appreciates you. I'm ordering the book tomorrow. Speaker: Thank you very much. Rita. Rita Leonard: It’s a great achievement. Speaker: Thank you very much. The last thing I watched was the Titans, which I'd never seen before. It was actually pretty good. I get the appeal of that. It was pretty good, I enjoyed that. Billy. Billy Gomez: Never scared me to be honest. Speaker: It's made it really hard to appreciate it and get through and so I took a break from that. It is absurd and so idiotic and I am loving it so far. It's so dumb. It's amazing. The stupid elements of it are all the stupider. Roosevelt. Roosevelt Tran: Random comic fact, Deadpool has a daughter named Elinor who has a different version of his healing factor where if she dies her body reverts back to when her power first manifested. Speaker: Erm... OK. Doreen. Doreen Alvarado: I used to watch Return to Oz all the time as a kid. It was years before I actually saw the '39 movie. Speaker: I have to have total control or else I feel nauseous. Sherry. Sherry Warren: Random comic fact, Deadpool has a daughter named Elinor who has a different version of his healing factor where if she dies her body reverts back to when her power first manifested. Speaker: Roosevelt said that a minute ago, it's still clear as mud for me. Depending on what time it is, maybe I'll watch? I'm not sure though. Marcia. Marcia Ryan: Groundhogpool. Speaker: OK. Marianne. Marianne Page: I saw Cruella. It was decent. It feels like an improvement on what Maleficent was trying to do. I had fun, but yeah...it's definitely a "wait for the public release" recommendation. Speaker: Alright then. I'm up for that. So, first thing to keep in mind is there will be an audio book which is not going to be read by me. Here we go. I have a deep paranoia of sinking a lot of time into doing the reading and just thinking it sounds like rubbish. Although, I would feel really weird hearing anybody else read it. The pressure in knowing the entire project was kickstarted made me uncomfortable, what with also being the Speaker here and the MP for Clearmouth. That's essentially why I'm not doing the audiobook. I am always going to find something in it I don't like. Prime Minister. Prime Minister: My reading is what's happening to Farris is a metaphor for what your feelings about Hell Bent were like to deal with. Speaker: OK. Ruth. Ruth Lawrence: Have you seen/heard of joshscorcer? He did a few lists of Ten villain songs in different media like theater and non-Disney films. Speaker: There is a channel to draw questions to guarantee I will get your comments and questions. Edmund. Edmund Morton: Night Emily. Speaker: Yes, goodnight, Emily, see you tomorrow. I kind of needed it to be an original thing. One of those nights when I need sleep and can't, I stay up. Margie. Margie Moss: Speaking of Fey Folklore, have you seen Brian Froud's Faeries' Oracle Deck? He's the artist who designed the Muppets for Labyrinth and Dark Crystal. Speaker: I'm not the most literary of writers. Grady. Grady Cohen: Heya, Eireann! Sorry you're having a rough night. Speaker: Eireann? I don't know. My fascination with the Fey has less to do with specific questions about them, it's more like an atmosphere thing. They just kind of fascinate me. Arnold. Arnold Davidson: My thoughts exactly! Speaker: I do have some other stuff I wanna do and I do appreciate everyone holding on. There wasn't an existing Fey I could find and I didn't want to disrespect the folklore. Sherry. Sherry Warren: Gratz on your new book. Speaker: Thank you very much. Thank you, everybody for holding on.. Thank you all for the support. It really helps. Lyle. Lyle Sanchez: Night everyone! Was soo much fun. Congrats, Dr. Speaker. Woooo. Speaker: Right, have you not all homes to go to? Today was long enough, go on!
Prime Minister's Questions, 14 July 2021
Speaker: Order! Orderrrrrrrrr! Just a small bit of housekeeping whilst we wait for the Prime Minister to arrive. This is something that should not be as contentious as it is. It is very much ingrained in the language that they/them is plural. You can't claim it doesn't work as a singular, it does. The main thing with this topic is that there is not a neutral gender singular. We haven't got there yet. The word 'queer' has absolutely been used, in the past, as a slur against the community, however, some of them do identify as queer and it wasn't created as a way to insult people. Some people present quite feminine. Nobody owes a presentation and nobody has to prove themself to someone. If trans men identify as men, they are still men, presentation doesn't have to comply with this. It's OK to not be sure of where you fall in terms of your gender. It's OK to explore these things. Some people still need to go on a journey to get back to where they started, it's all valid. I have enjoyed clearing these up with you. I hope nobody here would normally offend knowingly but just in case, I hope I have been helpful. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the year with the knowledge I have now shared with you. Order! The Prime Minister has arrived in the chamber since I have been speaking and so I just want to request the chamber, please, to keep in mind that we finish today for our Winter holidays. I want to say this with the Prime Minister here so he hears it and bears it in mind for today's Questions. After today, unless an emergency comes up in the meantime, or special sittings are requested and approved by the clerks and I, the next time we will sit in Parliament is Wednesday, 1 September 2021. We will have a few wrap-up sessions that week to wrap up what's not going to be finished this week and to prepare ourselves for the President's State Opening of Parliament on Monday, 6 September 2021. This year, I am very aware, not all of us will be having a complete break, I certainly will not be. There is a lot of work continuing during our break this year. First and foremost, the Prime Minister and I will continue to run H Summits Major during the break. The Prime Minister and I will continue to communicate with Vice-Prime Minister Barrett on her recovery. The Prime Minister and I will meet to discuss a few things, the details surrounding which cannot be said at this time, however, depending on what is said, may call for a special sitting of Parliament, on Sunday, 25 July 2021. In addition to that, the Higher Chamber Reforms continue with the deadline of Sunday, 5 September 2021, the day before the State Opening of Parliament. We continue to have the Dirty City By-election run during our break, which will conclude with the By-election result on Sunday, 3 October 2021 at 10PM which I will chair, however, we shall be back in session for that. We will have the World Forum Membership Referendum on Wednesday, 25 August 2021 all day, with the result announced on Friday, 27 August 2021 at 10PM, which I will chair. Given the closeness of this Referendum to our resumption of Parliamentary Business, I am ruling that we will not convene to discuss the result until we return to Parliament on Wednesday, 1 September 2021. Colleagues, please keep in mind, those on the Order Paper to ask questions, and the Prime Minister, this is the only term in our year to have such a significant break in it and it is the term given over to Incompetent Democratic Business, whilst they have today and all of September, they've lost all of August so I have shunted them up on my Order Paper and I'd ask you all, please, to give way to them when possible and also not to object to them should they go over time. I would also ask the Prime Minister, please, to answer their questions as honestly and fully as possible. Parliament: Yeah! Speaker: So without any further ado, I call Andrea Powell for Question Number One. Andrea Powell. Andrea Powell: Question Number One, Dr. Speaker. Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I look forward to continuing to work with you, continuing to work on our H Summits Major, to stay in touch with Vice-Prime Minister Barrett and her family, I look forward to our meeting, Dr. Speaker, to assisting the Higher Chamber Reforms, to assisting in the Dirty City By-election where possible, maybe organising, with you, Dr. Speaker, debates between the candidates standing for election. I look forward to the World Forum Membership Referendum with great anticipation and I am committed to helping the right honourable gentleman for Little Heaven in preparing for that and getting through it, I understand the Referendum is important for him and his Party and the Government aren't opposed to that at all. Dr. Speaker, this morning, I had meetings with Ministerial colleagues about the position we are sustaining in Government ahead of our Parliamentary return in September, I will have further such meetings later today. Speaker: Andrea Powell. Andrea Powell: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and thank you for granting our business as urgent. Incompetent Democrats: Yeah! Andrea Powell: Dr. Speaker, in relation to a tax fall against the Health Service, what will the Prime Minister do during the break to ensure this is not forgotten about? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I don't think it is wise of me to try and sustain that, today is the first I have heard of the honourable lady and her Party discuss the topic. Whilst I am fairly certain the Government won't accept such a policy, I might gently suggest that the honourable lady brings that up again in September, I just don't think it's wise to start bringing up new topics at this point in the year and if the Government can be facilitating of the policy after some discussion in September, then I look forward to introducing that policy in September or October. Speaker: Andrea Powell. Andrea Powell: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I am taken aback by the Prime Minister's response because I thought the Government were all about equalising money out. Parliament: (Outraged) Speaker: Order, order! The Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. the honourable lady should be aware that that is what the Government are all about, make no mistake about that at all but also make no mistake about the fact that the Government values its citizens and does want them to have a good health service to rely on and having a tax fall against the health service doesn't help that effort. Speaker: Brooke Bowen. Brooke Bowen: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I would like to ask will the Prime Minister consider the possibility of making childcare more expensive during the Winter so he can return in September ready to discuss it informed of the reality of that topic? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I can't, honestly, understand why anyone would want anything to be more expensive. I also have to note, Dr. Speaker, that to make childcare or any other service more or less expensive reverts the country to a capitalist state and that is not what this Government are trying to do. Speaker: Brooke Bowen. Brooke Bowen: Dr. Speaker, I observe the Prime Minister didn't answer the question, what he did was state his personal opinion on the matter and the Government's position on the matter. Incompetent Democrats: Yeah! Brooke Bowen: Dr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister give the topic some consideration and thought during the Winter or not? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I shall be delighted to do so for the honourable lady during the Winter if she and her Party wish me to. Speaker: Eva Price. Eva Price: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. There is no doubt in our world today, our country is far behind on reliance on renewable sources of energy. Our Party's aim is to get the country to 20% reliance on renewables by 2030. Dr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister confirm this effort has been started? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I can, in fact, confirm that effort started last year in the Higher Chamber and that we're aiming for far higher than 20% reliance on renewables. Speaker: Eva Price. Eva Price: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I might just gently remind the Prime Minister that the 80% I didn't refer to does include energy sources we cannot get from renewables. What work will the Prime Minister be doing on this front this Winter? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I hate to inform the honourable lady that the energy sources we cannot obtain from renewable sources were actually in the 20% I didn't refer to. The 80% the Government are aiming for is all reliance on renewable sources. As for working on the issue this Winter, Dr. Speaker, we started this work as a Government last year, it's not starting this Winter, we are continuing to be green in our work and promote being green and encourage schools and other educational facilities and business to continue to practice green ways and promote green ways. Dr. Speaker, the honourable lady has the whole thing backwards. Speaker: The Leader of the Incompetent Democrats, Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I appreciate the Prime Minister saying he will be facilitating of World Forum efforts during the Winter. Will he be willing to make the Minister for WF Affairs available to us for ongoing talks in the run up to the Referendum? Speaker: Prime Minister: Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I am delighted to facilitate the right honourable gentleman in whatever way possible and I will, of course, make the relevant Minister available to him. Speaker: Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Once the Prime Minister makes the Minister of WF Affairs available, will he disappear or will he continue to make himself available to us? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I will continue, throughout the entirety of the Winter, to be available to the right honourable gentleman and his Party in whatever way possible. Stephen Spencer: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order, Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In relation to what you said about not having a special sitting directly after the Referendum, would you not say it is more important to have a special sitting in case, for example, we fail and decide to hold an Observation Referendum? Speaker: I think the right honourable gentleman for his question. That is a very dangerous topic to be discussing so close to the State Opening of Parliament so I'd say, please, keep it for September. There is plenty of time in September to discuss that business and to run it through the Government. Please trust me on that. Order! Brooke Little! Brooke Little: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. My constituents are worried Parliament will not be keeping things moving in my constituency, Gramsby, during the Winter. What can the Prime Minister do to reassure them work is continuing during the Winter? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, the constituents of Gramsby would be correct in thinking the Parliament won't be pushing things on during the Winter because we won't be sitting, however, to reassure them that work is continuing, I advise them to keep updated on the World Forum Membership Referendum and to watch TV. H Summits Major will be continuing on TV and Higher Chamber Reforms will continue to be reported in the news, no doubt. Speaker: Sadie Turner. Sadie Turner: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. What happens if Vice-Prime Minister Barrett returns to her role as Prime Minister during the break? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: I thank my honourable friend for her question. Dr. Speaker, I am not entirely sure how to answer this question as I think I have said it all before. If Vice-Prime Minister Barrett resumes her role in August, and she has given me no indication that she will, then she resumes my role, and re-arranges Cabinet in September and you will see her back here again and I will return to my role as MP for Ferndochty. Speaker: Katrina Sullivan. Katrina Sullivan: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Will the Prime Minister be doing any campaigning work this Winter and if so, what campaigning will he be doing? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I plan, only, to support, this year, my colleague running for election in Dirty City. I don't know if they have declared their candidacy yet but I pledge my support to them and hope they will be elected to maintain our current Parliamentary Majority of 236. Max Simmons: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order, Max Simmons! Max Simmons: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Just in relation to the business you said you and the Prime Minister are working on this Winter, I noticed the absence of a mention of the Youth Parliament, for which I have been working through applications eagerly wanting to be my youth representative for quite some time. Is there going to be a Youth Parliament this year or not? Speaker: I thank the honourable gentleman for his question. I apologise to the chamber if I failed to mention the Prime Minister and I will be organising the Youth Parliament this Winter and I put that on the record for the chamber now so, to answer the honourable gentleman, yes, this year's Youth Parliament is going ahead in November as normal. Parliament: Yeah! Sherman Hill: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order, Sherman Hill. Sherman Hill: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Will the meeting on 25 July be public and if not, will the conclusion be published? Speaker: I thank the honourable gentleman for his question and I apologise if I was unclear the first time. The meeting with the Prime Minister on 25 July, which will also include the Deputy Speaker, Vice-Prime Ministers and another member I cannot mention here today, will not be public and I will hold a special sitting in this chamber only if there is significant news to come from the conclusion. If there isn't, I will not be mentioning the meeting again. Order! We are now at the end of the Order Paper. I remind colleagues that the end of this session is not the end of business for the Winter, we still have the rest of today's sessions, as normal, before our Winter holidays begin, however, this is the final sitting of Prime Minister's Questions before the Winter. I now suspend the chamber for lunch until 2:19PM. Order!
Special Sitting of the Lower Chamber, 29 July 2021
Speaker: Orderrrr! Orderrr! Welcome back to Parliament, a bit earlier than expected, for this special sitting of Parliament, we won't be too long today, we're not going to be doing a full day, just an evening. Order! Ms. Riley and Mr. Arnold! We've barely started and you're yapping on about your Summer holidays. We're not on holiday in here. Parliament: Yeah! Speaker: Order! I expect all MPs full attention, as always. We have a statement today by the Prime Minister, Vice-Prime Minister Barrett and I have a statement too. Then, after these, we will have some tributes, reactions and comments. Then, after those, I will open the floor to anyone who has business still to be discussed and debated in this Chamber to the end of this year and those who were expecting a full year next year, without saying too much. To my knowledge, not one person in this chamber other than the Prime Minister, Vice-Prime Minister Barrett and I currently know what this is all about but we're about to find out as I call, via video link, Vice-Prime Minister Barrett. Dr. Barrett..... Dr. Barrett? You're muted. Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, sorry about that. Thank you for agreeing to hold this special sitting of Parliament, it is, in my opinion, the best way to make an announcement to the chamber and to the nation. Dr. Speaker, the country will be well aware at this stage that I am recovering from Lung Cancer and I have a husband and a young child. The chamber will also be well aware I plan to return to Parliament later this year as Prime Minister. Dr. Speaker, no cancer sufferer will have any way of knowing they will not suffer from cancer again and no way of knowing medication will be completely effective. In the interests of spending time with my husband and seeing my child grow up, Dr. Speaker, I have decided to call a snap General Election in the autumn of 2022 and to step down as the Leader of the Modern Marxist Party and, subsequently, as Prime Minister. Parliament: (Shock) Speaker: Orderrrr! We are all deeply affected by what Vice-Prime Minister Barrett has just said, I don't think she's finished. Dr. Barrett. Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. My replacement as Leader of the Modern Marxist Party will be elected privately ahead of December 2021 and they will declare their candidacy for the Autumn 2022 snap election in December 2021. I will continue to be Leader until the middle of November, when I will step down as Leader. Upon my return as Prime Minister, I will continue to be Prime Minister until the result of the Autumn 2022 snap election is announced. Dr. Speaker, when I was first elected in 2017, I couldn't have known what was ahead of me as Prime Minister and I honestly have had the experience of my life, allowed me by the Qaz people and I cannot thank them enough. Government: Yeah! Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Dr. Speaker, I will carry this experience with me everywhere that my career takes me after having been Prime Minister. Dr. Speaker, I wish my successors as Leader and Prime Minister all the best for their future roles in leading our country. I also, Dr. Speaker, thank you and the chamber for the way in which you have facilitated me as Prime Minister and Vice-Prime Minister. Alas, Dr. Speaker, I will not be resigning my role as MP for Alton City East. I will be running to represent them again in the Autumn 2022 snap election. I will be forty years old at the time of resigning as Prime Minister. I will not be old enough to retire and I don't intend to retire ahead of time. Government: Yeah! Speaker: Orderrr! I thank the right honourable lady for her statement, I am sure the chamber is now feeling the soreness of knowing we are, once again, heading into transitioning Parliaments, Governments and Prime Ministers, however, our task for now is to support the present Parliament, Government and Prime Minister to get us to that point and we need to be optimistic, there is a lot of work to do before the Autumn of 2022. I now call on the Prime Minister for his statement. Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I want to thank my right honourable friend for speaking here this evening, albeit via video link, it is very difficult to state what she stated here today and she did so with great courage and honesty. Government: Yeah! Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, as a Government, we are now, of course, heading into a very turbulent time ahead. It feels like last night that we won the 2020 election and already we are heralding in the end of that Government. Dr. Speaker, as you rightly said, there is a lot of work to do before the Autumn of 2022, we have the remainder of today's work to finish, the remainder of this year's work to finish and then in January, we will sit down to evaluate 2022's work a bit differently as we do have to factor in the election, however, we still have three quarters of a year to play with and we will continue to plan to facilitate as much business in that time as we can. Dr. Speaker, in a few months' time, I, personally, will have reached the end of my brief time as Prime Minister, and that will not be a surprise for this chamber, we knew this was coming. However, Dr. Speaker, I have been working with Vice-Prime Ministers Barrett and Ortiz to continue to look after this country in the best way we possibly can. Dr. Speaker, Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz told me she has yet to decide if she will be leaving with Dr. Barrett or not but I think it is good practice to support her as if she is staying in the meantime and let her make that decision by herself. Government: Yeah! Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, as for me, I will let Dr. Barrett decide what position I am to immediately hold on her return to work, however, I do intend to stand, within the Party, for private election to Leader of the Modern Marxists and to lead the Modern Marxists into the Autumn 2022 snap election, in which I do hope to be elected Prime Minister. That is my hope from here on. Dr. Speaker, I would like to thank my right honourable friend for her belief in me and for announcing me as Prime Minister during her recovery. I want to thank you for the work she has done and will go on doing for the Government in the short time left and for the Party in the time ahead and I would like to thank you and the chamber for facilitating me as the Prime Minister, even if briefly, in this Parliament and this Government. Dr. Speaker, I wish Dr. Barrett all the best as Prime Minister in the time ahead and I wish our Party and Government a very productive and fruitful time ahead. Government: Yeah! Speaker: Orderrrrr! I thank the Prime Minister for his statement. I felt the atmosphere in the chamber change whilst the Prime Minister was speaking, it was almost as if the shock was settling in and we were realising that this Parliament's end really is in sight. Order! I would now just like to make a personal statement to the chamber, partially out of necessity and partially in response to the two statements previously made at this special sitting this evening. Colleagues, we now know there is an election on the cards for the Qaz Parliament, even amid Higher Chamber Reforms, which are ongoing. I was first elected Speaker of this chamber on 25 December 2017 and I was re-elected Speaker on 3 June 2020. As with each time there is an election, the Speakership also falls into question. The Speaker, as MPs will know, is an elected MP to this Parliament. In the event the Speaker is not re-elected, a new Speaker must be elected from those who do get elected to the chamber. Order! It has been known in the last sixteen years that the the Speaker of this chamber, if they are re-elected in each election, will stand for Speaker, typically, three times before bowing out, however, I have decided that I will bow out as Speaker in the Autumn 2022 snap election. Parliament: Yeah! (Clapping) Speaker: Order! Orderrrrr! The last three and a half years I have spent as Speaker so far have been some of the most turbulent, bold years our Parliament has had to work through. Some of our intentions in this Parliament worked and some failed miserably. This is the greatest privilege I have had in my life and I thank you, the MPs of this Parliament, who believed in me twice to be your Speaker to work for the rights of this chamber and to ensure we do keep order in this chamber. I have done so to the best of my ability, fairly, without bias and with transparency. Everything I needed to say about Parliament, it was said here first. Everything I needed to say to Parliament, it was said here first. You have seen both my good and bad times and I have seen yours and I will treasure the experience of being Speaker as long as I work and live. For my part as MP for Alton City West, I do intend to stand for re-election. I wish my successor in the Speakership the best of luck and many good years as our Speaker. Parliament: Yeah! Speaker: Orderrrr! I now come back to Dr. Barrett for a reaction. Dr. Barrett. Vice-Prime Minister Barrett: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I just want to say when I was first elected here, I could not have imagined the support you would show me. You were there when I was lost and unsure and you were there when I couldn't have been more sure of what I was doing. The chamber is feeling sore after your statement, Dr. Speaker, because the chamber has never seen your like before and it's highly unlikely it ever will again. From the bottom of my heart, Dr. Speaker, you have been a truly inspiring Speaker of this chamber, you have never been afraid to keep order and to correct any one of us breaking rules and for that, Dr. Speaker, I thank you very much. Speaker: Order! I thank Dr. Barrett for her heartfelt reaction. I now call on the Leader of the Opposition, Lorraine Drake. Lorraine Drake: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. This is the first Seat in this Parliament I have held, I was elected Leader of the Opposition on 3 June 2020 and so the only Parliament I have experienced in this role so far has been under your watch. I want to thank you for the way you have run this chamber, the honesty, courage, generosity and humour you have shown. Opposition: Yeah! Lorraine Drake: Dr. Speaker, you will be missed by all on the Opposition benches. Opposition: Yeah! Lorraine Drake: Dr. Speaker, I also wish the right honourable lady a speedy recovery and I wish her luck in the year ahead as she prepares to leave Office as Prime Minister and I'd like to wish the Prime Minister all the best in his future endeavours too. Dr. Speaker, I must say, there was a time when I could just never see the Tax Nobodies gaining Seats in Parliament and now, for the last year, we've made it and I'd just like to thank you for the way you have supported and helped us despite knowing that ours and the Government's agenda will never agree. Opposition: Yeah! Lorraine Drake: Dr. Speaker, in terms of what is now the upcoming election, I will continue to lead the Tax Nobodies, I will run on behalf of them in December and I hope to gain as many Seats in our next Parliament as is possible. Opposition: Yeah! Speaker: Order! I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her reaction. I now want to call on the Leader of the Incompetent Democrats for a reaction first, his concern is noted and considered and I will come back to him for it later on. Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Much like right honourable colleagues of mine have said, this is the first Seat I have also ever held in this Parliament and, albeit, just under a year that we have sat on these benches, a year in September, I won't have known politics, debates and business discussions in this chamber without you, also, the Incompetent Democrats couldn't have had a fair representation and voice in these debates and business discussions without the kindness you have shown as Speaker. Dr. Speaker, no matter what the outcome of our upcoming election is, the Incompetent Democrats will always be grateful for the way you have run this Parliament and they way you ensured we had a voice in this chamber and we were heard. I dare say, Dr. Speaker, it is because of you that the Government were actually so facilitating of us and our business. Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Incompetent Democrats: Yeah! Stephen Spencer: Dr. Speaker, I also want to pay tribute to Dr. Barrett and the Prime Minister. To Dr. Barrett, we wish you a speedy recovery and return to work, not too stressful a year ahead and a successful return to your job as it was before you were Prime Minister, no doubt. Incompetent Democrats: Yeah! Stephen Spencer: Dr. Speaker, we also commend the Prime Minister for the way he has served our country in such a short period of time, approaching 2 months, he has overhauled the Cabinet, stayed loyal to Dr. Barrett and upheld much of what she put in place and that is only to be admired. We wish the Prime Minister well in whatever work he occupies when he leaves Office as Prime Minister. Incompetent Democrats: Yeah! Stephen Spencer: Dr. Speaker, I intend to continue forward as Incompetent Democratic Leader, to lead the Party through the election and into the Autumn 2022 election. Speaker: Order! I thank the right honourable gentleman for his reaction. I now call on Harold Garcia. Harold. Harold Garcia: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As the only person of your Party elected to a Parliament, you can often feel like there is no support for you in Parliament. You can feel as if there is no-one to fall back on. There is no-one to make your point for you again louder if you weren't heard. There is no-one to reiterate your point. Dr. Speaker, in my time back in this Parliament after leaving, you have been my support in this chamber. You have made sure I was supported, I could fall back on you, you made sure I was heard and if MPs weren't listening, you allowed me to reiterate my point. Dr. Speaker, thank you. Dr. Speaker, I would also like to wish Dr. Barrett and her family well and to with the Government well in the turbulent times ahead. Dr. Speaker, I wish the Prime Minister well in his return to the back benches. He did an excellent job there in the past and I look forward to seeing him do so again in the future. Dr. Speaker, finally, I intend to lead the Advanced Humanitarian League through the next election and to victory and will declare my candidacy to do so in December. Speaker: Order! I thank the right honourable gentleman for his reaction. Order! I do understand there is some concern- Javier Foster: Point of Order! Speaker: Point of Order, Javier Foster! Javier Foster: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I think, now, as a Parliament, we are more concerned about the schedule of the upcoming election, will we be having some clarity on this during this sitting? Speaker: Order! Orderrrr! I was about to come to that, we have a few more pressing concerns to come to before then. The Dirty City constituency don't currently have an MP after their former MP was sacked and they are currently going through a By-election, the Dirty City constituents were in contact with me before today's sitting as to what the upcoming election means for their constituent MP in the coming year. Well, I say to those watching at home, the By-election will follow the same course the Prime Minister set out for it and finish its course in that way, then, after that, your newly-elected MP will sit in this Parliament as your MP up until the 2022 snap election. Your new MP will still have to declare candidacy in December and go through the 2022 election process. Order! I now come to those concerned over the timeline for these events and so I now call the Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Dirty City By-election will be completed in October so it will be well-clear of the upcoming 2022 election. Dr. Speaker, all we can currently say due to how far ahead the election is- Speaker: Order, order. I was thinking along the same lines as the Prime Minister before he rose to speak, there is very little he can confirm for you because the details of the election timeline aren't finalised yet, however, let's have him confirm what he can, the Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, great minds think alike. We can only confirm so far that the nominations period will begin on 1 December 2021 and end on 31 December 2021 and that the campaign period will begin on 1 January 2022. As of now, those are the only dates we have confirmed. Speaker: Order, order! I thank the Prime Minister for what he stated, he did as much as he currently can and the chamber respects that. Now, moving on to another concern the Incompetent Democrats have, Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Our concern is that the news of this announcement will spread and will obscure the World Forum Referendum going here in August and that it will deaden our business which is scheduled for now. Speaker: Order! I ask the right honourable gentleman to forgive me for splitting his question in two, I just think clarification is best coming that way. The Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, the business of the right honourable gentleman and his Party is in no way deadened, we continue with the intended business to the end of this year and we continue to support him in that work. Speaker: Stephen Spencer. Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I was also, until now, under the impression that next year's business would follow this year's business so what will next year's schedule look like and will the Prime Minister remember to factor us into next year's business? Speaker: Prime Minister. Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, the Government ensures all Parties elected to this chamber will have a chance to debate and discuss their business in each year we have in Parliament. The right honourable gentleman will remember last year, we had four months to schedule for and plan and the right honourable gentleman's Party got a whole month in that schedule. This year, Dr. Speaker, he has an entire Parliamentary term to his business so I hope the right honourable gentleman knows we do care for him and his business and we do fit him in. Dr. Speaker, we can't yet tell what next year's business looks like until we sit down in January and plan it. Speaker: I now call on Margie Moss to motion adjournment, Margie Moss. Margie Moss: I beg to move that this chamber to now adjourn. Speaker: The question is that this chamber do now adjourn. Candace Quinn. Candace Quinn: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The topic this evening is Summer Business. The chamber will be well aware that Summer business takes a step away from Parliament as it closes for the Summer holidays and business being undertaken in individual constituencies lies with the elected MP. Perry Ballard: Give way. Candace Quinn: I give way. Perry Ballard: I thank the honourable lady for giving way. I want to remind the honourable lady that MPs are entitled to two weeks of annual paid leave in the Summer. Candace Quinn: I thank the honourable gentleman for his input. I had not forgotten his point but his point is very valid and worth remembering. The chamber knows well how passionate we can be about our work and how possible it is for us to forget to have time off. However, Dr. Speaker, the opportunity of the Summer is not one that we MPs can let slip. It is an invaluable chance to focus on work that Parliament normally doesn't allow. Dr. Speaker, in my constituency, I have been working to ensure the stabilisation of the redistribution of wealth, of the National Minimum Wage, of restoring links between the pensions of my constituents and halting privatisation. In addition to that, I have been moving onwards to equalising out all schools, investing in manufacturing and restoring public ownership of currently privately-owned vital services such as electricity, gas and coal. David Rodriquez: Give way. Candace Quinn: I give way. David Rodriquez: I thank the honourable lady for giving way. I have to follow her and say I have also pushed on and done more work in my constituency but I have to look back at the Government and Parliament which are beginning to end and say that this has been a bold and ambitious four years for our country and a lot of things have been tried and have failed, however, this is very much a failed Government and a failed Parliament. Speaker: Order, I remind MPs to be careful with their wording. David Rodriquez. David Rodriquez: Dr. Speaker, this country has been run by a Marxist Government for four years and yet we have very little or nothing to show for it. I understand that this was the first Marxist Government in this country in well over a hundred years but I hope we've not lost our touch and forgotten how to be Marxist. Way, way too many aspects of our country remained capitalist in the last four years, our progress has been very slow and I can't see how we are going to make the rest of the manifesto happen in the time that's left. It's a joke. Speaker: Order! I won't say it again, I remind MPs to be careful with their wording. Candace Quinn. Candace Quinn: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and I thank the honourable gentleman for his input and I do, of course, also feel his pain, however, our job now is not to look to the past, it's to look to the future, the time that's left, and to be optimistic about using the remaining time wisely and to have a work ethic that says, this is my job, I will continue to do it and get as much done as the time ahead allows me to do and whatever state we leave the country in as a result, we can at least say we tried our best and used our time wisely. Speaker: The question is that this chamber do now adjourn. As many as are of that opinion, say aye. Minority: Aye. Speaker: On the contrary, no. Majority: No. Speaker: I think the nos have it. The nos have it. Sasha Lovegood. Sasha Lovegood: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. What is the most exciting thing about politics? Speaker: Order, order, you're changing the adjournment topic, you can't do that. Sasha Lovegood. Sasha Lovegood: Sorry, Dr. Speaker, and thank you for the correction. In my constituency, I thought it was a brilliant idea to turn to education of politics for those interested. Our annual Qaz Youth Parliaments show us we have plenty of young people interested in politics, so, in my Summer in my Office, I have been funding third, second and primary level education, both full-time and part-time courses for those interested, and we have a lot, information evenings for those who feel a bit lost and other fun activities for those who maybe don't have time for a course. I have also decided in my constituency this year that I will be running auditions for my MYP counterpart, with an educational focus and so far the idea has only received support from constituents. Speaker; The question is that this chamber do now adjourn, all as are of that opinion say aye. Unclear: Aye. Speaker: On the contrary, no. Uclear: No. Speaker: Division! I am just asking my clerk to present me with the result. Order! The clerk! Clerk: The ayes to the right, 182, the nos to the left, 118. Speaker: Thank you. The ayes to the right, 182, the nos to the left, 118, so the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Order, order!
World Forum Membership Referendum Result, 27 August 2021 at 10PM
Speaker: The result of the Qaz World Forum Membership Referendum is in. Of the total number of votes cast, eight were invalid and none were spoiled. 34% of all votes cast were cast in favour of joining the World Forum. This means that 66% of all votes cast were cast in opposition of joining the World Forum. I hereby declare, the Qaz people have voted against World Forum Membership. |
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