Qaweritoyu Youth Parliament 23 November 2020:
Government Business:

Speaker: Order, order. Good morning, young men, young women, young people! Welcome to the Lower Chamber of the Qaz Parliament! In case any of you don't know or are new here and weren't here last year, I am Dr. Johnathon Wallace, the Speaker of the Lower Chamber. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Qaz Parliament. For those who have been here before, welcome back! In particular, I would like to welcome back last year's Youth Prime Minister, Pearl Woods, who is serving as today's Youth Prime Minister again. The enthusiasm of the Youth Parliament never ceases to amaze me and I am delighted, each year, to be reassured, the future of our democracy and our country is in safe hands. Order, we are doing things quite differently this year but the principles remain the same. If you have been here before, you will know a lot of clapping takes place. There will be no clapping this year, please, apart from at the end. The reason for this is that I am very aware you are all training to be Qaz politicians and you are all members of the youth versions of your Parties so we want your experience of the Youth Parliament to be as realistic as possible, as though, today, you are the Qaz Parliament, you are representing your Parties and your constituencies and you will have the full right to exercise those duties here today. Order, you have been discussing and deciding the topics you want to discuss at today's sessions and I have my order paper here. I have to say, I am impressed. On the order paper today are the National Minimum Wage, particularly where students are concerned, the state of the economy, Income Tax Reduction, Tax Fall and Hunting. Order, today's day will be long for many of you, but some of the usual Parliamentary sessions do not apply today so today will be a short day for me. We will begin with Government Business, a special version of, which allows you to present your views on the current issues and state your opinions on them. We will then have Prime Minister's Questions and we'll finish with Leaders' Questions. Order, some members of the Adult Parliament, who are similar in age to you, are among us this morning. I would like to thank them for working overtime to be here. Order, I will not put up with disrespect and behaviour at this Parliament. If either of these cases arise, I will intervene in the normal way, just as I do at the Adult Parliament. Finally, everyone, enjoy your day, you will get the most out of today the more you contribute. I now want to call on the Prime Minister for her opening statement.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Surprise, everyone! I bet you weren't expecting me today! I would like to extend my welcome, first of all, to the Youth Prime Minister, who will be my eyes, ears and thoughts for today. Good luck, young lady. You are an inspiration to the nation. Dr. Speaker, it's great to see so many young people here today, on both sides of the Chamber, not just on the Government's side. I completely agree with you, Dr. Speaker, the future of our country is, indeed, in safe hands. I will be observing today's proceedings although not participating. I will be taking notes and perhaps next week and in the new year we can begin to work on these issues in the Adult Parliament. Thank you everyone, have a great day! Thank you, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: Thank you, Prime Minister. I would now like to call on the Youth Prime Minister for her opening statement. Youth Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I would like to thank you for your warm words of welcome and it is a pleasure to serve the Youth Parliament for a second time as Prime Minister. Dr. Speaker, in the last year, since we discussed our last set of issues, we have seen one of the rockiest periods in Qaz Politics, however, we have seen this stabilised in June 2020 where the Modern Marxists once again secured a Majority in Parliament. Dr. Speaker, Youth Modern Marxists do believe this is our last chance to put things right and work towards re-election in 2025. Dr. Speaker, I want to welcome my colleagues to the Chamber, those who are returning and those who are here for the first time. Today will be a tough, long, tiring day for all involved but it will be productive and we hope the Prime Minister will hear our concerns and follow them up in the coming weeks, months and year.

Speaker: Thank you, Youth Prime Minister. I'd now like to call on the Youth Leader of the Opposition for the first time for an opening statement.

Youth Leader of the Opposition: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. It is my great pleasure to be here for the first time as Youth Leader of the Opposition and I thank all who have welcomed us so warmly to this Parliament. As I currently understand it, the Leader of the Opposition is not here today but we did meet earlier in the week and she will be watching over proceedings at a later date and taking notes for future reference. Dr. Speaker, Tax Nobody Youth are extremely proud of the Tax Nobody Party's first time to gain Seats in the Qaz Parliament and we wish them all the best in their time elected to this Adult Parliament. 

Speaker: Thank you, Youth Leader of the Opposition. Can I now call on the Youth Leader of the Incompetent Democrats for an opening statement? Meera Turner. 

Meera Turner: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. It is a great pleasure, too, like the Right Honourable Gentleman before me said, to stand in this Parliament for the first time and thank you, everyone, for the warm welcome. Like the Tax Nobody Party, the Leader of the Incompetent Democrats met me earlier in the week. He said he will observe proceedings when it is convenient for him to do so, take notes and refer back to them in weeks to come. Dr. Speaker, like the Tax Nobody Party, the Youth Incompetents are extremely proud of the Incompetent Democrats' first Qaz election to Parliament, we support them in their work inside and outside this Parliament at all time. Finally, Dr. Speaker, I look forward to work with you and everyone else throughout the course of today.

Speaker: Thank you, Miss Turner. I finally turn now to the Youth Leader of the Advanced Humanitarian League for an opening statement. Kendal Carlson. 

Kendal Carlson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and it is my great pleasure to be serving you here, today, as the sole youth member of the Advanced Humanitarian League. Dr. Speaker, the adult Leader of the Advanced Humanitarian League and I met in advance of this Parliament and we discussed our main concerns. He is a former Prime Minister, as you'll know, Dr. Speaker, and so he gave me a few tips for presenting my opinion and position on issues brought to this Parliament today for the Prime Minister and her youth counterpart. Dr. Speaker, as the sole youth of the Advanced Humanitarian League, I held this meeting as very important for preparing to be here today as, for the whole day's business, I have to carry the weight of an entire Party on my shoulders. All in all, I look forward to the day ahead. Thank you, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: Thank you, young man. I was struck by your bravery in standing here alone today from your Party. I understand you have a tough day ahead of you today and I will try to ensure your voice is heard just as everyone else's is heard here today. I think I am safe in asking your colleagues present today to keep this in mind when he is speaking today. You may not agree in terms of manifestos but before you shout across the Chamber and before I intervene in that shouting across the Chamber, bare in mind he is alone, he has no Parliamentary support here with him today, no encouragement, you do. Order, attention please, I was glancing around the Chamber as I spoke, you are only here in this manner once, seize the opportunity! With this in mind, I ask you all, please, to turn off your phones, place them in your pockets and not to turn them on, you can;t contribute when you're not paying attention. Thank you. I would like now to move into our first call of business, officially, Government Business. We will now observe this time for forty-five minutes, if your input is not heard at this session, please don't be disappointed or discouraged, the opportunity to speak may arise later on. As you will know, the Parliamentary year is usually split as evenly as possible between all elected Parties of this Chamber. We only have one day and so I have chosen one issue from each Party's manifestos which is currently being debated by your adult counterparts in Parliament as of now. These issues are Redistributing Wealth, the abolition of the Universal Social Charge, the World Forum and Corporal and Capital Punishment. I'll let you elaborate on these topics for me. I would now like to call on Ansh McCormack from the Modern Marxist Party to get us started, please. Ansh McCormack.

Ansh McCormack: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, it is my honour to be here today. As is commonly known in the country, the Modern Marxist Party seek to tone down the spending of money in the country, we seek to equalise out everything, no rich, no poor, no capitalism. 

Speaker: Order, order! Sorry to interrupt you, Ansh, please do resume your seat for the moment and we will get back to you. I heard a few ringtones during Ms. McCormack's speech. Now, I have told you to turn off your phones and I did warn you I would intervene with disrespect the same way I do with the adults. Perhaps, now, you will grasp that fact. It is not fair to interrupt someone speaking, who has the floor, they have a right to be heard, I, certainly, have called on them for a reason, and I expect colleagues to show respect and pay attention. I have ordered adults to leave the Chamber before for disrespect and no matter how far you have come today, if I have to do the same thing here today, I will do so, please be very very clear on that. Turn the phones right off, not just down, not just on airplane mode, right off and away. Last warning. Ansh McCormack.

Ansh McCormack: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Er, sorry, I've lost my train of thought.

Speaker: Order, that's OK, young lady, take your time and find your place for a moment. Another thing to mention to the Chamber, whilst Ms. McCormack finds her place, each time I have to stand up and correct members of the Chamber, the timer on today's sessions does not stop, it continues and so mis-counduct is wasting your own time. Has Ms. McCormack found her place? She has. Ms. McCormack.

Ansh McCormack: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, sorry about that. Our Redistributing Wealth policy in the Party seeks to introduce Wealth Tax, Corporation Tax, Cuts in VAT, Higher Pensions and Social Benefits. Dr. Speaker, Wealth Tax and Corporation Tax are thinking along the same lines. If we are taxing the rich, they will be discouraged from becoming rich and, Dr. Speaker, are more likely to conform with the Government and agree to equalise themselves out until they meet a common threshold we will eventually have to introduce to ensure no-one gets rich. This threshold is a maximum amount of earnings we are allowed to earn and it is the same for everyone, anyone over this threshold are fined the amount by which they are over. The threshold comes down gradually per year so as to not cause a massive recession all in one go. Dr. Speaker, Corporation Tax is discouraging capitalism. It is that simple. The Modern Marxists are aiming to cut taxes to 5% from the current rate which is 20%. We hope that the excess money circulating in Government will be used to heighten the common pension and so allow the common threshold to rise slightly but this will likely have a very insignificant impact on the economy. Finally, we hope to pump the rest of the money into social benefits and so bring that rate up to that of the pensions, again, it will likely be an insignificant change as far as the economy is concerned. We are detrimentally changing the economic stance of the country, Dr. Speaker, compared to our current one, still overhanging from the last Alliance Party Government, but we will manage to stabilise it if we move gradually into adopting a more Marxist form of Government and approach to the economy. Thank you, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: (Glances at the adult Prime Minister) Very well done, young lady, you have done your Party proud and have explained to the Chamber in great detail the Government's position on the Redistributing Wealth policy. I turn, now, to the Opposition and their topic. I'd like to call on Juan Lees, please.

Juan Lees: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here. Dr. Speaker, as a Party, the Tax Nobody Party are literally attempting to do what it says on the tin. We want nobody to be taxed. The first issue, for us, is to campaign to abolish the Universal Social Charge and do our best to persuade the Government to listen to our argument, seriously consider it-

Marxists: (Laughter).

Speaker ORDER! ORDER! DO. NOT. LAUGH. Do not laugh. This is the last warning in the area of respect. Listen to the honourable gentleman, please. Juan Lees.

Juan Lees: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As I was saying, the first issue, for us, is to campaign to abolish the Universal Social Charge and do our best to persuade the Government to listen to our argument, seriously consider it and abolish it. Currently, Dr. Speaker, all Qans are charged 4.5% Universal Social Charge. The Tax Nobody Party want to reduce this rate to 0%. We can see no function it serves. Dr. Speaker, it must be removed. Thank you, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Lees. If I may linger on this topic for a few minutes and encourage some Government participation, please. Let's hear from Brodie Kent.

Brodie Kent: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I have to say that the Universal Social Charge does serve a function. The main function is to fund the Rainy Day Fund. This fund is put aside and left untouched until the country needs it in order to save us from a recession, should that happen. Many other taxes also fund this fund. Without taxes, Dr. Speaker, there is no Rainy Day Fund.

Speaker: Order, thank you. Just watching the time. I'd like to bring back in Juan Lees before we have to move on.

Juan Lees; Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must ask, Dr. Speaker, will there not be a recession anyway with the Modern Marxists in power?

Speaker: Brodie Kent.

Brodie Kent: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must ask, Dr. Speaker, if the honourable gentleman was listening when my colleague spoke on Modern Marxist plans. There will be no recession if our approach is taken gradually. Take it immediately, then yes, there will be a recession, but we have already stated, on this side of the Chamber, that our intended approach is slow and careful.

Marxists: Yeah!

Speaker: Order, I see someone waving their hand at me on the Government side, if it is brief, I will allow it, what's your name?

Teddie Mejia: Teddie Mejia.

Speaker: Teddie Mejia, please.

Teddie Mejia: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must ask the honourable gentleman if he is joking. With our approach, there will still be a functioning economy, well-managed and kept an eye on. With no taxes, there is no economy, it will be an economic hell for the country and with no way out.

Speaker: Thank you, Teddie, Juan Lees.

Juan Lees: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. It is clear what the Government are doing, Dr. Speaker, they are trying to convince us that the Modern Marxit approach is not all that bad, it is all that bad, the people have a right to keep their money, tax-free.

Speaker: OK, OK, moving on! Order, Juan Lees, sit down! I am on my feet! When the Speaker is on his feet, ALL other people SIT DOWN! Moving on to the World Forum. Why should we join them. Let's hear from the Imcompetent Democratic Party on this issue, please, Tomasz Nieves.

Tomasz Nieves: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In the last year, Dr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister rightly said, we have seen the rockiest period in Qaz political history. We saw little or no order from the Prime Minister and her Government, the country literally could have been a dictatorship, no need for democracy. Dr. Speaker, I honestly do not think the country is ready to join the World Forum, however, I think we should still have the Referendum because I believe if the people think like us and they believe by saying yes to joining the World Forum, it would force the country to calm down and become an icon for peace. Surely the Prime Minister and the Government would not refuse the public a yes vote, we live in a democracy, not a dictatorship, and so the result must be respected!

Speaker: I would like to hear from the Government on this issue too, please, Abdi Fuller.

Abdi Fuller: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The World Forum have never shown an interest in welcoming us into their organisation. We have stated, quite openly, in the past, our intention to hold the Referendum and we have had no response from the World Forum whatsoever. Dr. Speaker, they do not care about us! Why would we want to join them?

Speaker: Order, order, order! I do not see your two Parties ever agreeing on the issue so please forgive me for moving swiftly onwards before this turns nasty. I must ask, though, Fuller, any relation to Dr. Darrell Fuller and the adult Prime Minister?

Abdi Fuller: No, Dr. Speaker, not that I am aware of.

Speaker: OK, just interested, same name. OK, moving, finally, to Kendal Carlson to address Corporal and Capital Punishment. Kendal Carlson.

Kendal Carlson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Advanced Humanitarian League disagree strongly with these two violent and physical forms of punishment. Dr. Speaker, we are calling for immediate abolition of these two policies, Dr. Speaker, they are abuses against human rights.

Speaker: (Frowning). Err, I see the Prime Minister perched, Prime Minister, please.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I was, indeed, perched. Dr. Speaker, these two policies have been abolished, they are not currently legal in Qaweritoyu. I have to ask what planet the Right Honourable gentleman is living on. They were both abolished in 2018, in the first year the Modern Marxists held the Majority in Parliament.

Speaker: Order. I was thinking that too. Friends, I ask you, please, to check your facts before you stand up to demand something. It's possible it's already been done and so, is wasting time. I understand the Right Honourable gentleman is by himself but please do keep up, young man. Order, I am concluding Government Business now, we will have a short break and then we will come back in here for Prime Minister's Questions. Order.

Prime Minister's Questions:

Speaker: Order! We now move into Prime Minister's Questions. Order, I am on my feet so please resume your seats quickly. I'll make you into budding young Qaz politicians yet. Order! Order! ORDEEEER! Silence! There is no room for chatter! In this session... Order! I will not ask again for silence, the next one to chatter will be asked to leave the Chamber for the remainder of the day's sitting, am I clear? In this special session of Prime Minister's Questions, our youth Prime Minister, having chatted with our adult Prime Minister ahead of today's sitting of the Youth Parliament, will answer questions from the rest of the Chamber, dealing with issues the Government intend to debate and put into motion in the coming months and years. I am sure most of you are aware of the format of Prime Minister's Questions, this format is slightly altered due to the fact you are Youth Parliament MPs and are here today only. So instead of calling on a Modern Marxist MP for Question Number 1, as I would normally do, I am going to call now on the Prime Minister for an opening statement. Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In the past few days, I did, indeed, meet with the adult Prime Minister and discuss this particular session we are in now, for any Prime Minister, it is a daunting task to answer questions confidently for the entire session, not just for a youth Prime Minister. Dr. Speaker, together with her, I attended meetings concerning the intended current Government Business and she assures me she will continue to do so later on today and for the rest of the week.

Speaker: I now turn to Wasim Santiago from your own Party to ask the first question. Wasim Santiago.

Wasin Santiago: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The only issue on the table at the moment for the Modern Marxist Party is the Redistribution of Wealth. I am aware, earlier, my colleague gave the Chamber a very detailed roadmap of the intended approach of how we are going to do this and I have to say, it really does set out the exact approach we are trying to take and we are trying to encourage our adult counterparts to implement this system. Dr. Speaker, the youth Prime Minister is our point of contact with the adult Prime Minister, she has the biggest influence on the adult Modern Marxists and if we are to communicate through her. Does my right honourable friend agree that it is important to be careful concerning the economy and that should it take some time, it should be allowed to do so. Futhermore, Dr. Speaker, does she intend to propose that to the adult Prime Minister?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I'd like to thank my honourable friend for his question. I do agree with him, it is very important to be extremely careful with the approach we take to redistributing wealth because if we make one step out of line, there is no second chance, there is no way back, if it collapses on us, our task is out the window and our new task is to recover. Dr. Speaker, the process must take as long as it needs, it really is no laughing matter and I do intend to propose all these things to the adult Prime Minister and her colleagues in the Government.

Speaker: I didn't mention that I was going to take three questions from each Party in this Parliament, I apologise for forgetting to do so. That is the system we are on, for the avoidance of doubt. I come now to the second Modern Marxist question. Felicia Portillo.

Felicia Portillo: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. My question is also concerned with the economy and it touches on what my right honourable friend said about the speed this process should take. Does she agree with me that this must take as long as possible and be handled with great care? I ask, Dr. Speaker, because if we go too slowly, then we are still effectively a Modern Marxist Government running a lingering Alliance Party country, as we effectively have been the last three years. The adult Prime Minister stated in her 2020 campaign that she is going to try to stick more strictly to the Modern Marxist manifesto for this term and that presumably includes stamping out the policies left behind from former adult Prime Ministers Murphy and Dixon's Government. Dr. Speaker, does my right honourable friend agree that if the process is too slow, we are still essentially capitalist Marxists and if it is too quick, we plunge the country into recession and likely never get elected to the Qaz Parliament again?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I'd like to thank my honourable friend for her question. What she says is precisely the issue. I do not agree with us breaking boundaries and being capitalist Marxists, however, in the course of redistributing wealth, I do think we need to unite as a Party and be patient. This work won't be achieved overnight but with unity and patience, it can be achieved as soon as possible and as carefully as possible. Of the two catastrophes stated by my honourable friend, I think we'd rather go on ruling in the shadow of the Alliance Party than rule in the shadow of a recession. Dr. Speaker, I must stress that point. The process must be as slow as is possible to ensure we manage the transition gradually and without causing a recession and I will be strongly encouraging the adult Prime Minister and her colleagues to adopt this approach too.

Speaker: Final Modern Marxist question. Opposition, get ready. Damien Salt. 

Damien Salt: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, but my question has already been addressed and answered.

Speaker: Oh, OK, Order, if anyone else from the Modern Marxists has a question, you can insert it now, anyone? Going... Going... Gone. Coming now to the Tax Nobody Party. Calling on Catrina Brooks.

Catrina Brooks: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As the Government will be away, Dr. Speaker, we are seeking to abolish the Universal Social Charge this year, ahead of our 2021 work in which we will seek to reduce and abolish more taxes and raise more benefits. Will the Prime Minister abolish the Universal Social Charge or not?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank the honourable lady for her question. The answer is no. May I remind the honourable lady, Dr. Speaker, that taxes are needed in order to run an economy, the money we obtain from taxes, as has already been stated, goes into the Rainy Day Fund. As also already stated, Dr. Speaker, the Government are trying not to cause a recession as opposed to trying to cause one.

Speaker: Farhan Spencer.

Farhan Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Can I ask the Prime Minister how she expects us to get any work done at all?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank the honourable gentleman for his question. Dr. Speaker, it is an odd question, however, as it doesn't directly relate to Opposition business The answer is, Dr. Speaker, that I don't expect the Opposition to get any work done. One look at the Modern Marxist manifesto will inform any Tax Nobody MPs will never agree with the Government. This Government is not trying to abolish taxes and the Opposition is trying to cause a recession and inflation. Dr. Speaker, as long as we hold the Majority, I never expect them to get any work done.

Speaker: Order! Are you not finished? Each Party has three questions from three separate members of their Parties, it was your choice to ask a stupid question, no-one else's. Farhan Spencer.

Farhan Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Might I remind the Prime Minister the Tax Nobody Party holds the second-highest number of Seats in this Parliament, we are elected to this Parliament, our Constituents deserve to have the work done they elected us to do. Surely not even the Prime Minister can deny them that?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Can I say to the honourable gentleman, if he wanted to get his work done, his adult counterparts should have worked harder and got the Majority in Parliament. It's not my problem that this didn't happen and so if Tax Nobody Constituents are expect us to bend and say, 'Yeah, OK, go ahead', they can think again.

Farhan Spencer: We are elected!

Youth Prime Minister: I know you are, but-

Farhan Spencer: You are the Government, you're supposed to be working with us and granting us!

Speaker: ORDER, ORDER, ORDER! DO NOT YELL ACROSS THE CHAMBER, YOUNG MAN!

Farhan Spencer: You're yelling now, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: I am the Speaker of the Lower Chamber of Qaweritoyu, I have every right to yell across anyone who is abusing their power in this chamber and obstructing the right of the chamber to ask and answer questions honestly. I will not have behaviour like what you have demonstrated here in this chamber, not from an adult, not from a youth, your response has let you down and it has let down your colleagues.

Farhan Spencer: Bully!

Speaker: Due to the honourable gentleman's conduct and refusal to behave in an acceptable manner, I order the honourable gentleman to withdraw from the Chamber for the remainder of this day's sitting.

Farhan Spencer: Make me.

Speaker: Young man, I can make you. This is your very very last chance to walk out of this chamber on your own. If you do not remove yourself from the chamber after this final warning, I will have Chamber security come in to remove you from the Chamber. You are being extremely selfish now. You are holding up the entire session because of your own public image. You refuse to remove yourself, we could have been getting on with questions. You are thinking of no-one else right now, other than yourself, young man.

Farhan Spencer: Fine.

Speaker: I thank the honourable gentleman for complying. I apologise to the Tax Nobody Party but he has cost you your remaining question. I now turn to the Incompetent Democractic Party for their three questions. Jemimah Page.

Jemimah Page: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As the Government will be aware, our focus for the moment, as a Party, is on holding a Referendum to join the World Forum. We do not believe we will be accepted if a yes vote is achieved but we think the move is necessary for the simple possibility that a yes vote will be achieved, it will force the Government to comply with the preservation of peace in our country. Does the Prime Minister agree that peace is the way forward?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Of course we believe in peace, however, they have known for quite some time that this Referendum proposal is passing through this Parliament and have made no reference to it whatsoever so I'm not pushed on joining the World Forum and I can't see why the public would be either.

Speaker: Malaikah Nguyen. 

Malaikah Nguyen: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Prime Minister appeared to be refusing our hope to do work too. We are not a Party directly trying to undo her work in terms of policy. Is the Prime Minister denying us the right to do our work and trying to turn us into a dictatorship?

Speaker: Prime Minister:

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must stress, there is nothing against having a Referendum on World Forum membership in the Modern Marxist Party manifesto, nothing whatsoever. I will be encouraging the adult Prime Minister and her colleagues to do as they see fit. It is just my opinion as the Leader of the Youth version, that the public will not want to join the World Forum based on the fact they have showed us no interest so far, knowing we are discussing it but, that aside, their voice will be heard on the matter.

Speaker: Haider Vaughn.

Haider Vaughn: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I, personally, think the demands of the World Forum have always been out of our reach as a country, however, if the public votes yes in the Referendum, does the Prime Minister acknowledge that this will suddenly be in reach?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank the honourable lady for her question. Yes, if the public say yes, then the demands of the World Forum will have to come into our reach because the people will have spoken and it will be our job to join the World Forum on their behalf.

Speaker: I congratulate the Incompetent Democractic Party on asking their three questions. I now come to our sole Advanced Humanitarian youth, Kendal Carlson. 

Kendal Carlson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Thank you for rubbing it in. Can I ask, based on my earlier findings, when were Corporal and Capital Punishment removed?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Youth Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. These policies were removed in March 2020 when the public started to kick up about them.

Speaker: Kendal Carlson.

Kendal Carlson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. In that case, I have no further questions, they are no longer relevant.

Speaker: Order, that brings us to the end of Prime Minister's Questions. There will now be a short break. Our next session will be Leaders' Question and will allow MPs to ask the three Leaders of the other three Parties elected to Parliament questions based on their business. Given some issues have been discussed in this session but directed at the Prime Minister, I can see the next session being relatively short, however, the sooner we crack on, the sooner we finish. Enjoy your break, see you soon, order.

Leaders' Questions:

Speaker: Order! We now come to our final session of today's sitting of the Youth Parliament, however, it is not the end of the day for you, we have another, informal activity lined up for you on which I will elaborate later. This session gives MPs a chance to question other Party Leaders on their business. This session will also be altered, as Prime Minister's Questions was, to facilitate the Youth Parliament. We will have an allowance of three questions for each Leader from each Party, These are not three questions per topic, we'll be here all day, one question on each piece of business per Party. As you saw with Prime Minister's Questions, there are exceptions, if all questions are answered, we will move swiftly on. If someone puts up a fight and refuses to stand down their argument, the rest of their Party's questions are forfeit. If the Party indicate their questions have been answered, they can tell me so on being called to speak. I will begin with Government questions to the Opposition. Nala Wilder.

Nala Wilder: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I think we'll pass on the basis the Opposition are only focusing on one issue this year which will be unsuccessful and we'll never agree with it. 

Speaker: Order! That is perfectly reasonable, thank you. We now turn to Incompetent Democratic questions to the Opposition. Ruben Hendrix.

Ruben Hendrix: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The policy of reducing tax is also against our Party manifesto but, opposite to the Government, we are seeking to increase taxes significantly-

Speaker: Order, order, resume your seat, Prime Minister, please, I did not bring you in, it is Ruben's time to speak. Ruben Hendrix.

Ruben Hendrix: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, as I was saying, the policy of reducing-

Speaker: Order, the Leader of the Opposition will resume their seat. I think it may also be orderly if the honourable gentleman resumed his seat, there has been enough arguing between the Government and the Opposition on the topic, we do not need more. Kendal Carlson.

Kendal Carlson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. There is nothing really on the Advanced Humanitarian manifesto related to the Universal Social Charge or taxes for that matter except that we are striving so make debt a criminal offense and so I might ask if the Leader of the Opposition agrees the Tax Nobody Party manifesto is in line with stamping out debt in the country?

Speaker: Leader of the Opposition.

Leader of the Opposition: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank the honourable gentleman for his question. It is an interesting question, I must say. I suppose our manifesto is indirectly in line with that approach to politics in the country.  I have never assessed the Party manifesto in that way before but I suppose the honourable gentleman is right, Dr. Speaker, reduction of taxes will mean people won't fall behind in paying taxes and so will not fall into debt.


Speaker: Thank you, order, we turn now to the Government question for the Incompetent Democratic Leader. Cherish Collins.

Cherish Collins: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Incompetent Democratic Party are working on pushing for a World Forum Referendum this year. The Prime Minister rightly said earlier today that they have known we are discussing membership at this time and they have shown us no interest whatsoever, why would we want to join them?

Speaker: Meera Turner.

Meera Turner: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As my Party keep stressing, we don't think anyone wants to join the World Forum, we are now proposing it as a means of taking back control of our country, a way of forcing peace back into the heart of this chamber.

Incompetent Democrats: Yeah.

Meera Turner: Dr. Speaker, the last two elected Prime Ministers have abused power in this Chamber before having an epiphany and realising what they're doing. We think it's time to stamp that out outright. 

Speaker: Turning to the Opposition, Pooja Ramos.

Pooja Ramos: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I think we will pass on the basis our question has no firm foundation on which to be argued.

Speaker: Thank you, that is perfectly reasonable. Kendal Carlson.

Kendal Carlson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I think I'll pass, Dr. Speaker, on the basis that I am also striving to knock some peace back into this Chamber. 

Speaker. That is perfectly reasonable. 

Kendal Carlson: Point of Order.

Speaker: Point of Order. Kendal Carlson.

Kendal Carlson: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. On the basis I have been proven not to be keeping up with the times, is it fair to skip questions on my topic as it is no longer relevant?

Speaker: Yes, I think that is the best way forward and I hope the Chamber agrees with me. Order! That's us at the end of Leaders' Questions. In order to present you with the full Parliamentary experience, we soon have a motion of adjournment. I don't, frankly, know what's going to happen if you vote against adjournment. As you know, after adjournment, the Chamber is left in silence, that's just the way it has always been done, so now is the time to tell you what's happening next. Directly after the motion of adjournment, Prime Minister Barrett will make herself available for coffee and you can ask her any informal questions you have. This session is also optional. After that, the youth Prime Minister is going to meet with the adult Prime Minister and her colleagues to discuss everything that was discussed here today. I would recommend other Leaders would do so with their adult counterparts as soon as possible. I'd like to thank the Prime Minister for sitting in and taking notes on the sessions today. When I was particularly impressed, I was glancing at her, I don't know if she noticed. Thank you to the whole chamber staff for agreeing to facilitate us, as they do every year. Thank you, finally, to you all for being here today. You didn't quite manage the full experience but we gave you second best and I think that's the best we could have given you. We now have our motion of adjournment. The question is that this Chamber do now adjourn. As man as are of that that opinion, say aye.

100%: Aye.

Speaker: On the contrary no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. Order, order.

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

Coffee with the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister made sure her and Dr. Speaker Wallace were the last two to leave the Chamber after the Youth Parliament had been adjourned. She slipped her pen and pad into a pocket and made her way down to the Chamber café. On the way down, she almost bumped into the Speaker. 'Oh, sorry, sir,' she said, dodging him.
The Speaker smiled. 'It's OK, Prime Minister, were you thinking in detail about what you've just witnessed?' he asked.
'I was,' said the Prime Minister. 'Well done, you always do so well with them. You're an inspiration to every MP, young and old, who sits in that Chamber,' she said.
The Speaker grinned. 'I'm just doing my job,' he said. 'Right, I'd best go and tie up some loose ends. See you Wednesday,' he said, walking off.
'Yes, sir, see you Wednesday,' smiled the Prime Minister before heading in the direction of the loud chatter of a number of young Parliamentarians. As she walked into the café, there was a cheer. She couldn't tell who was cheering but if she was to guess, it was her young colleagues in the Modern Marxist Party and not those who had fought so passionately against them all day. 'Well done, everyone, that was very inspiring, as always, you are an inspiration to so many people your own age who maybe think they're not good enough for Qaz Politics, if you can, they can, right?' she said. There was a cheer again. She ordered a coffee, grinning to herself. When it was finished, she went and took a seat in the middle of the young people. 'So,' she said, 'who is going to be the first to tell me how they got into Politics?' she asked, taking a sip. She'd got a mocha. It was good.
'May I?' asked Pearl Woods, the youth Prime Minister.
'Sure, go ahead, you don't need my permission, I'm not your boss,' smiled the Prime Minister. 
'Well, I was always interested in Politics since a young age, since I was nine, is that weird?' she asked giggling.
The Prime Minister shook her head. 'No,' she said. 'Passion is passion.'
'I just remember thinking, I want to do that, you know? So I chose to study Politics in school and that's where I am now,' she said, giggling somewhat shy.
'Are you shy?' asked the Prime Minister.
‘A bit,’ giggled Pearl.
‘Pearl, you’ve just addressed the full three hundred of the Qaz Parliament and now you’re scared of one person? I am only the person who has been elected Leader of the Modern Marxist Party by my Party colleagues, got their approval to run for Prime Minister twice and current Prime Minister of Qaweritoyu, I was new once too, you know. It takes hard work and courage, maybe belief in yourself but I am still just Joanna Barrett at the end of the day, I have a family, a husband, a kid, I’m no-one special. Don’t be shy, Pearl, your colleagues elected you as their youth Leader, they trust you, I was watching you all day. You are very good at what you do. You represented the Party and I very well,’ said the Prime Minister.
 
‘Thanks,’ said Pearl, straightening up in her chair.
 
‘What age are you?’ asked the Prime Minister.
 
‘Eleven,’ said Pearl.
 
‘Wow, I actually honestly thought you were older, a teenager at least. Well, then, you’re eleven, you are doing exceptionally well for your age, what have you got to be afraid of? Some people younger than you have held Seats in the elected Parliament,’ said the Prime Minister.
 
‘Really?’ asked Pearl.
 
‘Yep,’ said the Prime Minister, sipping her mocha.
 
‘Prime Minister?’ asked a voice from further away.
 
‘Yes?’ asked the Prime Minister, looking around for the source of the voice. ‘Raise your hand for me,’ she said.
 
They raised their hand.
 
‘Ah!’ exclaimed the Prime Minister. ‘What’s your name?’ she asked.
 
‘Nettie,’ they said.
 
‘Nettie!’ exclaimed the Prime Minister. ‘Go ahead, please, Nettie.’
 
‘May I ask a question?’ asked Nettie.
 
‘Sure, go ahead,’ said the Prime Minister.
 
‘Who is the younger person ever to have held a Seat in Parliament?’ asked Nettie.
 
‘Good question, I don’t actually know,’ said the Prime Minister. ‘You know that a year ago we were discovering that the Republic was established in 1850 as opposed to 1899 and that a number of Governments were erased from history books on racial grounds? Well, we don’t and never will know who held positions in these Governments. We know who the Speakers were and the Prime Ministers but that’s about as far as it goes, other evidence, if it exists, has yet to surface so we can’t possibly know if the youngest served as part of these Governments or not, so the question is not as straight-forward as you think,’ she said.
 
‘What’s it like to be Prime Minister?’ asked another voice.
 
‘Who asked that?’ the Prime Minister called out.
 
‘Nuha,’ they replied.
 
‘Where are you, Nuha? Raise your hand for me please,’ said the Prime Minister.
 
Nuha raised her hand.
 
‘Nuha!’ exclaimed the Prime Minister. ‘It’s not too bad now, I am used to it now, I am in Office as Prime Minister for over three years. You know, the first year is very much about two things. Finding your feet and organising the country’s new Government so that they know the term ahead or the rest of the term ahead is in secure hands, then in the second year, you have done everything once, you know the country, they know you, it’s time to shift the focus away from security to Government business and manifestos and starting to make the country look like a Modern Marxist country and then each year after that, the country get to know you better, you continue to do the work they have elected you to do. Does that make your job easier? No. Support for the Prime Minister is actually so brutal. So, how do I get through knowing so many do not stand with me? Any Prime Minister is going to have haters, that’s non-negotiable, but, particularly, we are in a time in Qaweritoyu when the public are almost expecting from the Government and Prime Minister than a year allows them to give, an we started to see this in the second half of Prime Minister Murphy’s run too. The way you deal with it is not to read the news, let your Advisors and Vices tell you if something potentially harmful was reported in the news, true or not, don’t engage with hate mail, social media, none of it, only if there has been an incident and you are advised to do so. That way, I find, is also much better for your mental health.’
 
‘So it’s not a nice experience?’ asked Nuha.
 
‘No, I mean, don’t be discouraged from entering Politics or even running for Prime Minister one day, in the end, it is still just a job and it has to be done by someone but if you’re expecting to be able to stay reading the news and stay on social media without being attacked by someone, forget it, it’s not going to happen. The colleagues and friend you will make is essential and the passion, although your Party binds you to certain policies and behaviours, the passion in the Chamber is outstanding from every Party elected to it. You really are among people who know what they’re doing and have a great passion for their work,’ said the Prime Minister, proudly.
 
‘So, you like being Prime Minister?’ asked someone else.
 
‘Who’s this?’ asked the Prime Minister.
 
‘Zubair,’ said Zubair.
 
‘I do, Zubair, I think you have to be mad to want to be Prime Minister but once you know your way around the Office and you settle into it, it’s fine. It’s a hard-working job but it is enjoyable and you are surrounded by good people,’ said the Prime Minister.
 
There was a silence.
 
‘Have I exhausted you all already?’ asked the Prime Minister. ‘There must be more questions!’ she exclaimed, sipping her mocha. ‘Are you all tired after your long day?’ she asked. A couple of people said yes. ‘I am assuming the people who had to travel a long way to get here didn’t come to coffee so have the rest of you far to go?’ she asked. A few people said no. The Prime Minister drained her mocha. ‘Right,’ she said standing up. ‘I know it’s been short but I can tell you are tired, it’s been a long day for many of you and Pearl and I do still have to have our meetings before I can let her go home so I’ll let you all go. Thank you for today and well done. Never let someone put you down, especially when they do not understand the hard work you put into your positions. If anyone should wish to talk further with me, my phone number and email address are on the Modern Marxist website, please feel free to contact me and we can have a chat. Take care, everyone!’ she exclaimed, grinning and walking off with Pearl, chatting quietly to her as they went.

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

8 February 2021


Speaker: Order, order! We now move on to Government Business. We all know that in the latter half of 2020, the Government worked on the redistribution of wealth focusing on wealth tax, corporation tax, cuts in VAT, higher pensions and social benefits. We are giving over the first part of today's session to the Government to declare this work finished for now, until they decide it needs more attention in years to come. I call on Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz to declare this work finished and to tell us what work has been done so far. 

Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Government officially declares this work done. Dr. Speaker, we have introduced a wealth tax at 2% on all citizens of the country. We thought this to be a good starting point and we plan to increase this rate in years to come.

Government: Yeah.

Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz: Dr. Speaker, we also introduced corporation tax at 12.5%. This is a bit higher than the wealth tax but we still hope this is a good starting point and that this can be increased into the future. We introduced cuts in VAT. We installed the new retirement age at 66 years old for all Qans. Before January 2021, the female age was 65 and the male age was 68, this is far from equal and far from fair and so we equalised it out at 66. Along with this, we raised pensions for over 66es from D200 per week to D300 per week or from D10,400 per year to D15,600 per year. We have now made pensioners more comfortable in their old age. This is, again, a small step in the right direction but we will only continue to increase this. We have also increased social benefits from D203 per week to D303 per week or D10,556 per year to D15,756. This is the same small step as for the pensions but this will be increased with time. 

Speaker: Thank you, Vice-Prime Minister. The Government are now moving on to focusing on the national minimum wage, state earnings and pensions, and privatisation. I call on Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz to elaborate on those issues for us. 

Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Government are working on the national minimum wage at the moment. We are seeking to raise the national minimum wage by two-thirds. We will also be restoring the link between state earnings and pensions at the original value and introducing a second state pension. We will be halting privatisation in terms of investing in public services and building more council and sheltered housing. We will also be having a State Religion Abolition Referendum on 27 February 2021. The Government doesn't believe in religion or the afterlife, or anything of the sort, so we will be striving to abolish State Religion altogether and equalise out faith, just let people be what they want to be. We will also be holding a Higher Chamber Necessity (Abolition) Referendum on 27 March-

Parliament: (Erupts in chaos)

Unknown MP: Treason!

Speaker: Order, order, ORDER, ORDER, SIT DOWN NOW AND SHUT UP. Order, order, sit down. Sit down! I will not have people yelling such abuse at another democratically-elected MP of this Chamber. Order. What the Right Honourable lady was saying is NOT treason. It is certainly brave and daring but it is not treason. 

Parliament: (Yelling again)

Speaker: ORDER! BE QUIET! What the Right Honourable lady  is doing, I am very aware, is listening to the concerns of constituents and possibly also looking at what is preventing the Government from being as effective as it could be. ORDER! ORDER! Many countries get on fine without a Higher Chamber, the people are our boss and I am yours. They will decide on 27 March, I am sure, if there's any further need for the Higher Chamber. Ms. Ortiz.

Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz: Thank you, Dr. Speaker.  We will also be holding a Higher Chamber Necessity (Abolition) Referendum on 27 March. Currently, the Higher Chamber just serves to be a higher up version of us, they have their own Speaker, their own Leader of the Chamber and so on. I am very aware many of the MPs in the Higher Chamber are former MPs of this Chamber who have been honoured. They are not elected so it must be time to wave them goodbye.

Speaker: Order, young man, sit, you'll get blisters on your feet. Colleagues, it is important to remember, the Vice-Prime Minister is speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister who is undoubtedly attending to duties elsewhere at this time. She will be here on Wednesday so if people have questions for her, they can ask her then. Order, order! I will ask members who have questions please to send them to me first, ahead of Wednesday. I am censoring, if that's what you're thinking, I will not have offensive and abusive questions asked in this Chamber on Wednesday. I would now like to call on the Welfare Minister to speak on the state of the economy. Luke Phelps.

Welfare Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must thank my colleagues for the work they are doing in equalising out our economy and rising rates of pensions. The welfare of our OAPs is well-looked after. Dr. Speaker, it may not have been mentioned yet, perhaps it's not on the table for this year's business, but I urge my colleague, the Vice-Prime Minister, to suggest to the Prime Minister to give some attention to disability benefits and pensions and unemployment benefits as well because without a rise for them, they will be suffering until the Government get around to working with them and it is only fair if OAPs rise, everyone else should too. In conclusion, Dr. Speaker, however, I am very happy with the way things are heading and the state of welfare. Welfare is not forgotten about, it is just slow, as is the rest of the process, to ensure it can be done as carefully as possible without causing en economic collapse and recession.

Speaker: Thank you, Minister. I would now like to call on the Minister of Finance to make a statement, Natalia Snow.

Minister of Finance: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. My statement will be relatively short. It is clear this year is going to be an exceptionally bumpy one for all and as it is a while since we have been a Marxist country, there are bound to be some teething issues in getting used to our new system. Dr. Speaker, the process this year cannot be rushed, it is a process which will be ongoing even when we have given way to other Parliament Business. If it continues next year and the year after or even beyond that, that is OK, and I support that because we really cannot get this wrong. Dr. Speaker, 2021 in Qaweritoyu will literally be the making or breaking of this Government, that is literally all there is to it. Too fast, the economy collapses, massive recession, the President has to intervene to save us, popularity falls massively, we will likely seek to elect a new Party Leader in that case and we will likely not end up in Government for a very long time.Too slow, Dr. Speaker, and we will continue to be made fun of as capitalist Marxists. This process has to be just right, not rushed and it needs to take as long as it needs to ensure we still have an economy at the end of it.

Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Can I now call on the Minister of Catastrophe Prevention for a short statement? Sheri Clark.

Minister of Catastrophe Prevention: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As my colleague says, this process does need to be allowed time, it must be continuous throughout the year and cannot end in March. Dr. Speaker, my Ministry and I will be working very closely with the Prime Minister to ensure a recession and collapse is prevented. 

Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Can I now call on the Minister of Disasters to make a short statement on what will happen if, hopefully not but, if we do fall into a recession and collapse, what is our next plan of action? Bonnie Fyre. 

Minister of Disasters: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Ministry of Disasters will be monitoring the situation closely and we will know if things start looking down and we will communicate with the Prime Minister and Ministry of Catastrophe Prevention to discuss how we prevent things from getting worse. This may require an emergency committee to be set up but we need things to get bad before we start planning to fix them.

Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Can I now call on the Minister of Progress for his plan? Hugh Stevens. 

Minister of Progress: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Ministry of Progress will be monitoring this year's work closely and will be happy to update the Chamber, along with the Prime Minister, on the progress of proceedings throughout the year to come. 

Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Moving slightly away from the main discussion and focusing more on comments, let's hear from the Propaganda Minister, Taylor van Dyke. 

Propaganda Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Propaganda Ministry will be monitoring the situation closely and will likely be very stressed behind the scenes, however, Dr. Speaker, we must not and will not let on as to how stressed we really are and so we will continue to tell the public that the Government is doing exceptionally well which may be a lie at times or all of the time, I'm not really sure.

Speaker: Thank you, Minister. I think the Minister of Zero Tolerance wants to say something, she seems to be waving some sort of bottle at me. I'm not entirely sure as to why she's doing that but let's hear from her anyway. Preeti Payne.

Minister of Zero Tolerance: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I just want to say thank you for your policy of zero tolerance in this session, it made sure the Government was able to put flesh into the structure of this year's work and made sure they were uninterrupted in doing so.

Speaker: Thank you, Minister, and may I just say, I would have treated any urgent matter in this Chamber the same way. This is, perhaps, the most urgent, important and pressing matter on the table this year and the eyes of the entire country are on us, so a policy of zero tolerance was observed today to ensure that this issue was seen to for today's sitting and that we are absolutely clear as to what the way forward from here is now. Order, we come to the end of Government Business for today. Thank you for your co-operation and we will reconvene shortly for Private Members' Business. Order!

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

Prime Minister's Questions, 31 March 2021

Speaker: Order, please, settle. We have decided today, the Prime Minister, Vice-Prime Minister and I, to start this week's Prime Minister's Questions with a statement from the Prime Minister and a statement from the Vice-Prime Minister and then do a reduced question time as we are nearing the end of the current Parliament term, the first of 2021, there won't be too much to wrap up from this term or to question regarding the upcoming term. The Prime Minister will speak first and inform us of the work we have been doing this term as a Parliament and the work we have achieved. The Vice-Prime Minister will then speak on the work for the upcoming term. Then we will have questions for the Prime Minister regarding the work just finished and the work to come. The Prime Minister.


Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I'd just like to start my congratulating my colleagues and the rest of the Parliament who sit in this Chamber on the work they and we have achieved this term. It has been a term of great change for the country but, nonetheless, it has been a step in the right direction for our Government, finally.

Government: Yeah.

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, this term, we tied up some loose ends left over from our election victory last June and we managed to make progress on some new work and to achieve that work too. Dr. Speaker, this term, we established a Wealth Tax at 2% on all citizens of the country. We introduced a Corporation Tax at 12.5%. We introduced cuts in VAT. We introduced higher pensions and higher social benefits. Dr. Speaker, this is all leftover work from September 2020 that was completed. Dr. Speaker, unique to this term, we rose the national minimum wage by two-thirds, we restored the link between state earnings and the state pension at the original value and we introduced a second state pension. We also halted privatisation, we invested in public services and we funded the building of more council and sheltered housing.

Government: Yeah.

Speaker: Thank you, Prime Minister. Order! I didn't notice anything too serious going on during that speech but let me make this clear for the select few I did hear. Sarcasm is not welcome in this Chamber. Not now, not ever, not from any Party democratically-elected to this Chamber. We have all worked hard to get elected to this Chamber and we have done so. The people to tell us we're not doing our jobs are not other members of this Chamber, they are the people who elected us and what we do will determine whether we will still be here after the next election or not. That is the fact of the matter.

Parliament: Yeah.

Speaker: The Vice-Prime Minister.

Vice-Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I would also like to congratulate my colleagues on a good term's work, well done. Dr. Speaker, the public will now be well aware of how the Prime Minister runs a Government, how much time she gives to Government work and how much time she puts aside for the rest of Parliament to bring their work to the table. Whilst most of our work from this term is done and dusted, the work in public services and housing is long-term and so we will continue to see this work being done in the term starting tomorrow. Dr. Speaker, after an interrupted year last year due to the election, we are sliding back to normal this year by giving over to the other Parties elected to this Parliament, like we did in the latter half of last year, to bring their work to the table, for the Government to seriously consider it and debate whether or not it is possible for us to work with and get a result from. We will be giving way to the Tax Nobody Party in the next term, where we will consider abolishing the Universal Social Charge, Income Tax, the Standard Rate Band and EITC.

Speaker: Thank you, Vice-Prime Minister. I see the Prime Minister looking hopeful, I wasn't expecting a second statement from the Prime Minister today but I will allow it if it's short. The Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I forgot to mention in my statement, and I hope to mention more at my last questions before the third Parliament term starts, at the end of June, I am still hoping to briefly step sideways, sideways in that I'm not stepping down but away long enough that someone will need to lead in my place until I am back, at the end of June and I will be back as soon as is possible, and my brief replacement will be my Right Honourable friend, the member for Beachcastle and Minister of Watching Watchmen, Kenneth Kelley. He's well able, Dr. Speaker-

Speaker: Order! Ord- Ord- PRIME MINISTER! ORDER! I am on my feet, resume your seat. You are over time, that was not short. Whilst it is important we know who our Prime Minister and Leader of the Modern Marxist Party will be during your brief absence, now is not the time, we still have a full term to get through with you as Prime Minister and Leader of the Modern Marxist Party so please do contain your excitement and tell us more on 30 June. By the way, we should also be informed of who will briefly be sitting in as the MP for Alton City East in your absence. Now I will... 

Xanatos Lobachevsky: Point of Order!

Speaker: Well, I was going to get on with the order paper but it seems as if Parliament don't want to proceed. Point of Order, Mr. Xanatos Lobachevsky. 

Xanatos Lobachevsky: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. You have just lectured the Prime Minister on brevity and then gone on to remind her more on the topic she had been speaking on. Surely, Dr. Speaker, if you were setting a good example of us, you should have moved on yourself?

Parliament: Oooh!

Speaker: Order! I thank the honourable gentleman for his Point of Order, it is heard, it is understood and I'd like to have seen him try better.

Lee Navarrette: Point of Order!

Speaker: Point of Order, Mr. Lee Navarrette. 

Lee Navarrette: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Earlier, you said sarcasm was not welcome in this chamber and you have just dealt with my honourable friend in a very sarcastic manner. Is it or isn't it welcome in this chamber?

Speaker: I thank the honourable gentleman for his Point of Order. I did not intend any sarcasm, nor do I recall using sarcasm. 

Jackie Barton: Point of Order!

Speaker: Order, sit! No! With respect, no more Points of Order at this time or we will not make any progress whatsoever. I am not motioning question number 1-

Jackie Barton: Dr. Speaker, this is not right!

Speaker: Order, I am on my feet. Ms. Barton, I make the decisions here and I have decided I want my lunch on time. Now. I. Am. Motioning. Question. Number. 1. Pat Matthews.

Pat Matthews: Question Number 1, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: The Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, earlier today I had meetings regarding end of term matters and start of term matters and I will continue to have such meetings later on today.

Speaker: Pat Matthews.

Pat Matthews: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Prime Minister mentioned in her first statement that the Government invested in public services. We were obviously all present at at least one of the debates regarding this piece of business but for individual constituencies, when can the people begin to see the changes made and in what services?

Speaker: The Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank my honourable friend for his question. We halted privatisation so in the coming months, our people should start to see public ownership moving in and the eradication of social classes.

Speaker: Chris Shakespeare.

Chris Shakespeare: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Can I ask my honourable friend if she really will abolish the Universal Social Charge and if so what this means for the Government and the people of our country.

Speaker: The Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank my honourable friend for his question. The bottom line is no, we're not. If we did that, we're entering into a sort of identity crisis. Are we a Modern Marxist Government or not? Of course, we will work with our Opposition and discuss it and see what we can do but these politics are not a joke and it's very easy for them to collapse but the bottom line is that we can't completely abolish the charge or there had may as well be a new Government.

Speaker: Joann King.

Joann King: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. May I ask the Prime Minister, how quickly the people of Shady Bank will start to see council and sheltered housing being built, what is the timeline?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As I stated in my statement, we have funded more council and sheltered housing but I am not a builder so I don't know what the next step is now but rest assured to the honourable lady, her constituents, as will all constituencies, will see the first block of this work definitely started, underway, and hopefully complete before Christmas of this year. I thank the honourable lady for her question.

Speaker: Jacob Hines.

Jacob Hines: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must ask the Prime Minister why she won't abolish Income Tax?

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I have to say, I don't think I can help the honourable gentleman. I have basically already answered the question-

Speaker: Order, order! Sorry to interrupt you, Prime Minister, please resume your seat. I think you're making a good point. You have always explained why you can't and won't remove taxes on a number of occasions, today and not today, I do think it is a waste of time to continue to basically repeatedly ask the same questions. 

Parliament: Silence.

Speaker: Well, look, I mean, I understand the rest of today's already reduced Order paper consisted of questions of this nature but I'd like to strike them off my list simply because they are wasting all of our time in answering the same questions over and over. 

Shelly Griffin: Point of Order!

Speaker: Point of Order, Shelly Griffin.

Shelly Griffin: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I must ask you, sir, if there is a danger of a repeat of what is happening now, in this Parliamentary session, happening across the board in other Parliamentary sessions for the coming term when our attention is shifted to Tax Nobody business in light of what the Government can or can't grant and if so whether Parliamentary sessions will be temporarily reduced during this time and if that has to happen if some sort of other speeches or sessions will take their places.

Speaker: I am grateful to the honourable lady for her Point of Order. In short, yes, there is a danger of that happening and I am aware the Prime Minister and I have been voicing such issues in recent times. There is the danger of repeating ourselves over and over, especially with the elected Opposition and Government we currently have in the Chamber. There is the possibility of reduced time. I hope the honourable lady will understand when I say, however, that I cannot state whether or not other sessions will take up the time to ensure we get in our wages' worth or else that we engineer the existing sessions for this coming term alone to facilitate the reduced time we need for our Parliamentary business or even if a prorogation of Parliament may be considered for this time, I can't say because discussions on such matters have not occurred. Perhaps the Prime Minister, Vice-Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker and I will meet ourselves on Friday to discuss the issue.

Vera Washington: Point of Order!

Speaker: Point of Order, Vera Washington.

Vera Washington: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I might remind you, sir, that although you and your Party do not have religious beliefs that the State Religion's holidays and observances still apply to you and you are still impartial in this Chamber as Speaker and so there can be no business discussed in this Chamber on Friday.

Speaker: I am grateful to the honourable lady for her Point of Order. I should have clarified that the Prime Minister, Vice-Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker and I will not meet to discuss this issue in this Chamber, we will do so in private. Although the Chamber is closed on Friday, Friday is still a working day for my Party and I and so I am, in that capacity, still allowed to attend a meeting regarding Chamber business as Speaker.

Courtney Waters: Point of Order!

Speaker: Point of Order, Courtney Waters.

Courtney Waters: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Tomorrow is our first day of the new term and all of these issues have yet to be discussed, will tomorrow's business be effected by the undiscussed issues and when will we know the schedule for next week's business?

Speaker: Order! It is not orderly to discuss next week's business at a session not designed to do so. Government Business is for doing that, which we will have tomorrow. I understand the honourable lady's concern in that the talks are happening Friday and Monday is a public holiday, how will the Chamber know the decision which has been arrived at? Members will be so informed on Tuesday. If talks on Friday have to continue on Monday, we will continue on Monday, but please keep in mind we're still entitled to a day off if we work through Monday's public holiday and that being the case, there may be a day next week when Deputy Speaker Irvine has to take the day's proceedings instead of me so I can have the day off I am entitled to. If there are no further Points of Order, I will leave it there for the day, are there?

Parliament: Silence.

Speaker: Order, if members who are leaving the Chamber could do so quickly and quietly, we can swiftly move onto the next piece of business for today's sitting.

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

Speaker of the Lower Chamber's Speech to MPs and the Public, regarding the allegations against Stewart Gill and Kenneth Kelley, 25 May 2021

Speaker: Order, order! I am now pushed to make a public statement to the nation and my colleagues of the Qaz Parliament regarding allegations against former Vice-Prime Minister Stewart Gill and MP for Beachcastle, Kenneth Kelley, who is present with us here today. I welcome you all to the Lower Chamber, colleagues, the public who are watching us live and also the MPs and staff of the Higher Chamber, including the President and Vice-President, watching proceedings during this session. From my own staff, the Deputy Speaker is also present and paying close attention. Colleagues, I ask you, please, not to make any noise during the speech out of courtesy to our guests following proceedings. Thank you. 


Friends, I was not supposed to be here this week, however, that is now not going to happen after allegations that continue to come before our Parliament and state and there is a need for them to be addressed seriously and analysed. There are a lot of rumours circling and we all need to be on the same page here and realise some things are true and some are not true.

Stewart Gill and Kenneth Kelley. I really do not want to talk about this but I must. If I did not, it would look suspect. Stewart Gill served this Parliament from 2005 until 2006, again in 2008 and 2010, a few of those times as Vice-Prime Minister. Kenneth Kelley has served this Parliament since 2017. This is not an equivocal situation. If you are coming into this Chamber saying both should be punished because it is fair, you are not analysing this situation objectively. I am kind of biased in Kenneth Kelley's favour but I will attempt to analyse the situation fairly. Up to twenty Qaz women have brought allegations against Stewart Gill. I feel like it is kind of hard to defend the guy. I think anyone will have a hard time defending him now. Some co-workers are only connected to the women accusing him but have stated their support of them.

Stewart Gill abused his power. Showing people inappropriate images in a work environment is not on. Twenty women, that is a lot. The main difference here is that Stewart Gill no longer sits in this Chamber. Kenneth Kelley does. How Kenneth Kelley got roped into this conversation is very weird. When allegations against Gill came out, people started researching past interviews to search for warning signs and they found one where he was talking about the way Kenneth Kelley behaves at work. It is important to note that Gill did not point the finger at Kelley after being accused, this is old material that was found by researchers. 

I will not be reading any of the origins of these movements. The interview tying Kelley to the case is from 2015, before the honourable gentleman entered this Chamber. I understand I am not the world's best researcher. The last thing I notice Kelley got in trouble for was an interview in 2005, the details of which I am not going into. He apologised for this and as far as I can see, this has not happened again. The way most of these stories are explained is that people say, 'Oh, they thought it was a bit of fun.' This is not saying the behaviour is OK but that people did not feel threatened by him. 

There have been rumours for a long time about tensions in this Chamber in 2005. There was leaked information that the Prime Minister was going to appoint Kelley a Vice-Prime Minister later this year, that is unconfirmed. I am not comfortable predicting what they will or will not do. If Kelley does not end up Vice-Prime Minister, it would nearly cost the Government more money than to appoint him. What has happened is people found these things out about him years ago and have brought it up again. Kelly has a good public gathering, his constituents see him as a future Prime Minister, maybe even Speaker. I have no doubts, whatsoever, that this would still be the case, even now. 

Sometimes you just cannot get over that 'eww' factor in it but we are going to have to. I'll probably be OK to continue to work with Kelley, because of the nature of allegations against him. I'll  be distancing myself from Gill for some time at the least. I am not saying forgive one over the other, this is just where I am at in my research at this time. I try not to be stupid but I am not amazing at it and I know that. 

We are perfectly capable of moving forward without either of them. I feel like, however, there is more material to uncover and we will need to continue to research to find it. As a Parliament, we will be fine. None of this is great, it is not the kind of thing I like to talk about. Try and keep chat to a minimum according to those we have discussed today. 

Order! I am ending off this speech here, I thank the public and the Higher Chamber for listening in to today's proceedings. I thank you all for being here today. If anyone has anything further to discuss with me, please do so in writing and I will reply at the earliest convenience. Order, order!

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

A Casual Chat with the Speaker between Parliamentary sessions (Lower Chamber), 25 May 2021

Speaker: Today was intended to be a relaxing day. I am so bad at just chilling. I was going to start by watching the fourth series of Castlevania. Then a package arrived and one of the things in the package was the test print copy of my new book which meant I had to flick through it and then start editing and fixing it. The main thing I had to do was the world map because it's too small. You can't read it. I've just managed to spill my entire cider. This is infuriating. 


The problem is that this is being done entirely through print on demand through Amazon. While Amazon can do full-colour print, it's stupidly expensive. I would have had to sell it for a ridiculous price. The way this is supposed to work is once the hardcover edition has been set up, I can then assign Amazon as a distributor. That looks good. Let me just check that. The ebook is releasing on 1 June, that's locked, with or without illustrations. That will cost D10. Assuming this work around does actually work, there will will be a hardcover full-colour illustration for D49.99. I know it's expensive but it would have been... I might bring that down to D44.99 actually. I would like to make something back. Xanatos Lobachevsky. 

Xanatos Lobachevsky: I decided to start writing a comic/graphic novel. Somehow my story ended up needing 10 volumes when I mapped out the story arcs. RIP my sanity.


Speaker: Yes, indeed, that would do that to you, yes. I can never tell whether or not you're joking. Lee Navarrete. 

Lee Navarrete: I know it's not normally your genre, but I just got caught up with Handmaid's Tale, and wonder if you've seen it/have opinions.

Speaker: No, I'm not familiar with it. I did a skim of it once. I don't, really, read enough books. Part of me feels guilty, this stuff is frustrating. Jackie Barton.

Jackie Barton: RTQ1 is doing Annie Live what are your thoughts? Are you gonna watch it?

Speaker: Probably not. By the way, when I set up Amazon as a distributor, I have to make sure it's correct and that could take a week. Pat Matthews. 

Pat Matthews: Cut to the Speaker in 30 years' time, telling his grandchildren about the hardships of watching network TV...

Speaker: I saw that, yeah. Hang on, sorry, there's something here. Chris Shakespeare.

Deputy Speaker: What are your thoughts on Family Vlog Channels?

Speaker: Stuff does end up in a lake. I will not say whether or not it's tea. Sorry, Chris, it's not my genre, really. It just makes me deeply uncomfortable. Kade Chandler.

Kade Chandler: Great Muppet Caper is on RTQ Kids.

Speaker: There is no way I wrote a four-hundred page book. Even looking at the formatting of the pages and knowing it's not condensed, no, I did not. Moe Quagmire.

Moe Quagmire: Hi Kerowen.

Speaker: That was fun. I kind of allude to it in so far as... You know, I did a lecture recently where I spoke about my methodology and my thoughts on the best way to talk about twists. The closer to the end a twist is revealed, the more weight is put on it. It might have held up. That's why it's a little less than half-way through the book. The reveal came at the end. I just don't think, for what the reveal was, it would have held up to being the pressure of an end of book reveal. I'm still slightly worried about whether or not it works. Having it at the end would have had it hinge on a lot more. It's how I became comfortable with it. Travis Santos.

Travis Santos: No I loved it, I want to elaborate but spoilers.

Speaker: Thank you. Warwick Yoo.

Warwick Yoo: I finished Castlevania Series 4, I enjoyed it for the most part though I think they had enough material for another series. Series 3 is still my favourite.

Speaker: I know I missed it but I didn't realise how much I missed it until I had it back again. Boris English.

Boris English: Heya, Thomas!

Speaker: That's not my name. Sasha Lovegood.

Sasha Lovegood: I miss going to the theatre too, Cara.

Speaker: Here's what I say. They knew exactly what they were doing with that cameo and it was hilarious. Sir Jacob John Schmidt Jingelheimer.

Sir Jacob John Schmidt Jingelheimer: Why, what else is there to tell about that horrible man.

Speaker: Come on, now, let's not refer to anyone as horrible. Gretel Wynne.

Gretel Wynne: Dr. Speaker - discord.

Speaker: No, no and no. Jessica Khan.

Jessica Khan: I wasn't lying!

Speaker: I feel conflicted about things like his role as Vice-Prime Minister, if the Prime Minister goes ahead with it, being pulled. Only now, again, to be clear, it's not OK but given how scattered the determination seems to be in terms of stopped because when I have my speech, the most recent incident I could find was from 2008. I did find some stuff since then around 2014 and that is a bit more worrying. That's the most recent I can find. I'm more inclined to side with him until there is a confirmation of stuff since then but this is really messy. It feels awkward to me because this is not new behaviour, it's not a secret, we have known about this behaviour for a long time. Kelley himself has been very quiet which is honestly the best thing he could do. I can see why he'd get upset because this was knowledge we all knew and yet now people have turned on him, it's quite odd, I have to say. People got refreshed upset about it. They decided they got over it and now they haven't again. Should the public have been able to pick up on things, was it reported on? Yes but this is not new information, we knew he was doing this. We lost a bit of time so I could mop up spilt cider. Eve Scrooge.

Eve Scrooge: I’m always a bit awkward between sessions because I never know what to say.

Speaker: It gets weird when there's the issue of...

Kanye Baker: Teasing through someone's history to see evidence of these issues are moot.

Speaker: That was interrupting. Sandy Nista.

Sandy Nista: The only good Dr. Seuss feature film is 'The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.'

Speaker: My mother only recently found out about this and this was a big let-down for her. I know that was really hard for her to find out about. We should know where these ideas and stories come from. It still hurts sometimes. Sheri Clark. 

Sheri Clark: Kelley issued a new apology about two weeks ago stating that after the incident in 2008, he has learned his lesson and changed his behaviour. He apologised again in the statement.

Speaker: Certain people just infuriate the hell out of me. First of all, if his apology met your standard of what it means for you to forgive him, good for you, but you cannot force your view on someone else. Let's establish that right off. The question itself. It depends on what was done and the sincerity of the apology. That was quite a while ago. Whether or not you bought his apology at the time, I didn't, you have to acknowledge it. No matter what he said about trying to change, he didn't. The severity of the original accusation will set everyone's 'eww' factor regarding the issue. Matt Gordon.

Matt Gordon: On a side note can I just say that looks like one comfy chair.

Speaker: While I can't say I like talking about this, I have forgiven him. The whole thing ought to be dead at this point. She only appears briefly. Nothing else, to me, indicated that anything else was going to occur. That depends on your comfort with forgiving and moving on. Maureen Fields.

Maureen Fields: Apparently RTQ Kids have put Kelley forward for an award.

Speaker: She liked it pretty well. No, I haven't seen it yet. Waylon Cole.

Waylon Cole: I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!

Speaker: Jacob Cumberbatch.

Jacob Cumberbatch: Tomorrow's Wednesday, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: I'm aware. Isha Dalby.

Isha Dalby: That was the shortest and most brutal review I've ever heard!

Speaker: I don't really have the means to talk about that. Keanan Webber.

Keanan Webber: Goodnight Ben.

Speaker: Max Simmons.

Max Simmons: Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! SPAM!

Speaker: I don't know what they've been doing or how they've been tackling those sorts of issues. Sidney Ward.

Sidney Ward: I wish Parliament sounded as cool as it used to, what do you think?

Speaker: God, that cover looks good, though. Virgil Waters.

Virgil Waters: Dr. Speaker - the ebook is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Speaker: I didn't address it. The answer is yes but there is going to be a pause. I need to take a bit of time off for at least a little while and then I can start coming back to this work, recent events are really draining us at the moment. I will probably take a month off and leave you in the capable hands of the Dr. Deputy Speaker. As you know, I intended to take off this week but things happened. Kirk Lee. 

Kirk Lee: ​That's amazing.

Speaker: Marlon Reyes.

Marlon Reyes: MACAVITY.

Speaker: Alison Montgomery. 

Alison Montgomery: Bye all!

Speaker: OK, on that note, we'd best start thinking about the next session, thank you for the chat, it's been interesting. ORDER!

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

(This post was last modified: 05-25-2021, 09:25 AM by Qaweritoyu.)

Reply

Deputy Speaker of Lower Chamber's Speech to MPs and the public on allegations regarding Kenneth Kelley, 25 May 2021

Deputy Speaker: Order, order. I am also pushed by all, and encouraged by the Speaker, to give a speech on the situation regarding Kenneth Kelley. This is a supporting speech to the one the Speaker gave earlier today. The nation is watching, the Higher Chamber is watching, this includes the President and Vice-President and I am dreadfully aware the Speaker is paying close attention. Friends, like Speaker, I would ask you to remain quiet throughout the speech out of courtesy to our guests listening in.


Friends, there is a further need for a clarification on Kenneth Kelley's case. Something came up in response to the Speaker's speech earlier today. It was this notion that what he did was various levels of self-exposure in this Chamber as a joke but not in a sexual way. I do not understand why this is funny, however, this is the kind of thing Kelley has been known to do. I have a lot of problems with people using his arguments to downplay what he did. Stewart Gill used his position of power to take advantage of other people. There are a number of reasons why this defence of Kelley makes me very unsettled.

I do understand where this comes from. It is not hard to project ourselves into his shoes and feel what he is feeling now. That can make you hesitant to judge someone else when you think it is similar to your experience. No matter what you think about what he did was funny or not, it was not professional. Even when some people have said this on record, there is a big problem with people saying, 'That means everything is OK.' The MPs are not the only ones who work here. Even if every MP was OK with what Kelley did, that does not mean the rest of us here were OK with this. You do not know nobody was offended. Please do not pretend you know they were not. 

There are people saying, 'Nobody complained.' There are lots of people who, even if they do feel uncomfortable, they will not talk about it for fear of losing their jobs. A big part of why so few spoke out was because they knew that they mattered less. Guess what they are going to do. It is an incredibly false assumption. Let us say everyone here found this humorous and were OK with it. Let us say everyone laughed about it and found it funny. This is not a group of friends hanging out, this is a professional environment. Whoever is aware this happened, it signals to them that it is sometimes OK to whip our your junk for someone who did not ask. It is objectively not OK. This is not acceptable behaviour in the environment he was doing it in.

Do you truly know everyone is comfortable? It is not OK. Is it OK to be racist or transphobic if everyone is OK with it? No, it is still not OK. It is harmful regardless of whether anyone has a problem with it or not. He did not appear, from my research, to have had repeat incidents since 2008 but it is not OK. I am unsettled by the amount of people contacting the Speaker and I, saying it is OK now. It is not. If you hear someone being transphobic, homophobic, speak up. 

That's it. I had to get this off my chest, it was really unsettling me. As passionate as I get about these things, I am not trying to tell you what to do.

If you have anything further to discuss with the Speaker and I, please do drop us a line. Thank you to the nation and the Higher Chamber for listening this afternoon and thank you to you, friends, for listening and complying with instructions. Order, order.

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

Prime Minister's Statement and Comments, 27 May 2021

Speaker: Order, order! The Prime Minister requested a statement this morning, her last Parliamentary Session before her sick leave during which she will undergo surgery for Lung Cancer. During her sick leave, she will take on a temporary role as Vice-Prime Minister alongside Dr. Monica Ortiz. During her absence, Luke Phelps will take on a temporary role as Prime Minister, at the nomination of the Prime Minister. Shall we just take a moment, as a Parliament, to pay tribute to the Prime Minister and wish her well in her surgery?


Parliament: Yeah.

Speaker: Order! This is the Prime Minister's first absence from Office since she was first elected in 2017, she has been in Office everyday since, without fail. I think our Parliament and our country salutes that and looks forward to welcoming her back when she's ready to return to Office.

Parliament: Yeah.

Speaker: Order, order! Without further ado, for the last time, before her leave, I now call on the Prime Minister!

Government: Yeah!

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I did not, initially, plan to be here this morning, however, I realised that this chamber of Parliament only sits three days per week and that by the next time it sits, I will no longer, temporarily, be Prime Minister. 

Dr. Speaker, I have to thank you for the way you have treated me in my time in the chamber to this point and I look forward to the way you will treat my brief successor and myself on my return. 

Parliament: Yeah.

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, a number of months ago when I announced my illness, I nominated Luke Phelps as my brief replacement and he accepted it and I look forward to supporting him as Prime Minister. I won't tell you what he plans to do with his time as Prime Minister, Dr. Speaker, and I am not telling him what to do either. The plan I set out is binding enough on him and he will uphold that, I am not going to tell him what extra to do, that is up to him and I support all decisions he will make.

Government: Yeah.

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, the timeline for the next few months is as follows, please notice, it has changed a bit based on the advice of the consultant who will be looking after me during my surgery and recovery. I will step out of Office, briefly, as Prime Minister at the close of business on Monday, 31 May, 2021. Mr. Phelps will step into Office, briefly, as Prime Minister at the start of business on Tuesday, 1 June, 2021. My surgery is scheduled for 20 June 2021 and I will need a few days after this date to recover in hospital and then a few months at home to recover. If I am needed as a Vice-Prime Minister during this time, provided I am at home, I will connect via video link. I don't suppose, for a moment, that I will need to do that, Dr. Ortiz is very capable. 

Dr. Speaker, I initially intended to return to Office at the start of business on Saturday, 1 January 2022. My consultant does not think this long a period of rest will be required. I now expect to return to work in the autumn. I am not currently sure when but I will contact you, Dr. Speaker, beforehand to organise a speech in here in which I can inform the chamber of my intention to return to work.

Dr. Speaker, colleagues, do keep me in the loop with proceedings. I shall be watching you all on the television and keeping up with your work. I look forward to an interesting but painful time ahead. I thank you for having me here this morning and I wish my brief successor all the best of luck with my job in the coming months and maybe we are seeing the birth of a future, permanent, Prime Minister of our country.

Government: Yeah.

Speaker: Order, orderrr! The Prime Minister seems to be preparing to leave, if I could ask the Prime Minister to hold on for a short while longer, I'd like to open the floor to some comments and good wishes, if you'd like to stay for that. First of all, I want to call on our incoming Prime Minister, the Minister for International Diplomacy, Luke Phelps.

Luke Phelps: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I won't keep you long at all, I just want to thank the Prime Minister for her good words and best wishes, I extend my best wishes to her too and a speedy recovery to her. I sent my good wishes, also, Dr. Speaker, to her husband, Mr. Barrett, and her child. 

Government: Yeah.

Luke Phelps: Dr. Speaker, I will keep the seat warm for her and I look forward to seeing her on the other side. 

Government: Yeah.

Speaker: I thank the right honourable gentleman for his comment. The Vice-Prime Minister has indicated to me she wishes not to speak. So, I now turn to the Leader of the Opposition, Lorraine Drake.

Leader of the Opposition: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Like the right honourable gentleman, I will also keep this brief too. We may not agree on anything in this chamber and in relation to the running of the country, it seems, but we do agree on the fact that this disease is an awful disease and we do not wish it on anyone.

Opposition: Yeah.

Leader of the Opposition: Dr. Speaker, we wish the Prime Minister all the best in the coming months, her family peace of mind, and we look forward to disagreeing with her successor.

Speaker: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her words. If I might now call on the Leader of the Incompetent Democrats, Stephen Spencer.

Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I might thank the Prime Minister before she leaves Office for facilitating our wish to have a World Forum Membership Referendum, which is on the schedule for August, and I am confident her successor will do a good job in leading us through that Referendum. I am sorry to see it happening before her return but it is essential that she now looks after herself and gets herself better for her country. 

Incompetent Democrats: (Quietly) Yeah!

Government and Opposition: (Laughter)

Speaker: (Smiling) Order, order! The Government, Opposition and I feel your pain, Incompetent Democrats, but I remind colleagues that there are less of them, for them to be heard, they have to try harder, there are even less of the Advanced Humanitarian League! I look forward to calling on him! Please continue, Stephen Spencer.

Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, I am considering getting the four of us some vocal training and projection training and then hearing us should be no problem.

Parliament: (Laughter)

Stephen Spencer: Dr. Speaker, we all stand with the Prime Minister in this tough time for her, we stand with her successor, we wish her a speedy recovery and return to work, and, above all, we hope we're all still here on that return.

Parliament: Yeah. (Laughter)

Speaker: (Laughing) Order, order! Settle! Order! I thank the right honourable gentleman for his humour in making his comment, it has certainly lifted my spirit and I hope it has also lifted the Prime Minister's spirit. Finally, and this will be interesting, I call on the Leader of the Advanced Humanitarian League, Harold Garcia.

Harold Garcia: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. You will know my manifesto falls behind the times but, at the very least, it agrees with the Government's in my respective areas. I know what it is like to be Prime Minister and my heart now goes out to Mr. Phelps and I leave my door open if he needs any advice or help, not that he will need me. (Shouts) YEAH!

Parliament: (Laughter)

Speaker: (Laughing) Order! I am glad to hear the right honourable gentleman has been doing some training! Very good! Harold Garcia.

Harold Garcia: Dr. Speaker, I am glad you could tell.

Parliament: (Laughter)

Harold Garcia: Dr. Speaker, I wish the Prime Minister a speedy and restful recovery, I think she has earned it, and I look forward to working with Mr. Phelps in the time ahead.

Speaker: Order, order. The Prime Minister, sorry, I nearly missed you.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I thank colleagues for their kind words. My right honourable friend has a lot of support lined up and waiting for him and I am grateful for that. I am grateful for the humour shown by colleagues today, any laughter, at this time, for me, is a great help. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Government: Yeah.

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, on a slightly morbid note, I'm really not sure what this other side is going to look like but there will be an other side, our country does have a future and that future is in safe hands and I have fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed for the outcome and, finally, I'd like to wish all the Presidential candidates all the best for Tuesday.

Speaker: I thank the Prime Minister for her acknowledgements. On that note, good luck, Prime Minister, good luck, Mr. Phelps, here concludes this special Session. Order!

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

Prime Minister's Special Statement, 1 June 2021

Speaker: Order! I have been pleased to grant our new Prime Minister an opening statement in today's sitting of Parliament. The Prime Minister will make his statement and then we will travel around the house for some comments. Let's, please, keep questions for Prime Minister's Questions, which we have tomorrow for the first time with this Prime Minister. I now hand over, for the first time, to introduce the chamber to the Phelps Administration, the Prime Minister!


Government: Yeah!

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker, and thank you for granting me today's statement. Dr. Speaker, as you'll know, and the chamber will know, I am only keeping the seat warm for Vice-Prime Minister Barrett, I am Prime Minister for now but not Leader of the Modern Marxists and this is to ensure the Vice-Prime Minister's ease in resuming her work as Prime Minister.

Dr. Speaker, I previously informed you and the chamber that I would not be making any changes, however, as the week progressed, I realised that was not realistic. Whilst it is true I am just filling a gap, I cannot be expected to work with someone else's Government structure as if it is my own, especially as I do not currently know my end date in this role. I know it's 2021, I don't know when. With the backing of the Vice-Prime Ministers, Dr. Speaker, I have re-arranged the Cabinet. 

Dr. Speaker, summarising my Cabinet, the Phelps Administration, the Government will be catering for the areas of Enterprise, Trade, Employment, Environment, Climate, Communications, Finance, Public Expenditure, Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sportm Media, Housing, Local Government, Heritage, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Education, Justice, Social Protection and Rural and Community Development, Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Health, Agriculture, Land Use and Biodiversity, International and Road Transport and Logistics, Civil and Criminal Justice, WF Affairs, Office of Public Works, Public Procurement, eGovernment, Circular Economy, Special Education and Inclusion, Farm Safety and New Market Development, Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Community Development and Charities, Planning, Electoral Reform, Trade Promotion, Employment Affairs and Retail Business, Mental Health and Older People, Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy, Skills, Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, Law Reform, Youth Justice and Immigration. We also have a Minister without Portfolio.

Dr. Speaker, Vice-Prime Minister Barrett is very welcome to chuck all that back down the drain when she returns to Office, there is a bit of an age gap between us, she has youngest and less experienced ideals than me, however, this is what we are doing in the Phelps Administration and she has backed that.

Dr. Speaker, nothing I have said, in any way, means that the established programme for the year's work is down the drain, we will continue to progress through that plan. We will also continue to speak with the Executive and the Higher Chamber in assisting them in their reforms. We have appointed a Minister of WF Affairs, pending our Referendum in August and if the public vote against membership of the WF, then we will have no problem with dismissing that Office. 

Dr. Speaker, I continue to support Vice-Prime Minister Barrett and to wish her and her family well at this time.

Government: Yeah!

Speaker: Order! I thank the Prime Minister for that detailed statement. I'd now like to call on the Leader of the Opposition for a response, Lorraine Drake.

Leader of the Opposition: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I welcome right honourable gentleman to his new role. Dr. Speaker, I think it would have been nice, however, if the Prime Minister had informed the Opposition of these intended changes so that we could appoint a Shadow Cabinet. Dr. Speaker, there is now no Shadow Cabinet opposing the Cabinet and that's hardly fair.

Speaker: Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I'm sorry to respond to the Leader of the Opposition like this, however, there is nothing fair or unfair in this whatsoever.

Opposition: (Yelling)

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I AM UNDER-

Speaker: Order, order, order! Prime Minister, resume your seat, please. Order, Opposition, order! I am on my feet so you're not. There is no point in yelling because you're just adding to the amount of time we have to spend in the chamber today.

Rogelio Medina: Point of Order!

Speaker: Point of Order, Mr. Rogelio Medina!

Rogelio Medina: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. Surely you can't even deny what the Prime Minister is saying is outrageous!

Opposition: Yeah!

Speaker: Order, order! Resume your seat. There is no offence against the chamber currently made by the Prime Minister, if there was, I'd be asking for order and requiring the Prime Minister to correct his manner. What he is saying may well be controversial but it's not offending the house. Rogelio Medina.

Rogelio Medina: Dr. Speaker, it's an outrage that the Prime Minister should act in this way, he is giving the Government an unfair advantage over the chamber.

Speaker: Order, order. I asked the Prime Minister for his response to this accusation and all the Opposition did was shout him down and yell Point of Order. Do you want to know the response or not?

Rogelio Medina: Of course, Dr. Speaker.

Speaker: I hope the honourable gentleman won't be offended then if I ask him to shut up and listen to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, this is day one of the new job and not a foot is out of line. I am looking forward to the time ahead, it will be very interesting indeed. Dr. Speaker, I am under no obligation to inform the Opposition of my plans as Prime Minister, when I inform the chamber of my plans, that is plenty of notice for the Opposition. As long as they do not hold Government, they are not entitled to any sneak peaks. 

Dr. Speaker, the Opposition ought to be elsewhere, this second, if they're so worried about not having a Shadow Cabinet, off you go, chop chop.

Speaker: Colleagues, can we please tone down the slagging?

Chamber: (Yelling)

Speaker: ORDER! Order! Let me put this another way. Colleagues, tone DOWN the slagging! The Prime Minister makes a fair point, the Opposition, nor any other Party sitting in here who do not hold Government, are entitled to know the Government's business ahead of time, that would cause a leak, which is considerably more serious than not having a Shadow Cabinet. I trust the Leader of the Opposition will get a Shadow Cabinet appointed as soon as is convenient to do so. The Leader of the Incompetent Democrats, Stephen Spencer.

Stephen Spencer: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. I just want to extend my support to Vice-Prime Minister Barrett and her family at this time and to state to the chamber, the Incompetent Democrats look forward to working with the Prime Minister in the time ahead. We are, of course, interested and grateful for the Prime Minister's decision to appoint a Minister of WF Affairs. 

Speaker: Order! The last speaker for today, and then we will proceed with Leaders' Questions. The Leader of the Advanced Humanitarian League, Harold Garcia.

Harold Garcia: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. The Advanced Humanitarian League also stands with the Vice-Prime Minister and her family and we support the new Prime Minister and look forward to working with him.

Speaker: Order! Can I remind colleagues, please, we have two Vice-Prime Ministers and to refer to them by their surnames is fine, just so one or the other don't feel left out, thank you. Order! We now progress to Leader's Questions.

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

Reply

Prime Minister's Special Statement, 8 June 2021

Speaker: Order! Like last week, but dealing with a different issue, we have the Prime Minister here with a special statement, and quite an urgent one. I feel questions are unnecessary for this sitting as meetings of the nature the Prime Minister is about to announce are common in this chamber and are common for the Prime Minister to achieve but not normally this early and so I'll now hand over to the Prime Minister.


Prime Minister: Thank you, Dr. Speaker. As the Chamber will be well aware, we do have the H Summit Major in the country every ten years starting in 1963 and we have had some H Summits Minor in years in between. Dr. Speaker, we are creating history this year. The Chamber will also be well aware that Prime Ministers have always been obliged to hold H Summits Major every ten years and are allowed to hold other H Summits Major and Minor when they see fit. So far, no Prime Minister has called an H Summit Major in between the ten year intervals but plenty of H Summit Minors, as Vice-Prime Minister Barrett did last year. I am organising an H Summit Major for June 2021 until April 2022. I hope Vice-Prime Minister Barrett will uphold this decision and see it through to its end. 

Dr. Speaker, this year's meeting is the biggest any Prime Minister has ever called. Until now, with the exception of 2020's H Summit Minor, H Summits Major and Minor have consisted of Prime Ministers and representatives of those who have passed since 1963. In 2020, Vice-Prime Minister Barrett met with former Prime Minister Renay Arce, who served our country as Prime Minister from 1910 until 1915 and is currently the country's oldest woman. This year, I will be meeting with Prime Ministers and representatives of those who have passed since the declaration of the Republic in 1850. I recognise the extent of this project, however, I am determined to see it through.

Dr. Speaker, the occurrence of this meeting this year into next year will not eradicate the 2023 H Summit Major and Vice-Prime Minister Barrett will still plan and host that in 2023. This year's meetings are organised in the way they are organised in the hope of facilitating everyone at least once, others who feel the need to meet again more than once until all concerns have been dealt with. This year's meetings will mostly take place on Mondays and Fridays to ensure the availability of myself and Vice-Prime Minister Barrett and the Leader of the Advanced Humanitarian League who is, himself, a participating former Prime Minister. This year's meetings will be chaired by you, Dr. Speaker, and so Monday and Friday meetings will also ensure your availability. On days when we must meet on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, Dr. Speaker, the Dr. Deputy Speaker will stand in for you, Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz will stand in for me and we will excuse the Leader of the Advanced Humanitarian League, if he had wished to be present at any of those meetings, from attending so that he can sit in this Chamber.

Dr. Speaker, if we need to, we will also facilitate meetings on Saturdays and Sundays. I will, rather than list in this Chamber, compile a list, in a document, of participants in the meetings and a list of topics being discussed and I will request a small piece out of the Chamber's time on a Tuesday morning to make those documents available to the Chamber before I publish them for public viewing. I will, also, as Vice-Prime Minister Ortiz to proofread the documents before publishing. I will not ask Vice-Prime Minister Barrett to proofread and would not expect her to as she both celebrates her thirty-ninth birthday next week and begins surgery for Lung Cancer last week. As soon as I hear she is recovering and well again from her husband, I will, first of all, visit her to ensure she is OK, then I will make her aware of the documents. 

Dr. Speaker, Vice-Prime Minister Barrett is expected to be kept in hospital for a few days following her surgery and I will be staying away during this time. She does not need me interrupting her during her hour of need. Finally, why am I holding this meeting this year? The Chamber will be aware that last year, ahead of the June 2020 General Election, the Government discovered our history had been altered and changed on the grounds of gender, race and age. This is unacceptable.

Dr. Speaker, I want to hold this year's meetings to find out if the list of our former Prime Ministers since 1850 and the declaration of the Republic is now complete or whether there remain further former Prime Ministers we do not know about and that the declaration of the Republic did take place in 1850 and not before. Secondly, I want to hold this year's meetings to allow former Prime Ministers and representatives of those who have passed since 1850 to have their voice heard like those since 1963 and be brought up to date on the running of the country and allow them to state their opinions in the same way our more recent former Prime Ministers and their representatives have been able to. I am now happy to give way for questions.

Speaker: I thank the Prime Minister for his detailed speech and I confirm to the Chamber the detail he gave about me and the Deputy Speaker are correct. I hate to say to the Prime Minister, I have no prepared questions on the Order Paper, no-one told me ahead of time they wanted to ask you questions today rather than tomorrow. I did, also, say at the beginning of today's special sitting that I thought questions were unnecessary today. Were you expecting questions? The Prime Minister. 

Prime Minister: Dr. Speaker, I forgot that today was Tuesday and tomorrow is Wednesday and tomorrow hosts Prime Minister's Questions. I apologise for my mistake and I am more than happy to hang on until tomorrow for questions.

Speaker: I thank the Prime Minister for that. Order! I now suspend the Chamber until 2PM. Order!

Spoiler

Former Prime Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2016.
Former Allied Liberator 2016 - 2017.
Former Prime Minister of the Federation of Independent Nations 2016 - 2017.
Former Intelligence Minister of Brightport 2015 - 2017.
Former King of Brightport 2017.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europeia 2018.
Former Southern Progress Party Commissary of Gameside Affairs 2017 - 2019.
Former TSP Ambassador to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Ambassador to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2019 - 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Rejected Realms and the North Pacific 2020.
Former TSP Advisor to the TSP Minister of Foreign Affairs 2020.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the East Pacific and Lazarus 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the West Pacific and Osiris 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State to the Pacific and Conch Kingdom 2021.
A former TSP Deputy Chair of the Assembly 2020 - 2021.
Former TSP Secretary of State 2021 and 2021.
Former TSP Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021.
Former TSP Ambassador to Europe 2021.
Former TSP Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 2021-2022.
Former TSP Ambassador to the North Pacific 2021-2022.
Former OWL Administrator of Discussion and Voting Affairs 2022.
Former TSP Legislator 2017-2022.
Former TSP MoC Advisor 2022.
Former TSP MoC Ministry Fellow. 2022.

(This post was last modified: 06-14-2021, 07:20 PM by Qaweritoyu.)

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