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Bill: Rural Reform Initiative
Details
Submitted by[?]: Social-Liberal Party
Status[?]: defeated
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: March 2096
Description[?]:
| The Parliament of the Beluzian Republic Believing that sensible environmental regulation, modern agricultural production techniques and economic competitiveness are key elements in revitalising the Beluzian countryside; Believing that undistorted market prices will make the Beluzian agricultural sector more competitive; Observing that research in GM crops has progressed sufficiently since the previous Act by the Beluzian Parliament temporarily banning production of GM crops, and believing that Beluzian-grown GM-crops are now safe enough for production; Observing that a harmonised system of regulations for the use of chemicals will reduce bureaucracy for farmers, while at the same time protecting the environment; Adopts the Rural Reform Initiative to establish a more competitive, sustainable and modern Beluzian countryside 1. The ministry of Science, Technology and Agriculture is empowered to establish a national programme to harmonise agricultural chemical use. 2. a. Agricultural subsidies funded by local governments are to be phased out over a period of five years. b. The ministry of Science, Technology and Agriculture shall establish a national programme to compensate low-income families dependent on agricultural income for a period of up to ten years, and shall provide a voluntary programme of assistance to farmers in order to enable them to become more competitive. 3. a. The ban on sales and production of GM crops is hereby repealed. b. GM crops shall still be subject to normal Beluzian regulations with regards to food and agricultural produce. c. If a product uses agricultural product that contains Genetically Modified produce, this shall be mentioned on the product label. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Government agricultural and farming subsidies policy.
Old value:: The government allows local governments to craft agricultural subsidy policy.
Current: The government subsidises the operations of low-income farming families.
Proposed: The government denies subsidy assistance to farmers.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning genetically modified (GM) crops.
Old value:: Production and selling of GM crops is banned. Research is allowed.
Current: Production and selling of GM crops is banned. Research is allowed.
Proposed: All activities related to production, selling or researching of GM crops are allowed.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 16:26:02, August 09, 2005 CET | From | Social-Liberal Party | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | OOC: oops, chemicals are already being voted upon. Oh well. |
| Date | 20:16:41, August 09, 2005 CET | From | Partisans And Artisans League | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | I will supprt 1 but not 2 |
| Date | 20:18:17, August 09, 2005 CET | From | Social-Liberal Party | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | May I ask why the PAL does not support article 3, which is so vital for modernising agriculture? If we want to modernise the countryside we need to actually apply the knowledge we have been researching for decades now. |
| Date | 23:21:52, August 09, 2005 CET | From | Partisans And Artisans League | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | Emm because isn't GM dangerous? I dunno... |
| Date | 23:44:09, August 09, 2005 CET | From | LiberalDemocraticFreedomTaxAndSpendParty | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | We cannot support the use of GM foods, there are too many potential dangers in public consumption and contamination of other plants, however we do believe that research should continue. |
| Date | 23:49:03, August 09, 2005 CET | From | Partisans And Artisans League | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | Yeah what he said... |
| Date | 21:40:45, August 10, 2005 CET | From | Catholic Workers Movement | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | The Catholic Workers believe that food and water are not areas that should be guided first and foremost by a market ideology. There are non-market values worth protecting: the availability of green space, security and self-sufficiency in food so that we never need depend on foreign imports to feed our people, and the survival of the rural way of life among them. Therefore we are extremely wary to make the sort of market-based "reforms" contemplated in this bill. In addition, we do not believe that the time is ripe to change the Republic's restrictions on genetically modified foods. The ethical issues behind these foods have not yet been sufficiently explored, and our science & agriculture ministry remains in turmoil, since the republic has not had a functioning government in many years now. |
| Date | 22:42:41, August 10, 2005 CET | From | Social-Liberal Party | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | It is time for a bit of Beluzian history, me thinks. In March 2084, nine years ago, the Agricultural policy relating to GM crops Act was established. This proposal by the government – specifically the Neo-Marxist revolutionary Party – clearly established that in Phase 2 of the proposed legislation, when research became fruitful, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Agriculture would ask for permission to begin production of the GM Crops. This, ladies and gentlemen, was nine years ago. Scientists in the field, after extensive testing, have claimed that GM-modified crops are viable, not a threat to the local environment, and not harmful to the human body. Other states in Terra are already very successful in selling these crops, and Beluzia risks to stand at a competitive disadvantage if it does not release GM-modified crops for sale and production on commercial levels. The time to talk is over, the time to act is now! ((Old bill: http://82.238.75.178:8085/particracy/main/viewbill.php?billid=9959 )) Furthermore, we are willing to split this bill to allow for a free vote on both remaining elements of the proposal that have legislative consequences. |
| Date | 02:02:46, August 12, 2005 CET | From | Neo-Marxist revolutionary Party | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | Perhaps the Social-Liberal Party would care for a history lesson themselves. Firstly there was no quoted phase two to the GM crops act, that is a fallacy. Moreover the Ministry of Science, technology and Agriculture have released no information pertaining to the GM crop debate and the Social-Liberal Party may not speak on behalf of said Ministry. Thus testing has not begun upon their production since the aformentioned Ministry has not come before this Government and asked for permission to begin testing. Moreover this testing does not pertain to the sale of GM crops. Please read the entirety of aforementioned act. |
| Date | 18:43:18, August 12, 2005 CET | From | Social-Liberal Party | To | Debating the Rural Reform Initiative |
| Message | OOC: Now wait a minute, game code states we are researching it. By authorising that bill, research started. And was that last post an IC or an OOC post anyway? |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 45 | ||||
| no |
Total Seats: 214 | ||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 41 |
| Random fact: Cabinet ministers who disagree seriously with the head of government would usually be expected to resign. Parties within the cabinet may attempt to manoeuvre to replace the head of government though, for example by proposing a new cabinet bill or voting for an early election. |
| Random quote: "Politics, when it is an art and a service, not an exploitation, is about acting for an ideal through realities." - Charles De Gaulle |