We are working on a brand new version of the game! If you want to stay informed, read our blog and register for our mailing list.
Bill: Cultural Distribution Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Conservative-Libertarian Party (UM)
Status[?]: passed
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: June 2970
Description[?]:
| This Act will pass control over libraries and museums to local governments. The National Hutori Museum and the Hutorian Library are exempt from this Act, and will remain the property of the state. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy towards the funding of libraries.
Old value:: The national government controls a vast and comprehensive system of public libraries.
Current: Funding and operation of libraries is left entirely to local governments.
Proposed: Funding and operation of libraries is left entirely to local governments.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning museum funding.
Old value:: The national government maintains a system of museums nationwide.
Current: The national government maintains a system of museums nationwide.
Proposed: The government leaves funding and operation of museums to local governments.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 13:01:12, July 16, 2010 CET | From | Conservative-Libertarian Party (UM) | To | Debating the Cultural Distribution Act |
| Message | Rt Hon Cheryl Macintosh MP, Prime Minister: Mr Speaker, I am delighted to introduce my first bill as Prime Minister. Can I first of all begin by saying how pleased I am, after 17 years of leading this Party, to bring us back to a position where we can once again lead this country. Mr Speaker, the last CLP Prime Minister was Duchess Thompson, one of the greatest servants this country has ever had. She took on the mantle of office when she was in her 90s, following the brutal murder of the rightful Prime Minister, the late Keith Jacobs. Mr Speaker, those events seem so long ago, and yet they cast a shadow over my Party for years. I would therefore like to pay tribute to my Rt Hon friend, Countess Bridges, who led the CLP through its most difficult years and was, unfortunately, never rewarded with the office of Prime Minister. I am delighted that she is now my Health Secretary, the position she occupied before becoming leader. Mr Speaker, one hero of mine was the former CLP leader, the late Baroness Peters. She was really the first CLP leader who introduced the idea of federalism to the Party which had always been so traditionally unitarist. Her passion for culture was second to none, as the legacy of films and television shows she left behind her so effectively demonstrates. She successfully devolved responsibility for libraries and museums to local government, and for a decade, before they were re-nationalised, they flourished like never before. Along with my father, another hero of mine, she convinced me of the enormous benefits that a more federal structure can bring. I have attempted to convince the party of those policies and I believe that it is thanks to those policies that the Party has been revived. Our enormous vote of confidence from the people of Roccato and the Isle of Sutton, demonstrates how popular these ideas are. Mr Speaker, I would therefore like to propose to this House that, once again, we consider devolving culture to local government. I appreciate that Members have their reservations regarding devolution, but I believe that culture is a vital area to begin with. Culture flourishes best in an atmosphere of freedom, yet it is clear, that it still needs an element of support from the taxpayer. Mr Speaker, devolving responsibility to local governments ensures that the funds are best directed to where they are most needed. Councils can respond to what they believe is important and what the people of their communities most want, where national government may overlook. Mr Speaker, this could truly revolutionise the cultural scene and I believe that the people will benefit. The National Hutori Museum and the Hutorian Library shall remain under state ownership due to their service to the entire nation rather than just one locality. Mr Speaker, I hope that members of all parties decide to support this proposal. |
| Date | 13:43:03, July 16, 2010 CET | From | Hutorian Conservative Party | To | Debating the Cultural Distribution Act |
| Message | Rt Hon Baron Mancini MP, NSC Leader, Mr Speaker, will we hear no end to this Federalism agenda. I mean, the CLP are the only ones who want this and surely they should realise by now that every single one of their Bills trying to devolve power to local governments has failed. We can accept the CLP hold this view but do they not hold others? Federalism may have its benefits but in Hutori we have long been advocates of a strong central government. Mr Speaker, may i also add that we are sick of hearing about Baroness Peters this and Baroness Peters that! I mean is this the only justification the CLP have for this agenda or is this the only way they can try to convince other parties to vote yes? It seems that this poor woman - who unlike recent CLP MPs had actually achieved something! - is having her memory trampled all over and for what? More Federalist proposals fall on deaf ears? Perhaps the CLP would do well to leave Baroness Peters memory alone as a great one rather than continually making speeches and seemingly digging up the past and ruining the late Baronesses image and reputation. Mr Speaker, Federalism we feel has no place in the Hutorian system. Local governments at present are nothing more than advice centres for the national government and that is the way it should remain! I hope that all other parties vote down this Federalism agenda by the CLP and we say to the CLP, continue proposing these Bills and it will almost certainly be the biggest waste of parliamentary quota in the history of Hutori! |
| Date | 14:07:13, July 16, 2010 CET | From | Conservative-Libertarian Party (UM) | To | Debating the Cultural Distribution Act |
| Message | Rt Hon Cheryl Macintosh MP, Prime Minister: Mr Speaker, let me begin my response by commenting on the absolutely astonishing and shocking outburst we have just heard from the gentleman opposite. Mr Speaker, in my opening statement, I paid tribute to five figures from the CLP's history, one of which happened to be the late Baroness Peters. It is therefore quite astonishing that the gentleman opposite should have singled out Baroness Peters for some sort of ridicicule as though her memory is being spurned. Would the gentleman also denounce me for invoking the memory of my late father, who was one of the 9 CLP leaders murdered by his former party, the FFF? Mr Speaker, the CLP is a Party built on tradition, progress and continuity. Policies and ideas formulated by our predecessors become part of the CLP lexicon until such time as they are changed. One can look at Duke Havers' decision to emphasise a more pacifist military policy, Duchess Thompson's groundbreaking decision to commit the CLP to supporting a public health and education service, or Duke Carter's introduction of a degree of flexibility regarding the constitution in order to save those aspects of the constitution that are most important. Mr Speaker, Baroness Peters was the first CLP leader to introduce an element of federalism to the party, and it happened to concern culture. She was a committed federalist and would have liked to have gone down this route much more, but at that time the Party was not ready for it. Mr Speaker, why do the NSC object so strongly to us remembering this great leader? Could it be because when she died suddenly, she was old and sick? Subsequent events and policies have shown that the NSC don't like that combination, and perhaps they think her end should have been enforced by the state? Mr Speaker, I regret saying those words, but I have been so angered by their outburst which I feel was entirely inappropriate. Mr Speaker, I do not doubt that a majority in this House oppose the federalist agenda that I have initiated. However, this concerns one very small area, culture, that does not affect frontline services or standards that I know socialists like to deliver from the centre. It proposes that culture should be devolved because it thrives best when there is not so much control. Mr Speaker, it is my hope that some other members will recognise this. Mr Speaker, I shall not suddenly abandon my federalist beliefs. Not least, because it would be a betrayal of the voters. NSC members may feel happy abandoning policies on a whim, but I do not. Mr Speaker, had it not been for our federalist policies, I do not believe that my party would have done anywhere near as well as it did. Why did over 62% of voters in Roccato and the Isle of Sutton vote for the CLP? Because they were attracted to our federalist beliefs. It is therefore entirely appropriate for us to continue this agenda, and not simply abandon it because we have some seats in Parliament. Mr Speaker, that is not how parliamentary democracy works. |
| Date | 14:52:21, July 16, 2010 CET | From | Hutorian Conservative Party | To | Debating the Cultural Distribution Act |
| Message | Rt Hon Baron Mancini MP, NSC Leader, Sorry, Mr Speaker, we didnt realise 62% of Roccato and the Isle of Sutton allowed us to implement whatever laws we wanted. Secondly Mr Speaker, we speak the truth! The CLP have trampled all over this womans reputation and former glory for what? Devolving some cultural aspects to local government? Maybe they should have done something useful when casting a shadow all over past glories. Mr Speaker we expected more from a party that claims to be a 'big party'. Mr Speaker, shall i say that i am confident this wont pass, so wont be an issue for the NSC in the immediate future. |
| Date | 15:06:58, July 16, 2010 CET | From | Conservative-Libertarian Party (UM) | To | Debating the Cultural Distribution Act |
| Message | Mr Speaker, we are not saying that 62% of Roccato allows us to pass whatever laws we want, we are not saying that at all. We do not deploy the 'mandate' argument in the twisted way that the last NSC government did. Mr Speaker, what we are saying is that there are large areas of support in sections of the country for federalism. We know that the NSC do not like minorities of any sort, but minority views should be represented. In Roccato, that happens to be a majority view, but nationally, it remains a minority. We shall not therefore abandon a policy and position that has such support across the country. Unlike the NSC, we will not campaign for one thing and then initiate something else. Mr Speaker, I continue to remain flabbergasted at the NSC's remarks concerning the late Baroness Peters. How exactly have the CLP "trampled all over this woman's reputation and former glory"? Culture was her number one priority, and she believed it would best flourish under local accountability. Mr Speaker, I just do not understand the argument they are trying to make and the bile and venom with which they make it. Could the explain? |
| Date | 16:54:11, July 17, 2010 CET | From | Kazakhstan glorious country party | To | Debating the Cultural Distribution Act |
| Message | Edward Healy, Liberal Democratic Party, Leader, Mr Speaker, My party are strong supporters of direct democracy and we feel more power to local government on more 'minor' issues such as culture and the arts etc. is progress. We do understand the concerns some have about devolution, we feel that the word has become negative somewhat, but we feel it does no harm. |
subscribe to this discussion - unsubscribe
Voting
| Vote | Seats | |||
| yes | Total Seats: 197 | |||
| no | Total Seats: 194 | |||
| abstain |
Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: In Culturally Protected nations, it is the responsibility of players to ensure the candidate boxes on their Party Overview screens are filled in with appropriate names. If a player is allotted seats in a Cabinet bill and has not filled in names for the relevant candidate position, then the program will automatically fill in the positions with names which might not necessarily be appropriate for the Cultural Protocols. |
| Random quote: "Political correctness is just tyranny with manners." - Charlton Heston |