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Bill: The Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: Labour 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: June 3071
Description[?]:
| With a commodity as simple as our very foodstuffs at risk from overuse, it is imperative that we begin to better regulate the agricultural and ecological practices that occur within Solentia. |
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 subsidises agriculture based on market demand for the crop being grown.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning farm size.
Old value:: Farm size is not regulated.
Current: Farm size is not regulated.
Proposed: Farm size regulations are determined by local governments.
Article 3
Proposal[?] to change Government regulation of hunting.
Old value:: Hunting and fishing is not regulated.
Current: Hunting and fishing is not regulated.
Proposed: Hunting and fishing activities are restricted to designated areas and periods.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 22:44:52, February 02, 2011 CET | From |  Labour Party | To | Debating the The Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act |
| Message | *floor speech from the Senate* My colleagues, it is with great urgency that I encourage passage of this bill, the Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act. For too long, our flora and fauna have been overexposed to the demands of a modern economy, and our unsustainable exploitation of our precious resources may one day render us uncompetitive in a global economy. It is not difficult, nor is it desirable, to imagine a future in which the farmland has withered away, the animals have been hunted to extinction and the basic needs of Solentia's populace go unfulfilled. Here is why this bill has something that everyone, from the left to the right, can support: Article I will make sure that there are certain periods allowed for hunting and fishing, so that the animals will have protection while they mate and repopulate. This will ensure that they are never hunted to extinction. Article II will make sure that our government does not waste taxpayer solenars subsidizing resources that there is little demand for. We will let the forces of the market work as they do, and subsidize only the agricultural products that the market demands. This will save the government money by eliminating wasteful subsidies and will also serve to make sure that the needs of the populace are adequately met. Article III will allow local governments to make the best use of their lands. While many issues are best left to the federal government, we firmly believe that the local governments are most knowledgeable about their own land, and can regulate it best. In some cases, farms will merge together, using economies of scale to boost output. In other cases, smaller farms ensure competition and fair prices. I will open this bill for offered amendments as well. Vote yes to make sure that our children do not go hungry one day because of our inaction. "Only after the last tree has been cut down, the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught, will you realize that money cannot be eaten." Ryan Fay Social Democratic Party Leader |
| Date | 22:54:44, February 02, 2011 CET | From | Labour Party | To | Debating the The Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act |
| Message | *floor speech from the Senate* My colleagues, it is with great urgency that I encourage passage of this bill, the Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act. For too long, our flora and fauna have been overexposed to the demands of a modern economy, and our unsustainable exploitation of our precious resources may one day render us uncompetitive in a global economy. It is not difficult, nor is it desirable, to imagine a future in which the farmland has withered away, the animals have been hunted to extinction and the basic needs of Solentia's populace go unfulfilled. Here is why this bill has something that everyone, from the left to the right, can support: Article I will make sure that there are certain periods allowed for hunting and fishing, so that the animals will have protection while they mate and repopulate. This will ensure that they are never hunted to extinction. Article II will make sure that our government does not waste taxpayer solenars subsidizing resources that there is little demand for. We will let the forces of the market work as they do, and subsidize only the agricultural products that the market demands. This will save the government money by eliminating wasteful subsidies and will also serve to make sure that the needs of the populace are adequately met. Article III will allow local governments to make the best use of their lands. While many issues are best left to the federal government, we firmly believe that the local governments are most knowledgeable about their own land, and can regulate it best. In some cases, farms will merge together, using economies of scale to boost output. In other cases, smaller farms ensure competition and fair prices. I will open this bill for offered amendments as well. Vote yes to make sure that our children do not go hungry one day because of our inaction. "Only after the last tree has been cut down, the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught, will you realize that money cannot be eaten." Ryan Fay Social Democratic Party Leader |
| Date | 23:04:55, February 02, 2011 CET | From | Conservative Party of Solentia | To | Debating the The Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act |
| Message | "First, the CPS wishes to congratulate our new colleagues in the SDPS on their electoral success. Welcome to Solentian government, Senator Fay. We look forward to working with you in the future. With that aside, the CPS finds this bill to be unsupportable. There is a conflict between Articles II and III: In Article II the legislation would take control out of the hands of local government and place it into the federal government, and Article III would place more in the hands of the local governments. We believe that Article II MUST be changed, but not in the direction that the SDPS believes it must be changed; we believe that subsidies for crops based on demand will necessarily and absolutely alter the very fragile system of supply and demand which they rely on. Crops that are in demand will be grown on a free market because there is an opportunity for profit, and crops that are not in demand will simply not be grown. Where is there a need or a use for federal regulation, except where it will encourage farmers to grow crops which are not demanded by the market. Frankly, the CPS agrees with none of these proposals. Regulation is detrimental to the economy. If Solentians are concerned with the state of Solentia's ecology, they shall express that on the free market by only purchasing goods grown in a manner which is friendly to the environment. It is not the Senate's place to tell the market how to work." Aaron Redman, CPS Chairman |
| Date | 23:08:34, February 02, 2011 CET | From | Labour Party | To | Debating the The Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act |
| Message | *floor speech from the Senate* My colleagues, it is with great urgency that I encourage passage of this bill, the Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act. For too long, our flora and fauna have been overexposed to the demands of a modern economy, and our unsustainable exploitation of our precious resources may one day render us uncompetitive in a global economy. It is not difficult, nor is it desirable, to imagine a future in which the farmland has withered away, the animals have been hunted to extinction and the basic needs of Solentia's populace go unfulfilled. Here is why this bill has something that everyone, from the left to the right, can support: Article I will make sure that there are certain periods allowed for hunting and fishing, so that the animals will have protection while they mate and repopulate. This will ensure that they are never hunted to extinction. Article II will make sure that our government does not waste taxpayer solenars subsidizing resources that there is little demand for. We will let the forces of the market work as they do, and subsidize only the agricultural products that the market demands. This will save the government money by eliminating wasteful subsidies and will also serve to make sure that the needs of the populace are adequately met. Article III will allow local governments to make the best use of their lands. While many issues are best left to the federal government, we firmly believe that the local governments are most knowledgeable about their own land, and can regulate it best. In some cases, farms will merge together, using economies of scale to boost output. In other cases, smaller farms ensure competition and fair prices. I will open this bill for offered amendments as well. Vote yes to make sure that our children do not go hungry one day because of our inaction. "Only after the last tree has been cut down, the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught, will you realize that money cannot be eaten." Ryan Fay Social Democratic Party Leader |
| Date | 23:10:35, February 02, 2011 CET | From | Conservative Party of Solentia | To | Debating the The Solentian Ecology and Agriculture Sustainability Act |
| Message | OOC: Also, usually, it's tough to write about articles in debate, because Articles I, II, III are very likely to get jumbled up when you send it to vote, or at random. Article I now might become Article III later. Just so you know. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 177 | ||||
| no |
Total Seats: 248 | ||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: "Treaty-locking", or ratifiying treaties that completely or nearly completely forbid any proposals to change laws, is not allowed. Amongst other possible sanctions, Moderation reserves the discretion to delete treaties and/or subject parties to a seat reset if this is necessary in order to reverse a treaty-lock situation. |
| Random quote: "The National Rifle Association says, 'Guns don't kill people; people kill people,' but I think the gun helps." - Eddie Izzard |