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Bill: Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911
Details
Submitted by[?]: Borgerlig-Demokratiske Union
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: April 3912
Description[?]:
| Mr Speaker, this bill demonstrates how we intend to offset the spending cuts in the department of infrastructure through innovative policy reforms. First of all, we wish to apply the logic of our welfare reforms to transport by introducing a user-pays system with financial assistance for the less well-off, which has the advantage of making sure that those people who utilize public transport on a regular basis are also those who pay the most into it. Additionally, we wish to outsource highway construction to the private sector, leading to competition and lower costs, and privatize the post office, which many complain has become bloated and inefficient due to the influence of unions and generally high bureaucracy as well as a lack of serious competition. In order to make sure that mail will still be delivered in rural areas, we have decided to keep some basic regulation. Mark Pedersen (FV) Minister of Infrastructure and Transport |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Funding of public transport (where applicable).
Old value:: Public transport is fully subsidised by the government.
Current: Public transport is fully subsidised by the government.
Proposed: Public transport is fully subsidised for people with low-income, with the remainder "user-pays".
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy in respect to highways.
Old value:: There is a national highway system constructed and maintained by the national government, and local systems by local governments.
Current: There is a national highway system constructed and maintained by the national government, and local systems by local governments.
Proposed: All highway projects are undertaken by contracted firms.
Article 3
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning the post office
Old value:: There is a nationalised post office. Private post office agencies are allowed to exist, and the services provided by them are not regulated.
Current: There is a nationalised post office agency. Private post offices are allowed to exist but the services provided by them are regulated.
Proposed: Only private post agencies exist, and the services they provide are regulated.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 12:06:05, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Folkepartiet (People's Party) | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Mr. Speaker, Can the Minister speak to the effects the contracting reforms for highways will have on declining rural communities? Is he not afraid that since these works will be less profitable, they will be deemed less necessary and therefore maintenance on roads in rural parts of the country will be declining? Jarmo Nicolaysen (FP - Agatha) Infrastructure and Transport Spokesman |
| Date | 14:07:00, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Borgerlig-Demokratiske Union | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Mr Speaker, since the government and not the construction companies themselves will decide about road construction and maintenance, I can see no such danger. Of course it might be necessary to create additional incentives for our contracted partners if we want them to operate in the rural areas, but we are sure that there are plenty of local construction firms available who have a natural interest in dealing with these issues. Mark Pedersen (FV) Minister of Infrastructure and Transport |
| Date | 14:10:40, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Folkepartiet (People's Party) | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Herr Talman, And can the Minister guarantee that the privatization of Royal Kazulian Mail will not result in reduced service in rural areas? Jarmo Nicolaysen (FP - Agatha) Infrastructure and Transport Spokesman |
| Date | 14:18:33, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Borgerlig-Demokratiske Union | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Mr Speaker, the regulations mentioned in the revised article (3) are designed to ensure that the privatization of the RKM does not cut off access to mail delivery in rural areas. It remains to be seen whether these regulations will be permanent or whether they can be abolished in the long term, depending on the conduct of the privatized mail companies. Mark Pedersen (FV) Minister of Infrastructure and Transport |
| Date | 14:28:31, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Folkepartiet (People's Party) | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Herr Talman, So let's get this straight: is the Minister saying he wants to absolve the mail companies-to-be from responsibility for delivery in rural areas in the long term? Surely, it is circular reasoning to say that you can abolish these regulations if the companies comply, because the compliance is inherent in them being regulations? Jarmo Nicolaysen Infrastructure and Transport Spokesman |
| Date | 14:38:01, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Borgerlig-Demokratiske Union | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Mr Speaker, the regulations are meant as a cautionary measure, because it takes some time to adjust to the new situation of a privatized mail service. In a fully private environment, a wide variety of post companies might emerge, some of which might even be region- or local-based, so it might very well turn out that there is no reason for permanently keeping these regulations and imposing them on all mail companies. Surely it would be in FP's interest if mail delivery rural areas were provided by local companies? Mark Pedersen (FV) Minister of Infrastructure and Transport |
| Date | 14:39:44, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Folkepartiet (People's Party) | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Herr Talman, Is the government planning on guaranteeing that there is a national post service that covers all Kazulmark, or are they content to leave that to the market? Jarmo Nicolaysen Infrastructure and Transport Spokesman |
| Date | 17:22:31, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Borgerlig-Demokratiske Union | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Mr Speaker, we will privatize the RKM as a whole and then leave its further development to the market. Mark Pedersen (FV) Minister of Infrastructure and Transport |
| Date | 17:25:57, September 23, 2015 CET | From | Folkepartiet (People's Party) | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Herr President, With that assurance, I thank the Minister for his consideration and I will commit my party in favour of the bill, although I have to note with regards to the third article that we would be amenable to devolving fares policy to local governments. After all, certain categories of people are more dependent on public transport for their mobility depending on where they live, and it's quite reasonable to allow the Fylkesting more discretion here. Jarmo Nicolaysen Infrastructure and Transport Spokesman |
| Date | 10:29:45, September 24, 2015 CET | From | Folkepartiet | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Herr President, I ask the minister for clarification on the reply that was given to my colleague from the Fp. The Minister was asked regarding the construction of roads in rural areas, and assured the member that this policy will have no affect upon road construction there, as the Government shall be funding and contracting the construction of roads. Then, Herr President, I ask the question on any sensible man's lips. How, precisely, does the Government save money by - instead of constructing the roads itself, for zero profit, paying only precisely how much it costs - contracting construction to profit seeking companies? How does that cause less spending by our government? Rather, we will be paying more, no? It is simple Economics, Herr President, though I do fear that is something beyond the capabilities of the Governing parties. Rasmus Sunde FP Leader |
| Date | 11:23:34, September 24, 2015 CET | From | Borgerlig-Demokratiske Union | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Mr Speaker, the truth is that right now we are paying not just for "precisely how much it costs", but for the profit and benefit of the union bosses who control public construction companies. Privatization allows us to choose from a wider range of operators, which creates a competitive environment where prices are lowered and quality is boosted, which is impossible if you have a state-protected monopoly where there is no competition at all and frankly no incentive for excellence because the taxpayer is compelled to unconditionally fund it regardless of its performance. So instead of hypocritically lecturing us abour "simple economics", which is quite ironic coming from someone who propagates institutionalized economic incompetence known as socialism, the hon gentleman should come clear about his true intentions, which is protecting the special interests and privileges of the unionized fat cats who currently dominate infrastructure and at whose command he acts. Mark Pedersen (FV) Minister of Infrastructure and Transport |
| Date | 11:40:51, September 24, 2015 CET | From | Folkepartiet | To | Debating the Infrastructure Innovation Act, 3911 |
| Message | Herr President, Unlike the right honourable gentleman and his party, our mandate is held to no other interest but that of the people of our nation. If he is seeking to attack a party for links to the unions, he has missed his target in the Ap, I am afraid to tell him. SF seeks to stand up for the people of our nation, Herr President, and in this regard the government has proven once more its true contempt for them. The attack against the unions is perhaps a sign of legislation to come, and let the population be warned about that. There is no evidence of any sort of privilege for the public construction companies, other than - god forbid - a better working environment and wages that the private companies. Perhaps we should stop being so surprised about FV's war against the everyday man, Herr President. It certainly doesn't seem to have any end. Jonas Storstrand Infrastructure and Transport Spokesperson |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 80 | ||||
| no |
Total Seats: 59 | ||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
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