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Bill: Agricultural Reform Act

Details

Submitted by[?]: Liberālā Savienība

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: January 3949

Description[?]:

Dolgaria needs a modern, efficient, forward-looking agricultural sector which embraces the latest farming technques and is able to sustain itself without the need of taxpayers' money.

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

Proposals

Debate

These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:

Date23:43:17, December 05, 2015 CET
FromProgresīvs Partija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr Speaker

We are firmly against article 1, but in favour of the second article.

Date23:46:52, December 05, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

We are content to drop the first Article in order to gain the support of PP for the bill as a whole.

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

Date11:25:24, December 06, 2015 CET
FromProgresīvs Partija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr Speaker

We are glad to here this!

Date14:13:31, December 06, 2015 CET
FromReģionālā Koalīcija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

This will devastate our environment and ruin our health. The three parties who support this are in the pockets of the big agricultural companies and they should be ashamed.

Date21:15:06, December 06, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

I make no apology for the fact that this bill will benefit Dolgavan agriculture, but this is not the only reason to support it. The measures contained in this bill are scientifically rational. They will also save jobs and help to make our nation less dependent on food imports.

The attitude of the KR is superstitious and anti-science.

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

Date22:02:22, December 06, 2015 CET
FromReģionālā Koalīcija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

Agricultural output in this country is more than adequate without the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

I invite the Liberals to explain why this proposal is "scientifically rational". The evidence suggests that the use of chemicals on food products is the cause of many health issues, including cancer.

While other countries are forward-thinking and aiming for organic food production this country is taking a huge and symnbolic step backwards in the name of greed and profit. We should be ashamed.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture headed by Gustavs Jeromans is also firmly against this bill.

Date22:11:11, December 06, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

I can assure the good citizens of Dolgava that pesticide, herbicide and fungicides pose no health risks, provided they are responsibly used and regulated. Shunning modern agricultural techniques means decimating our agricultural sector, and making us depended on foreign imports (grown using - you guessed it - pesticides, herbicides & fungicides...).

The KR's scaremongering is grossly irresponsible and is costing out economy jobs.

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

Date22:20:11, December 06, 2015 CET
FromReģionālā Koalīcija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

Which scientists do the Liberals use for their research? They are blatantly ignoring the recommendations of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and they are going to put the public's health at risk. We do hope that in the coming months they will at least propose to significantly increase funding for our health services in order to compensate for the toxic food Dolgarians will soon be digesting.

Using chemicals does not mean that it is modern. Farming can be done quite easily without the use of chemicals. Our agricultural sector has performed perfectly well without the use of chemicals - this is an unecessary move funded most likely by huge agricultural corporations.

Regarding the Liberals' job scare tactic, we would like to inform them that using chemicals will cost jobs as it will require less people to tend to the crops.

They have utterly flawed arguments and we would like to know why they are a) so keen to consume food covered in chemicals; and b) why they are so determined to undermine Ministries that they do not control?

Date22:31:44, December 06, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

I can assure the Honourable Gentleman that, contrary to his fears, we have no intention of poisoning anybody. Nor, for that matter, do we have any particular intention of undermining the Ministry of Agriculture. All we want is for Dolgavan farmers to have the same opportunities enjoyed by other farmers around the world, instead of having to compete in an increasingly competitive global agricultural market with one hand tied behind their backs.

If the Honourable Gentleman reads the peer reviewed scientific research, he will find that - so long as they are responsibly used - pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are perfectly safe. What they do is boost crop production and prevent crops from being blighted by crop diseases and insect invasions.

Why is the KR so determined to grind our farmers down into the ground? If we continue at this rate, all of our farms will go bust.

There is also a social justice issue at stake, here. Banning non-organic food is pushing up the price of basic foodstuffs. This hits the poorest the hardest.

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

Date22:39:33, December 06, 2015 CET
FromReģionālā Koalīcija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

The fact is that Dolgarian agriculture was performing perfectly fine without having to use toxic chemicals on crops.

Crop production could have been increased without having to resort to using toxic chemicals. For example, increased funding for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would have had this effect, which is what we will be proposing in the coming months.

The truth is that the Liberals not only ignore the Ministry of Food and Agriculture itself, but public health officials and farmworkers too.

The impact of this legislation passing will be devastating, not only for the health of our citizens but also for our environment and for thousands of workers who will lose their jobs. This will have a devastating impact on rural communities.

Date22:49:57, December 06, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

The solution to the unprofitability of Dolgavas farms is to allow them to embrace modern agricultural techniques, not to throw billions of taxpayers money at them. Dolgava is one of only 10 of Terra's 58 nations which bans pesticides. Do the KR really think the other 48 nations have governments which are determined to poison their own citizens?

I can also assure the KR that many, many farmers, scientists, agricultural experts, dieticians and health professionals have gone on record over their support for allowing pesticides to be used.

Like other legislators, I have had a full opportunity to listen to all of the evidence and weigh up the pros and cons, and I have come to the conclusion that legalising and regulating pesticides is the right thing to do. Other legislators have also had the opportunity to do this, and it appears the majority have come to the same conclusion as me.

On a last point, I wish to press the KR again about the social justice angle to this. Not every Dolgavan citizen is a trendy, middle-class, cheese-nibbling, tofu-munching wine drinker with a fad for organic food. Millions of citizens are finding it a real struggle to pay the high food prices which are a direct consequence of the ban on pesticides. How can this be fair?

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

Date22:57:07, December 06, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
Message***NEWS REPORT****

It has emerged that Mega Crop Holdings, Dolgava's largest agricultural corporation, donated 30,000 DLD to the Liberal Union during the run-up to the last election. Party leader Mikelis Skriveris has denied the donation had anything to do with the party's support for legalising pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. "This has never been a big issue for us," Skriveris told reporters. "The overwhelming majority of our party has always been in favour of modern agriculture. However, as champions of the consumer, we are passionate that consumers should have full information about how their food has been produced."

It has also emerged that Liberal Union leaders consulted with Mega Crop Holdings chief executive and chief solicitor when drawing up the Agricultural Reform Act currently being debated in parliament.

Date22:59:09, December 06, 2015 CET
FromReģionālā Koalīcija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

The investment my party is proposing will primarily go on supporting extra jobs which will increase output. We consider this much more valuable and logical compared to using chemicals on crops which will result in job cuts.

The Liberals fail to respond to this point and the issue we raised of the devastation this will have have on rural communities and on the environment. Instead they have tried to insult us which suggests they have ran out of arguments.

We see no proof of high food prices and the agricultural sector has been working perfectly fine without the use of harmful chemicals. Dolgaria has been part of a small but growing group of countries that are leading the way and now we're entering a new and regressive era of polluting pesticides and cancerogenic chemical farming.

If this debate was purely based on increasing agricultural output and cutting food prices then the Liberals would support our proposal to increase the Food and Agriculture budget - that would be a sound compromise.

Date23:06:50, December 06, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

I am sorry the KR feel insulted, but I really haven't intended to say anything to offend them. Actually, if I recall correctly, it was them who suggested we are doing this for money and that we are trying to poison people!

Again: the answer to our farmers lack of productive output and lack of profitability is to allow them to use the same modern farming techniques which other farmers use all over Terra. The answer is not to throw even more taxpayers money at them.

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

Date23:15:46, December 06, 2015 CET
FromReģionālā Koalīcija
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

The use of chemicals in farming is not "modern". It is a failed technique which has devastated our environment and public health. Hopefully in the future the Liberals will realise the devastation and suffering their agricultural policy has caused.

Unfortunately, despite holding the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, my party has failed to persuade others to vote "no", so it seems our argument is falling on deaf ears.

However, I would like to ask the Liberals why they are keen to increase income tax for almost everybody and claim to support increased public spending, but they do not want more taxpayers money being spent on food and agriculture?

Date00:39:45, December 07, 2015 CET
FromLiberālā Savienība
ToDebating the Agricultural Reform Act
MessageMr. Speaker,

The "devastation and suffering" the KR spokesperson describes has not been caused by pesticides, but by the ban on pesticides. It is precisely because we ban pesticides that Dolgava's agricultural sector is struggling as badly as it is.

We support increasing income tax on the wealthy because we want to invest more money on vital public services. Public services, note - meaning health, education, policing. We do not want to increase taxes just to raise funds to squander away on agricultural subsidies.

If only the KR could overcome their attachment to medieval farming methods and come to terms with the 40th century.

Mikelis Skriveris
Leader of the Liberālā Savienība

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Voting

Vote Seats
yes
   

Total Seats: 363

no
 

Total Seats: 287

abstain

    Total Seats: 0


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