Nieuws van de afdeling

16 December 2009

SP calls for enquiry into future of factory farming

A parliamentary commission should be established to look into the future of factory farming, SP Member of Parliament Henk van Gerven proposed during today’s debate in the Dutch national parliament on approaches to the problem of Q-fever, the latest of a series of maladies to affect farm animals in the Netherlands and neighbouring countries. “After mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, swine fever and now Q-fever, it’s high time that we had a thorough rethink regarding the future of intensive livestock farming. We are constantly treating the symptoms, instead of looking into the causes. A commission is needed to look at how we can prevent this kind of outbreak in the future. Carrying on along the present course is not an option.”

15 December 2009

Europe must react to ban on Turkish-Kurdish party

Europe must not watch silently from the sidelines as Turkey’s Constitutional Court bans the Kurdish political party the DTP. At the request of SP Senator Tiny Kox, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is for this reason working on a declaration against the undermining of Turkish democracy.

15 December 2009

Parliament supports limits on cuts to funds for fight against Aids

Parliament today adopted a proposed amendment to the budget which will limit any cut to Dutch state funding for the UN organisation to combat Aids. The proposal was an initiative from SP Member of Parliament Ewout Irrgang, together with MPs from the Christian Democrats, two small Christian parties, and the centrist D66.

14 December 2009

To help small businesses, public authorities and big firms must pay bills faster

Late payments cost the economy billions yearly, sums which absolutely cannot be afforded in these times of economic crisis. The European Commission’s proposal to ensure that public authorities pay up more quickly can therefore count on support from the SP. The SP believes, however, that it should go further, and add a proviso that firms should also pay each other within thirty days of being billed. European Parliamentary group leader for the SP Dennis de Jong explains: “A term of thirty days backed up by a ‘fine’ when payment is not received on time would be a good rule. I find it incredible, however, that the Commission, referring to ‘freedom of contract’, is not willing to extend this rule to contracts between firms.”

12 December 2009

Poverty isn't a setback, it's an assault

It was only two little words and they were, moreover, hidden in a long, somewhat solemn sentence: 'The government calls on citizens, companies, other authorities and social organisations together to tackle with force and with one voice social exclusion and hidden poverty.' But the fact that Queen Beatrix had pronounced these words nevertheless caused quite a commotion. For the first time in many years the monarch had, in the Queen's Speech – in which the policies of the Dutch government for the coming term are laid out - on 19th September 1995 – referred again to poverty in the Netherlands. That was over fourteen years ago, and poverty persists.

11 December 2009

The State Subpoenaed

Eight widows and one survivor of the 1947 Dutch massacre of innocent civilians from the Indonesian village of Rawagede have issued a court summons against the Dutch state. In a subpoena of forty-five pages, the nine demand recognition and compensation. For years the SP has argued for complete openness in relation to the colonial war and compensation for its civilian victims. In Parliament we have never won a majority for this view and that is why I am glad that this complaint has been brought against the state.

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