Parliamentary Hansard — Election 2018: Special Coverage
Continuing from our [ first archive ]. Friday, 19 January 2018. Five months come the deciding day. A story of love and betrayal. Anger and sorrow. Old friends against new. A formidable ‘old guard’, who has turned against her entire party to “do what is right.”
The first chapter has finally started, and it will decide the fate of multiculturalism in Yohannes; the stories of thousands of families across the ethnic divide.
Which side will Marion choose?Archive II — The Hon Abdullahi Lindström MEP IOC versus The Rt Hon Dr Marion Maréchal-Le Men MEP — Friday, 19 January 2018
[ Election 2018 background theme ]
MARION MARÉCHAL-LE MEN (Yohannes First Party; Electorate of Dauclutt): Thank you for this opportunity to address Parliament Channel and those who are watching this Electoral Debate tonight. I am delighted to stand up today and announce that the Nineteen Countries will be amending the International Incidents and Neutrality Act 2016, and doing it earlier than we said we would.
As we know, there are many individuals being victimised every single day in the many International Incidents we see by reading the International Incidents noticeboard, and the difference we make there, as far as doing our part not to contribute to this problem are concerned, will make the difference, and the biggest difference, for peace, prosperity and harmony.
The fact that we have, our nation state has hundreds of nation states as our trade treaty partners, and that the Nineteen Countries is part of that, I think, puts us in a place to lead and show others who we are as responsible administrators and worldbuilders of our nation state: to realise the amazing things that we as a nation state stands for: its beauty, its integrity, and, equally, equality in the way we treat others and the way others should treat us. This shows our commitment to peace and prosperity internationally, and the fact that we are going to be a part of that dream.
I must say that before I went here today, with regard to the immigration crisis we have seen since 2010, and the “racism” accusation that has been directed against me: know this. I know what racism is. I am the mother of two beautiful children to my husband, who is a Christian, African Yohannesian man.
I love him.
He is my soulmate and my best friend. I saw the discrimination he experienced in the past. Our children are multicultural children; they look like me and my husband: the representation of our rainbow future as a nation state.
Racism is a very, very ugly word. My heart was hurt deeply when I heard individuals accused me of being a racist. It is used by those proponents of pro big business, pro slave wage exploitation, and pro mass immigration who want to shut down the immigration debate and bring about the destruction of this nation state as we know it through the lack of proper oversight with regard to immigration from Muslim nation states such as Khataiy.
I am not saying that nation states like Khataiy are bad; I am saying: we must fix our borders and help ourselves first before we can help those who need our help.
How can we help new asylum seekers and refugees if we cannot help those who have come here first? It is time to fix the immigration crisis. It is time to stress the fact that Sharia Law should never, ever be a reality here in the nineteen countries. Wahhabism is the very antithesis of a liberal, rainbow Nineteen Countries. And it is for that reason that I have stood for what I believe is right: for the future of our nation and people.
If Wahhabist asylum seekers and refugees from nation states such as Khataiy want to call this nation state their home: then they need to respect the freedom, love, and tolerance taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.
JIM ANDERTON: It is seven o’clock Eastern Lindblum Time, and we have the first important news for the night. Polls have been closing around the country, and we can project, now, that the Kingdom of Alexandria — First Alexandrian District, is going to be won by Marion Maréchal-Le Men. Twelve per cent in, but The Realm news projected winner for the Kingdom of Alexandria — First Alexandrian District, is Member of the Nineteen Countries Parliament Marion Maréchal-Le Men. A Christian Democratic, rainbow country district has voted for a bible belt candidate.
She has done the unthinkable — flipped a blue stronghold red. Two electoral votes for Marion Maréchal-Le Men from the Kingdom of Alexandria. What do you think Rachel?
RACHEL MEADOW: Very surprising: First Alexandrian District has always been a historically Christian Democratic stronghold. Let me show you the Altenmark local council in the First Aleandrian District. The raw votes here: all rainbow and ethnically “less white” than the rest of the nation state; with the continent’s highest concentration of openly declared lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters. But, tonight, they have voted for a very “white”, family values, bible belt candidate.
If the Kingdom of Alexandria is lost... we can say that Garnet Til Alexandros and Annabelle Thordon-Stevensonn’s election 2018 strategy has crashed.
CHRIS CARR: Alexandria, Alexandria, Alexandria — a historically rainbow district in the country of the Queen of Alexandria the Yohannesian Emperor herself, Jim.
JIM ANDERTON: Marion is not a traditional bible belt candidate: her husband is African Yohannesian. And her children represent the rainbow future of this nation.
CHRIS CARR: And now we have got three from the Grand Duchy of Dali — First Dalian District. Right now it is too early to call. We do not have enough information to access.
RACHEL MEADOW: The Electoral College can be a very complicated system. Well, Jim, again, I agree: her husband is African Yohannesian, and her children are multicultural. We also know that there have been a string of attacks against the LGBT communities by religious extremists from Muslim nation states recently. We are going into previously uncharted territory here — anything is possible.
JIM ANDERTON: I thought it might happen tonight, but I can now say that the Garnet and Annabelle campaign strategy has well and truly crashed.
Hon ABDULLAHI LINDSTRÖM (Christian Democratic Party — Democratic Faction; Electorate of Gulleråsen): Of course, of course: Freedom, love, and tolerance. All these things meant, however, that we could not exclude, or regulate, asylum seekers, economic migrants and refugees from a certain faith or denomination, or a certain political system. Yes, we had no choice but to accept that there would be some problems, but they were few and far in between when we take into account the range of background and cultural differences of the millions of migrants out there.
I know: this is not an easy thing to do. For one, we have a completely different political system and nation state values from the nation states and societies of the more traditionally conservative religious societies of our would be economic migrants. And two, we are looking at nearly forty per cent of our immigrant and economic refugee being from traditionally social conservative societies such as East Asia and Islamic societies; many of those believers of Wahhabism and other very conservative values, but, again, problems and extremists exist in many societies and cultures.
Tonight, we will observe as the Member Marion Maréchal-Le Men will say big, bold words herself; stating that she will know what to do; that she will do this, that, this and some more of that, if you like, in her promises, and under her leadership they might just be doing that, because they have never been in executive council in the last four years; the Christian Democratic Party has been the incumbent executive council since 2014 — we did have some tough decisions to make and faced many problems along the way, one of which has been immigration and the increasing number of religious crises and civil wars out there affecting our net migration rate and political atmosphere.
We know that anyone can say, “Yes we can”, or “Bible Belt can work together with Rainbow Countries”, like that Member Marion Maréchal-Le Men will say multiple times tonight. But the fact of the matter is we learnt the hard way that compromises had to be made, and that we had to sacrifice some things to —
MARION MARÉCHAL-LE MEN: Like our values as one united people, one nation, Abdullahi? And the many democratic rights we have enjoyed through the years because of the dedication and trackrecord of the previous generations?
Hon ABDULLAHI LINDSTRÖM: I will say to voters watching today that of course as an executive council we can always do better in terms of bipartisan compromise, and reaching out to those who would otherwise not vote for us. I believe if we ask corporate leaders and large businesses today, if we ask the business community, and if we tell them to say what they want from the executive council; open channel for overseas workers to fill skill shortages are what they need.
Now, we can debate endlessly about what that means, and I am sure that many foreign national legislatures and other foreign nation states at different times would either go faster or slower and more open or cautious in terms of immigration, but I think that businesses need stability and the assurance from parliament here at home, as to what skill shortages and labour gaps can be filled, and I think that this parliament under a majority Christian Democratic Executive Council can deliver that again over the four years to 2022, whilst improving the state of immigration in this nation. So —
MARION MARÉCHAL-LE MEN: A promise made in 2014; a promise broken.
Hon ABDULLAHI LINDSTRÖM: I would invite the Member to join us once again and sit with us, because I have known her for a very long time, and I know that deep down she is a pragmatic civil servant with regard to the health of our many important big exporting companies. Madame Le-Men, are you a believer in a business friendly executive council?
You have been in parliament for quite some time now, and I am sure, Madame Le-Men, that you know that this nation state needs the economic surplus we are leaving for future generations. I am sure that I heard the Member saying multiple times since she turned against us that she would like to be part of this compromise on what it actually mean to make this nation state economically better for our future generations, and ensuring that they can actually experience the beauty and the opportunities that we have as Yohannesians in a multicultural society.
Immigration, even from high population growth extremist Muslim societies, is one way we can achieve that; for big exporting businesses and our people. Our future will depend on our open-mindedness to having people immigrating here to build and contribute to this nation state for us, and we can play our part to actually look after that the best that we possibly can.
And that is why I believe that we have administered the Nineteen Countries well. I want to see more of that bipartisan cooperation — and congratulations and even I accept that sensitive immigration related questions in parliament have been very helpful, but I understand that the Member Marion Maréchal-Le Men can sometimes be sidetracked a bit.
Whilst she actually thinks about what mass Wahhabism or East Asian immigration might mean for future generations, they might ask themselves whether, if we do not make our immigration system more open, there will actually be parts of the Nineteen Countries that economic growth will not increase as fast as they have over the last four years, and the scale of our economy will not expand as fast as it could otherwise be because our population growth has slowed down —
MARION MARÉCHAL-LE MEN: Mass immigration without proper wraparound support is not the answer.
Hon ABDULLAHI LINDSTRÖM: Today is a good day for the Nineteen Countries and a good day for us internationally.
JIM ANDERTON: It is Economic Palace. And we have a result out of one more country now: The Grand Duchy of Dali — Second Dalian District: Marion Maréchal-Le Men, the projected winner in the second district of the Grand Duchy of Dali, with its eight electoral votes. Bible belt district, heartland country — not a big surprise here.
RACHEL MEADOW: Maréchal-Le Men with the lead; 10 electoral votes to Abdullahi, 0.
CHRIS CARR: Alexandria, Alexandria, Alexandria — that was an early indicator of things to come. The Christian Democratic Party — with its strategy to paint Marion as a “racist” — has backfired and crashed.
RACHEL MEADOW: I don’t know about that, Chris.
MARION MARÉCHAL-LE MEN: It seems, today is, quote, a good day for the Nineteen Countries, and today is a good day for us internationally, unquote: I challenge the Member Abdullahi Lindström to reduce the allocated number of economic migrants and refugees we must take.
I was out on the local electorate unannounced last week where people made the point that that Member — Chairperson of the Ethnic Diversity Committee — have not visited the Stockholm Refugee Resettlement Centre himself. But, just to show how far removed from reality that Member has become, I will remind voters of another fact.
Five years ago, that Member promised that if elected to office in 2014, he and the Christian Democratic Executive Council would review alleged corruption cases involving economic migrants from Islamic countries who reportedly bribed Economic Migrant officers to bring them in: these officers themselves being first generation people from the same nation of origin as those who bribed them. If there was any representative example of the crisis we have here, this would be it.
When I was a child growing up in the heart of Noble Treno, there were Khataiy, Souriya Al-Assad, and other Middle Eastern refugees taken in by the Nineteen Countries. We grew up on the same street. We want to have these people on the continent of Yohannes — our church and other local youth group organisations pledged that they would contribute; but they also emphasised that it should be about quality. Not quantity. The Noble Republic of Treno is unique this way, it is the representative of relatively open minded, yet controlled and responsible asylum seeking, refugee and economic migrant policy.
Today, second generation Yohannesians of East Asian and Muslim background in the Noble Republic of Treno are some of the most well educated, highly qualified on the continent: making up fourteen per cent of the country’s university graduates and postgraduate qualification holders. Their children are also better integrated: today, almost equal salary and wage parity as Yohannesians and native Yohannesi and Yohannesia in Treno; making up nearly sixteen per cent of their respective local regions' school board trustees and health district officers.
We can do this quality first, quantity second approach in other parts of the continent too. Yohannesians are faithful people to know that responsibly done assistance is a good thing, and I think that, deep down, the Chairperson himself know that. It is a choice: do we want more failures — academic, demographic and quality of life — or do we want success? Would we rather have quality or quantity? The same can be said about our approach to processing immigration applicants from East Asian nation states.
Moving away from sensitive immigration related issues, I want to tell the Member about the hardship — real, not fabricated — of middle Yohannesians under the Christian Democratic Executive Council. Yes, the previous Social Democratic Executive Council was at fault too; but the promise made to voters in 2014 was that that Member’s executive council would fix the mess.
The emphasis put on micro, small and medium sized mum and dad businesses was good. But sadly, gradually that got taken over by a more insidious approach to subsidising big businesses and bigwigs’ giant corporates over the common businessowners.
The emphasis on export has been a good thing — sadly, it has benefited largely big corporates both here and overseas, with small and medium sized exporters slowly being shafted aside as the big tent party lost its original purpose and slowly abandoned a good chunk of its original constituencies.
Homes for first time buyers and young Yohannesian families. The Christian Democratic Executive Council put through a Budget Reform that had distributed a much smaller number to solving middle Yohannesians’ homeownership issues.
Education. Only now that election is coming have they actually increased education appropriations and made promises and many other lolly scrambles kind of programmes for the middle of the road voters: 140.7 billion NationStates Dollars of underfunding that the executive council have produced since 2014.
Conservation lands not growing in terms of number to keep up with population growth; roads and infrastructure in heartland countries not expanded as much to fund export focused industrial initiatives in the coastal regions.
These were the reason I realised my mistake. I left that Member’s party two years ago because of the many promises that were broken: I was a part of the problem — without realising that myself — and I was a Member of an executive council who were getting busier with advancing the interests of the oligarchs and bigwigs instead of most Yohannesians.
Hon ABDULLAHI LINDSTRÖM: And are those of Islam faith not included in this ‘most Yohannesians’ category?
RACHEL MEADOW: Eleven o’clock Eastern Lindblum Time — the night is young, and let’s look at the electoral college map here: we have some important results to report — Burmecia: First District, Second District, Fourth District, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth — bible belt, coal and steel; no surprise in the third largest country, and largest of all the heartland countries on the continent: the Kingdom of Burmecia goes to Member and Electoral College President candidate Maréchal-Le Men. 55 electoral votes for Marion Maréchal-Le Men.
JIM ANDERTON: Reporting from the Kingdom of Alexandria — Second District, Fourth District, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh: 29 electoral votes for the Member Abdullahi Lindström.
CHRIS CARR: Our first toss up to go: The Realm can report that the Noble Republic of Treno will go to Marion Maréchal-Le Men: 9 electoral votes.
RACHEL MEADOW: The night is young. But the electoral college map points out to a much, much more expanded red wall —
JIM ANDERTON: It looks too bloated to be a wall.
RACHEL MEADOW: Battleground districts lost, blue countries flipped red: there are reports that the Garnet and Annabelle campaign team — that they are starting to absorb the seriousness of the situation tonight. Maréchal-Le Men with the lead; 74 electoral votes to Abdullahi, 29.
CHRIS CARR: Alexandria, Alexandria, Alexandria. One district of that very much blue stronghold flipped red. I told you Rachel, that was an indicator of things to come.
JIM ANDERTON: Again — a bright rainbow district being flipped red by a bible belt candidate. Never thought I would see the day.
Hon ABDULLAHI LINDSTRÖM: I have to say that I find it interesting to hear the repeated chants of, “Crises these! Crises those!”, and that, I must say, was all that she could communicate to the voters. That is pretty much the message from the other side the whole time. To that, I can say that the Nineteen Countries has been a successful nation state growing very well since 2014 — a strong nation state with a growing economy that can very easily rise to provide the living standards that all Yohannesians have always asked for.
When I turn my head and observe back from now, today, of all the things that the Christian Democratic Party have accomplished for the nation over the last four years whilst it is in executive council, I can smile of the things we said we would do — and, the executive council did just that. I know that in Election 2018, the Yohannesian people will, again just like in 2014, give us the opportunity to tackle the many problems facing this nation. I can promise that we will work hard to show the Opposing Forces that we are accountable to the people.
Tonight, after hundreds of nights where we have scratched out the previous Social Democratic Executive Council’s faulty legislation and turning nation state books green from red when we first took office in 2014, I can proudly say that the Christian Democratic Executive Council will be introducing yet another groundbreaking legislation next week to add to the 1,970 NationStates Dollars in tax break that 100.8 million households in the Nineteen Countries will be happy to hear about; over the last four years we have slowly fixed the income threshold and criteria, and now, I am proud to say that we can bring some of that tax benefit back to the voters.
When the previous Social Democratic Executive Council was in power, they took it away. I can project that it will be about 196.8 billion NSD in total cost — the same total cost the Grand Coalition Parties of the Social Democrats and Yohannes First will spend to make it tougher and tougher for business owners to find new labour; the loss income incurred from businesses losing profit because of much, much tougher immigration updates — all because the Social Democratic Party dislike Islam and Yohannes First dislike hearing East Asian languages on the street.
People will be looking askance when they hear that — the thought, of losing billions because of bigotry — because apparently they say that there should not be easy access nor open doors for asylum seekers, economic migrants, refugees and — Saint Maxtopia forbid, yes — even legal immigrants from Muslim and East Asian nation states. At the same time, however, they will be okay with seeing the number of intake of expatriates and immigrants from, “Nation states with closer cultures and values as the Nineteen Countries”, as Nickel Fallage would say; it’s okay, they should not be restricted to come here, because that is the absolute priority of the Opposing Forces: to restrict entry to this nation state only for people from certain cultures.
There’s no question that administering a truly multicultural society can be hard, and it’s always hard of course for those who must now compete much harder with changing times and new developments happening not just on the continent but also abroad — automation, information technology, the internet revolution, and, of course, continuing internationalisation — and yes, I agree that rising net migration have made it tougher for many people in these past few years.
I have spent a lot of time speaking to manufacturing labour unions and heavy industry workers, and I know the pressures that many workers have been under. This is the reason why the Christian Democratic Executive Council in Budget Reform 2017 last year decided to introduce the supplementary workers saving scheme for the hard working members of coal and steel Yohannes in order to make it easier for our hard working people to get by in the day to day sense, and if we will come back to executive council by the end of this, I personally will fight for further investment in this area over the next few years.
In saying that, when we are the executive council, we focus on targeted spending; localised and thorough to deal with the dominant issues, and to ensuring that the taxpayers contribution will not be wasted on frivolous spending. If we look at the GOP on the other side of the chamber, most of the time; one recent example, say, their public policy statement, where they promised 114.7 billion NSD to be invested in research universities and apprenticeship institutions; technical colleges and polytechnics. And let me ask Marion: what will she be getting from this? Will she have much, much more postgraduate students and produce more first class researchers from this hundred billion NSD initiative over the next two years?
To answer that question — no, thank you Marion, I will answer that question here: the Monthly Parliamentary Analysis report showed that twenty per cent will be the estimated increase in student intake and research schemes produced. From a hundred billion NSD initiative over two years. Why so low though? This is the reason why targeted spending is good; broadly promised “We will give you this and that” bad: one, lower birth rate for non immigrant Yohannesians since the eighties. And two, booming citizen sector and higher employment opportunities which meant more and more high school graduates opted for working first instead of “Going to uni” immediately after high school graduation. The same case can said for our applied polytechnics technical colleges and too.
And so because of that, we can observe from reading the Monthly Parliamentary Analysis that that 114.8 billion NSD investment demanded by the Opposing Forces — it’s nuts! What to get from that kind of big spending? Zero, zilch, zip, nada. So then say we are throwing 114.8 billion NSD for their demand — research institutions and other apprenticeship schemes expansion at the tertiary level — because apparently throwing away billions will produce results overnight.
They should be demanding for focused, targeted spending to break down barrier further for those who actually have what it takes to succeed at higher learning and first class research opportunities. But no, instead they will throw away billions for every students out there, spreading it out so thin that no one will benefit in the end. So, this 114.8 billion NSD: what can we do with this number instead? Well, many, many things. How about instead of spreading it out so thin, we concentrate that spending on those with the potentials to succeed and thus provide examples for the rest? Or we target that spending on certain institutions that are good at what they are doing instead? How about we target those who actually need the help? Handout for the sake of handout is bad.
Money, they come from somewhere: the taxpayers. That is the reason why we have always prioritised surpluses. Of course, if the Member Marion Maréchal-Le Men has somehow found a magical tree that can drop gold or silver apples somewhere out there: then I will be more than happy to see that tree and spend that 114.8 billion NSD over the next two years.
RACHEL MEADOW: In just about five seconds, we have got polls closing in five countries. In terms of what we can project at this hour, the crucial battleground swing country of the Regency of Lindblum: second largest country on the continent. Almost the entire half of that country did vote twice blue; but, at this time, it is too close to call — Lindblum being obviously the most closely watched country that is closing at this hour.
In the Merchant Republic of Landburg, right now it is too early to call. We do not have enough information to characterise the race to the advantage of either candidate. Also in the Democratic Republic of Cederström, we do not have enough information to make a projection.
In the Royal Realm of Cleyra and the Duchy of Gizamaluke-Grotto, we can report that they are too early to call.
JIM ANDERTON: Battleground countries; swing districts. I have watched some of the ugly stuff happening perpetrated by both parties.
“Maréchal-Le Men use her African Yohannesian husband and biracial children” to get the “black and native votes”, and the whole “Maréchal-Le Men likes her black husband because he got the big welfare and big black [*****]”[Note 1] mess, made by that very partisan Christian Democratic backbencher and Former Speaker of Parliament whose name I can’t seem to recall...
CHRIS CARR: Lewd Gringrich —
RACHEL MEADOW: Big genitals, ha ha ha.
JIM ANDERTON: And the same can be said for the GOP; the grand coalition parties, the Social Democrats and Yohannes First, with all the inflammatory anti Muslim Sharia and East Asian languages dog whistling; and I have to say that both parties are equally bad in terms of how they can go so low —
RACHEL MEADOW: I am sorry to interrupt you Jim, but The Realm news can now project that in the country of the Regency of Lindblum, after studying the main districts in the Regency, we can now project that approximately half of the Regency of Lindblum will go to the Christian Democratic Electoral College President candidate Abdullahi Lindström — no surprise, another likely, historically sure stronghold for a blue candidate. The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth districts of the Regency of Lindblum goes to Abdullahi Lindström. 48 electoral votes.
JIM ANDERTON: Well, that was quite the turn around.
CHRIS CARR: And, it is time to look at the empire-wide map. Here we are: Abdullahi Lindström with the lead; 77 electoral votes to Marion, 74.
RACHEL MEADOW: Just a teeny tiny lead for Abdullahi Lindström.
JIM ANDERTON: A largely collection of blue councils and districts in Lindblum; heavily multicultural and lack of GOP presence historically there — again, no surprise, Rachel.
RACHEL MEADOW: 270 is needed to win by either candidate — which we will continue in our next coverage. Democracy Nineteen Countries: Decision 2018. Stay tuned.
Note 1: The word uttered by the character has been censored because it is offensive.
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