T
he new Green Economics Institute, an academic body, has been set up by Party members as a non-party policy development body to develop an economics which links to the real world, of human, physical and environmental needs and imperatives for a sustainable future; see the notices of its coming conferences, in the next few pages.One of its directors is also the Convener of the Green Party’s Green Economy Policy Working Group, of which this is the newsletter.
Meanwhile, the proposed motion on monetary reform to the Party’s Autumn Conference, just past, has been postponed to its next Spring Conference, as reported in the last issue, because it was ruled out-of-order by strict interpretation of the rule forbidding return to Conference for a minimum of two years, of a subject defeated at a previous conference; this year’s Conference was two days earlier than the full two years!!
This gives a further six months (approximately!) for members to familiarise themselves with the issue, but also for the World economy to deteriorate further
— or to collapse??An article by Professor Prem Sikka, "Accountants: a threat to democracy, in the Guardian on 5 September 2003, can be read at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1562650,00.htmlIt points to the pressure to cheat generated by the escalating desperation of firms to compete for ever-greater profit. Recommended reading; another indication of the need for reform of the debt-money system to remove most of the opportunities, incentives and pressures for greed, gambling and cheating.
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NEW EDM 390 TABLED
On the 22 June 2005, Austin Mitchell MP tabled the sixth EDM on Monetary Reform to be placed before Parliament in 3 years. EDM 390 is entitled Publicly-Created Money and presently has 9 signatures. It reads:
That this House is concerned at the growing difficulties of maintaining the higher levels of public spending on pensions, health, education and all the other public purposes an advanced society requires by taxation and public borrowing; notes that the proportion of publicly created money in circulation has fallen from 20 per cent. of the money supply in 1964 to three per cent. today; believes that increasing the proportion of publicly-created money can provide a new means of financing public services; further notes that the use of publicly-created money can substantially cut the cost of public investment by eliminating the need to pay interest; considers that such a policy of using the public credit to finance public purposes can be adopted without any impact on inflation if suitable regulatory changes are made; and therefore urges the Treasury and the Treasury Select Committee to commission independent reviews on how to increase the proportion of publicly-created money in the economy and on the benefits of doing so and report them to this House.
Its progress can be followed by going to the EDM page on the Parliament website at http://edmi.parliament.uk/edmi and searching for 390.
EDMs in previous Parliamentary sessions, in chronological order, are:
EDM 1515, Using the Public Credit, 26 June 2002, 25 signatures
EDM 854, Publicly Created Money And Monetary Reform, 10 March 2003, 29
signatures
EDM 323, Public Credit for Public Purposes, 17 December 2003, 23
signatures
EDM 327, Use of Public Credit for Public Works, 7 December 2004, 28
signatures
EDM 743, Interest Free Money, 22 February 2005, 22
signatures
In total, 61 different MPs - from the Labour Party, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru, 2 Conservatives, 1 DUP, 1 UUP and 1 Independent - have signed one or more of these EDMs.
The EDM is open to be signed until the end of the Parliamentary Session. The present Session lasts right through until October/November 2006, which is what happens in years in which there is a General Election.
So, plenty of time to find more signatories! Please consider asking your MP to sign EDM 390.
You can find the list of all the 646 MPs, and check on their Parliamentary activity at www.theyworkforyou.com .
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From Connie Fogal, Leader ,Canadian Action Party/ Parti Action Canadienne by e-mail. ([email protected]):
"The world is not, in fact, ruled by global corporations. It is ruled by the global financial system."
— David Korten"The ability of a party to make a valuable contribution is not dependent upon its capacity to offer the electorate a genuine government option.
Political parties... act as a vehicle for the participation of individual citizens in the political life of the country. ...Marginal or regional parties tend to raise issues not adopted by national parties. Political parties provide individual citizens with an opportunity to express an opinion on the policy and functioning of government. Each vote in support of a party increases the likelihood that its platform will be taken into account by those who implement policy, and votes for parties with fewer than 50 candidates are an integral component of a vital and dynamic democracy. "
— Figueroa v Canada (Attorney General) 2003 SCC 37"Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security"
— Benjamin Franklin"The constitution of Canada does not belong either to Parliament, or to the Legislatures; it belongs to the country and it is there that the citizens of the country will find the protection of the rights to which they are entitled"
— Supreme Court of Canada A.G. of Nova Scotia and A.G. of Canada, S.C.R. 1951 pp 32*********************************************************** Next
T
he monetary reform movement is achieving unexpected success in Italy, as you may have read or heard from the media: last week the government has launched a reform of the central bank (Bank of Italy), whereby all shares that are currently owned by private banks (some 75-80%) will be nationalised. Furthermore, the tenure of the governor will be limited to 7 years. What is even more important, the central bank ownership and the monetary policy have become a popular issue. Yesterday the minister of treasury has trenchantly criticised the governor for not resigning after a recent scandal in which he and his wife were personally involved. Marco della Luna's book Eurslaves is appearing in the very best moment.— Canon Peter
Challen, by e-mail