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Opposition furious at economic planThursday 26 March 2009 Opposition MPs on Thursday reacted angrily to ministers' refusal to make changes to the package of measures drawn up to boost the economy and reduce the budget deficit. Pieter van Geel, leader of the Christian Democrats, said at the start of Thursday's debate there was very little if any room to make changes in the government's plans. Traditionally in the Netherlands, opposition MPs are able to suggest changes and win concessions when government finances are being debated. No changes The package, drawn up after weeks of tense talks between ministers and government party leaders, offered 'extraordinarily little' room for manoeuvre, Van Geel said. 'That is clear, that is to be expected and you are very well aware of that,' he said. Geert Wilders and the rest of the anti-immigration party PVV walked out of the chamber in protest at ministers' refusal to budge. 'The core of debate means that as opposition you can have some influence,' the Telegraaf reported Wilders as saying. 'If we are told in advance there is little chance of that, we are sitting in a North Korean parliament.' Pay freeze Socialist party leader Agnes Kant was critical of the pay freeze which had been incorporated into the plan. 'It is not a sign of solidarity to demand a pay freeze for all workers, to freeze social security benefits and then hand out big pay rises at the top,' she said. Yesterday the government announced a €6bn programme of investments aimed at boosting the economy. These focus on extra spending on insulating homes, schools and nursing homes, the building of new hospitals and schools, other infrastructure improvements and an end to the extra tax on flying. More on this What do you think about the plans? Take part in our poll © DutchNews.nl
Sadly all dutch people has to offer something. In my opinion they are reckoning with working people sufficiently. Let's us wait for a moment with pay rises and so on. By Jan Bac | March 26, 2009 3:36 PM They have done very little to 'help' the economy. Money to insulate homes??? What about small businesses Mr. Prime Minister......nothing in this agenda has done anything to help the thousands of small businesses that are close to bankruptcy in the NL. Oh, except for the small businesses that insulate homes.....and lets make sure we save Schiphol.... By Mike | April 10, 2009 9:31 AM
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So Wilders finally removes all doubt that he is plain stupid. North Korea? Has he forgotten that MPs here are elected by the population?
As I understand it, the coalition cabinet represents the majority of the lower house, which in a proportional representation system necessarily represents the majority of the population. So if Wilders disagrees with the cabinet then, in effect, he disagrees with the majority of the population. Tough luck. That's the way it works baby.
Cabinet pushing through a bill with little room for negotiation? Welcome to the world of British politics, where a single ruling party almost always has a majority and gets its own way.
By simplastic | March 26, 2009 3:18 PM