SDP Government Presents Ambitious, and Controversial, Agenda

President MarcoDeVore has presented the Social Democratic Party government's ambitious, and controversial new agenda at the first Parliament session of his presidency.

The new agenda, titled Agenda DeVore 2024, contains an unusually militaristic focus for an SDP government, as well as some policy proposals that are a complete about-face on SDP politicians' previous stances, such as the proposal to introduce a business tax of 500 credits in each quarter of each year.

Other ideas outlined in the agenda are the establishment of the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) to aid in screening potential immigrants; the creation of the Demarcian Military Academy to train potential army recruits; the establishment of the Customs and Border Agency to monitor the country's entrance points; official partnerships between the Government and private arms contractors; a military parade to "strengthen our national resolve" and "showcase our might": appointing MikeBodwin to Chair of the Joint Chief of Staff; and amending the Future Housing Act so that people could connect their rooms to housing complexes purchased by the Government.

"This agenda shows that the Social Democratic Party is serious about investing in the military and making itself the Party of the Armed Forces," says an SDP member. "For too long, we haven't paid much attention to the military. Now that's changed. Our national security will be protected better than ever before."

Leader of the Opposition MikeBodwin took to extensively queestioning the new Government about its agenda. He immediately took to questioning President MarcoDeVore on controversial social issues, where he is widely thought to be much further than the right than the mainstream of his party.

"Immigration is important to let a country grow, but it also has its negatives with some people having criminal records," the President said. "Each immigrant will be checked before they are granted a citizenship." He also emphasized allowing immigrants who are medical professionals and talked about grants and easily attainable loans. He declared "we love immigrants, and we love Demarcia".

On the issue of reproductive health rights and abortion, the President said it was "tough for me to comment" but that women's opinions "matter more than mine". "I do not control women or their bodies," the President said, "I will be looking to have meetings with predominantly women about this issue, and how I can help them.

Furthermore, President MarcoDeVore pledged to protect LGBT people from being harmed, saying that "deporting someone because they are gay, doesn't make you a great leader, it makes you a grade A asshole".

The government's business tax proposal quickly became extremely controversial. MikeBodwin, the Leader of the Opposition, wasted no time in blasting Penstubal, the Minister of Development and Finance, for his complete shift on this policy, which Penstubal had called "authoritarian" and "theft" when the Civic Unity Party proposed a business tax of 1000 credits last year.

"I proposed the same bill so that it could be used for projects," MikeBodwin said, "[and] you called me a thief. I proposed this bill to get rid of inactive companies; you said I was wrong to do so and that I needed to find another way. You more or less plagiarised me. Mr. Stubal, do you agree that you are essentially half-thieving from the people? Will you apologise for the comments you made then to a bill that was essentially the same as yours?"

The Minister fired back aggressively and was accused by Deputy Speaker SuperMiron of repeatedly evading questions, who repeatedly reminded him to stay on point.

"I will not apologize for having a different view a year ago than I do now," Penstubal said, "That's ridiculous. I do acknowledge a change of mind, however. I do not believe that a modest sum of 500 credits is theft. I believe we need more politicians acknowledging that their views have changed, openly, without being afraid to do so, and, you know, perhaps you should do that every once in a while too."

He accused the CUP of "never [being] happy and always grunting" and said that the tax was a "proposal that would increase people's contributions to Demarcia and we would have major projects that would serve the common good". He said that "people change their minds and circumstances change, like the content of the proposal itself", without acknowledging that the CUP were the originators of the business tax proposal or that they were right to propose it.

The Minister's remarks in Parliament today proved very controversial, even among members of his own party, one of whom said Penstubal was "getting whooped". Another said that Penstubal's combative debating style "was ill-suited to the current era in Demarcia, in which people are fed up of pointless drama".

It remains to be seen whether scars will emerge in the new government thanks to the contentious Parliament session that took place today. However, Penstubal increasingly appears wounded and lost, as if his influence in Demarcia has waned due to repeated failures of candidates he supported and due to powerful, competing interests in the party, such as MarcoDeVore's, which do not entirely align with his.

Laura Cooper,

Demarcian Inquirer.