Worldlog week 26 – 2015

Last Monday, my initiative policy document to ban sport hunting was discussed in the Lower House. The government’s bill on new regulations for nature (Nature Conservation Law) was debated on the same day.

The Labour Party (PvdA) promised up to three times (in 2012, 2013 and 2015) to ban sport hunting. There would be a large majority in favour of the ban with the support of the PvdA. But just like with the debate on sport hunting in 1996, it looks like the PvdA will again give into the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). That is unacceptable. Instead, the PvdA together with the VVD brought forward an amendment to the Nature Conservation Bill to make hunting more flexible and they indicated this week that they will not support my initiative policy document.

The PvdA has the key to banning sport hunting. We will therefore take every opportunity to remind the PvdA of their promise and to try and persuade them to still ban sport hunting. Together with the Socialist Party (SP) and Green Left (GroenLinks) we have organised a hearing for Wednesday the 24th of June on the consequences of the VVD’s and PvdA’s plan to make the regulations on hunting more flexible. To be continued!

More and more people are concerned with endocrine disrupting substances. And they should be, because endocrine disruptors are contained in all kinds of substances that people come in touch with every day, such as plastic packaging, vegetables and fruit that are sprayed with agricultural pesticide (i.e. Roundup) and cosmetics. The chemical substances can cause fertility problems, testicular cancer, breast cancer and obesity and are very dangerous for unborn babies and young children. It is absolutely absurd to expose consumers to such risks, often without the people being aware of the risks themselves. Fortunately, a majority of the Lower House voted in favour of our motion to take these endocrine disrupting substances off the market as soon as possible. This news has made me really happy!

I also managed to obtain a majority in the House for my request for a debate with our Prime Minister on the Dutch efforts at the climate top in Paris. The climate top will not be held until later this year but, as far as I am concerned, this top is so important that we should start discussion on it as early as possible.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Marianne