Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-12-17-Speech-3-075"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20031217.4.3-075"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"The reasons why I voted against the Statute are as follows. Let me say straightaway that I think it important and right that our travel costs should be the real ones, but everyone here in this House knows that that has nothing, nothing whatever, to do with the Statute. We could change the link between travelling expenses and real costs tomorrow; it has nothing, nothing whatever, to do with the Statute. I do welcome, though, the prospect of our soon having rules on this. As regards the Statute, I concede that what was decided on in the summer has been improved on, particularly as regards the pensionable age.
I still, however, cannot agree to it, as it highlights a social imbalance at a time when, right across Europe, really deep cuts are being made in social security budgets, and it is just not on for us, in this House, to again insist on a sort of Christmas present, so that German MEPs, for example, get 20% increases. I regard that as unacceptable. Nor do I think it right that we should base our calculations on the income of a judge, who, let me remind you, is permitted no other employment. I would have thought it more proper if we had taken the average income of all MEPs as a basis, which I would have thought would be the more appropriate approach, and I still do not think it right that MEPs should be allowed to have other sources of income while judges are not. I still do not think it right that we do not wait for the general standard of living to improve before doing something about that of MEPs. Underlying my rejection of the Statute is my belief that increases of this kind result in a social imbalance; I would be getting much more in terms of salary-related payments than my counterparts in the
and that too I regard as an injustice. I see this as Parliament giving itself a Christmas present rather than bringing itself into line with what is being talked about by the public.
Perhaps I may be permitted a final point, which is that I hope that further improvements will be possible in order yet to change the imbalance that has resulted from the Statute, especially its social dimension."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples