8 Jul 2021, 16:53

Ministerial Questions: Minister of Defense

alt text
Joni Ernst, Minister of Defense before Parliament

Parliament House.- Order, order! Minister's Questions are now in order!

The Honorable Minister, Joni Ernst will be taking questions from the House.

  • GP Deputy Speaker, What steps are the Minister of Defense, and by extension the government at large, taking to reduce crime in our nation's most impoverished areas, without disrupting the majority-minority neighborhoods which too often bear the brunt of over-policing and invasive police tactics within the Kingdom?

JE Deputy speaker, The predominant cause of crime is poverty. Alleviate that, and crime goes down. The upcoming budget makes unprecedented investments in areas that need it most, and I think that will have wide spread ramifications.

  • CMP Deputy speaker, Can the Minister inform me of what provisions are in place to ensure people who need to immigrate to Montenbourg from countries affected by extreme situations, such as Nofoaga, Copala City and Icholasen can do so safely?

JE Speaker, this an issue that also concearns the Minister of Foreign Affairs but my answer is that Asylum is one of the most effective ways of letting in those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The upcoming budget sees notable increases in spending to process asylum claims faster.

  • NZ Speaker, Has the Minister spoken with the new province governments in Newcastle, Monte-Carlo, and Duke in regards to how all four corners of the Kingdom can work to make their citizens safer?

JE Speaker, Not yet, I shall endeavor to keep in strong contact with them however, though I have a strong feeling that their respective local governments and governor-general are fellows and ones who agree with my approaches to safety.

  • GP Speaker, Naturally, the Minister is only recently appointed, so I speak more broadly of himself and her predecessors. What is the one thing that his department has done this term that she is proud of?

JE Well, I'm no fan of my predecesor, Lieutenet Claire Hale, althought she was the first woman to hold this position before me. The proudest accomplishment of my department this term is something I can take credit for. The creation of a path to citizenship for undocumented migrants is an unprecedented leap forward on human rights. Similarly, I am happy we defeated backwards facing approaches to citizenship policy tabled by the CMP, eventhough Iam a member of the Liberal Party.