Kanjor

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CLAIRON PICARD


 Finance Minister Berthier

TAXES HEADED DOWN

Finance Ministry, April 19, 5564:  After a meeting with senior staff on taxation objectives, Finance Minister Constance Berthier responded to a question from CLAIRON PICARD on whether more tax changes were coming:
 

There have to be. The income tax gets to too high a rate on too low an income and the upper level rates are still too high by far.  And the sales tax is at least three times too high. And we have about exhausted acceptable increases in the corporate and luxury tax rates as a source of replacement income. 
 
But we have made a serious beginning. Next time we will have to do some budget reduction as part of the package. There is only so much surplus to work with. And we are not going to unbalance the budget.  I think we are leaning to getting the sales tax down to livable levels and holding off on income tax modification until that as done. 

 
Asked by CLAIRON PICARD if she expected to continue as Finance Minister after next year’s elections, Bethier replied:
 

With four parties each developing their own distinct constituencies, Federation Canrille party leadership does not expect it or any other party will have a majority; accordingly we expect a coalition government. It is really too early to guess which parties would be in it.  But if we are in it we would want to continue working on tax policy.

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CLARON PICARD
 
Picard, April 5575:  Federation Canrille (FC) party leadership met and decided it would continue to run on reform of the taxation system since it was still an abomination. According to former Finance Minister  Constance Berthier, the current FC Party Chair:
 

The focus of our campaign in a couple of years will be tax reform. We are by no means repudiating our endorsement of being part of the Canrille Empire or supporting completion of the Trans Seleyan Railroad.  As well as taking steps to promote economic growth such as the bridge between the Island and the Mainland and refitting transit ports.
 
But we started tax reform and should we be able to return to government we will continue.  The tax rates are too high. But we will not be involved in deficit financing so this a problem to be solved without easy solutions.

FC Party Chair Berthier

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CLAIRON PICARD
 
SSOG TO OPEN REFINERY IN TORGES
 

Torges, April 16, 5576: South Seleyan Oil and Gas (SSOG) announced today it will be constructing

an oil refinery near Torges, current home of the SSOG transport fleet which has long been importing

liquefied  natural gas (LNG) from Keymon. Torges is also the home port for Task Force 13 of the

National Navy.

 

In addition to refined petroleum products, SSOG is now importing a great deal of crude oil from

Kafuristan and Dorvik, a little from a Seleyan nation, and some through the open market.  SSOG

believes it makes sense to build its own refinery.  It has contracted with Majatran Refining

Corporation (MRC) to provide engineering and technical assistance to build the refinery with a target

date for completion of four years.

 

The oil refinery is to be a sprawling complex with extensive piping carrying streams of fluids between

chemical processing units including  distillation columns. There will also be storage depots for the

incoming crude oil and for the refined products. Some products can be used once impurities and

contaminants are removed. Others are created by fluid catalytic cracking or hydro catalytic cracking.

Others are formed from intermediate products  by catalytic reforming and by devolatilization.

 

CLAIRON PICARD asked Federation Canrille (FC) Party Chair Constance Berthier if this was a setback to those who wanted a greener Kanjor, and she replied:
 

Not really.  A legitimate question but the answer is no. Why? Our economy is growing again after the stability of the Canrille Union was restored.  But the green budget focus for the foreseeable future will be on expanding our nuclear energy production from around our capital to all of Silliers Province and then to La Tondelle Province.  And then maybe the Mainland.
 
Only then will the government be able to help fund recharging stations for electrical vehicles.  Until then growth of that alternative to petroleum based vehicle fuel will be limited. Not non existent but more limited. Numineux Province will be where privately financed  growth is most likely to be restored.
 
SSOG after many years of being at the mercy of the international oil market with its inherent instability because of political misconduct has secured contracts with stable producers and is now taking a prudent step to control more of  our fuel supply. We will overtime become more green but it will take time, the will to do it and money.

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CLAIRON PICARD
 
MONKS NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT SECULAR DIRECTION OF STATE
 
Vitry le Francois, May 16, 5575:  CLAIRON PICARD asked Publius Sempronius, Abbot of Vitry le Francois, how the Contemplative Monastic Order of Occidentalium was faring under the current laws concerning religion, and he replied:
 

Very little of the legislation actually restricts our monasteries themselves. Our work and prayer and weekly philosophical and theological discussions are not restricted.  Our sales of mustard, herbal remedies and wine are taxed as are our investment profits but this is not onerous nor do we object to doing so.
 
We cooperate entirely with the long standing policy of the Archdiocese of Atyr to scrupulously follow the current law concerning religion.
 
As you know, our Order subsidizes the Institute of Higher Studies run by the Ordo Clericorum Regularium Congregationis Fraum Eliae which receives nothing from its leadership or the Curia or anybody else except from us and a little from tuition. There is a lot of objection to the no teacher led prayer law at the Institute for reasons of conscience but at the request of the Archbishop we have insisted that our funding is contingent upon strict compliance with current law.
 
Many of the Eliatists teach at Auroran Patriarchal Church primary and secondary schools which are largely in Martois Province and there is objection by many of them to that same rule.  Again we are doing most of the funding and we are supporting the Archbishop’s insistence that the law of the land be obeyed.
 
Michel Malfois, a Federation Canrille member of the Chamber of Deputies, has assured the Archdiocese, the Abbey, and the Institute are all in compliance with current law.

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CLAIRON PICARD
 
FC LOOKING AT DEFENSE BUDGET
 

Chamber of Deputies, October 16, 5576:  Federation Canrille (FC) has introduced several bills into the Chamber of Deputies but they failed for want of support.  CLAIRON PICARD asked FC Party Chair Constance Berthier the purpose and she responded:

 

We are not that dissatisfied with the state of current law but are setting out those changes we think should be made.  Should we win  an appreciable amount of seats we will bring more or less the same bills to the floor again.

 
Asked by CLAIRON PICARD how she expected FC to do, she replied:
 

We really expect about a third. Our thinking is PSDP is in the best position to have the most and is most likely to get a majority, but we expect no party will have a majority and hence a coalition government is likely.

 
CLAIRON PICARD asked what problems saw in lowering taxes, and Bethier answered:
 

There is some surplus which will help. But cuts in the budget will have to be made.  But there are also some increases in the budget that need to occur. Past surpluses and Empire funding have helped as we absorb the maintenance of the 5th Imperial Fleet into the Defense budget. We have had to delay taking our submarines out of drydock. One thing we hope will help is getting our defense industry into selling to the Empire.
 
Two other things will need government funding increases. Expansion of our nuclear power generation and at some point  subsidizing charging stations for electric vehicles.

FC's Constance Berthier

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CLAIRON PICARD
 
FC EXPECTS NEW COALITION TO BE FORMED
 

Chamber of Deputies, October 16, 5577:  Snap elections were held after one of parties in ruling coalition dissolved.  Federation Canrille (FC) led in the voting for seats in the Chamber of Deputies but did not receive a majority although it did have enough votes to be necessary to any constitutional amendments.

 

CLAIRON PICARD asked FC Party Chair Constance Berthier if she expected there would be a new governing coalition and she replied:
 

I would expect so.  The next step is Governor General Madeleine Gerin - Mariqueo will call on someone to try and form a government. Whether two parties will end up doing so or all three remains to be seen.
 
FC is open to either prospect and does hope to return to the governing coalition.

FC's Constance Berthier

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Le Poste Progressiste

January 5578

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PSDP leader, Liwen Duval-Portier, retires.

The PSDP founder and former premier of Kanjor, Liwen Duval-Portier, has retired at 68 years old. While many have criticized Duval-Porter as being ineffective whilst in office and have noted the lack  of legislation passed during his seven years in office, many credit him with inspiring change and progress in Kanjor and offering steady leadership to the PSDP over its 17 year history. 


Duval-Portier's retirement announcement. 

The PSDP has elected Gérard Rodier as Duval-Portier's successor. Rodier served as Minister of Justice under the PSDP-PÑM government. As for Rodier's replacement for the candidate for the Ministry of Justice, the 34 year old Maxine Raoult will take his place. 

While the majority of the party remains optimistic about Rodier's leadership, the party's right-wing is skeptical. While not a Metzist, Rodier is further left than Duval-Portier. The centre-left element of the PSDP, particularly Food & Agriculture minister Paul Côté, have expressed concern that Rodier will drive away centrist voters and allow room for "violent revolutionaries" within the party. 

Whatever the case, we wish Rodier the best of luck in his leadership and hope he helps shape a better future for all of Kanjor. 

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CLAIRON PICARD

APC VERY APPRECIATIVE OF NEW PRAYER RULES[font='Trebuchet MS', sans-serif] PRA[/font]

Sainte Hortense Cathedral, April 25, 5578: CLairon Picard asked Archbishop of Atyr Marcel Giraud how the church liked the recent changes in legislation concerning religion, and he responded:
 

The law allowing prayer in our schools is the change that we have long wished for. We well understand the people of Kanjor have no desire for  our church or any other church to be in a position to dictate the rules for society.
 
The Auroran Patriarchal Church in Kanjor is staying out of politics and following the religious laws.  That is our policy and our practice.
 
But we are really appreciative that the Chamber of Deputies is allowing us the opportunity to worship more freely by allowing prayer in our schools.

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