2023-07-05 13:27:36
Children’s rights, the right to housing and the abolition of the GIS fee
Vienna (PK) – Three referendums occupied the National Council in today’s meeting. It dealt with children’s rights, the right to housing and the abolition of the GIS fee. During today’s meeting, the deliberations on the referendums were concluded. The National Council held first readings in advance and the referendums were discussed in the respective specialist committees. Expert:internal hearings were also held.
The committee reports on the referendums were unanimously acknowledged. Three motions for resolutions tabled by the opposition remained in the minority.
Broad debate on children’s rights referendum
In the “Child Rights Petition”, 172,015 signatories are in favor of elevating the entire UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to constitutional status, introducing a state maintenance guarantee, significantly increasing childcare allowance, realizing daily gymnastics lessons in schools and the import of products, ban related to child labor (1796 d.B.). In a broad debate, MEPs from all political groups expressed their support for the rights of children and young people. However, Gudrun Kugler (ÖVP) lacked details in the referendum.
In Austria there is already the highest possible standard for the protection of children, Kugler referred to constitutional lawyers. An evaluation is underway to determine whether improvements are needed. A special concern of Kugler was to abolish child labor. She emphasized that import bans, as called for in the referendum, require accompanying measures in order to break existing vicious circles. Because child labor is seen as a necessity for the survival of the family in the affected countries. Her parliamentary colleague Johanna Jachs (ÖVP) advocated a healthy, balanced diet and a daily exercise unit. Jachs considered the movement unit to be more flexible than the daily gymnastics lesson.
Austria is late in implementing the “European Guarantee for Children”, which focuses on covering basic needs free of charge. Christian Oxonitsch (SPÖ) criticized that a national action plan had not yet been presented. According to him, there is also a lack of an independent monitoring body that monitors compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Children have rights, this raises important political questions, Rosa Ecker (FPÖ) called for a child protection package. She saw it as the task of politics to protect children. Ecker campaigned for the rapid implementation of the demands from the referendum. She named obesity and diabetes as well as mental health as the biggest health barriers in children today.
Barbara Nessler (Greens) also felt there was “room for improvement” in the full implementation of children’s rights. So she won’t let up in the fight for children’s rights. Some points of the children’s people’s request have already been implemented, she noted. As a socio-political milestone, Nessler named the increase in childcare allowance through the valorization of social benefits. Nessler brought up the “climate lawsuit”, with which children sue for their right to effective climate protection. She saw the fight against the climate crisis as the greatest crisis facing humanity of our time.
On the other hand, Yannick Shetty (NEOS) blamed the government for the lack of action against the climate crisis. The ÖVP and the Greens would also have the opportunity to implement the measures demanded in the referendum on children’s rights. Shetty drew a critical picture of the legal situation of vulnerable groups. He called for the right to an 11th and 12th school year for children with disabilities, as well as a ban on conversion therapies.
Making housing affordable again – Critical debate on referendum “Right to Housing”
The proponents of the referendum of the same name called for measures to implement a “right to housing” and received the support of 134,664 people. The Republic should support all citizens over a certain age in acquiring or maintaining residential property, for example through interest-free loans upon application. In addition, the state should make free accommodation available to everyone upon application, as long as they cannot afford accommodation, according to the demand in the referendum (1797 d.B.).
Johann Singer emphasized that housing is central to the ÖVP. Although 80% of Austrians aspire to own property, only 50% would own property, he said. It is therefore essential to remove hurdles. Housing is substantial, Singer emphasized, which is why there are already strong and practicable prevention networks for housing shortages.
The SPÖ advocated universal tenancy law and spoke out in favor of rethinking subsidized housing. The SPÖ criticized rising benchmark rents by means of a motion for a resolution. In this sense, Ruth Becher (SPÖ) called for a “rent freeze now” to counter “the record price increases that have been going on for months”. The ÖVP has been refusing to implement the universal tenancy law demanded by the SPÖ for years, she criticized. From the point of view of the SPÖ, the referendum makes “an important contribution to affordable housing”. Becher regarded housing as a human right, so politicians owe it measures. Philipp Schrangl (FPÖ) also spoke out in favor of stopping rents. In the form of a motion for a resolution, he spoke out against increases in category and benchmark rents. In addition to a maximum indexation of two percent, the demands of the FPÖ include an extension of the full scope of application of the Tenancy Law and a ban on fixed-term contracts for commercial landlords in residential areas.
Satisfaction with living in Austria is particularly high, Nina Tomaselli (Greens) started with good news. Austria ranks second in Europe, although the ownership rate is below average. Many would still have a desire to own property. In reality, this is not affordable for a large part of Austrians. Since 2015, home prices have increased by 150% while wages have increased by just 18%. Tomaselli named speculation as the root of the problem. The non-profit housing continues to be the “best and most effective housing cost brake”. In addition, the rent freeze provides support for Austrians, she said.
Johannes Margreiter (NEOS) emphasized that the housing policy in this country no longer provides any solutions. In addition to escalating land policy, the deputy considered the lifting of the earmarking of housing subsidies to be the causes of high housing costs. Affordable housing requires a federal framework law for spatial planning, argued the NEOS MP.
Referendum on GIS fee: Extensive commitment to fee financing, FPÖ sharply criticizes ORF reporting
Finally, the National Council also discussed a referendum received in November 2022 to abolish GIS fees. The MEPs took the opportunity to discuss the new financing model for the ORF – from 2024 the GIS fee will be replaced by a household fee.
In the referendum, only a strictly earmarked fee to finance the Ö1 radio program is considered legitimate. A total of 364,346 people or 5.73% of those eligible to vote signed the initiative. The demand is justified, among other things, with the program quality of the ORF and party political influence in filling management positions and the foundation board. It is doubted, for example, that the ORF will fulfill its public educational mandate. Reference is also made to the abolition of important sports broadcasts (1795 d.B.).
During the debate, ÖVP MP Kurt Egger emphasized the importance of public broadcasting and recalled that the reorganization of ORF funding had become necessary as a result of a decision by the Constitutional Court. He also emphasized that the ÖVP is committed to adequate funding for public broadcasting.
Muna Duzdar (SPÖ) also emphasized the great importance of public broadcasting and called the ORF a “guarantor of our media democracy”, because the ORF is committed to the general public. Duzdar explained that information is a basic need of our society. Since information provides the basis for decision-making, it is not irrelevant where it comes from. No one is saying that there is no need for reform in public service broadcasting, but abolishing the GIS fee would mean the end of public service broadcasting, said Duzdar. Andrea Kuntzl (SPÖ) described the ORF fee as an “important democracy fee” and emphasized that for this reason there would be more efficient measures to relieve households than the required abolition of the GIS fee. The SPÖ basically supports fee financing, but sees the new model critically because it negates the social dimension. Furthermore, Kuntzl criticized the planned restriction of the so-called “blue page” orf.at as incomprehensible and unacceptable, since the digital portal of the ORF offers a high quality and is well accepted by the population.
FPÖ MP Susanne Fürst explained that journalism, which as the fourth power in the state has a control function, is fundamentally worthy of support and essential. However, the ORF does not even begin to do this task. Among other things, she located “political monotony” and ideological distortion of content.
Eva Blimlinger (Greens) expressed her regret that the proponents of the referendum did not appear at the hearing in the constitutional exclusion and therefore did not represent the supporters of the referendum. Referendums are an instrument that is made for co-determination and should not serve as a “fun factor”.
With a motion for a resolution, Henrike Brandstötter (NEOS) campaigned for deaf and severely hearing-impaired people to be exempted from the household tax contained in the new ORF law, regardless of their income, since they could only use the ORF’s offers “very limited” due to the lack of complete accessibility . (Continued National Council) gla/bea
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