Omnibus News - Diocese of Nottingham

omnibus 26
nbcw - social responsibility
NBCW Election Questions
formulated at Board meeting on 20.2.10 & revised at Soc Res Committee on 23 Feb 2010 + changes and additions 6 March
As Catholic Women we believe that policies
which promote the sanctity of life, the
stewardship of creation, the dignity of the
human person, the preferential option for
the poor, education for all and support for
marriage and family life are among the best
ways of achieving the Common Good.
The following are questions which can be
asked of all candidates for the forthcoming
election. They were formulated at a recent
NBCW meeting and set out here as suggestions
only. You may want to add others of
your own.
Education
1 How can we ensure that the fees and
support costs of HE do not disadvantage
anybody
2 How would you redress the balance
between academic & vocational education
3 Many women have dropped out of
mainstream education - what do you
think could be done to promote opportunities
for women to re-enter education
and training
4 Would you agree to support the retention
of Faith schools in our state school
system
Environment
1 What would you do to promote local
action to cope better with environmental
problems including waste management,
recycling & energy conservation
2 Where is climate change in your own
and your party’s list of priorities for the
UK
3 Do you agree that the next UK government
needs to support work towards a
fair and legally binding global climate
deal as a top priority If so, what action
would you take to press for this if elected
4 How would you and your party support
the target of the rich countries achieving
carbon emissions cuts of more than 40
per cent on 1990 levels, by the year
2020 Would you support a strengthening
of the UK Climate Change Act
What influence would you and your
party use in the EU to ensure other rich
countries in Europe commit to these
cuts too
5 How would you and your party
ensure that the UK and other rich countries
help poor countries to adapt to and
cope with climate change
6 Would you agree to a level of $195 billion
per year by 2020 which is additional
to existing overseas aid budgets
Health & Bioethics
1 Faith communities have strong views on
the sanctity of life. What are you views
on assisted suicide
2 Do you support free health care for all
at the point of need
3 How would your party promote and
fund social care for the elderly
4 How would your party support the
growing number of family carers who
save the govt £87 billion a year yet
earn £1.52 per hour
Overseas Aid
1 All the UK’s main political parties agree
that the UK should honour its commitment
to spend 0.7% of GDP (national
income) on aid. How would you & your
party honour this commitment & ensure
that women & children, who bear the
brunt of poverty, are the beneficiaries
2 It seems that, in the light of the current
international financial crisis, the
Millennium Development Goals set for
2015 are unlikely to be achieved. If the
UK’s pledge to the poor of the developing
world are to be honoured, how can
your party justify spending billions of
pounds to replace Trident, a weapon
system suited to the Cold War era and
which we cannot even operate independently
Financial transaction Tax
3 The Prime Minister has recently stated
that he supports a financial transaction
tax (long known as the Tobin tax &
recently referred to as the Robin Hood
tax) as a fair way of recouping some of
the money lost to UK taxpayers by the
irresponsible conduct of international
finance and banking. Does your party
support this proposed tax
Europe
4 Given that the European Convention on
Human Rights is embedded in our
country’s legal framework and given
that many political decisions are made
in Europe to which this country makes
major contributions, what is your attitude
towards closer co-operation with
other nation states in the European
Union
Marriage & Family Life
1 How would you promote marriage as
the best way to raise children in a stable
environment
2 Advertising to children is grooming for
consumerism. Where would you stand
on banning advertising to children
2. Smacking of children is regarded by
some as a form of DA/DV. How would
you vote on smacking in a free vote
3. The age of criminal responsibility in the
UK is the lowest in Europe at 10 years.
Do you think it should be altered
5 There is a lot of pressure on mothers to
leave their children in child-care and go
out to work. Do you agree it would be
equally important to give mothers the
option to stay at home to care for their
children for the first 5 years of life
6 Grandparents are increasingly used for
child care. What ideas does your party
have for supporting this role
Page 26 April 2010