Patrick Harvie: I echo the thanks that other members have put on record to the committee, its clerks and others who have supported a rapid scrutiny process. However, across political parties, there has been a recognition that nobody really wants to be here. Nobody should be proud of the fact that it has been necessary to introduce the bill or for us to consider it. The first two climate acts that...
Patrick Harvie: Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Patrick Harvie: I agree with a great deal of what the cabinet secretary is saying, but does she understand my disappointment that the only two positions with any credibility before us today point the finger exclusively at the other Government? Does she recognise that, whatever the context of the UK Government in terms of power or budgets, the onus is on the Scottish Government to go much further than it has...
Patrick Harvie: Will the member give way?
Patrick Harvie: I am grateful to the member for giving way, although I am not quite sure that I am grateful for her expressing agreement with my position so clearly. Would she reflect on why she got it so wrong when she once called for the minimum wage to be abolished? How on earth does she think we can tackle poverty without ensuring that poverty wages are abolished?
Patrick Harvie: Some members have already mentioned yesterday’s Joseph Rowntree Foundation event entitled “Working together to tackle poverty”. I hope that whoever came up with that title has not been wasting their time listening to our debate so far. A little over half an hour in, it feels as if we all need to have our heads banged together, because working together has not been the theme or tone of...
Patrick Harvie: I hope that it is clear that my criticism of the Government motion is not a criticism of what is in it. If the motion is presented to Parliament unamended, of course I will agree with what is in it. My criticism of the motion is of what is lacking in it—what is missing—which is any self-reflection on the track record of the Scottish Government and the things that the Scottish...
Patrick Harvie: The world’s failure to address Israel’s impunity, to protect civilians or to prevent war crimes has made the escalation of violence in the middle east inevitable. Through devolved funding decisions, the Scottish Government has a role to play here. There have been far too many deaths: there were the brutal killings that occurred on 7 October 2023; genocide has been inflicted on the people...
Patrick Harvie: There is a responsibility on all Governments to act in the face of so much violence and destruction, and I welcome the fact that the First Minister has repeated his calls for a ceasefire and de-escalation and for statehood for Palestine, and I hope that he continues to oppose the sale of arms to Israel. However, the Greens have repeatedly raised the Scottish Government’s track...
Patrick Harvie: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reported concerns that the licensing scheme introduced by the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 is acting as a loophole in the fox hunting ban. (S6O-03787)
Patrick Harvie: Parliament has voted repeatedly, over many years, in favour of ending fox hunting in Scotland. In the most recent legislation, which was intended to close the loopholes that have been used by those who continue to perpetrate that cruel practice, a licensing regime was introduced that was intended to be for exceptional purposes. The Scottish Government’s position was that fox hunting should...
Patrick Harvie: I want to reflect again on the political unity that has been expressed across the chamber on a number of fronts. In particular, quite a number of members have spoken about the lives of Ukrainian refugees in their communities the length and breadth of Scotland. The cabinet secretary was the first, but by no means the only, member to reflect on that. That is a reminder, as I said...
Patrick Harvie: I am pleased to be able to contribute to the debate and to add to the recognition of consensus that other speakers, including the cabinet secretary, have already expressed. Paul O’Kane in particular spent a large part of his speech recognising the consensus that exists across political parties. We are, I am pleased to say, united not only in the condemnation of Vladimir Putin’s...
Patrick Harvie: To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with the Music Venue Trust regarding the introduction of a ticket levy, on a voluntary or statutory basis, for stadium and arena shows, to support grass-roots culture venues. (S6O-03773)
Patrick Harvie: I am pleased that the cabinet secretary has met the Music Venue Trust. However, I am not quite clear whether he has expressed a view on the basic policy yet. This summer, as the cabinet secretary will know, there have been huge stadium performances in Scotland by the likes of Taylor Swift, Foo Fighters and Pink. The Music Venue Trust has shown that the introduction of a levy, which...
Patrick Harvie: Some are commercial, some are funded and some are not. A levy would be a really powerful measure to support venues that are integral to the culture of our towns and cities.
Patrick Harvie: In reflecting on the debate, I note that quite a few members have spoken about the causes of the financial situation that both Governments face, but something has been missing from the reflections on the causes. There was substantial opposition to what the Conservative Government did over the past 15 years, whether it was the austerity that began under the coalition Government; the...
Patrick Harvie: I never did. In fact, the policy was criticised not only by dangerous extremists but by many others, including anti-poverty organisations. It was a bad policy and it was bad politics. I understand why the Government has lodged the motion, and I do not disagree with anything in it. The Government wants to draw attention to the impact of austerity to date, the on-going austerity...
Patrick Harvie: I am afraid that I need to make progress. Also missing from the motion are the choices that we have. The cabinet secretary and the Government want policy change from the UK Government and a change in the powers that are available to the Scottish Government, and I want both of those changes as well. However, whatever context we face of UK policy or Scotland’s powers, the Scottish...
Patrick Harvie: Regardless of the policy context or the power context, the Scottish Government will have to go further with the powers that it has.
