Microsoft conference is glorified product launch
Posted on January 31, 2007It should by now be clear to everyone that the conference being held in the Scottish Parliament this week is nothing more than a product launch for Vista, the new operating system from Microsoft which offers to take more of your freedoms away than you ever thought possible!
Our response to seeing our national parliament misused in this manner?
Simple - to promote the BADVISTA campaign and urge everyone to read up on what’s wrong with Microsoft Vista.
NEWS RELEASE - Microsoft circus comes to town
Posted on January 30, 2007MICROSOFT: GREENS CALL FOR FREE SOFTWARE TO CLOSE DIGITAL DIVIDE - ICT giant is restricting use of technology
As the Microsoft Government Leaders’ Forum Europe 2007 starts today in Scottish Parliament, Greens have warned that Microsoft’s latest operating system, due for release today, is defective by design, putting Microsoft and the corporate media in control of your computer and threatening to undermine ICT’s potential to play a liberating role in developing a sustainable, just society. (1)
The design of Vista erodes important consumer rights, forces expensive and environmentally damaging hardware upgrades and restricts the potential of information technology. Consumers, businesses and government bodies should protect their interests by migrating to free software, rather than upgrading to Vista, say Scottish Greens.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, said, “Technology should increase our opportunities to access media, create our own and share it with others. But Vista helps the corporate media take away our consumer rights. It requires more expensive and energy-hungry hardware, passing the cost on to consumers and the environment. This will also further exclude the poor from the latest technology, and impose burdensome costs on small and medium businesses which will be forced to enter another expensive upgrade cycle.
“Free software can run on existing hardware, reduces licensing costs for small businesses and affords important freedoms to consumers. The government should be promoting the use of free software in public bodies.
“There will be thousands of tonnes of dumped monitors, video cards and whole computers that are perfectly capable of meetings users’ needs if they can use free and open software instead of Vista. Microsoft is trying to dictate the way that video content is delivered - much as Apple are trying to do with iTunes - in order to corner the market.”
Greens have expressed further concerns about the impact of the Forum on the parliament, in particular the restrictions put on public access over two days, and are now seeking details of any payments, in cash or in kind, that Microsoft has made to the Parliament. (2)
This summer, Mr Harvie will be opening a major conference in Glasgow about the future of the leading Linux desktop environment (3). He added, “I am delighted to accept the invitation to open “Akademy 2007”, at which hundreds of contributors to the KDE Desktop – a major challenger to the domination of Windows – will meet to discuss the future of their project. The Free Software movement offers a far more creative, co-operative and accountable approach than corporations like Microsoft, and if governments want modern technology to be a positive and liberating force in people’s lives they should set about adopting its principles, rather than cosying up to Bill Gates.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Draft motion lodged by Patrick Harvie MSP:
That the Parliament notes the Microsoft Government Leaders’ Forum Europe, taking place in the Parliament with the purpose of discussing the impact of ICT on governments, parliaments and citizens; considers that ICT has the potential to play a liberating role in developing a sustainable and just society; regrets that this event is taking place under the banner of Microsoft, whose products and business practices undermine that liberating role; further regrets the widespread public sector reliance on closed-source and proprietary systems, which can threaten democratic accountability; welcomes the fact the KDE ‘Akademy 2007′ will be held in Scotland, bringing Free Software developers together to discuss their work; considers that the Free Software movement offers a more co-operative and democratic philosophy for the role of ICT and its impact on society, as well bringing high quality products to the consumer; considers that government should endorse the principles of the Free Software movement, and that the Scottish Executive should begin using non-proprietary document formats and Free and Open Source Software wherever possible.
2. Motion lodged by Chris Ballance MSP
Closure of the Parliament to the Public:
That this parliament notes with concern that the use of the Scottish Parliament as a conference venue by the Microsoft Corporation, and further notes with concern that this has led to the public being barred from this public building for two days, and to the disruption of parliamentary committee business.
Written Question:
To ask the SPCB what payment, in cash or in kind, has been made, or is currently expected to be made to the Scottish Parliament by Microsoft since May 2003 and what was it for?
3. aKademy is the annual meeting of the KDE community. This year it will be held in the Department of Computer & Information Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland. The event will span eight days and includes an exciting program of talks and presentations by outstanding KDE developers, joint development, bug-fixing & coding sessions, workshops for all KDE contributors, and design, usability and polishing work.
The conference will see 200 of the top free software desktop coders and contributors discussing the future of KDE, the leading Linux desktop, and cross-project collaboration.
The widely accepted principles of Free Software are
Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
Freedom 1: The freedom to study and modify the program.
Freedom 2: The freedom to copy the program so you can help your neighbour.
Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
Free Software Foundation: www.fsf.org
NEWS RELEASE - No supercasino for now, but what of the future?
Posted onGREEN MSP: THREAT OF SUPERCASINO FOR GLASGOW HAS NOT GONE
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, today warned that the decision not to locate the first UK super-casino in Glasgow by the Casino Advisory Panel is not the end of the story. More super-casinos could spring up around the country without any assessment of the affect on local communities.
Mr Harvie, spokesperson on Communities and Justice, said:
“I’m pleased that Glasgow has been spared a super-casino this time but it is still a threat in the future.
“We have already had Westminster Ministers admitting that a super-casino would lead to a rise in gambling addicts and the associated social problems (1). The BMA recently said that with the likely increase in problem gambling, this form of addiction will soon have to be dealt with by the NHS (2). These are social problems that Glasgow can ill-afford and are likely to entirely outweigh the economic benefits that such a casino will bring.
“Super-casinos may create some new employment - however, there are sustainable alternatives for regeneration of an area, alternatives that don’t involve 24-hour opening, unlimited jackpots and devastating social problems for communities in Glasgow.”
ENDS
1) Sports Minister Richard Caborn said the legislation could “absolutely” lead to a rise in ‘problem gambling’ on a Channel 4 Dispatches programme
2) Gambling addiction and its treatment within the NHS: A guide for healthcare professionals
NEWS RELEASE - Tesco bulldoze historic Partick building
Posted on January 29, 2007GREEN MSP SHOCKED AT DEMOLITION OF GLASGOW HISTORIC BUILDING
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, today visited the site of Partick Ticket Office which was demolished over the weekend despite local protest. Local residents had urged Glasgow City Council to intervene to save one of Glasgow’s historic buildings but today only rubble remains.
Concerned residents noticed on Friday (26 Jan) that fences had been put up around the old ticket office in preparation for demolition to make way for a Tesco superstore on Beith Street. The Building Control Department of Glasgow City Council had been contacted to try and halt demolition.
The old ticket office on Benalder Bridge has been recommended for listing by Historic Scotland, but it was not protected due to the pending planning application from Tesco. Historic Scotland did however, suggest that the building be incorporated into any planning application.
Mr Harvie, Green spokesperson on Communities said:
“It is hugely disappointing that Glasgow City Council did not intervene to save Partick Ticket Office, especially since Tesco does not even have permission to build on the land. The planning department must now be very sceptical of Tesco’s motives after the unnecessary demolition of this historic building. Tesco has shown its arrogance over the economic impact on independent retailers in the area, and is now showing how determined it is to ignore local people’s views and the area’s architectural heritage.
“This case does show the inadequacy of the legislation to protect our historic buildings. I would urge Glasgow City Council to listen to the concerns of local residents and businesses.”
END
NEWS RELEASE - LGBT History Month debate
Posted on January 23, 2007GREENS’ DEBATE: SCOTTISH LGBT HISTORY TO BE CELEBRATED - abolition of Section 28 should be followed with further protection for minorities
The battle to ditch Section 28 and the need to recognise the contribution of the LGBT community to Scottish society will be marked this evening (24 Jan) when Greens lead a debate in Parliament. (1)
The event, held by Patrick Harvie MSP to mark LGBT History Month, will give MSPs a chance to reflect on how Holyrood itself made its mark on LGBT history by facing down prejudice and abolishing Section 28, and will also celebrate the contribution LGBT people make to our society, bringing to light some aspects of LGBT history that remain untold or distorted.
Mr Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, said, “At school we all learned something about the concentration camps, the gas chambers, the persecution and mass murder of Jews, Catholics, dissidents and disabled people under the Nazi regime. But how many of us were taught about the sexual minorities who suffered the same fate? Or that when the camps were liberated the few gay men still left alive were rounded up by the Allies and re-imprisoned?
“In recent years, LGBT communities around the world have highlighted the contribution they have made to society over the generations, from iconic figures like Sappho and Alexander the Great to individuals in science, business, politics, the arts and other walks of life. Aspects of history which had previously been airbrushed or ignored have been seen in a new light, and young LGBT people are able to see that sexual diversity has always been a normal part of human life.”
Throughout February, a programme of events around Scotland will mark LGBT History Month, with the support of voluntary organisations, businesses, government, community groups, and religious, cultural and political organisations.
However, Greens stress that the Executive’s failure to extend protection from “hate crimes” to the LGBT community means Scotland continues to lag behind the rest of the UK in terms of equality for sexual minorities. (2) When the Executive last year decided to shelve long-promised legislation to tackle “hate crime” against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, few MSPs from other parties objected.
Patrick Harvie, Green Glasgow MSP and LGBT campaigner, said, “Though great progress has been made in the battle for equality for sexual minorities, there remain serious gaps in legislation. The Executive’s failure to class homophobic crimes as “hate crimes” has left the LGBT community without the same level of protection as their counterparts south of the border. Essentially, ministers are allowing intolerance and bigotry against certain groups in society to continue, without any legal measure to address it. Homophobia has no place in our modern, young democracy, and it’s time the Executive acknowledged that.”
ENDS
Notes
1. Debate on the motion:
S2M-05406 - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month
That the Parliament notes that February is LGBT History Month and that events will be taking place around Scotland to celebrate the lives of Scottish LGBT people past and present; congratulates the many organisations that have contributed to LGBT History Month, including voluntary organisations, religious groups, businesses and the Scottish Executive; regrets that LGBT history, from the horrors of the gulags and gas chambers to the achievements of LGBT people in all spheres of life, often remains unwritten and unspoken; believes that this represents a cultural loss to the whole of society; further believes that young LGBT people in particular have a right to learn about their cultural heritage in all its forms, and hopes therefore that many communities, including schools, will participate in LGBT History Month this year and in the future.
To find out more, and to find information about the programme of national and local events, visit www.lgbthistory.org.uk
2. See www.scottishgreens.org.uk
NEWS RELEASE - Green response to supermarket inquiry
Posted onSUPERMARKET INQUIRY: GREENS WELCOME FOCUS ON LOCAL MARKETS AND STRESS NEED TO REJECT NEW PARTICK TESCO - new research shows Scottish consumers shunning high streets
Greens today welcomed the latest report from the Competition Commission’s supermarket inquiry and stressed that evidence so far shows more effective regulation is needed in order to ensure producers get a fair deal, and that consumers and the environment are protected. (1) It comes in the wake of new research by the FSB Scotland showing that shoppers in Dumfries, Dingwall and Alloa are shopping in out-of-town retail developments rather than local high street shops. (2)
Green MSP Mark Ruskell gave evidence to the Commission when it conducted formal hearings in Edinburgh last September. (3) The next stage of the inquiry will focus on local markets and the impact supermarkets are having on them, specifically whether or not supermarkets are effectively wiping out competition. Greens argue that there should be a tougher code of practice that covers the entire supply chain to ensure trade is fair, and that an independent regulator should enforce it.
Patrick Harvie, Green Glasgow MSP and speaker on communities, said today, “It will come as no surprise to small high street businesses that there is concern over the impact of supermarkets’ aggressive tactics. So although this inquiry is welcome, it has not so far been earth-shattering nor has it been speedy, having suffered significant delays. The Commission must now press ahead in drawing this to a close, and it should not shirk from making tough recommendations.
“There are businesses in Glasgow, particularly in Partick where Tesco is proposing a new 24-hour store, whose future hangs in the balance. There is a huge amount of strong feeling against these plans. People are shocked, worried and angry. The new store will result in local businesses closing, traffic gridlock around Partick Cross, a decline in the quality of life for those living next to the development and the demolition of the historic Partick Station building.
“There must be effective action soon to curb the aggression of supermarkets preying on local high streets. This is something that Glasgow City Council can do something about, by rejecting these proposals and by not selling off public land for the benefit of a multinational and the detriment of the people of Glasgow.”
Issues raised in the Commission’s “emerging thinking” document include:
- a decline in the number of pig and dairy farmers, while supermarkets are retaining an increasing share of the retail price of milk
- on landbanking (the anti-competitive practice of hoarding land without developing it), Tesco holds the most land and other supermarkets are increasing their amount. Landbanking can be used to stop rival retailers from opening new outlets, thereby establishing a monopoly over a local market, harming consumer choice and competition.
- there is evidence of below-cost selling and price-flexing
ENDS
Notes
1. See www.competition-commission.org.uk
2. Through the analysis of the three case studies undertaken, evidence has confirmed the following trends post-supermarket development:
• A decrease in the number of convenience retailers operating in the town centre
• An increase in the number of vacant units and corresponding floorspace
• A broad shift in convenience expenditure away from the existing town centre retailers to those operating the new supermarket development
• A significant decline in the level of business activities undertaken by existing retailers. This is attributable in the main to competition from the supermarket
• A general acknowledgment in respect of a decline in the overall number of shoppers frequenting the traditional town centre.
A full copy of the report can be accessed at: www.fsb.org.uk
3. See www.scottishgreens.org.uk
NEWS RELEASE - Glasgow Housing stock
Posted on January 18, 2007GREEN MSP CHALLENGES MINISTER ON HOUSING STOCK TRANSFER
Green MSP for Glasgow Patrick Harvie today urged the newly appointed Communities Minister Rhona Brankin to push ahead with second stage housing stock transfer and consider the need for extra funding for this process.
The Minister confirmed that they would be following the plans set out by former Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm, but gave no commitment to increased funding or a timescale for transfer.
Mr Harvie said, “The people of Glasgow were sold a promise of genuinely local control of housing stock, not another monolith. Residents, tenants, and voters now want to know if there will be even a hint of progress before the May election.
“The Labour-led Executive is facing a crisis in a Labour-led council area over a Labour policy and the financing of an organisation that is the creature of Labour policy. It is shocking that the Labour Party can offer no clear response, and no indication of when the delay to second stage transfer will be resolved. I want to hear a clear commitment on when second-stage transfer will take place and a new strategy on how to advocate community ownership that is not based on the conditionality of debt write-off. The challenge for the Executive is to address those issues. I regret that the Minister again failed to do that.”
ENDS
NOTES
1. Question asked to Minister for Communities during General Question Time, Thursday 18 January 2007
Patrick Harvie: To ask the Scottish Executive how the change in personnel at the Glasgow Housing Association and in the Communities ministerial team will impact on progress towards second stage transfer of housing stock. (S2O-11670)
NEWS RELEASE - School meals
Posted on January 16, 2007GREEN MSP MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release, Tuesday 16 January, 2007
SCHOOL MEALS BILLS: GREENS PUSH FOR FREE LUNCH PILOT, HEALTHY, LOCAL FOOD AND NO “BIG BROTHER” DATA SYSTEM
Commenting on the Communities Committee report on the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Bill published today, Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who sits on the committee, said:
“The Bill as a whole - particularly free school breakfasts - is welcome, but there is plenty of room for improvement. Labour’s attempt to prohibit local authorities from even piloting free school lunches makes no sense whatsoever, and the absence of tougher guidelines to ensure children receive healthy, fresh, locally sourced food, means children may continue to eat poor quality food that lacks nutrition.
“Greens will also be opposing any moves to force schools to introduce new systems to grant anonymity to pupils receiving free meals. There is no clear evidence that lack of anonymity is a problem for pupils, and there is a significant danger that such moves will lead to costly, ineffective and unnecessary biometric systems.”
ENDS
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