The Socialists' offer to voters in the Northeast Constituency

The Socialist Party of Iceland's (Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands) mission in the parliamentary (Alþingi) elections on September 25, 2021 The Socialist Party of Iceland's offer to voters in the Northeast ConstituencyBUILD UP COMMUNITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION

Fight against privatization and for social solutions Let's begin a period of reconstruction with public interest as our guiding principle, and rebuild our society from the bottom up, instead of inflating the top that burdens the entire society.

Let's use social solutions to solve problems, not just patch up existing problems. The neglect of infrastructure development has reached a very serious stage, and we completely reject the privatization that is underway. The development of the healthcare system in a social way is the only solution that can fix the severe shortage of doctors and nurses, which is a huge problem in many parts of the constituency.

Let's equalize and improve living standards with a social initiative in housing and equalize disparities in trade and services. Let's save Icelandic agriculture from becoming just a few large farms, more or less owned by banks.

Ease the tax burden on wage earners and benefit recipients. Raise taxes on the rich Icelandic governments have set a world record in cutting benefits for recipients. The lowest wages were tax-free before 1990 but now bear a heavy tax.

On the other hand, there is pure pampering of the wealthy, which is exemplified, for instance, by the fact that inflation can now be deducted from the capital gains tax base, regulatory bodies are constantly weakened, and the tax system is used to distribute benefits not available to wage earners.

Let's ease the tax burden on the poor and general wage earners, but tax the rich in a normal way and cut their privileges, whether they are 'sea barons' or the political class.

No privatization in the healthcare system. Let's build a social healthcare system in the constituency A tragic example of the private operation of the Hlíð nursing home in Akureyri is a warning. It is clear that if the current government, along with other right-wing parties, gains ground in the upcoming elections, a massive privatization attack on the healthcare system is imminent.

Only by building a socially run healthcare system that covers the entire country can we ensure the service that all its citizens deserve. We had such a healthcare system and can rebuild it by uniting against governments that have dismantled it in recent decades.

A severe shortage of doctors and nurses plagues rural areas, and we will solve that problem in this way.

The Socialist Party of Iceland wants free healthcare in Iceland, funded by citizens' taxes.

See more: The Socialists' policy on healthcare

Free Vaðlaheiðargöng! Let's continue the policy that the road network is a public good The road network in Iceland, with the exception of Vaðlaheiðargöng, is a public good. That is to say, it has been financed by state expenditures, and all Icelanders are free to travel on it without paying special fees. Therefore, we need to reclaim Vaðlaheiðargöng.

A massive attack on these public amenities is planned. Privatization plans with tolls and loans from private entities are the methods that will be used for all major projects planned. It's only a matter of time until these methods reach Northeast Iceland. The Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement are the leading parties for this policy in the government.

This must be fought tooth and nail.

There is a great need for tunnel construction in the Northeast Constituency, both in East Iceland and in Fjallabyggð. We advocate for these tunnels to be free of charge, just like other tunnels in the constituency, with the exception of Vaðlaheiðargöng.

The Socialist Party of Iceland wants transport infrastructure and its operation to be owned by the nation. That tunnels, bridges, and roads are accessible to all without charge, and tolls are completely rejected.

See more: The Socialists' policy on transport issues

No salmon farming or wind power plants on the terms of the wealthy. Stop the wealthy from buying up land Narrow and sheltered fjords are rare natural treasures in the world. These treasures are handed over by governments to the wealthy free of charge for outdated and polluting methods of food production. This is happening in Seyðisfjörður against the wishes of locals, and Eyjafjörður could be next.

At Þelamörk in Hörgárdalur, a foreign company is going to build a large wind farm against the wishes of locals, and a huge number of wind turbines are planned in areas between Langanes and Vopnafjörður. There is no shortage of electricity in the Icelandic system; there is about 7% surplus production, and less than 2% of that is needed to electrify the entire car fleet of the country.

The purchase of land by the wealthy, both foreign and domestic, must be stopped by enacting effective laws. That the utilization of land, farms, and agriculture be subject to conditions and for a specified period at a time, and that no individual or company can accumulate farms.

The Socialist Party of Iceland wants permits for resource utilization or the utilization of other public goods to be granted only after a strict environmental assessment, and that public interest and sustainability always be the guiding principles.

See more: The Socialists' policy on resource issues

Bring the quota home. Build up and strengthen communities We reject the privatization of the marine resource that has occurred and want to reintroduce diversity and decentralization in the utilization of fishing grounds.

This will lead to increased power for the communities. This way, they will be financially strong enough to handle the tasks that municipalities are currently struggling with, and it will ensure their true independence.

The Socialists' resource proposal provides for a resource rent that flows into common funds. This fee will be collected at the harbor, is a fee for the use of the resource, and goes towards community development.

In addition, we propose free hand-line fishing and support for small businesses, the development of fish markets, and the development of infrastructure that serves smaller entities, improving utilization, quality, and price. But the main proposal is to transfer control over the quota to the communities, which will then seek different ways to best utilize the resource for the community, which will then generate many times more funds into common funds than the fishing fee does today.

See more: Resources for the public

30,000 apartments in 10 years. Let's begin a massive development of social housing in the constituency The Socialist Party of Iceland proposes a real solution to the housing problem. Instead of the housing market being tailored to the needs of capital owners and contractors, a major effort will be made to produce affordable and good housing in social operation. Such plans have been implemented abroad with good results.

Socialists in Northeast Iceland will fight for municipalities in the constituency to actively participate in this idea and secure plots for housing cooperatives and other non-profit organizations that would undertake construction.

See more: The Great Housing Revolution: 30,000 apartments in ten years

Equalization of oil price costs. Equalize living standards throughout the country People outside the largest urban areas pay much higher prices for gasoline and oil products. This is intolerable discrimination, and although the Transport Equalization Fund exists, it does not seem to work to equalize prices, and its role is therefore mysterious. Measures must be taken to equalize prices and ensure that state contributions to oil companies achieve the desired results.

In many other areas, the situation is the same, such as in trade and services, and food prices can become very high. Let's equalize living standards with social solutions so that as many people as possible can enjoy them.

Strengthen agriculture and the welfare of farmers The economic situation of farmers has become very difficult. License and inspection fees and inputs have increased without incomes following suit. It is clear that all cowsheds in the country must be converted to free-stall barns, and it is then expected that the number of farms will decrease and they will grow significantly. In the Northeast Constituency, there are many smaller dairy farms that are on the verge of closing down if nothing is done. Sheep production is in a situation where almost no sheep farm is operated without farmers seeking income outside the farm. These farms are the countryside of the country.

Support for this operation so that it can flourish and also break new ground is not only a matter for farmers but also a matter for the general public, as it is important to keep the entire country inhabited, and farmers play a key role in that.

The Socialist Party of Iceland wants farmers to be guaranteed decent living conditions and working conditions.

See more: The Socialists' policy on agriculture and food issues