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英语文摘:Queen's speech contains packed agenda for new British coalition government

Source:  Onion  2010-05-26   English BBS   Favorite  
The coalition government also wants to bolster the credibility of government financial forecasting, which had always been open to interpretation by the chancellor of the exchequer.

One of the first acts of new chancellor Osborne was to sign away his power to alter financial forecasts and put that in the hands of a new body, the Office for Budget Responsibility.

In her speech the Queen outlined this key coalition government policy. "A new Office for Budget Responsibility will provide confidence in the management of the public finances," she said.

The Queen said that the tax system would be changed: "The tax and benefits system will be made fairer and simpler."

Substantial political reform is planned. The Queen said there will be "parliamentary and political reform to restore trust in democratic institutions and rebalance the relationship between the citizen and the state."

She said that the government would introduce fixed-term parliaments of five years, a bill would be introduced for a referendum on the Alternative Vote system for the House of Commons and to create fewer and more equal sized constituencies, voters would be given the right to recall their Members of Parliament ( MPs) where they are guilty of serious wrongdoing, a reformed second House (the House of Lords) would be wholly or mainly elected on the basis of proportional representation, and a reform of political parties' funding and of parliamentary privilege would take place.

On education, the key Conservative policy of allowing parents to set up their own schools will get a bill. The Queen said: " Legislation will be introduced to enable more schools to achieve academy status, give teachers greater freedom over the curriculum and allow new providers to run state schools."

The unpopular ID card scheme will be scrapped, and there will be restrictions on the use of closed-circuit television, and restrictions on the retention of DNA information, all of which were Labor policies which had alarmed some civil liberties experts.

"Legislation will be brought forward to restore freedoms and civil liberties, through the abolition of Identity Cards and repeal of unnecessary laws," said the Queen.

Prime Minister David Cameron said in the debate on the Queen's Speech that took place after its delivery: "This Queen's Speech marks a decisive break from the past -- not just treating the symptoms of our broken society but its roots as well. We will do things in a completely different way to how they have been done before."


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