State parliament committees

The Greens were rebuffed with various motions

Green quartet: Bernie Weber, Daniel Zadra, Eva Hammerer and Christine Bösch-Vetter (from left).

(Bild: Grüne)

The ideas for school social work, a pay rise for care workers and affordable housing were not well received by the committees of the Vorarlberg state parliament and were all rejected.  

While the Greens, as a small government partner of the ÖVP, were still able to implement one or two ideas, the remaining members of parliament after the election defeat in the fall felt how hard and unproductive opposition work can be.

Housing spokesman Bernie Weber met with little approval with his motion for affordable housing in the Economics Committee. The specific proposal was that the state should investigate which areas would be suitable for non-profit housing construction. The state should then secure potential plots of land as reserved areas and draw up an "affordable housing" regional plan on this basis. "This is the only way we can secure land in the long term and guarantee affordable housing for everyone in Vorarlberg," argued Weber.

He did not convince the ÖVP and its blue appendage. The motion was rejected. Weber, not very pleased, then stated: "The ÖVP and FPÖ are standing on the brakes when it comes to non-profit housing. As long as the state government is not prepared to secure land for affordable housing, all initiatives will come to nothing."

SPÖ and Neos also against
In the social policy committee, the Green spokesperson for care Christine Bösch-Vetter received her first rebuff regarding a pay rise for all care workers. In addition to the ÖVP and FPÖ, the SPÖ and Neos also voted in favor of an amendment proposed by the Black Party, which provides for the salary reform in the care sector to be based on the job profile.

A little later, Bösch-Vetter failed with a motion to expand school social work. "The black-blue state government is refusing to make courageous and urgently needed improvements in the social sector," said the Green Party MP in annoyance.