"Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister of Sierra!"
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Mr. Speaker, Mr. President of the Senate, members of Parliament, her Majesty, and my fellow Sierrans...
Three months ago, I took a short oath and made a small speech in which I promised not to waste this wonderful chance I have been given to serve as your Prime Minister. Since that day, I have committed myself to working with members of Parliament from all sides of the aisle in drafting solutions to our Kingdom's harrowing challenges, of which we have seen far too many in these last three months; challenges which have arisen to test our resolve as a nation. We saw heroic efforts to save lives after a disturbed man opened fire upon the Tokki Studios headquarters, who was stopped by a brave security guard, Liam Coleman, who joins us today. Thank you, Liam.
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Over a year ago, we saw thousands of first responders tending to the afflicted of the Pawnee earthquake which devastated hundreds of communities. Among those responders, tonight we are joined by Officer Kathrin Summers, who saved a Japanese family who were on vacation in Sierra and became trapped in their car underneath pounds of rubble. Kathrin was able to free them for their vehicle and saved their lives, including their three-year old son. Thank you, Kathrin.
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We are joined by Sha'quez Lawrence, an EMT who saved countless lives while dashing around southern Sierra in the aftermath of the earthquake. He worked for nearly 24 hours straight helping not only his own community, but the entire city of Pawnee. Thank you, Sha'quez.
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And finally, we are joined by Officer Kevin Drummond who helped to keep law and order amid the chaos by arresting countless rioters and looters, vultures who preyed upon the weak during the crisis. Drummond worked relentlessly to keep his community, and the city safe, even when it seemed like the world was ending. Thank you, Kevin.
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We saw so many women and men in government and entertainment speak up against horrific sexual abuses that were occurring against them, taking a brave stand in the name of justice. Some of them also join us today.
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We mourn the loss of a talented artist, Jermaine Williams Jr. who passed away a little over a week ago. His family and friends join us today as well as we commemorate and applaud these wonderful Sierrans, and their contributions to our country.
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These people are reflective of the will we have as Sierrans. We all come from different backgrounds, speak different languages, and have different life experiences. We may not always see eye to eye, but when the time calls, when crisis is on the horizon, we will come together as brothers and sisters and unite for our common welfare, defense, and nationhood. For that, we all should be proud. Nothing will stop us, Sierrans, from doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. The state of our Kingdom will always be nothing less than phenomenal as long as this country is populated by fantastic men and women.
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My administration has so much planned for the coming year. Mental health, as we so dramatically saw last year, is in dire need of addressing. For far too long, people afflicted with mental illnesses and disorders, have been ignored, forgotten, and cast aside. That ends now.
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I am imploring Parliament, and the Honorable Opposition Leader Margaret Chan, to work together to build a comprehensive mental healthcare system that works for all Sierrans, and gets people the care they need. I am now officially asking Parliament, to introduce a bill that increases funding to care for patients with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. If such a bill reached my desk and properly addresses these issues in a way that helps those afflicted, I will sign it. You have my word.
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Next month, I will direct the Minister of Finance to conduct an examination of our tax code to see where we can save millions of Sierrans with mental illnesses hundreds of tax dollars. I will also direct the Minister of Commerce and Labor to present a proposal for new rules that will protect Sierran workers with mental illnesses from being unfairly fired and provide new unemployment support for those who struggle with supporting themselves.
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I will commit the national government to working with all provincial government to provide new facilities to treat the mentally ill, providing federal funds where needed and strictly for that purposes. New programs will be created to assist Sierrans in getting treatment, affording it, and coping with their illness.
Creating jobs for Sierrans, reducing their taxes, and ensuring their prosperity is a goal I also hope to accomplish this year. Removing and reducing overregulation, which complicates doing business, wastes thousands of dollars in legal fees, and discourages new business opportunities will be my directive for labor and commerce in the coming year. We will examine all regulations concerning employment, making it easier for both employers to find workers, and for employees to find jobs. We will work to simplify the tax code, making it easier for Sierrans to file their yearly returns, saving them hundreds of dollars on their tax bills and preparation fees.
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Matthew Lu. Matthew came to Sierra at the age of 16 all the way from Cambodia. His parents were killed in the war there during the 1970s and he arrived in Sierra nearly penniless and with little family. He stayed at his uncle's house until he found a job, changing tires and oil at a local mechanic shop. He used his earnings to put himself through college where he learned business and finance. He also moved himself out of his uncle's house and got his own apartment, where he continued to work and study, eventually starting his own welding business. He got married and has three beautiful kids and currently employs one-hundred fifty people, creating so much wealth and paths to advancement for his community. Matthew joins us today. Let's give up a round of applause for Matt.
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Stories like Matthew need to happen more in this country, and I promise you, we will work to make them happen. Just as I asked for legislation addressing mental health, I am asking Parliament to introduce a bill that cuts taxes for the middle and lower classes, simplifies taxes, and removes job-killing regulations.
In light of the recent scandal that has shaken your faith in government, my administration will enact new policy directives that change how the national government hires and maximizes transparency. Every minister in my cabinet, will be empowered to review all their employees bi-annually, and promote and recognize the state employees who execute their duties faithfully, without prejudice, and in strict obedience to our nation's laws and Constitution. My cabinet will also be empowered to remove state employees who act in ways antithetical to the principle of a government by the people and for the people. All public servants should do just that: serve the public, and we're going to ensure that happens.
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I encourage all provincial governments to consider similar measures.
New systems for reporting and exposing sexual assault not only in the public sector, but the private sector as well, will be proposed and adopted in ways that both helps victims get the support they need and ensures the accused gets due process.
Improving Sierra's infrastructure, especially in wake of the Pawnee earthquake, will also be a priority. Bipartisanship in this area is key and I will work to ensure legislation to rebuild our roads, bridges, and highways gets introduced by the end of the year. I will be touring each Sierran province over the next year, to see what areas of infrastructure are in most need of repair, especially in our inner cities. Transportation will be included in this initiative. Public transit should not only be a luxury of living in a major city, it should be something that is available to every Sierran at a low cost. Companies based in Sierran and elsewhere, are researching exciting new technology that could lead to the very first trans-national rail system, capable of transporting passengers from Porciúncula to Seattle in only four hours. Contributions from the private sector such as this will be crucial in improving Sierra's infrastructure situation.
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Protecting our nation's borders and improving our security will a pressing issue in 2018. A safe world is a cooperative world and my Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be working with its counterparts across the globe. Normalizing relations with Mexico and securing our border with them is extremely important which we can accomplish only with bipartisan support.
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In everything we do, it must be done with the welfare of Sierrans in mind. We can promise you that. We will never put the interests of anyone else above that of Sierrans. Sierra first and foremost is the only way I will conduct my administration over the next year, and if God willing, the years after that.
Thank you so much, and God bless the Kingdom of Sierra.
Nemesis Heartwell.