[Lauchenoiria]

Liaville Times – Referendum Special

25th February 2019

50/50 split in opinion as business leaders speak out against independence

Today, a group of Lauchenoirian business owners operating on Aeluria issued a statement opposing independence on the grounds that it “would cause large amounts of uncertainty, and could have a devastating impact on the market and our economy”. The group have raised concerns about the ability of an independent Aeluria to ‘prosper’.

“There are absolutely no economic benefits to independence,” claims Piers Coombs, the CEO of Butterfly Solar, a manufacturer of solar panels which provide a considerable amount of Aeluria’s electricity. “In fact, the uncertainty of independence could be devastating for businesses and for the economy.”

Coombs is the spokesperson of the group, however he attracted controversy in 2016 when he was accused of tax evasion. No case against him was found. However, not all businesses are on Coombs’ side.

Windwallow Dairy is the largest producer of dairy products on Aeluria. They own acres of land across the island and as well as producing products for the island, they also export to the mainland. Nevertheless, their elderly owner Jem Wilkins, 88, is a staunch supporter of independence.

“I’ve voted AIP since the party was formed, and supported independence for longer than that. I remember the communists so-called revolution in 1952, and I was reminded of that last year when Suleman Chaher’s coup took place. Lauchenoiria will never be a safe place for business owners, or for Aelurians.”

Today’s opinion poll shows almost an equal split, with 50.1% for Yes, and 49.9% for No with don’t knows removed.

Issue Focus - Environment

One of the main deities in Lurian is Arbrera, Goddess of Trees and Nature. Respect for the natural environment is one of the virtues Lurites are meant to embody. It is no surprise, then that, second to the AIP, the green is one of the most popular parties for Lurite voters. And with the high proportion of Lurite supporters of independence, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Green Party has chosen to endorse independence.

The AIP and the wider Yes campaign have made repeated assurances that if Aeluria becomes independent, new environmental protections will be enacted quickly and comprehensively. The island already receives 87% of its electricity from renewable sources, thanks to both sunny weather and high winds. An independent Aeluria would aim to increase this to 100%, say the Yes campaign.

But is independence strictly necessary to achieve this goal? Opponents of independence say no. Lauchenoiria is hardly anti-environment, they say. After all, before the coup, the country was governed by a Liberal-Green coalition, and Lauchenoiria consistently met its carbon emission targets before the war (during the war, emissions increased dramatically, however all are agreed that was a temporary effect of the conflict).

The environment is a non-issue in the independence debate, say opponents. But supporters of independence disagree. While the Liberal-Green coalition may have had excellent environmental credentials, there is no guarantee subsequent governments will. And the central government has a long history of interfering in Aelurian affairs, often to the detriment of both Aeluria and the mainland, in a show of strength, they say.

Aeluria’s environment was damaged by the communist regime, say supporters of independence, and the central government are still blocking the island from fixing some of the issues caused. Opponents say this is simply not true, and remind the pro-independence side that the communist regime has been consigned to the history books. The question is: after all that happened last year, will anyone believe it?