Surreal debate

Post by **spot** » Sat May 14, 2016 9:12 am

The BBC Parliament channel very kindly broadcasts sessions from the European Parliament in Strasbourg, and Thursday's debate on Tax Evasion in the light of the Panama Papers was well worth spending a couple of hours listening to.

The opening address was delivered by Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Minister of Defence for the Netherlands. In English, at a pace reminiscent of the late John Smith and with the same sense of intelligence. Nobody in British politics comes close. How anyone can want to separate the UK from an institution which includes people like her is baffling.

Anyway - my point. My hearing is damaged, and every reference she made to tax came across to my ears as tex. Not a problem until my brain filtered the word. There is no word tex. Every time she used the word I heard it as sex, and she used it a lot. Measures to be continued against sex avoidance. Distinguishing legal from illegal sex evasion, and the need for robust international anti-sex-evasion measures. I garnered as much as I could from what she outlined but it was a peculiar process.

I congratulate the Netherlands on their choice of Defence minister, I hope to hear her again on non-tax topics with, I would also hope, rather more MEPs in attendance. The room wasn't what one might call well-filled this time and it should have been, she was worth hearing.

minks · Post by **minks** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:35 am

oh Spot isn't aging fun.

you reminded my I have yet to pay my income sex bill.

Darn Sex department always getting my last dollar.