Medical student Liselot Raat was supposed to give her say this morning about the future of Groningen Airport Eelde (GAE), but is holding back her contribution for now. The chairman of the Youth Advisory Council Drenthe does not feel taken seriously by the Provincial Council, because they decided at the last minute not to discuss the future of the airport until later.
“I am very disappointed in the way things are going now”, Raat started her short but fierce speech this morning. She did this after the parliamentary factions had just spent half an hour talking about whether or not to continue the debate about the airport.
Sam Pormes (GroenLinks) wants a new board to be formed to talk about ‘Eelde’. “We are still waiting for a report from Adviesbureau Berenschot and an application for the airport decision from the airport,” he says. “In addition, there are nineteen questions from the Party for the Animals and thirteen from GroenLinks that still need to be answered.”
A total of six parties were in favor of postponing the agenda item, while eight wanted to discuss the item today. The rules of procedure state that the item on the agenda can then be discussed, but chairman Annigje Udinga proposed to give Liselot Raat the floor and then deal with the item after the summer.
Raat then kept it short and decided not to tell her whole story. “Because it won’t be treated today anyway. Then I might as well have sent a memo.”
She did, however, take the opportunity to criticize the state of affairs in the States. “I was supposed to record two weeks ago, then I was canceled the day before. Now it turns out that we are not going to discuss it again. I really think that’s a bad thing.”
Member of Parliament Alfred Schoenmaker (Strong Local Drenthe) was disappointed by the state of affairs. “I sit here with secondhand embarrassment.” Later – by way of statement and with a big wink – he would ask for the postponement of another meeting point.
The future of Groningen Airport Eelde will be discussed again after the summer recess. Youth Advisory Council chairman Raat does not yet know whether she will be present. “But I hope that when I’m there, I can have my say.”
Raat already gave a tip of the veil. “The advisory council sees the importance of the airport for employment in Drenthe.” It is still awaiting an extensive speech.