Modern Economy for the 22nd Century Bill of 2023

“Liberal Platform abstains. We welcome most of this bill: unrestricted trading hours return a basic decision to business owners and consumers, and universal broadband access and active support for automation both expand opportunity and innovation. But Liberal Platform defines free markets as private ownership and competition together — not one without the other. Loosening merger enforcement doesn't strengthen the market, it risks concentrating it, trading rivalry for scale. A genuinely free market needs new entrants able to compete, not fewer, larger incumbents. We cannot endorse a competition-weakening article alongside reforms we otherwise support. Liberal Platform abstains rather than vote against provisions we value.”

“We support this proposal”

“Universal broadband access is something ASTER already fought for and gladly supports here — every home deserves a connection regardless of postcode. But the rest of this bill asks too much in exchange. Removing the last protected rest day from shop trading doesn't modernize the economy, it just asks more of the people who already work it hardest, with nothing offered back. Incentivizing automation without any mention of retraining or worker protection treats displacement as someone else's problem to solve later, if at all. Most seriously, loosening merger enforcement doesn't create more competition, it creates fewer competitors — a genuinely free market depends on rivalry, not its absence, and even A Better Fjordheim recognized that risk enough to abstain rather than endorse it. One good article can't carry three that ask ordinary Fjordheimers to bear the cost of growth they won't equally share in. ASTER votes No.”

“ABF supports broadband expansion, automation and greater freedom for businesses to operate. However, free markets depend on genuine competition, and weakening safeguards against excessive market concentration risks replacing competition with private monopolies. Because this bill combines strong pro-growth reforms with a competition policy we cannot fully support, ABF will abstain.”