The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
Antti Kurvinen
In english
I am a 35-year old the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland. In my office I’m assisted by State Secretary and Special Advisors.
My secretary is Tiina Sahlberg-Kelly, tel. +358 295 16 2242,
E-mail: forename.surname (at) gov.fi [tiina.sahlberg-kelly]
I am also second term MP from Kauhava in the Vaasa constituency. Regionally, I am a member of the Kauhava City Council. Making a difference in social issues has always been important to me. I am a lawyer by training and by profession.
In politics I believe in the Alkioistic ideology, in other words, I believe that the individual comes first in political activities. This is achieved through equal opportunities and the promotion of justice in society. You need to support the weak and the poor, but promote entrepreneurship in economics as well as a way of life. I try to do politics for the future: 10 and 20 years from now. The decisions always affect many generations.
Influencer of the nation
defender of the entire Ostrobothnia
ALL OSTROBOTHNIAN REGIONS ARE EQUALLY VALUABLE
The three Ostrobothnian regions need to be able to cooperate better than they do today. The conflicts between Seinäjoki and Vaasa need to be reduced. Each three regions of Ostrobothnia have their own characteristics, creating a foundation for the cooperation. The health and social services reform needs to be implemented by establishing democratic regions.
Seinäjoki and the rest of South Ostrobothnia need to cooperate better – the region needs a locomotive but the locomotive needs passengers. Ostrobothnian success stories can also be created in smaller municipalities. The same values of freedom and responsibility unite us from Lestijärvi to Lapväärtti.
FUTURE PROSPECTS WITH A NEW REGIONAL POLICY
We need a new regional policy in Finland. The new regional policy is based especially on the improvement of business conditions and job creation, taking into account local characteristics and strengths. The regionalization of government jobs must also continue.
Training opportunities must be evenly distributed everywhere, for example through training contracts and apprenticeships. Every young person should be able to go to vocational school or high school at home. The number of places available in the Ostrobothnian polytechnics must be increased and the schools’ profiles strengthened. The activities of the university centers in Kokkola and Seinäjoki must be developed to compensate for the lack of a science university. The University of Vaasa needs to become a university for the whole Ostrobothnia, taking into account the current business needs.
Taking care of the infrastructure is one of the keys in the regional policy. The degradation of the Finnish railways and roads needs to stop, and new projects need to be started. The funding of road repair and construction needs to be reformed by directing more money from the automobile tax and tolls to road maintenance, and by finding private investors for large projects.
FINNISH FOOD PRODUCTION HAS TO BE SAVED
The upcoming electoral period can determine whether Finland will maintain its own food production. We need to get past the current crisis. Finland needs a parliament and a government that can negotiate a good solution for the Finnish agriculture for the next programming period of the EU, ensuring the current level of support for agriculture and rural development.
We need to support the reform of agriculture and help the new generation to have faith in the future of farming. The rules of the market should be such that the producer receives a fair share from industries and trade.
INCREASE EVERYDAY SECURITY
Security is everything that happens around us. Everyone should be able to feel safe. More police officers are needed in Finland to work in the field in people’s everyday lives. Wolves belong in the forest, not in your front yard. Immigration policy must be shifted to a realistic level, firmly in the middle of the road. The emphasis must be on the immigration of workforce.
The penalties for crimes should feel fair. Improve the possibility for ordinary people to have access to justice without excessive costs.
GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS
Bioeconomy, circular economics and renewable energy create jobs in Ostrobothnia. The world is not saved by mere prohibitions and the dictation policy of the elite. I believe that the development of economics, technology and science is a key to fighting climate change.
Ostrobothnia is a heaven for small businesses. We need legislation to create fair conditions for small businesses on the market and the possibility to file for personal bankruptcy. The entrepreneur and the worker are in the same boat, not opposed. Finnish ownership and small-scale investment must be strengthened. I promise to continue to defend fur farming and peat production as legitimate businesses.
THE LIVELIHOOD OF PEOPLE AND FAMILIES
Finland needs to implement a complete reform of social security. In the future, it should be more profitable to go to work than to stay at home. The adequacy of the smallest pensions must be improved through a long-term program.
Everyone should be able to live a decent life. The value of a human being can never be a market value. Everyone should be able to participate and realize themselves within the scope of their own talents and resources. People with disabilities, people recovering from mental illnesses and the indebted need to be better taken into consideration.
The best place for elderly people is their home, but when they no longer can live there, they should have a chance to go to a residential care facility or a so-called senior home. We need a family related leave reform, where families are guaranteed the freedom of choice to organize their childcare in the best way they see fit. Child home care allowance should be kept and the possibility of fathers to participate in childcare should be improved.