227-2509 Gateway News Service- Gateway
A lot of news coming out of Gateway today. Let us first check in on the Prime Minister who has held a press conference to address a great deal of misinformation regarding the colonial situation as well as the terrible events on New Africa. So we will take you to Hiroshi O'Toole at the PM's press conference:
GNS: Hiroshi can you fill us in on what is going on?
Hiroshi O'Toole: Well Bill, it looks like the PM is about to come out, the Press Secretary has announced that he will not be taking questions after his statement, to the boos and annoyance of the assembled media. Oh, here is the PM.
Prime Minister Gonzalez-Cenisac: Good day to all citizens of the Gateway Federation. First allow me to address the terrible events on New Africa. As we all have known, biological weapons are some of the most horrific weapons ever invented and deployed by mankind. The White Plague on Terra, the Ebola terrorist use, the Neo-Typhus epidemic showed that this sort of weapon needs to be proscribed, and those who develop and use them, hunted down without mercy and brought to a swift, and final justice.
Fast couriers have reached us in the last 12 hours, and based on that information, so helpfully provided by Sutekh forces, we are officially declaring that since the weapons originated on Gateway, we have issued arrest warrants for the two women, and will fully cooperate with any world which helps bring them to justice. I have directed the Minister of Justice, as well as the Intelligence Minister to devote their resources to finding and arresting those two. I have also signed a Prime Ministers Finding that allows the use of Special Forces units to assist in the capture or termination of the enemies of humanity and other races.
I have also directed that all possible shipping that can load cargo, do so, and we are shipping emergency medicines, supplies, and humanitarian aid to New Canberra for re-shipment to New Africa. New Canberra has been chosen as the staging area for all help and aid. I have also directed that a full brigade of Marines, an Engineer Brigade, and another of Military Police be sent to assist in law enforcement and reconstruction. I have directed the Navy to provide such ships as would assist in the enforcement of the quarantine, and help with the survivors of the plague.
The Minister of Justice tells me that they are preparing capital charges for the 39 members of the Medical Products and Research Company of Gateway for mass murder, production and transport of biological weapons which is proscribed under the Gateway Treaty, as well as such other crimes as come to light.
Now as a result of the tragedy on New Africa, I have been forced to take money that was going to be spent for new warship construction, and move it to the humanitarian budget to help our friends and neighbors on New Africa. I realize that there were those who were hoping that these ships would start construction soon, but after speaking with the Minister of the Exchequer, we just could not justify this construction since it would place us in a deficit state which is specifically illegal under the Gateway Constitution. Needs must when the devil drives, and it is our responsibility to our neighbors to come to their aid when situations like this arise.
So any warship production is deferred until the next budget cycle in two years. While I understand the need for new and advanced ships to defend Gateway, a close and critical examination of the needs show that we can be fully defended with the ships we have, and in fact, there are really no new capital ships needed, but instead cruisers and escort ships would be the most useful, so I have directed the War Minister to plan appropriately, and have so notified Parliament.
Next, there has been a great deal of misinformation regarding our stance on colony worlds, and there is this terrible misapprehension that somehow Gateway is going to act like an interstellar bully, and force worlds into some supine satrapy status under Gateway suzerinty against their will. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we of the Gateway Federation wish the independent colonies the best, will do all we can to assist them, defend them from pirates, and provide humanitarian services as needed. If you have a question, ask my Press Secretary and we will get you the real answer, not some Deep State fantasy.
But under no circumstances should unverified and unofficial statements by low ranking colonial, military, and other officials be taken as any sort of a change in our policy. As is well known, we stand by our obligations under the treaty, and will absolutely remain a good neighbor, and the days of the Gateway Loyalists attempting to form an overweening powerful Empire are over, and will not ever be allowed to return.
As for the alien ruins on Aki, there is a legally chartered colony there, so we will strictly and faithfully abide by the treaty, and form our own colony on Aki, the New Styx colony. I have directed that at least 1,000 settlers be prepared to move to Aki. Despite the wishes and dreams of some in the Opposition, we are NOT, and I repeat NOT going to do anything to upset the Status Quo. So dreams of the Mighty Gateway Federation taking the planet for ourselves are just that; dreams.
Also do not listen to members of minor political parties who are attempting to once more sully the name of the Gateway Federation, by claiming that they have regained power and want Gateway to become an interstellar bully. I tell you right now, as long as I am Prime Minister those days will not ever come back. Thank you all for coming, and I will address other matters at a later time.
The opposition leader Martha Ogorkewicz has issued a statement that the Prime Ministers actions are nothing less than a betrayal of the Gateway Federation and by deferring the ships that are so vitally needed he has ensured that the many enemies of the Gateway Federation will most certainly take advantage of this to our detriment. She also called for an immediate investigation into the Administration for treason. She was out voted by an 87% margin in her motion. Well Hiroshi O'Toole signing off from Gateway.