The Independence Party emphasizes changes that can be implemented immediately before the upcoming local elections. The party wants to initiate solutions in kindergarten and daycare issues and to push forward in elementary school issues and transportation issues.
Hildur Björnsdóttir, leader of the Independence Party, presented the party’s focus and strategy for the upcoming elections in Braggan in Nauthólsvík in the afternoon.
“We are going to emphasize the issues that we can tackle immediately in the next election period, and today we actually presented four task lists. A list of what we are going to do in the first 100 days, the first twelve months and what we are going to do in four years and future projects,” says Hildur in an interview with mbl.is.
She says that the Independence Party plans to start improving the operation of the city immediately, including by reducing the number of middle managers, selling assets such as the asphalt plant in Höfða and Ljósleiðarann.
“We are going to start a control system audit of the city system and look for ways to streamline operations. There is a lot that can be done right away,” says Hildur.
Want home payments for 12 months
The party also wants to offer more diverse solutions in kindergarten and daycare matters, including by enabling workplaces to open daycares and renegotiate with independent schools.
“We also want to develop kindergarten housing in collaboration with private parties and offer take-home payments for up to 12 months for those who want to stay at home longer,” says Hildur.
Hildur also says that the party is very concerned about the state of school affairs and the party wants to put more effort into bringing the city’s elementary schools to the forefront.
“There, we are going to do more to measure results and publish results. We want to see uniform measurements in all years of elementary school, start a literacy initiative and a two-year pilot project with phone breaks in elementary schools, where we measure the results of that.”
Hildur says that she feels that the issue of transport is a concern of the city dwellers. The party wants to focus on projects that can be started immediately. Hildur cites as examples smart light controls, construction at the Sprengisandsgatna junction and taking the Miklubraut tunnel out of the transport agreement and placing the tunnel in the hands of private parties, where construction could start in the next term.
Golf course in Viðey
Finally, the Independence Party wants to make Reykjavík a sports city. Hildur says it’s no coincidence that people from the sports movement make up the party’s list.
“In the first hundred days, we are going to map the facilities of the sports clubs. See how funding has been allocated to the sports clubs in the last decades and where the need is greatest. We are also going to start the campaign Alli erjat, which encourages all children to be involved in organized sports and leisure activities. We would like to work with the neighborhood clubs to ensure that only one fee is charged for the youngest children who practice many sports,” says Hildur.
She adds that the party is also ambitious and envisions in the future building a golf course in Viðey and reestablishing facilities for skiing in Skálafell in collaboration with private parties.
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The Independence Party has been flying high in opinion polls and was the largest party in the city in the latest Gallup survey.
Hildur says she feels a lot of support and says she is looking forward to the next few weeks and to having conversations with the city residents.
