| Wind of Change: Awe for Chair 2016 |
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“The wind of change is blowing through this continent.” - Harold Macmillan, former British PM, 1957-1963
Hi there, This is my second time running for Chair of the Assembly, although it ostensibly will be under rather different circumstances from the first, given the recent Great Council, which has notably split off the Chair from the Cabinet and has expanded the Chair’s powers to a larger extent. As such, I’d like to take this opportunity to expand on a few ideas and perspectives. On organisation A searchable index of laws and decisions Following the conclusion of the recent Great Council, I am pleased to know that our laws have also become rather streamlined, in the sense that the the Charter is no longer the ‘dumping ground’ for all things, but the guiding document from which the region is governed and new laws are created. However, I believe there may still exist some difficulty where, for example, one would want to look up all laws pertaining to perhaps ‘treason’. The search feature on the forums brings up the Criminal Code, which explicitly mentions treason. But what if you want to know how to bring up a criminal case for treason? What has the High Court decided on a matter as this? These aren’t always searchable, or otherwise tl;dr-able. Thus, I believe it’d be worth experimenting with depositing all our existing laws and High Court decisions into a wiki that will allow for ease of searching A Commission on Procedures of the Assembly If elected, I will convene a Commission on Procedures of the Assembly, whose remit will seek to create a set of Standing Orders for the Assembly, which seeks to establish the rules of the Assembly, as well as a code of conduct that Legislators and the Chair will similarly be governed by, and will also seek to define more precisely the range of powers granted by the Charter to the Chair. These Standing Orders will be written with primary input from fellow Legislators, with additional input from the Chair and members of the Commission, which will comprise of both newer members to the legislative community as well as members well-versed in the South Pacific’s laws and principles. Consultations will also be sought with the Permanent Justice, to ensure that the provisions codified in the Standing Orders are in compliance with the Bill of Rights. Furthermore, the Commission will also seek to establish a set of formatting guidelines for new laws that are proposed in future, to ensure that laws are clear, concise and serve their intended purposes. On this matter, I shall acknowledge the efforts of members who have contributed the Working Group Draft, who have meticulously added brief descriptions to sections of the Charter and other laws to help better define the purpose of each set of provisions. While I will not be opposed to establishing further Commissions on other matters of importance to fellow Legislators during my term, my primary intention in establishing a Commission on Procedures of the Assembly lies in cementing the groundwork for the future administration and governance of this Assembly by future Chairs of the Assembly, being at the same time very much aware of the precedents that the upcoming term as Chair will set. Bill Coordinators When a discussion gets into the phase where a bill is being actively worked on, there should be one person normatively in charge of drafting the bill. The Bill Coordinator ensures that the draft follows our guidelines for proper formatting and wording, while also leading the general consensus of the discussion, ensuring that a bill which has merit will eventually be brought to vote, instead of simply dying off. In the case of a bill that has already been drafted, the coordinator shall be the author of the draft. Wherein a bill is hatched from an idea, fellow Legislators may volunteer for this role. On transparency Keeping a public log of all Assembly activities I will be keeping a publicly accessible log of activities of this Assembly, including a roster of legislators, their votes casted, leaves of absence granted, bills put to vote, actions taken against a Legislator for unbecoming conduct and so on, so as to ensure that there is minimal dispute when a Legislator is suspended for failing to meet voting requirements or is displaying conduct deemed to be unbecoming of a Legislator. This will also allow Legislators as well as other interested parties to monitor voting records and the progress of the Assembly. On engagement With the Cabinet One of the major changes brought about by the recent Great Council was the devolution of the Chair from the Cabinet, leaving the Chair independent of the Cabinet. Throughout my previous term as Chair, I have maintained a cordial working relationship with the Cabinet that left me nominally independent of its affairs, and I expect such an arrangement to continue in the future. In the upcoming term, if elected, I would perhaps seek the involvement of the Ministry of Regional Affairs, in particular the Fellowship Programme, to disseminate Assembly Dispatches to the region, in order to better inform the gameside community on the affairs of the Assembly. In addition, I’d also seek to involve Cabinet members in monthly Cabinet Minister’s Questions, soliciting questions from both the forums and RMB, to better allow fellow Legislators and members of the gameside community to understand the policies of the government. With Gameside As mentioned above, I’ll be drafting Assembly Dispatches with the assistance of the Fellowship Programme to be disseminated to members of the gameside community in order to allow them to better understand the recent proceedings of the Assembly, which I believe will also aid them in directing the Local Council representative on how to best represent their interests. In addition, I will also craft guides for both new Legislators, forum and gameside members to help them better understand the workings of our Assembly In retrospect Perhaps one of the more unfortunate moments in my last term as Chair, was that I had allowed my main nation to CTE despite my regular activity on the forums. On that end, I apologise unreservedly for such neglect, and I do hope to better engage the gameside community in this term. I will also be subjecting myself to the same requirements as my fellow Legislators, meaning that I too will have to vote. As is with what I have stated previously, I will more than likely be casting a vote to abstain, unless I have a strong opinion on a particular matter. In conclusion Throughout my previous term as Chair, I have endeavoured to the fullest extent, to ensure the smooth operation of the Assembly. The initiatives and ideas I have proposed above, you may notice, are geared more towards the administration of the Assembly as opposed to changing our laws, which are already subject to constant change. As such, I will be open to changes, but will propose none of my own at this point in time, for I don’t want to end the upcoming term by patting myself on the back or take credit for things that are constantly changing. Rather, it is my desire to cement the foundations of this new dynamic of the Chair and of the Assembly for future Chairs who will occupy the speakership after my term. I thank you for your support and cooperation throughout my previous term, and look forwarding to contributing and working with the community again as Chair in the term ahead. Do feel free to raise any questions or comments below Thanks Awe PS: Special thanks to Roavin for allowing me to adopt some of his ideas.
As always, post your questions, comments and other feedback below!
Awe — what do you think is the more significant difference between your campaign and Bel's?
-tsunamy
[forum admin] (06-09-2016, 07:37 AM)Tsunamy Wrote: Awe — what do you think is the more significant difference between your campaign and Bel's? Thank you for the question Tsu. As I have mentioned in my concluding paragraph, my campaign is focused more on backroom improvements - ie improvements to the administration of the Assembly, rather than advocating for a change in laws, which Bel has proposed. While I'm not entirely opposed to having a commission delve into these issues, I think it is important to note that these aspects of our legislation are subject to constant change, and thus the changes proposed by a Commission may not actually endure into the long term. The administrative aspect of the Assembly however, would be important to set the groundwork for, and I believe it's something future Chairs of the Assembly will continue to improve upon. These processes will help to allow the Assembly to hopefully run more efficiently and conducively. Another thing that sets us apart is the slight difference in perspective towards how we view the Chair. In my campaign, I have stated that I hoped for the cordial working relationship between the Chair and the Cabinet to continue. To use an analogy, I'd like to think of the Chair as 'that kid who lives two states away but still comes back to the family home for Christmas', rather than 'college kid who gets kicked out of the house because he's expected to fend for himself' or 'get off my lawn or I'll blast you with a shotgun'. I'll treat Cabinet members the same as other fellow Legislators, and as Legislators, everyone is welcome to start discussions and propose legislation and ideas. There is no need for any sort of tension here. Nor are we going to have Cabinet members answer questions from fellow Legislators and members of the community with a target on their backs, just that the Legislators do display an interest towards certain issues that they think Cabinet members would best be able to answer. It will be a two-way relationship, not a one-way relationship.
It is with pleasure that I, as Acting Chair of the APC and on behalf of the APC, formally endorse Awe for CoA.
I am Zadiner/Zak. Part of Assembly, some other stuff, Founder of some other region.
Hey, I have a bunch of issues. You don't need to care. Emoji of the week: :dodgy:
I thank the APC for its endorsement, and also thank all Legislators who have taken the time to vote thus far.
To those who have yet to vote, go read the various campaign platforms and go vote today! |
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