It seems to make more sense to make a new thread about the debate; my apologies to the URL for cluttering up their thread. I'm just glad we're able to make it happen!
Right now, it's scheduled for this Saturday, Balloting Day, at 11 TST. The questions are partially set -- we're waiting to hear back again from Mic'halgh and the moderators (
@Sir Ian Plätschisch , take a look!) It's going to be very exciting!
I posted a video on the Progressive Alliance Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@talossanprogress/video/7570485183913282846) so that our legions of loyal followers will know about the debate, by the way!
I am not available on the 15th but I'm sure his Majesty will do an excellent job.
I will review the questions though.
Quote from: Sir Ian Plätschisch on November 09, 2025, 01:44:04 PMI will review the questions though.
Okay, thanks! I shared them with you last week, so check your Drive shared.
Really need the moderators to weigh in again on a few of these questions, please.
@King Txec and
@Sir Ian Plätschisch
I'm trying to weigh in but Google Docs are always conflicting with my work Google account. I'm doing my best though (even though getting them in the correct orange highlight is not fun on a phone haha)
-Txec R
Quote from: King Txec on November 10, 2025, 02:14:21 PMI'm trying to weigh in but Google Docs are always conflicting with my work Google account. I'm doing my best though (even though getting them in the correct orange highlight is not fun on a phone haha)
-Txec R
I fixed your highlighting for you -- in retrospect, maybe we should have used the comment function. Sorry about the difficulty.
Quote from: King Txec on November 10, 2025, 02:14:21 PMI'm trying to weigh in but Google Docs are always conflicting with my work Google account. I'm doing my best though (even though getting them in the correct orange highlight is not fun on a phone haha)
-Txec R
For our part, we'd certainly want to help make things easier for His Majesty, but to do that we need to make sure that the debate prep process isn't poisoned by "working the refs", and instead just let the moderators do their jobs.
If both moderators agree there's a problem, then there's probably a problem. Sir Ian and His Majesty are pretty fair-minded. They've certainly also given me feedback :)
All five Progressive questions are set, and so are two of the URL's questions, folks! We're nearly there!
Side note: Can we agree to aim for fifty minutes total? I'd like to help my wife with something right after the debate. She's spent a few weeks organizing a big local event about some books, and I want to be supportive.
Would I be part of this debate as well?
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No, sorry -- we arranged it a while ago and now we're just working out the details. I'd be happy to also debate with you, if you'd like?
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on November 10, 2025, 08:03:12 PMNo, sorry -- we arranged it a while ago and now we're just working out the details. I'd be happy to also debate with you, if you'd like?
That's fine, I was just mainly wondering if there would be a zoom debate or smth. I am open to a debate with you, but would it be one-on-one or will there be a moderator present?
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Either one is fine with me.
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on November 14, 2025, 02:23:59 PMFairly said -- let me say that I can personally commit to a chat with any and all, either way -- and it would be great to have you there, Your Majesty. Here (https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76531261968?pwd=aocU5w3dLKwiIme0Ltl2bdaxu20jVi.1)'s a Zoom link for tomorrow morning at 11 TST.
I'm having some scheduling problems today -- my wife is helping produce a big weekend event and she's asked for my help at 11 TST.
@King Txec and
@Mic'haglh Autófil, O.Be , I hope you understand! Would some time around 3pm TST (4pm EST, 1pm ST, 9pm GMT) be okay?
I have a prior commitment at that time.
-Txec R
Okay, so my wife's big event (and some disagreements) derailed us a bit. But this weekend, I'm pretty free and clear. Would that work for people to do a more casual chat, generally?
I should be free and would love to participate. Let me know when you plan on holding this.
-Txec R
Let's see if it works for Mic'halgh, too -- maybe one day or the other is better for him. I'm pretty free and clear.
Unfortunately this weekend is quite busy for me
Hey, since we're not going to get the debate, I suppose I'll throw in my pet Burning Question here.
If the PA lead the next government, are they going to introduce legislation to abolish party lists, as foreshadowed after the last election?
I don't think they need to be abolished, but I do think the restrictions on people holding seats and party lists are perhaps too strenuous. If the Progressive Alliance had gotten a larger vote share or had more people in the Senats last term, we'd maybe have not been able to hold our seats. I am skeptical of rules that over-rule the will of the people when it comes to new or smaller parties. However, it's near the end of my priority list, and I'm more in the "let's take a close look at this" phase. At a certain point it makes sense to note that it's never actually subverted the democratic vote of the people, even if it threatened to do so in the past.
Speaking for myself, here's what I think:
Our first priority should be passing the new Public Process Act, since it's really important as a question of civil liberties. We should not permit the government to have a secret veto over who even gets to apply to immigrate. I think we'll get broad support for it this time, including significant support from the URL and from other parties.
Our second priority should be issues of good governance. We'd like to fix the merchandise store so people can buy Talossa-themed goods again, fix the broken links on the website and give it a refresh, and work on some basic infrastructure things. Some of these tasks will take a short time -- a half hour or so -- and others will be a significant task.
Our third priority should be looking at the immigration process and how we can optimize it. What should our targets be for a monthly average, or do we think it's inevitably stochastic and we need to rethink it? How can we meet people where they are with the short-form videos that have been such unexpected boons? I expect to take a personal hand in this.
Other things that we can reasonably get done in a term include investigating past applications, giving positive regular speeches so that the government doesn't end up seeming like a joyless scold, exploring some new sources of funding, and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. And we should look at how our effort is expended. How many people read L'Chronica, for example, if we total up pageviews on the site and email readers? Something to think about.
Realistically, other things are likely to crop up. But with strong and inspirational leadership, I expect we can rise to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Well, for me party lists are one of the essential gains of Talossan democracy which came in after Reunision. They are an essential check on the ability of party leaders to act unilaterally. I would want them to be *strengthened* so *all* Cosa candidates have to come in on the party lists. And if there is a problem with filling all those seats as well as Senäts seats, I have an answer to that - unicameral MMP Real Cosa.
The coming Cosa will be a battleground between those who are really interested in Talossan democracy, and those who consider "elections" and "voting" to be a funny game we play while an oligarchy of the most active runs everything behind the scenes.
I'm not sure if you're going to get your battle -- as I said, I find it distasteful for the democratic vote to be overturned by the rules of politicians, but it hasn't actually happened. We have a lot bigger fish to fry!
I will say, Most Honourable Seneschal, I'm afraid that you're just about at the top of any oligarchy, lol. You've been Seneschal for way longer than anyone else in Talossan history, and it's not even close. You're the only Talossan to break a thousand days in office in the last 25 years!
I'll be interested in seeing any proposed legislation that you write, though, and I hope that -- no matter what happens with the election -- that you'll remain an active and passionate Talossan. Your vigor and ideas will always be an asset to our little country.
But any Progressive government would have different priorities. We have a ton of plans, as you know, and we intend to follow through on our campaign promises to the people. If we are fortunate enough to win the confidence of our citizens, we're going to focus on reforms aimed at transparency, good government, and moving Talossa forward into the modern age.
I'd be happy to discuss any of these things in more detail, or answer any other questions you might want to ask.