The Green Party is excited to announce we will be publishing an Opposition Report Card of sorts on each government ministry. As was mentioned at the outset of this term, we would endeavor for at least one terpelaziun per ministry per month with variances as needed. Now that we are nearing the end of the term we will use the data from the terpelaziuns and responses to create a qualitative report on government performance. We welcome government responses to the report should they deem it necessary. The report will be published on Wittenberg and on other fora for accessibility by all Talossans. This is another part of our goal of serving Talossa by holding the Government to account.

Over the past several weeks my workload and volunteering have been very high. To deal with the stress I returned to playing videogames for a bit during weekends and before bed sometimes during the week. The space strategy game, Stellaris, has been quite a delight for mental play.

Anyone else play this game?

Tuischach,

I am submitting this enquiry to the Seneschal but I wanted to preface it with a note saying the intent of the enquiry is not to annoy or harass. This is a genuine point of enquiry based on the recess announcement.

Madam Seneschal, you mention one purpose of the recess was to:

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on November 14, 2024, 02:02:07 PM...enable (a) the Cabinet to have some extra time to grapple with a backlog of work;

I ask, again, not to annoy or harass, but for purposes of tracking by the Opposition, for the Seneschal to please inform the Ziu of the backlogged work and backlog clearer.

Túischac'h,

I have a quick enquiry for the Seneschal @Miestră Schivă, UrN

This is related to her reply (no updates) on behalf of the Foreign Affairs Minister on November 10th where she stated the minister was absent. There was an enquiry submitted on November 2nd which went unanswered.

Is the Foreign Affairs Minister still absent?

Túischac'h, this enquiry is directed to the Finance Minister. @Sir Lüc

In reference to his reply from last month:

QuoteEstimat Túischac'h, further to the answer I gave last month, the preparation of the statement on income was delayed by my allocation of Talossan time and brainpower getting entirely diverted to the creation of the platform for the midterm Referendum. I still intend to deliver such a statement before my expected resignation from the Cabinet.

As for the second part of that answer, I have no progress to report on except to say, on a related note, I'm glad to reassure the Ziu I don't plan on seeking any reimbursment for hosting the referendum platform on my own server.

In follow-up to your reply:

a. I reviewed the government's cabinet appointments here and do not see a listed Deputy Finance Minister. I am therefore requesting the Minister update the Ziu on plans to ensure continuity within the ministry upon his likely appointment as SoS.

b. My apologies if I have overlooked the posted statement but, if it has not been posted, what updates are there on the statement on income from the Ministry?

Túischac'h:

I direct this enquiry to the Minister of Technology @Mic'haglh Autófil, SMC EiP and refer to his words from last month concerning the expected process for convening a new national database:

Quote"On the second step, we are nearing a few options in internal deliberations that I believe will be worth bringing to the public, keeping in mind this Government's other goals (for example, keeping as much of Talossa's digital infrastructure as possible on nationally-administered server space, and using "tailor-fit" solutions where possible). I would look for this discussion within a week or two, following the wrapping up of a few loose ends in our internal discussion.

The third step, of course, is contingent on completion of the second, but is also somewhat reliant on the Ministry's other main goal of re-nationalizing our web server presence. On that note, I am pleased to report that we should also be announcing a major development there in the near future (on a similar timeframe to the database-solution discussion)."

What updates are there on the public discussion on new database options and on the re-nationalization of web-server presence?

Túischac'h,

I rise to place an enquiry with the Foreign Affairs Minister. @Bentxamì Puntmasleu

With respect to his report from last month:

Quote"A new approach being considered to augment, not replace, the current is to ask of our new friends in Aerica to put us in contact with other nations. Another approach being considered is to apply for membership in an intermicronational organization (perhaps LoSS, as we had a role in forming that, or GUM). There is also the possibility of working on a joint project with other micronations in order to 1.) build our reputation in the micronational community and 2.) do general goodin the world. The cabinet has discussed a project involving climate change in Antarctica, given our territorial claims there. A logical partner for us would be Westarctica, although we would have to put aside, at least temporarily, our competing claims."

What updates (such as the Landing Pier idea) does the Foreign Affairs Minister have for the Ziu?

Túischac'h:

I direct my enquiry to the Defence Minister. Please update the Ziu on the current activities of the Defence Ministry.

Túischac'h:

I direct my enquiry to the Culture Minister. @Miestră Schivă, UrN

I refer to the Minister's reply from September:

Quote"In previous years I have suggested "calquing" a textbook for a different Romance language for use in l'educaziun glheþească. So, taking Teach Yourself Beginners' Italian or some such and tweaking it for the needs of ár glheþ naziunal. The Ladintsch Naziunal is unsure of the feasibility of that approach, so we're still discussing one that might be better."

What updates does the Culture Ministry have on this discussion?

Túischac'h,

This enquiry is for the Immigration Minister. @Miestră Schivă, UrN

Please let me know if I am mistaken but I think we have seen one new citizen so far. It is understandable we want quality rather than quantity but one citizen every four months may be on the extreme side. Besides the work on the recently passed immigration reform (based on the aforementioned premise) please inform the Ziu on steps to attract new entrants to the nation.

Túischac'h:

I direct my enquiry to the STUFF Minister. @Bråneu Excelsio

An ancient and mythical Pastafarian group left the following comment on our FB page:

Quote"All the website emails are bouncing as undeliverable and the link for the ID cards returns an error as well... while the coins/stamp page is still good. Has the nation.... Collapsed?!?!?!"

I think we can both agree the nation has not collapsed but I noted there was no response to this comment. Would you please confirm there is no current website email or link bounce issue concerning ID cards?

Tuischach:

This enquiry is for the Seneschal. @Miestră Schivă, UrN

What is the status of transmitting the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Organic Law Reform to the Royal Archivist as mandated by the Second Talossan Government Transparency Act?

Whereas, the intent of the CRL to provide a forum for the improvement of bills was honorable, and

Whereas, this can be achieved with a longer stay in the Hopper and without that extra body.

---

Therefore, be in enacted, that the Ziu of the Kingdom of Talossa enacts the following changes in El Lexhatx:

H.2.1.5 through H.2.1.6.2 are repealed in their entirety:

Quote2.1.5. For each Cosă term is created a Comità da Redacziun Legislatïu (in english Legislative Advisory Committee), hereinafter "the CRL", which shall review or revise all legislative items from the Hopper once they have moved to committee; and may recommend acceptance or rejection , or suggest amendments in their best judgment.
2.1.5.1. The main, but not exclusive, purpose of the CRL, with the assistance of the Scribery, shall be to evaluate bills from the technical point of view of the quality of the legislation, the correctness of the language, the internal consistency of the document and consistency with existing legislation.
2.1.5.2. The CRL shall conduct all its deliberations openly in the Hopper.
2.1.5.3. The CRL shall consist of the incumbent Mençéi, Túischac'h, and Avocat-Xheneral.
2.1.5.3.1. The Mençéi, Túischac'h, and Avocat-Xheneral may at any time appoint and dismiss one Senator or one Membreu dal Cosă, to serve as a member of the CRL in their place.[716]
2.1.5.4. The CRL may create further committees to which their functions may be delegated, as concerns any bill or category of bills. Such a committee must have at least 3 members, including at least 1 Membreu dal Cosă and 1 Senator.
2.1.6. After the CRL has given its recommendation, or if it gives no recommendation within 30 days of the bill having passed to committee, the bill has passed the Hopper and the sponsor of the bill may ask for it to be Clarked, with or without amendments.
2.1.6.1. The same bill can not be submitted to the Clark more than once in the same Cosa, unless the original bill was vetoed, the original bill had been retired or voted down by its main sponsor during the voting period, or the bill has been substantially amended, as judged by the Secretary of State.
2.1.6.2. Bills must be submitted to the Secretary of State more than 24 hours before the publication of the Clark. Bills received less than 24 hours before publication of the Clark shall be published in the next Clark or postponed for one Clark, at the Secretary of State's discretion.

H.2.1.3 which currently reads as:

Quote2.1.3. A bill has passed the Hopper if it has spent at least 10 days in the Hopper and at least half of the Senators and 2/3 of Cosă seats express their support in the Hopper for clarking the bill.

is revised to read as follows:

Quote2.1.3. A bill has passed the Hopper if it has spent at least 10 20 days in the Hopper, and at least two of the following officers (Mençéi, Túischac'h, and Avocat-Xheneral) have recommended approval or have no objections after evaluating the bill from the technical point of view of the quality of the legislation, the correctness of the language, the internal consistency of the document and consistency with existing legislation.
2.1.3.1 If there is no collective recommendation (review by at least two of the following: Mençéi, Túischac'h, and Avocat-Xheneral) within 30 days of the bill's introduction to the Hopper, the bill has passed the Hopper and the sponsor of the bill may ask for it to be Clarked, with or without amendments.

H.2.1.4 which currently reads as:

Quote2.1.4. After a legislative proposal has spent at least 10 days in the Hopper, its proposer may request that it "move to committee." No bill may be Clarked without being "moved to committee", except as provided by Lexh.H.2.1.2. or Lexh.H.2.1.3.

is revised to read as follows:

Quote2.1.4. After a legislative proposal has spent at least 10 20 days in the Hopper and been approved or cleared by the necessary officials, its proposer may request that it be clarked. No bill may be Clarked without being "moved to committee", except as provided by Lexh.H.2.1.2. or Lexh.H.2.1.3.
2.1.5 The Mençéi, Túischac'h, and Avocat-Xheneral may at any time appoint and dismiss one Senator or one Membreu dal Cosă, to serve as a reviewer of the Hopper bills in their place.

Anyone else a fan of this show? Star Trek: Lower Decks returns for its final season today and it's quirky humor has really grown on me.
There was also a fun cross-over episode with Strange New Worlds.

---

Open Society congratulates @Sir Txec dal Nordselvă, UrB on his imminent ascension to the throne. We also applaud his decision to immediately resign from partisan associations. Once he becomes King Txec attention will turn to choosing his successor as Secretary of State. It is well-known that the current deputy @Sir Lüc is the apparent successor. We have no doubt on his technical capabilities but would encourage him, on his official assumption of the office, to announce internal policy or support for legislation to similar effect, which would prohibit the simultaneous holding of partisan offices while serving as Secretary of State.

We would also encourage, in future appointments, that there be due consideration that one party not dominate the Chancery. No one party holds a monopoly on the necessary expertise to serve the nation via the Chancery. And while there is no prohibition against it this does not make it a prudent course of action for a body where the appearance of impartiality must be jealously guarded.

@Sir Txec dal Nordselvă, UrB I'm not sure what the purpose of locking a thread that had already been moved out of the Cosa voting thread but I'm posting my last comment here should anyone wish to comment outside of The Lobby.

If there is a legitimate claim of harassment or violation of Wittiquette then state the examples and support the case.

---

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on Today at 00:52:06
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on Yesterday at 20:02:10
I see Breneir's "make enemies of literally everyone" campaign continues, unabated.  Consistency is its own kind of virtue, I suppose.

To be scrupulously fair to him, there is a problem here which predates him, and that's it's impossible to moderate Witt. Because - since we're all political figures - nobody wants to moderate someone and then be accused of political bias. Especially since Brenéir entire political shtick has been trashing the reputation of the outgoing SoS, and he's now trying to do that to the presumed next SoS, i.e. the two people with the authority to do so. If someone has successfully "worked the refs" to the point that no-one can even try to impose any sanctions, what to do?

One might also note that if a male Talossan were talking to a female Talossan who was their political opponent, calling them "bae" and saying "you're cute" in a sneering manner, we would see that instantly as nasty harassment that deserved sanctions. And if that were the gender relation, we would also see "she's not really being harassed, she just perceives it as such" for the gross line it is. Whatever. WITTIQUETTE RULE 8: enforce it hard.

---

There you go again, Miestra. Sneering? Nasty?  Again you are adding your opinion on the intent of what was said and presenting it as fact. Luc is handsome and I'll tell anyone who asks. I'm not sure I see the problem in saying that but I find the attention on that fact delightful. I mean I do, after all, find your reactions here adorable too but you thinking that I'm "creepy" is not a violation of Wittiquette. In the meantime, I'll continue that campaign on a nonpartisan SoS as long as you and the FreeDems make it necessary. There are several ways it can be resolved and I pray that Txec or Luc will take one of them.

Quote from: Sir Lüc on October 17, 2024, 08:22:18 AMThis therefore would only serve to sow the seeds of a constitutional crisis if a DySoS were to decide the SoS was unavailable and act in their stead without any kind of delegation, such as the one I received to run the current referendum.

Quote from: Sir Lüc on October 17, 2024, 08:22:18 AMOn RZ15, I vote Contră. As I noted several times, I support the donation but vehemently disagree with this umpteenth botching of proper practice.

My goodness, you are still cute even when wrong and troubled by febrile imagination. :)

@Sir Lüc I am re-proposing this legislation as it still seems like a good idea.

Whereas, the Chancery is one of the most important offices in the Kingdom, and

Whereas, it has been frequently stated that filling the position of Secretary of State has been a troublesome task in the recent past, and

Whereas, this statutory revision is offered in the spirit of reform as a process or act of fundamental problem-solving or iterative improvement.

Therefore, be it resolved, that the following changes are made to Title C of El Lex:

The existing 1.2.1 is replaced with: One member of the Chancery shall be the Deputy Secretary of State. The Deputy Secretary of State shall be appointed under the same procedure as the Secretary of State in addition to advice and consultation from the current Secretary of State. The Deputy Secretary of State shall immediately succeed the Secretary of State upon their death, resignation, or removal. The Deputy Secretary of State shall fulfill responsibilities to assist the effective operation of the Chancery as assigned or delegated by the Secretary of State.

The existing 1.2.1 is renumbered to 1.2.2 and revised and following subsections are renumbered: Another member of the Chancery shall be the Royal Data Clerk, heading the Office of Dynamic Data Management. The function of the Office of Dynamic Data Management is to manage all computer records owned by the Kingdom of Talossa for its official functions and delegated to its care in order to help other Royal Households, Ministries or any other organization of the Kingdom which needs data management. The Royal Data Clerk may be the same person as the Secretary of State. The Royal Data Clerk shall be considered an Officer of the Royal Household.

1.2.3. is revised to read as follows: The Royal Data Clerk is appointed by the Secretary of State. The Deputy Secretary of State and/or the Royal Data Clerk may perform official business as delegated to them by the Secretary. Both the Deputy Secretary of State and the Royal Data Clerk shall have all the access required to carry out the Chancery's functions under this section.

Uréu q'estadra så:
Breneir Tzaracomprada (MC-IND/Open Society)

Whereas, there is a need to identify the responsible official overseeing the implementation of the automatic governmental information transmittal mandated by 58RZ6, and

Whereas, Cabinet discussions are currently sealed for seven years before release is allowed by the Royal Archivist, and

Whereas, this need has led to confusion when attempting to satisfy the above-mentioned mandate.

Therefore, be it enacted by the King, Cosa and Sënats in Ziu assembled that El Lexhatx Section D.8.9 which currently reads as follows:

Quote8.9 Automated Governmental Information Transmittal

8.9.1 All internal government communications on Government-owned fora shall be transmitted to the Royal Archives as soon as feasibly possible after the conclusion of that Government's term of office.
8.9.2 These transmittals shall be released to the public by the Royal Archives seven (7) years after the conclusion of that Government's term of office.
8.9.3 No communications containing protected information covered by El Lexhatx sections D. 8.2, D. 8.3, and D. 8.4 shall be included in the transmittals.

Furthermore, The transmittal scheme shall begin with the internal government records of the Tzaracomprada Cabinet (58th Cosa).

Is amended to read as follows:

Quote8.9 Automatic Governmental Information Transmittal

8.9.1 All internal government communications on Government-owned fora shall be transmitted to the Royal Archivist by the Minister of Technology as soon as feasibly possible after the conclusion of that Government's term of office.
8.9.2 These transmittals shall be released to the public only by the Royal Archives seven (7) years after the conclusion of that Government's term of office.
8.9.3 No communications containing protected information covered by El Lexhatx sections D. 8.2, D. 8.3, and D. 8.4 shall be included in the transmittals.
8.9.4 Should the Royal Archivist position be vacant or the Royal Archivist be unavailable the Scribe of Abbavilla or Deputy Scribe of Abbavilla shall be empowered to effectuate the transmittal or release.

Uréu q'estadra så
Breneir Tzaracomprada (MC-IND/Open Society)

Tuischach:

This enquiry is for the Finance Minister. @Sir Lüc

Upon review of the Government program I unable to determine what activities for which the Opposition can meaningly practice review. This enquiry requests the Finance Minister update the Ziu on current activities.