Quote from: Mic'haglh Autófil, O.Be on Yesterday at 10:45:13 PMSince it's been mentioned more than once now, I should note that yes, I intend to pursue the Upper House of Review Amendment...

Glad to get confirmation you are moving forward with this.

Since it's been mentioned more than once now, I should note that yes, I intend to pursue the Upper House of Review Amendment as part of the Democracy Agenda.

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC on December 15, 2025, 08:04:41 PMHere's another one, which I just brought up in another thread: narrow down or eliminate the ability of parties to allocate seats off-list.

...

There's also a vague idea about adding requirements for parties to choose their lists in a democratic and open fashion, rather than the leader doling them out at whim, but I'm not sure how we'd work that.

At least in the vein of "narrowing down", I would argue that parties should only be able to allocate seats to off-list candidates if they are unable to legally assign any seats to candidates on-list. The 1/3 limit would (and in my opinion should) remain untouched, but also preference should be more clearly in favor of the listed candidates.

As to the latter idea, it's a fine one in spirit, but I would argue there's a right for parties as private organizations to conduct their internal affairs as they see fit within the broad confines of the law. This is more a point of principle than a legal issue; something on which to judge parties when in the polling booth.

Quote from: Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial, UrGP on December 16, 2025, 04:57:01 PMIt is a big problem in my opinion that MCs are merely custodians of party power instead of being elected and acting on their own behalf. Even for a proportional system, the way that seats are literally portioned out like slices of a pie is really strange to me.

This circumstance might contribue to the way the Cosă functions on a day-to-day basis: bills are put forward mainly by party leadership, and most rhetorical mud fights are also between party leaders, while the rest of the Cosă silently spectates on the sidelines waiting for the monthly Chancery email reminding them to vote on the Clark arrives in their inbox, just to unquestioningly vote the way the party leadership commands them to. Every parliamentary system has backbenchers of course, but the ratio here seems to be way off.

In an ideal world, MCs would be empowered enough to act on their own. Maybe an electoral reform, or even a switch to a different voting system entirely, can effect this change.

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC on December 16, 2025, 07:12:29 PMI am *very* supportive of an electoral reform that would mean that individual MCs rather than just parties would be subject to accountability from voters. A minimal way of doing this might be "open party lists", where you can choose a party but give "yes" or "no" votes to individual candidates within that party. A maximal way might be Single Transferable Vote.

There could also be room for "parliamentary reform". Like, every MC can only speak in the Hopper or the Ziu a certain number of times a month. So party leaders would have to at least delegate.

While I've obviously gone on record as supporting a Mixed-Member Proportional Cosa, if we are to remain a bicameral legislature, it would seem there's a spectrum of "making individual MCs accountable to voters", along the lines of:

• Closed-list proportional representation (current method)
• Open-list proportional representation
• Panachage / free vote (I actually like panachage tbh)
• Something like proportional approval voting or single transferable vote

Realistically, any of the alternatives would be an improvement, though one of the dangers of the public ballot is that people likely feel pressured to avoid making any of the major political figures angry with them, so a more "personal" form of counting votes should likely be coupled with a more private method of casting them.

Fully on-board with Sir Marcel's arguments in favor of a smaller Cosa.

And we should probably look at formalizing and empowering the offices of Tuischac'h and Mençei, to let them maintain better order in their chambers.

I'm not sure it particularly matters whether or not Job A and Job B are done by the same person, versus Job A and Job B being merged into one position.  The key point is that we shouldn't be picking less active people to round out the numbers of the Cabinet, and I still want to avoid that.  Otherwise you end up in a situation where, at any given moment, only 2 out of 5 Ministers are actually doing anything.

As far as I can tell, the Public Records Minister doesn't have a lot to do, and so it seems like it doesn't make sense to have it as a whole Cabinet position.  But you just got done in the job, and I didn't want to reach any hasty conclusions -- maybe there's more than meets the eye, or additional responsibilities I haven't thought of.  Was there more to it?

To be clear, in this case you are arguing not in favor of keeping multiple roles in as few hands as possible -- something you campaigned on:

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on September 23, 2025, 11:39:47 AMConsolidate positions.  Where possible, preference should be given to someone active and letting them serve multiple positions, as opposed to picking less active people to round out the numbers.  If the active person encounters a crisis they're not equipped to handle, then they can ask for help from someone with more expertise but less attention.

But are instead arguing in favor of merging this position with another one outright. Do I understand correctly?

Embarrassingly, I have realized that I actually created some of them and I already have the files. I vectorized the seneschal badge tonight, and I'll do the rest when I get around to them.

Thank you for your efforts. If I need assistance with the images, would you be available to help?

-SVA

The only government emblem I have been involved with, SVG or otherwise, was the creation of the badge for the Ministry of Technology. I have no knowledge of how many others exist in vector form, though it seems most of them exist on the wiki in raster image formats (PNGs, or, God help us, GIFs for really old ones).

Some of them would certainly be easy to "vectorize", others would likely need a little polishing.

- Foxmouth

Immigration has been one of the most important topics to me for a long time, and that remains no less true now.  We have seen long periods of doldrums, spanning months at a time, followed by lucky strikes with media that led to short booms.  We must find a sustainable path and figure out a plan for the future.

We will continue some of the good work of the previous administration, which fulfilled some of our requests to simplify the immigration form.  The entire process needs a top-to-bottom fresh look, and we need to implement the recommendations of the royal commission.

I also pledge that we will work tirelessly to pass our flagship Public Process Act, new and improved with feedback by MC Tafial of the URL that gives it some real teeth.  And we will look back at applications from the past, to see if there were any problems in the past.  Hopefully, there will be none, and we can move forward with this reform and fear none in the future.

Due to the importance of this role, I will take it on, although I will be looking for a permanent secretary to assist.

Aglhorc:

Éu perventüră requestéu, qe Voastra Maxhestà apünta Alexandreu Davinescu àl óifisch del Ministreu dal Inmigraziun.

So then:

I hereby request that His Majesty appoint Alexandreu Davinescu to the office of Minister of Immigration.

þerxh Sant-Enogat, Mençei and senator for Cézembre, immigrated only a couple of years ago.  And yet in that short time, he has become indispensable.  He has become a leader and organizer, founding the Progressive Alliance and serving as its guiding conscience, as well as the architect of our symbolism and style.  He has been one of the most important leaders of his province.  And he has happily contributed to the success of others in his role as Permanent Secretary of Propaganda.  I am incredibly grateful that he rose up in a dark hour to continue the fight for good government, even when things looked their darkest -- remember that first vote for the Progs, þerxh, with 7.5% of the vote?

Senator Sant-Enogat has graciously agreed to serve as Distain.  This is a catch-all position, with tasks and responsibilities yet to come.  We have projects and plans, and I am grateful that Senator Sant-Enogat will be there to share them with me.  Thank you, þerxh.

Aglhorc:

Éu perventüră requestéu, qe Voastra Maxhestà apünta þerxh Sant-Enogat àl óifisch del Distain, es lo quaxhitéu à servar el Legeu Orgänic es sieu Regeu àl miglhor da sieux capacitaes.

So then:

I hereby request that His Majesty appoint þerxh Sant-Enogat to the office of Distain, and I urge him to serve the Organic Law and his King to the best of his abilities.

By the authority granted me by Org.VI.3, I would like to ask His Majesty, the King of Talossa, to appoint some select few to assist with the work of government.  These shall serve in the Cabinet, and I know they will serve with honour.  Many of these individuals have already planned out their goals, while others will have work enough in the days to come.

As I set about this task, I wish to express my gratitude to them for agreeing to serve their fellow citizens.  Our officials serve without pay and without pomp, enduring criticism and tedium for the joy of seeing a vision realized and a trust fulfilled. Thank you, my friends. And thank you to the people of Talossa, for believing in a bright future to come.

Have we really come to this? The URL is so vexed that their smear tactics didn't win them enough votes or any favors, so their paramount leader is going to double-down and compare the PA leadership, and our upcoming Seneschal, as "abusers"?

We took on insult after insult for weeks with our heads held high and positivity in our responses, but this...? Let the whole of Talossa see how shameless and low your side is willing to go. By all means, heap as many insults and attacks as you want, we will govern responsibly and with respect to every citizen as duly elected members of government.