[Terpelaziun] Seneschal (Oct 2)

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Túischac'h,

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

I'm heartened that the likely next SoS has committed to publishing an internal policy concerning a nonpartisan Chancery. I must note, however, that most members of the governing parties voted against or abstained on the Nonpartisan Chancery Act which would have enacted legal prohibitions. In the absence of a law on the matter I ask the following question:

Should the FreeDems or other party encounter an "emergency", would the Seneschal view it as appropriate to ask the next Secretary of State to serve as leader of a national party?

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I thank the member for his question. This Government is pleased to defend the independence of the civil service, and thus will support whatever policy on this matter the Chancery should adopt. The question of what political parties may or may not request or do is not part of my purview of Seneschal and would be inappropriate to comment on here. However, if the member is interested in my opinion as Free Democrats president, he is welcome to repeat his question outside this House.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

I thank the member for his question. This Government is pleased to defend the independence of the civil service, and thus will support whatever policy on this matter the Chancery should adopt. The question of what political parties may or may not request or do is not part of my purview of Seneschal and would be inappropriate to comment on here. However, if the member is interested in my opinion as Free Democrats president, he is welcome to repeat his question outside this House.

Tuischach,

I'll rephrase it as a supplementary enquiry for the Seneschal:

Would the Seneschal support prohibiting the SoS from taking on a national partisan office (such as president of a party) as a part of ensuring the independence of the Chancery?

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I thought my initial response was pretty clear. I support the Chancery making any policy it wants on this matter. The Seneschalsqåb will not interfere in such a decision, either to mandate or forbid any course of action, because we support the independence of the Civil Service, that is, its right to make its own rules without the elected Government micromanaging. I'm surprised that the member seems to have a different idea of what Civil Service independence means.

I once again urge the member, if he is interested in my personal opinion or my opinion as Free Democrats president, to ask again outside this House.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

I thought my initial response was pretty clear. I support the Chancery making any policy it wants on this matter. The Seneschalsqåb will not interfere in such a decision, either to mandate or forbid any course of action, because we support the independence of the Civil Service, that is, its right to make its own rules without the elected Government micromanaging. I'm surprised that the member seems to have a different idea of what Civil Service independence means.

I once again urge the member, if he is interested in my personal opinion or my opinion as Free Democrats president, to ask again outside this House.

Túischac'h

One final supplementary question:

I would say, again, that the Governing parties either voted against or abstained from a law prohibiting the SoS from taking a national party office, as was done in 2022. This is not a hypothetical but recent fact.

Would this Seneschal, as the official, who has the authority to appoint the SoS, and with two other officials, the ability to remove the SoS, believe that a Secretary of State is acting with in a non-partisan fashion if they take a partisan office?

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

I thought my initial response was pretty clear. I support the Chancery making any policy it wants on this matter. The Seneschalsqåb will not interfere in such a decision, either to mandate or forbid any course of action, because we support the independence of the Civil Service, that is, its right to make its own rules without the elected Government micromanaging. I'm surprised that the member seems to have a different idea of what Civil Service independence means.

I once again urge the member, if he is interested in my personal opinion or my opinion as Free Democrats president, to ask again outside this House.

Túischac'h

One final supplementary question:

I would say, again, that the Governing parties either voted against or abstained from a law prohibiting the SoS from taking a national party office, as was done in 2022. This is not a hypothetical but recent fact.

Would this Seneschal, as the official, who has the authority to appoint the SoS, and with two other officials, the ability to remove the SoS, believe that a Secretary of State is acting with in a non-partisan fashion if they take a partisan office?

Túischac'h,

I withdraw this supplementary question. In my review of her comments, the Seneschal has clearly stated they will not oppose the incoming SoS making internal policy, I sincerely hope, achieving something close to what my proposed legislation aimed for.

I will settle for watching what policy comes from the new SoS and decide on next steps, if any are necessary, then.