Living Cosa Confusion

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

The Senator from Benito previously volunteered to set things up technologically speaking, I've asked him to chime in ASAP.

We'll need an Acting Túischac'h if AD can't make it, and an agenda. And probably a quorum?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I will draw up an agenda, and if I cannot attend and if I can appoint a deputy, I will provide a brief summary of the rules of order that apply.  Most of them will not apply anyway.  The main practical effect of holding the event is going to be that the Clark is going to be a bit shorter, since the voting period will now end on the 20th, once the Living Cosa adjourns.  There's no quorum requirement, since one has to be set by the Ziu.

Basically all that can happen, as far as I can tell, is that the Living Cosa starts, people can debate and vote as recognized by the chair, and then it adjourns.  Nothing can be proposed, amended, postponed, sent to committee, or tabled.  Very little real parliamentary procedure is permitted under the law.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

Well, there are TERPs as well, as mandated by El Lex H.2. Although we should request that TERPs for the LC be submitted with at least a little bit of warning, so Government Ministers can prepare answers and not be surprised/having to make something up on the spot?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

You're right, I forgot about those, thank you.

There is no legal way of which I know to require terps be disclosed ahead-of-time, and in fact they are very different from normal terps (as far as I can see).  Living Cosa rules allow any MC to ask a question of any other MC, and that question must be answered.  Breneir goes first, and then alternately between Government and opposition MCs.  The whole thing is sort-of patterned after UK's parliamentary question time.

I will come up with some basic rules in practice for all of this, as best I can.  I believe my rules that interpret how terps can work have been fair and clear, and I'll try to do the same here.  I'll do it in advance of the Living Cosa to iron out any objections or things I didn't see, but a brief set of procedures for "open, debate and vote, ask questions alternately, and then adjourn" shouldn't be too hard.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

The process for Parliamentary Question time in the UK, as in my country, is that Ministers are given written advance notice of questions (three days in the UK); but that "impromptu" supplementary questions can then be asked. There would be no point for the Opposition to ask a TERP which a Government minister could simply not answer because they didn't have the facts to hand.

We're flying by the seat of our pants here, and I think setting precedents for good future practice is important.

[esbornatfiglheu]

The Senator from Benito previously volunteered to set things up technologically speaking, I've asked him to chime in ASAP.

We'll need an Acting Túischac'h if AD can't make it, and an agenda. And probably a quorum?

I am also available on 11/20, and can help to make this happen.  I'll have to check as to whether I can hand over moderation/host powers to whomever will be chairing or not.  If not, I guess I'll have to function as a sort of "sgt. at arms" under the direction of the chair as needed.  Might be a "cohost" function.

As soon as a I get a contact list for the invite, I can set it up and send it out.  Also a time.  Sunday afternoons (US Eastern Time) are generally my best.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

The process for Parliamentary Question time in the UK, as in my country, is that Ministers are given written advance notice of questions (three days in the UK); but that "impromptu" supplementary questions can then be asked. There would be no point for the Opposition to ask a TERP which a Government minister could simply not answer because they didn't have the facts to hand.

We're flying by the seat of our pants here, and I think setting precedents for good future practice is important.

I am certainly not insensitive to that fact, but I just don't think it would be within the bounds of propriety of my granted powers to invent restrictions like that. However! Neither is it reasonable to try to demand that every government official have every fact on hand. I will be strongly suggesting that any terps which pose questions of fact of that nature should be provided beforehand or through the written process. "I don't have those numbers on hand" is a perfectly valid response, otherwise.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

I just don't think it would be within the bounds of propriety of my granted powers to invent restrictions like that.

By my interpretation, you certainly are: "preside, direct and maintain order during Living Cosas" (OrgLaw IV.12) means by my interpretation the power to set certain rules - with the proviso that the LC can override those rules by majority vote.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

As soon as a I get a contact list for the invite, I can set it up and send it out.  Also a time.  Sunday afternoons (US Eastern Time) are generally my best.

How should political parties get you a contact list? Email addresses? Witt PMs? Facebook?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I just don't think it would be within the bounds of propriety of my granted powers to invent restrictions like that.

By my interpretation, you certainly are: "preside, direct and maintain order during Living Cosas" (OrgLaw IV.12) means by my interpretation the power to set certain rules - with the proviso that the LC can override those rules by majority vote.

I would think that my power to set such rules should probably be limited -- again with an eye to precedent.  It's more dangerous to have a chair who can so utterly control debate as it would be to have debate get a little rangey.  And again, I think it would probably be foolish to try to sandbag a minister at an LC, since they would then have the luxury of saying that they simply can't answer the question in that format.

Some polite general guidelines won't hurt: eg, "If you have any terpelaziuns planned which will depend on obscure points of law, statistics, or facts, then it is suggested that these be submitted in writing at least three days beforehand."

[esbornatfiglheu]

As soon as a I get a contact list for the invite, I can set it up and send it out.  Also a time.  Sunday afternoons (US Eastern Time) are generally my best.

How should political parties get you a contact list? Email addresses? Witt PMs? Facebook?

Email generally works best w/ Zoom invites.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Could we do a PM on here to all the MZs, the morning of the LC?

[Tric’hard Lenxheir]

I've never done a Zoom meeting, is this something I need to set up an account for or just follow a link when I am invited?

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

As soon as a I get a contact list for the invite, I can set it up and send it out.  Also a time.  Sunday afternoons (US Eastern Time) are generally my best.

How should political parties get you a contact list? Email addresses? Witt PMs? Facebook?

Email generally works best w/ Zoom invites.

I'll try to rustle up the FreeDems, but is this a situation where the SoS can release you the emails of all current MZs?

[King Txec]

As soon as a I get a contact list for the invite, I can set it up and send it out.  Also a time.  Sunday afternoons (US Eastern Time) are generally my best.

How should political parties get you a contact list? Email addresses? Witt PMs? Facebook?

Email generally works best w/ Zoom invites.

I'll try to rustle up the FreeDems, but is this a situation where the SoS can release you the emails of all current MZs?

I don't think I can legally release email addresses to anyone unless it is a General Election, and then only to party leaders and even then only those allowed to be released by personal voter choice.

[Danihel Txechescu]

How long are you expecting that to take? Google Meet is free for up to 100 participants and for up to 60 minutes. It can be created instantaneously or scheduled.

If more than 60 minutes are required I can ask at work if usage would be permitted as per company policy, for unlimited time. That was the case during the pandemic.

Speaking of which, we met via Google Meet or Jitsi back then in "La Curantaina".

[esbornatfiglheu]

I've never done a Zoom meeting, is this something I need to set up an account for or just follow a link when I am invited?

You do not need to set anything up ahead of time

[esbornatfiglheu]

Could we do a PM on here to all the MZs, the morning of the LC?

I can do that too.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Could we do a PM on here to all the MZs, the morning of the LC?

I can do that too.

@Eiric S. Bornatfiglheu if you could please PM the Zoom link. Alternatively, a PM to all MZs the morning of the LC would be prudent.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

I note that no TERPs have been foreshadowed. If the Opposition have any TERPs for which they actually want an answer - as opposed to just wanting have fun watching Cabinet ministers floundering - can I please suggest that they provide notice of these questions?

I also give notice that I'm very ill and getting up at 6 am MAY be beyond me. But we shall all see.