[Terpelaziun] Minister of Immigration (8/7)

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Mr. Speaker,

I have an enquiry for the Immigration Minister. @Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC

The Royal Commission on Immigration has surfaced some good ideas summarized by the Royal part of the Commission as follows:

Here are the ideas presented so far:

Talossa Assistant Program
Royal Charters
Prime Minister's Patriotic Award
Moving of "fun" threads for public viewing (TCAT, CRT, TMT20, etc.)
A renewed focus on heraldry
Streamlining the immigration form
Each citizen +1

Minister, not all of these ideas might be feasible now to address the immigration issue. For those that are, what plans does the Government have to implement ideas like restarting use of the TalossaAssistant program and the Prime Minister's Patriotic Award?

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

Estimat Túischac'h, this Government is not going to pre-empt the findings of the Commission, which, to my knowledge, has not made a final report. The King has listed a bunch of suggestions, and it would disrespect the Commission if the Government were to comment on them at this preliminary stage.

Nonetheless, the Government's position - as reiterated in the Commission and elsewhere - is that, given the fact that there is a bustling and busy pipeline of prospective citizens, very few of whom are currently going on to claim citizenship, the problem is not with any alleged deficiency in "recruitment" of prospective citizens. It boils down to what they find when they get here and see what Talossa is like. Clearly, they don't like what they see (as opposed to what they might have read about, on our websites or in other media), and this above all is what the Government is seeking to deal with.

At the moment, the Government is most interested in creating a healthy, non-toxic environment in Talossa. Chief among such measures must be a zero-tolerance policy for "missing stairs". A nation where we have to warn prospectives, sotto voce, that they shouldn't get so close to a friendly face or a kind voice because they might find themselves being "creeped" on is not a place which can maximise immigration.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Estimat Túischac'h, this Government is not going to pre-empt the findings of the Commission, which, to my knowledge, has not made a final report. The King has listed a bunch of suggestions, and it would disrespect the Commission if the Government were to comment on them at this preliminary stage.

Nonetheless, the Government's position - as reiterated in the Commission and elsewhere - is that, given the fact that there is a bustling and busy pipeline of prospective citizens, very few of whom are currently going on to claim citizenship, the problem is not with any alleged deficiency in "recruitment" of prospective citizens. It boils down to what they find when they get here and see what Talossa is like. Clearly, they don't like what they see (as opposed to what they might have read about, on our websites or in other media), and this above all is what the Government is seeking to deal with.

At the moment, the Government is most interested in creating a healthy, non-toxic environment in Talossa. Chief among such measures must be a zero-tolerance policy for "missing stairs". A nation where we have to warn prospectives, sotto voce, that they shouldn't get so close to a friendly face or a kind voice because they might find themselves being "creeped" on is not a place which can maximise immigration.

Mr. Speaker,

So you're confirming you have nothing new to offer on the issue of immigration. Other than the exercising of your own grudges and grievances. And are content to wait as long as the Royal Commission is active rather than pulling ideas as they come.

Sounds like crisis response to me.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

S:reu:

I think there are two good points to be made here:

The Ministra is correct to note that it's possible that a pertinent problem that MC Tzaracomprada sexually harassed another citizen, and yet he's still bopping around with no remorse. It's something that we will have to further address.

Even in this thread, on an important matter, I am reluctant to agree with him or appear to be taking "his side," because I do not want to be associated with him in any way.

Having said that, there's no real reason not to do these things that have been suggested, even if a final report hasn't been made. That just kind of sounds like an excuse. If not those things, we should be doing something else.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

Having said that, there's no real reason not to do these things that have been suggested, even if a final report hasn't been made. That just kind of sounds like an excuse. If not those things, we should be doing something else.

Mr. Speaker,

Small victories. Accountability in government even if wrapped in animosity is welcome here. I will continue to "bop" around having apologized for whatever harm Luc experienced and that is the remorse already offered. Whether it is sufficient is a valid judgement but not a concern of mine.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

I will continue to "bop" around

We'll see about that.

Estimat Túischac'h, I would like to remind the member for the Progressive Alliance that - no matter how I appreciate his comment on The Big Bopper here - it's not appropriate to intervene in someone else's Terpelaziun thread. However, had he asked the Terpelaziun himself, as he is entitled to, I would happily answer that "revising the immigration form" will be this Government's #1 job after the necessarily legislation passes on this Clark.

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

We'll see about that

Yes, we will Miestra.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

We'll see about that.

Estimat Túischac'h, I would like to remind the member for the Progressive Alliance that - no matter how I appreciate his comment on The Big Bopper here - it's not appropriate to intervene in someone else's Terpelaziun thread. However, had he asked the Terpelaziun himself, as he is entitled to, I would happily answer that "revising the immigration form" will be this Government's #1 job after the necessarily legislation passes on this Clark.

S:reu:

The precedent from previous sessions has been that the questioning legislator and named officer of the Government "hold the floor" of the thread until the statutory obligations have been met -- until the question has been asked and answered, and it becomes apparent that the legislator does not have a further follow-up question.  The question was asked and answered, and MC Tzaracomprada did not ask a further question.  The Most Honourable Seneschal is mistaken about the point of order, unless I am mistaken on this point.  I thank the Seneschal for the efforts at order, regardless, and take it in that spirit with no ill will.

To continue the discussion, I will note that there is absolutely nothing preventing the Government from revising the immigration form right now.  I would advise copying the page and have it ready to go when the legislation passes.  (Also, the statutory requirements are very minimal under the current law, so a lot could have been done months ago.)

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

I will note that there is absolutely nothing preventing the Government from revising the immigration form right now. 

Well, there is, given that the current law requires a mandatory Essay and does not stipulate that applications must be in English or Talossan, which I think are pretty important things to change; so we're going to do it once and do it right, after the legislation passes. But may I remind the Member one more time that getting people applying for citizenship is not a problem right now.
 
As to Terpelaziun protocol, the Member's understanding of custom is IMHO incompatible with the revised legislation, but the Túischac'h will judge.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Well, there is, given that the current law requires a mandatory Essay and does not stipulate that applications must be in English or Talossan, which I think are pretty important things to change; so we're going to do it once and do it right, after the legislation passes. But may I remind the Member one more time that getting people applying for citizenship is not a problem right now.

S:reu:

As far as I can tell, the only mandated parts of the application are contact information (which we still want), some way to indicate their interests, and the essay question.  That leaves an enormous amount of latitude for improvement right now.  (Or over the past months.)

There were zero immigrants in April.  There were zero immigrants in May.  There were zero immigrants in June.  There were zero immigrants in July.  After four months of flatlining immigration, I ask the Ziu: why isn't the Government acting with any urgency at all?  This part of the process was identified by a recent immigrant as a very real barrier to entry, but even if it's only a small factor, it might be worth taking a break from logo selection to try something.

As to Terpelaziun protocol, the Member's understanding of custom is IMHO incompatible with the revised legislation, but the Túischac'h will judge.

If I am mistaken as to the protocol, I apologize.  It was unintentional.  I would ask if the Most Honourable Seneschal could please identify the provision in Title H in question?

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

This part of the process was identified by a recent immigrant as a very real barrier to entry

I must have missed that. Citation, please?

(BTW we've finished selecting a logo, but you knew that.)

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

S:reu:

In response to the Most Honourable Speaker, I will note that the brother of His Majesty mentioned the burden of the intimidating application process during the proceedings of the royal commission on immigration.  He specifically recommended not asking so much up-front, including about interests, but thought a multi-stage process might be better.  I'm not endorsing that particular solution, but it's definitely one possible path that might be explored.

I am endorsing trying some things that might help, and possibly even acting with some urgency.

According to its own records, this Government has welcomed only a single immigrant during this term of office.  That's an immigration rate of 0.2 citizens per month so far... a sharp decline from the 0.9 citizens per month of last term, and a shocking low when compared to the Most Honourable Seneschal's predecessors.  I have no idea why the Government requires persuasion before it will grudgingly turn its attention to an existential threat to the country.

As an aside, I worry that I am in breech of terpelaziun protocol, as the Most Honourable Seneschal has said.  I will be happy to start a new terpelaziun, but for my own enlightenment, I'd ask the Most Honourable Seneschal to please identify the provision in Title H that I have missed.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC]

Resurrecting a dead thread to remind myself to rewrite the Immigration form now that the requisite law has passed.