Why I’m Running

I’ve been advising the Cabinet since Roavin was first elected Prime Minister, and he’s given me the great honor of being nominated to run for our region’s Prime Minister. I’m running because I believe I can be a faithful leader to TSP-- somebody who plays the game honestly and according to values.

I’ve been in government before as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I’ve prided myself on running an accountable ministry without a hidden agenda. I’ve been an unabashed supporter of defending and defender values, and have promoted a democracy-first approach to our foreign affairs. It’s that kind of governance that I would bring to the Cabinet. A government transparent in its goals and purpose. I think that’s been lacking since the post-coup government, and I’m running in hopes that I can change that.

I don’t believe that TSP’s government consists of only four people. So why has our Cabinet been run as if it does? While the Assembly elects the Cabinet to come up with an agenda, handle foreign affairs, run the military, and promote activity, these things shouldn’t be divorced from public discussion. In 2014, the Cabinet consulted with the Assembly when Independent-imperialist regions tried to force us to choose between attending events with them or with our defender-leaning allies. The Assembly debated fruitfully, and as a whole region we decided a course of action. That’s the kind of transparency we should expect from our government.

As Prime Minister, I would ensure that potential alliances don’t pop out of nowhere from the Assembly’s viewpoint. I’ll keep the Assembly apprised of the oftentimes too-secretive politicking happening in the background of the game. I’ll make sure the Cabinet is honest and upfront about our region’s place in the game, and work with the Assembly whenever there’s something that can truly impact the whole of our region, just like I did in 2014. Some may think this is unrealistic, but it’s actually how we used to do things!

Additionally, I will make sure substantive discussion happens on the forums, and that the Cabinet Discord discussions are appropriately archived on the forums. We should not be able to avoid political accountability by hiding in DMs.

Since the Prime Minister role was created in the Great Council of 2016, the two holders of the office (Drugged Monkeys and Roavin) took a more backseat approach to the Prime Minister’s role in the Cabinet. Rather than a leader, they were more like stewards. I believe this approach has its benefits, but also can cause disarray, disorganization, and miscommunication.

The Cabinet should have a singular agenda, like it did when the Delegate and Vice-Delegate were the leaders. We elect our Cabinet ministers separately, so they will come into office with their own ideas, of course, and it’s those ideas that the Assembly voted for. Those ideas need to be joined together into a coherent agenda, which should be shared with the Assembly. The Prime Minister should set priorities and hold ministers accountable to them. Instead of being a figurehead, the Prime Minister should be, well, the prime minister.

I had the honor of being nominated as Associate Justice fairly recently, and being approved by the Assembly in a 20-7 vote. I understand the conflict that comes with being in multiple branches of government, even though the explicit goal of the Judicial Act reforms was to allow an executive officer to also serve as an Associate Justice.

I believe I’m very capable of managing my conflicts of interest and recusing myself from any cases where executive decision, powers, authorities, etc., are at question. It is, however, up to the Assembly to decide if it is okay with this situation. I was honest and upfront that my political ambitions in TSP weren’t over when I was first nominated, and I will be have that same honesty here. If it’s important to a majority of voters that I step aside from my role as Associate Justice, or if conflicts of interest become too difficult to manager, I will do so. On the other hand, if the Assembly still believes in the goals of the Judicial Act reforms, I will serve faithfully and responsibly as both Prime Minister and an Associate Justice.

Any Questions?

In our time-honored tradition, having laid out my case for being elected Prime Minister, the floor is now open to questions from my fellow legislators, both serious and silly <3