| The Exit Interview |
"Everything you do is to serve the thousands of nations residing in the South Pacific."
An interview with Kris Montresor Today on The Exit Interview, we'll be interviewing Kris Montresor. As the incumbent Delegate, his two terms in office have been praised for their focus on culture and activity, though sometimes criticised for his handling of foreign affairs. He has announced that he will not be running for a third term in the upcoming election. We recently sat down with him to see what he has to say before stepping down. Why did you decide not to run for Delegate?
I have been Delegate for eight months now, not to mention one previous term as Vice Delegate under Escade. That makes twelve full months during which I have been closely involved in the highest levels of our government. Being Delegate has been the most rewarding of experiences, but I always knew that serving two terms was as far as I would go, since it was more than enough time to implement my vision of a more active and prosperous region. I have done my best during this time and intend to continue helping the Cabinet if possible, but there is now a new generation of leaders in the region, and it is only fair give them a chance at the top spots, just like the previous generation did with us. What, in your opinion, was your biggest political success? I’m not sure if this counts as a political success, but the thing I’m most proud of accomplishing is the Fellowship Programme, since it has brought so much activity to our government, and allowed residents to participate and get involved without having to wait for an election. It is very important to let everyone have a chance at making a difference in the region, because it shows how open we are, and that way we are helping created a whole new generation of active and engaged South Pacificans. Speaking now of something more related to politics and foreign affairs, I am particularly glad of how we as a Cabinet decided to submit the question of our participation in the Regional Sovereignty Conference to the Assembly, and that it agreed that we should stand our ground. I look at this as the best example of cooperation between the Cabinet and the Assembly, and it was good to see that citizens agreed with our view that we should attend both conferences. The role of a Delegate can be stressful at times. Is there any particular event that reminds you of such? Indeed, being Delegate can be quite stressful, particularly if foreign affairs crises are involved, which happened a few times during my terms. I can probably point out two such situations, though there were a few more. First, the loss of the alliance with TNI, because of the strong perception within the region and abroad that it was going to be catastrophic for the region to lose its most important ally. The truth is that we barely had any contact, so the alliance was nominal most of the time. I think time is showing that the loss of the alliance was far from catastrophic, but at the time it was difficult to face all that criticism, and having to deal with the whole situation. Second, the controversy over our attendance to the Regional Sovereignty Conference, which was specially tricky because it involved one ally demanding that we choose them over another ally, something that we found to be unacceptable. What I found stressful about this is that it was so evident that we had no correct option, even if we knew the position we adopted was the best position possible. There have been other stressful situations, like Operation Brave Toaster and us dropping the Independent label, but I think that the two above were textbook cases of what situations a Delegate might have to face. I think that we were up to the challenge most of the time, and hopefully the region will agree with that assessment. Any remarks about your fellow Cabinet officials? I presided over two Cabinets, and I am certain that both were the finest Cabinets that the South Pacific has ever had. It has been a privilege to work with them, and I am convinced that all the successes and progress in the region would have been impossible without them. I have worked the longest with Glen, since we were first elected to the Cabinet at the same time, so I do need to give him special thanks, for sticking around and being so dedicated to the region. I am sure that he will continue serving the South Pacific as good as he has done so far. Any words for those who may take up the Delegacy after you? Take it easy! Being Delegate can be a really stressful job if you keep focusing on the negative, but it can be the best job ever if you know how to focus on the positive. Some like to focus on foreign affairs, others on the army, others like me prefer to work on regional affairs. Just find that aspect that you enjoy the most and be enthusiastic about it, while also working with all the ministers to have a coherent plan for the region. I do need to paraphrase Raven in saying that it is incredibly important to never let yourself be arrogant, to always have that sense of awe and responsibility for the region, because everything you do is to serve the thousands of nations residing in the South Pacific. So remember: it’s for them. What will you miss most about being in Cabinet? Well, hopefully I’ll still be in the Cabinet next term! I do think I’ll miss being Delegate, because it is a position from which I can do so much good for the region, which I think I have. What I found most enjoyable was being able to learn so much about other aspects of the game, since as Delegate I had to be aware of them. I learned a lot about regional affairs, about military gameplay, about roleplaying. I will miss having had that learning experience. To give a more selfish reason, like Glen did, I admit I will miss being the boss. It does have its privileges, since I can do stuff (like changing the WFE) without having to ask anyone, and I had access to lots of information that isn’t really available to citizens. You have been criticized by some as lacking experience. Do you think so? If so, what made up for the lack of it? I don’t think I lack experience. Granted, others have more experience in government than I do, but I think that I had all the necessary skills when I was first elected Delegate. I was not the ultimate expert in foreign affairs or military gameplay, because I am much more interested in culture and integration, but I like to think I knew how to manage a team, and that helped me to learn a lot about those aspects in which I originally lacked experience. It would be one thing if I had run for Delegate without any prior government experience, but I had served in different offices during the previous year, including terms as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Vice Delegate, the latter of which gives an immense amount of practical experience. Any hints on what office you've considered running for in future? I will be running for Minister of Regional Affairs. It is no secret that I have focused a lot on culture and integration as Delegate, and I want to continue doing just that. Lastly, cake or pie? I’m the Bishop of Cake! Are you implying that pie is even a valid option…? We at the Southern Journal would like to thank Kris for his dedicated service to the region throughout these two terms, wishing him the best of luck in his future endeavours. Interviewer: Awe Interviewee: Kris Montresor Note: this interview has been edited from its original version to make edits in terms of grammar and ortography. Southern Journal does not necessarily share or endorse the views expressed in the answers of those being interviewed. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
"I want to help the region, and I believe that I would be able to do this best by serving as it's Delegate."
An interview with Arbiter08 Today on The Exit Interview, we'll be interviewing Arbiter08. As the incumbent Vice Delegate, he has been deeply involved in the decision making process of the Cabinet, but isn't always the most visible government figure. He will not be running for a third term in the upcoming election, and so we recently sat down with him to see what he has to say before stepping down. Why did you decide not seek another term as Vice-Delegate? Will you replace the current Delegate?
I decided against seeking a third (can I say I served 2 terms if I've been here for 3/4ths of a term?) term as Vice Delegate because I want to help the region, and I believe that I would be able to do this best by serving as it's Delegate. What, in your opinion, made this term a successful one? We had many crises this term, but I feel that TSP came out of these stronger then when it went in. Any remarks about your fellow Cabinet officials? This is probably one of the best Cabinets I've served in. At the very least it's in the top 3.  Any words for those who may take up the Vice Delegacy after you? The best advice that I can give is that if you're not sure about something there's always others you can ask. Completely disregarding personal relationships, you can always ask those in the Cabinet and in the CSS for advice. What will you miss most about being ιn Cabinet? My favorite part of being in the Cabinet is organising events and watching people enjoy themselves while in the event. If I were to be ousted from the Cabinet I would miss that the most. Any hints on what office you've considered running for in future? In the future? I'm not entirely sure. It all depends on how this next term goes. Although it's unlikely that I'll run for MoA or MoRA anytime soon, simply because I believe that my talents would be best suited elsewhere. What is the most valuable experience you’ve taken from being Vice Delegate? The most valuable experience I've had as Vice Delegate would be helping out in times of crisis. As Vice Delegate I was able to help direct foreign policy, but I was never personally criticized for anything that happened. I was never personally commended for it either, but it was worth it to be able to see certain foreign policy's reactions without many personal repercussions. Lastly, cake or pie? Well, my answer is the only answer. All other shall be purged. I most definitely prefer ███████! We at the Southern Journal would like to thank Arbiter for his dedicated service to the region throughout these two terms, for being the quiet but constant voice who never stopped helping the Cabinet reach the best possible decision, and wishing him the best of luck in his future endeavours. Interviewer: Awe Interviewee: Arbiter08 Note: this interview has been edited from its original version to make edits in terms of grammar and ortography. Southern Journal does not necessarily share or endorse the views expressed in the answers of those being interviewed. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
"I think we are more free and more independent than we've been for a long time."
An interview with Sandaoguo Today on The Exit Interview, we'll be interviewing Sandaoguo, otherwise known as Glen-Rodes. As the incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs, his efforts have been lauded by some, and criticised by others. He has announced that he will not be running for a fourth term in the upcoming election. We recently sat down with him to see what he has to say before stepping down. Why did you decide not to run for Minister of Foreign Affairs?
The answer is really what I said in my announcement. By the time the next Cabinet term starts, I will have been Minister of Foreign Affairs for nearly an entire year. That is a long time in this game. Our region has a troubling tendency of letting one person with their own ideas become very entrenched into our policy. I didn't want to become what I had criticized a year ago -- a member of the Old Guard, clutching onto my ideas and dismissing everything else as wrong or unpatriotic. It's time for somebody else to get the chance to bring their ideas to the table. I'll still be here, and I'll still be advocating my positions and arguing against things I strongly oppose. But the Minister has a significant say in foreign policy decisions, so even though I'll still be around, somebody else will be making the decisions. What, in your opinion, was your biggest achievement in being Minister of Foreign Affairs? I honestly believe that we are better off than we were a year ago. I think we are more free and more independent than we've been for a long time. When I became Minister, our foreign affairs were kind of ridiculous. Our hand was forced on issues like Osiris, but we were under the yoke of more powerful allies. At the time, the people in charge were fine with the narrow options we had. In fact, they preferred them. I didn't, and my preferences were blocked by hurdles. Those hurdles no longer exist. I think our allies are much more flexible in allowing us to go forward with the policies we want. That will be my legacy, in spite of the critics who think I've irreparably damaged our foreign affairs. What, in your opinion, was your biggest shortcoming in being Minister of Foreign Affairs? I think I could have handled crises better. I do not and will never take sole responsibility for what happened with The New Inquisition, but I do think there's a lesson to be learned in making sure other stakeholders in the region know what's going on. We did that with Europeia and the difference between what happened there and what happened with TNI is huge. The Assembly really owned the Europeia ultimatum response, so there isn't a great tension and great divide among the region because of the fallout. This doesn't mean I think that the Assembly should be involved in every major foreign policy decision, but it does play an important role when the Cabinet feels like there are no good options. You were seen to be controversial, having faced 2 recall votes during your time in Cabinet. What were the circumstances then? If given the opportunity, would you have done things any differently? I'm controversial among a small number of players, yeah. I think it's because I'm very revisionist -- I don't like the status quo, and they happen to be upholding the status quo. I also speak my mind, and that gets me in trouble. It always has. That comes from cutting my teeth in the World Assembly. Unibot and I have that in common. I wouldn't have done anything differently. We are better off than we used to be. If I had been more tempered, more cautious, and more deferential to the status quo, I wouldn't have been an effective Minister. You have sometimes been accused of putting your opinions in Gameplay before your duties as Minister of Foreign Affairs, sometimes debating against officials from allied regions. How would you respond to that? Do you think it affects your objectivity as Foreign Minister? I think this criticism is not only baseless, but it is also hypocritical and distorting the role of the Minister. First, the Minister is not a bureaucrat. He or she is elected in a political election, based upon a political platform. To use a word like "objectivity" is to misunderstand that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is just as much a political body as any other. Elected officials have strongly-held beliefs, and they will have different ideas of where our foreign policy should be and where it should go. I don't think there's anything wrong with debating officials in other regions in the Gameplay forum. In fact, I think that allows foreign affairs to thrive and evolve in general. There are important questions that need to be raised and answered, and gagging the primary foreign affairs officials in major regions just doesn't make sense. Also, I think it's hypocritical because, well, how many times have previous Ministers railed against defenders, or questioned the rightfulness of defender (or, really, non-Independent) doctrine? Following the change from independent to no-label, some people are saying that our new guidelines are the very definition of independence. Why then, would we have dropped the independent label? The issue here is that big-I Independence isn't what they like to say it is. Our vision is clearly not aligned with theirs, which is why they've tried time and again to force TSP back into the proper Independent fold. The very fact that there is a "fold" -- evidenced by a group of like-minded people getting together behind closed doors, and crafting a unified manifesto of what they stand for -- speaks that Independence is as much a rigid ideology as any other. What we are going to do moving forward, and what we've been doing these past few months, is much more aligned with the original intent of Independence. But the label means something different than its original intent, so it makes sense that we no longer use it. During your campaigns you often spoke of modernising the Foreign Updates practice and reforming the structure of the Ministry. True enough, there haven't been so many Updates, but what happened to reforming the Ministry? The Ministry is reformed. If you see the word "reform" and think it must be something added, rather than something changed, then I can see why you'd ask this question. The specific reforms I put in place are ending the outmoded foreign update program, and dissolving the largely defunct diplomatic corps. Things are much more streamlined. If we want to get something out there, we talk to a newspaper or we put out a statement. It's much more efficient (and far less time consuming) than figuring out what to write in a monthly press release. We recently had a big problem with Europeia due to our attendance to the Regional Sovereignty Conference, and then because we liberated against them. Where do you see our alliance with Europeia, and what lessons have we learned from those two experiences? The status of TSP-Europeia is largely up to Europeia. There are no plans to alter the status on our end. Like I said elsewhere, it would be short-sighted, because sooner or later there will be a government in TSP that leaders in Europeia will really want to work with, and vice-versa. As for what we've learned from that crisis... Well, I would hope we all can see by now that Independence is a club with strict expectations for how its members act, rather than a kind of free-wheeling group of regions that come together under the common banner of celebrating regional sovereignty and doing what they each individually like. But, like I said before, I also think we've learned that it helps sometimes when the Assembly can "own" certain decisions. It allows the region to unify behind a single stance. That can prevent this feeling that the Cabinet is out for its own agenda, and is doing whatever it wants without giving thought to what the rest of the region wants. What do you have to say to fellow Assemblymen whom may have disagreed or been critical with/of your policies during your time in Cabinet? I don't think there's anything to say to them. I appreciate disagreement and debate. I'm sure they're low-key happy that I'm not going to be Minister for the next term. What will you miss most about being Foreign Affairs Minister/in Cabinet? I'm going to miss the authority, obviously. Who wouldn't? It's better to be the one making the decisions than to be the one arguing about the decisions somebody else is making. Is there any player, whom, in your opinion, would be a worthy Minister of Foreign Affairs? Honestly, we have a big shortcoming in people who have foreign affairs experience or talent. I'm not sure there's anybody who is "worthy" for the position, because I don't think it's a position with natural successors or that the idea of "worthiness" is very useful here. But there are a few people who I think could do well if they try their best. I'll keep those names to myself, until nominations open and I endorse somebody! Any words for those who may take up the Foreign Affairs position after you? Be informed, don't sweat the small stuff (and know what counts as "small stuff"), and don't let anybody push you around. This next term is going to involve a lot on the foreign policy side. We just shed the label of Independence, so a lot of people are looking at us and not quite knowing just what we stand for. The next Cabinet will shape our post-label image, and you can bet outsiders are going to try their hardest to influence that. They will try to position themselves as priority allies, or try to force us into bad situations where we have to choose sides. The next Minister needs to have the knowledge and the guts to stand up for what is best for The South Pacific. Any hints on what office you've considered running for in future?  Lastly, cake or pie? I am staunchly pro-pie and the cake-eaters can go suck on frosting. We at the Southern Journal would like to thank Sandaoguo for his meritorious service to the region and his contributions in the realm of foreign affairs, wishing him the best of luck in his future endeavours. Interviewer: Awe Interviewee: Sandaoguo Note: this interview has been edited from its original version to make edits in terms of grammar and ortography. Southern Journal does not necessarily share or endorse the views expressed in the answers of those being interviewed. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System
"I want to help the region, and I believe that I would be able to do this best by serving as it's Delegate."
An interview with QuietDad Today on The Exit Interview, we'll be interviewing QuietDad. As the incumbent Minister of the Army, he has overseen one of the most successful period of inactivity for the South Pacific Special Forces, with the forging of close ties with foreign militaries and the recruitment of dedicated soldiers. He hasn't run for a second term in the upcoming election, and so we recently sat down with him to see what he has to say before stepping down. Why did you decide not seek another term as Minister of the Army?
It's time to let others lead. I got involved in the SPSF last year with Geomania and we got known. When Geomania went on due to RL issues I didn't want to see it die. I'm now confident that it won't. What, in your opinion, made this term a successful one? From a statistical perspective, the SPSF has grown 600%. (Remember it was just me..). In Gameplay perspective, the SPSF is now respected on the battlefield as a reliable and trustwortthy unit. Personally, where do you stand in terms of Gameplay alignment? I will ALWAYS be independent. It's a game. There is a very fine line between raiding and defending. Both require a force to go into a region and remove a delegate. Discussions on the region's ideology have always result in fierce debates. How you do think the current ideology will shape the SPSF, and further impact the region going forward? I think the ideology debate in the Assembly has no real effect on the SPSF. My personal feeling is I don't care for a "No ideology" tag. To me, it depicts that we have no beliefs. In practice, we can do whatever we want because we have no ideology, but in my head, doing what you want makes you independent. Any words for those who may take up the Ministership after you? I'll still be a General, I'll still be around to help, and good luck. What will you miss most about being in Cabinet? The keys to the executive bathroom. Any hints on what office you've considered running for in future? I may be in a supporting role. I really have no desire to be in charge at the point. What is the most valuable experience you’ve taken from being Minister of the Army? That there are some good people in NationStates. Lastly, cake or pie? Neither. Strawberry tarts. We at the Southern Journal would like to thank QuietDad for his dedicated service to the region, and for revitalising our Special Forces. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours. Interviewer: Awe Interviewee: QuietDad Note: this interview was held before nominations opened, and does not reflect candidacies or other developments during the last few days. This interview has been edited from its original version to make edits in terms of grammar and ortography. Southern Journal does not necessarily share or endorse the views expressed in the answers of those being interviewed. Former Delegate of the South Pacific
Posts outside High Court venues should be taken as those of any other legislator. I do not participate in the regional server, but I am happy to talk through instant messaging or on the forum. Legal Resources: THE MATT-DUCK Law Archive | Mavenu Diplomatic Archive | Rules of the High Court | Case Submission System | Online Rulings Consultation System |
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