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**Belschaft** · 09-01-2016, 11:45 AM

"Feel the Schaft!" - "Make TSP Great Again!" - "Legislating is not a dinner party!" - "Schafting a better tomorrow!"

"Legislation, Legislation, Legislation!" - "Are you thinking what Belschaft is thinking?" - "A Schaft to Believe in!"

"Legislate, baby, Legislate!" - "Every man a Delegate!" - "Give me legislation, or give me death!"

"All power to The Assembly!" - "No legislation without representation!" - "We are the 51%!"

"Make non-binding resolutions, not war!" - "It's the Assembly, stupid!" - "Ready for Belschaft"

"Legislate our Future!" - "One WA nation, one vote!" - "New Legislator, New Future"

- - -

"We need better slogans...."

- An independent Assembly - An independent Chair -

It is vitally important for a proper balance of powers that the various branches of power act as checks upon each other, challenging decisions and holding them to account. If elected Chair I will be more than willing to work with the Delegate, Cabinet and Judiciary to better TSP, and will always act promptly when time sensitive matters arise, but I will always maintain the independence of both The Assembly and the office of The Chair. I will not give preferential treatment to legislation coming from either the Cabinet or Delegate, and will ensure that all proposals go through a thorough process of debate; The Assembly should never be viewed as a rubber stamp to confirm executive policies.

I will also make full use of the powers and authority of The Chair to promote transparency and open governance; ensuring that relevant documents are de-classified on schedule, limiting use of the Private Chambers for only truly sensitive matters, and opening the halls of The Assembly to all residents of TSP, Legislator or not; we should be actively seeking the input of as many TSPers as possible, not merely those who actively bring themselves forward and register to vote.

I will also schedule regular "Question Times" on our Discord server, where regional officials are invited to present themselves for in-depth questioning by Assembly members in relation to their activities, their progress on their election promises and general matters of interest. Should officials refuse to present themselves to The Assembly for such questioning, I will introduce legislation to mandate attendance. If I am elected Chair, The Assembly will actively engage in it's right to hold officials to account.

- Developing new procedures for The Assembly -

If elected Chair I will develop and codify new procedures for The Assembly, as is necessary considering the recent reformation of regional law. I will make every effort to ensure that these procedures are clear, non-bureaucratic and concise. I believe that we can vastly reduce the perceived complexity of the process, lowering barriers to entry and encouraging more people to participate in The Assembly and initiate legislation. A key part of this will be the construction of guides and FAQ's to help new players understand how our government functions, and the role that The Assembly has within in.

- Updating and improving the records of The Assembly -

In keeping with this objective of making The Assembly and it's functions easier to understand, I will update the records of The Assembly, splitting it into categorized archives as appropriate. Making sure that The Assembly's records like it's procedures and guides, are clear and concise, being able to be understood by the average NS player, will be a key goal.

- Public commissions on Electoral Reform and Judicial Reform -

If elected Chair I will establish two public commissions on Electoral Reform and Judicial Reform, consisting of volunteering members of TSP with relevant expertise and experience in these areas. These commissions will examine our current systems, seek public input in regards to peoples experiences and desires, and make recommendations for reform and/or replacement. The fundamental objective of the commissions will be to produce a practical system that is designed to serve TSP's needs, rather than attempt to replicate real world models. Transparency will be at the heart of the process, with the commissions meetings being publicly accessible, though involvement will be moderated.

- Empowering The Assembly as an active partner in government -

At the heart of my conception of good governance, and the proper balance of powers, is the idea of The Assembly as an active partner in government rather than a passive legislative body. To me this means regular consultation of The Assembly by the Cabinet, The Assembly holding the Cabinet to account for it's actions - in particular ensuring manifesto promises are fulfilled - and the use of Assembly resolutions to establish the opinion of The Assembly on key matters, particularly where the Cabinet's view differs from that of The Assembly. I believe that this partnership between executive and legislative branches is vital to the continuing prosperity of TSP, and it is something I intent to foster and encourage. It should be considered normal for the Cabinet to consult with The Assembly and seek it's input when making decisions, and should the Cabinet not do so The Assembly should be willing to exercise it's rights to direct certain courses of actions.

- Empowering Regional WA Members and working with the Local Council -

I have been a consistent voice in favour of empowering and enfranchising Regional WA Members as part of a transfer of power from the off-site forum to the in-game region, and I will continue this if elected Chair. I will actively promote the new legislative powers of Regional WA Members, ensuring that they are consulted when matters effecting them are debated and voted on. I will work with the current Local Council members to ensure proper consultation and approval of these matters, as well as continuing to pursue greater regional empowerment. At the next possible opportunity I will seek election as a Local Councillor, so as to enable greater integration of Regional WA Members in the legislative process and better facilitate the consultation and concurrence of the in-game region in regards to all relevant matters.

Throughout this manifesto, I have consistently emphasised certain themes; transparency of government, balance of powers, an empowered legislature, executive accountability, and increased participation; I believe that these are fundamental to good governance. The relationship between legislature and executive is an important one, and it is vital that it is a relationship of equals working in partnership. The executive, and the Prime Minister and their Cabinet in particular, are responsible for the day-to-day governance of TSP, and the implementation of policy, but the proper role of The Assembly is to shape and direct that policy; not just to pass and amend laws, but to hold the executive to account, direct their actions in a broad sense, insure that decisions are considered and debated in a thorough manner, and protect the rights liberties of all TSPers. Never forget that the executive is chosen by, and responsible to, The Assembly.

I have identified an ambitious series of goals, both for myself as Chair and for the region and Assembly at large. I don't think that achieving them will be easy, nor that there won't be difficulties and arguments as we work together to achieve them. But I believe that I - having served three previous terms as Chair, as well as serving in numerous other offices including two terms as Delegate - have the experience needed to lead The Assembly through this process, as we all work together to build a better future for TSP.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you will consider giving me your vote.

- Belschaft

- - - - -

This is, as some of you should notice, the same manifesto I ran on two months ago. I have seen no reason to change it. Why? Because nothing in the region has changed to make any of it less relevant, or less needed.

I continue to believe in the need of a strong Assembly to check the power of the executive branch of government.

I continue to believe in the need to empower regional WA members, and for the Chair of the Assembly and Local Council to work together to do this.

I continue to believe in the need for judicial and electoral reform.

In regards to the recent EO, and the issue of both Seraph and myself being Local Councillors and seeking the office of Chair - you will note that this was raised in my campaign two months ago, when I made it clear I intended to seek election to the LC. Close cooperation between the LC and Assembly is good for the region, and best achieved by the Chair being a Local Councillor. Whilst separation of powers is important, and something I pushed for at the last Great Council, Local Councillors are political representatives, not government officials. The inclusion of them in the Cabinet's wording and the timing of the EO make clear it's intent - to effectively force Seraph and myself from this election, or force us to resign from the LC. It is exactly this kind of political behaviour that necessitates a strong Assembly to counteract the executive government.

If you believe that the Assembly should be the strong legislative body that I have laid out, and an active partner in government with the executive, then you should vote for the candidate with the track record of fighting to protect and strengthen the powers of the Assembly.

_{Minister of Media, Subversion and Sandwich Making}
^{Associate Justice of the High Court and Senior Moderator}

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(This post was last modified: 09-01-2016, 11:46 AM by Belschaft.)

Ryccia · 09-01-2016, 12:26 PM

First of all, in defense of Seraph, he was going to resign anyway. I think it was targeted towards you.

Second, will you resign from the Local Council as soon as you're elected, or will you work to eliminate the recent Executive Order?

Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)

Local Council Member(April 24-August 11)

Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)

Quotes

[Image: 9ehfkQV.png]

**Belschaft** · 09-01-2016, 12:30 PM

(09-01-2016, 12:26 PM)Ryccia Wrote: First of all, in defense of Seraph, he was going to resign anyway. I think it was targeted towards you.

Second, will you resign from the Local Council as soon as you're elected, or will you work to eliminate the recent Executive Order?

I believe the EO is overtly political, inappropriate and poorly worded. To start with, it requires that both Tsu and DM resign from the CRS. I do not think that the Local Council, which is a political representative role, should be included with branches of government. Further, I think this issue should be addressed via ordinary legislation. If the Executive Order remains in force, I will work to exclude the Local Council from it's implications, just as I believe the CRS and Electoral Commission should be.

_{Minister of Media, Subversion and Sandwich Making}
^{Associate Justice of the High Court and Senior Moderator}

PREVIOUS ROLES

ProfessorHenn · 09-01-2016, 12:52 PM

Will you resign your position as Local Council representative and Local Councillor if you are elected?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ProfessorHenn
Legislator

**Belschaft** · 09-01-2016, 01:09 PM

If the law compels me to do so, I would have no choice. I do not believe that the law should compel such, and view the use of an EO instead of regular legislation as blatantly political.

_{Minister of Media, Subversion and Sandwich Making}
^{Associate Justice of the High Court and Senior Moderator}

PREVIOUS ROLES

***Roavin*** · 09-03-2016, 05:17 PM

Question 1: What kind of chair would you like to sit on?
Question 2: Is there a "rule of thumb", or maybe several, you intend to rely on when processing legislator applications?

***sandaoguo*** · 09-03-2016, 05:27 PM

How can the Assembly trust you, with your past actions? For example: plotting to get friends from other regions to vote in our elections, so you can be elected and use Cabinet authority to ban me and others you dislike? Or, working with Hileville during his coup, and only making an about-face and "saving" TSP when the banlist was cleared by someone with actual principles and courage? Or pretending to be a girl named "Olivia" to get elected to the LC, as a way to sneak past the Cabinet's security threat declaration?

It was mentioned on Discord that you applied to the CRS and were rejected. What was the reason they gave?

**Belschaft** · 09-03-2016, 05:39 PM

(09-03-2016, 05:17 PM)Roavin Wrote: Question 1: What kind of chair would you like to sit on?
Question 2: Is there a "rule of thumb", or maybe several, you intend to rely on when processing legislator applications?

Question 1: A wingback chair, like my campaign logo

Question 2: The Charter lays out certain criteria for applicant legislators;

Quote:3. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through application with the Chair, predicated on the Chair ensuring they are not seeking membership in bad faith, are not attempting to obscure their identity, are not attempting to join with multiple nations, and the Council on Regional Security does not declare them a significant risk to regional security. Any member of the Assembly may publicly petition the Chair for or against a prospective legislator’s admission.

Some of these criteria I won't be able to personally check - "attempting to join with multiple nations" for example - but my "rule of thumb" would be to make sure that applicants meet all the criteria. If they do, they get accepted.

_{Minister of Media, Subversion and Sandwich Making}
^{Associate Justice of the High Court and Senior Moderator}

PREVIOUS ROLES

***Roavin*** · 09-06-2016, 03:28 PM

Hm, looks like nobody wants to ask any questions. So I'll do it for them.

- Do you plan on appointing one or more deputies? Which powers do you wish to grant those deputies?
- Is there anything you wish to explicitly do different than your predecessor(s)? (besides hopefully not CTEing Tounge

)
- How satisfied were you with Awe's interaction with the Local Council representative, and what, if anything, would you do differently?

Ryccia · 09-06-2016, 05:11 PM

What will you do if you're not elected?

Deputy Regional Minister of the Planning and Development Agency(March 8-May 19, 2014)

Local Council Member(April 24-August 11)

Court Justice of TSP(August 15-December 7)

Quotes

[Image: 9ehfkQV.png]