Introduction

Hi, all -- We've all debated ourselves to death; now it's time to take whatever came out of that debate and figure out how we're going to turn that into action, anywhere from status quo to complete reorganization. 

If you still have ideas or comments about the main substance of the various proposals (e.g. "I think we should only split X and Y"), please post those in the debate thread rather than here. This thread, rather, is for organizing the products of the mess of that debate into coherent legislation that can go to vote (and figuring out how/when it will go to vote).

Please also vote in the indicative poll above so the Assembly can get a sense of where we stand on the proposals before heading into a final vote.
 

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Proposals

Here are the proposals so far. Let me know if I've missed anything. Are there other proposals that should be added?

Qwert/Omega Proposal
This proposal replaces the Ministry of Regional Affairs with two new Ministries -- Culture (events and roleplay) and Engagement (integration and education) -- as well as two non-policy-focused, public services called "Departments" -- Art & Design and Media. 

Spoiler

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(2) The Cabinet will consist of ministers with the following portfolios: Foreign Affairs, Regional AffairsCulture, Engagement, and Military Affairs.

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Minister of Regional Affairs

(7) The Minister of Regional Affairs will be responsible for promoting regional and forum activity, integrating new players into the forums, organizing cultural events, and communicating with the world about the South Pacific’s activities.Minister of Culture

(7) The Minister of Culture will be responsible for supporting the roleplay community and planning regional cultural activities, events, and exchanges.

Minister of Engagement

(8) The Minister of Engagement will be responsible for integrating new players into the Coalition's government and community.

(9) The Minister of Engagement will direct the Coalition's educational initiatives.

Departments Act
An Act Establishing Departments of the Cabinet

1. Creation of Departments of the Cabinet

(1) The Departments are to considered as a part of the Cabinet and under the supervision of the Prime Minister.

(2) The Departments are to be separate from the Ministerial System and exist to serve the entire Coalition government and its members.

2. Directors

(1) Each Department shall be led by a Director who will be considered officials of the Coalition. 

(2) At the conclusion of regular Cabinet Elections, the incoming Cabinet shall nominate Directors for all Departments.
a. These nominations are to be presented to the Assembly before the conclusion of the transition period.
b. These nominations must be confirmed by the Assembly.

(3) In the event of a vacancy, the Cabinet shall submit a nominee to the Assembly to fill the remainder of the term.
a. This nomination must be confirmed by the Assembly.

(4) Directors will all be considered ex officio Cabinet Advisors.

3. Active Departments

(1) The following Departments of the Cabinet are currently in existence with their related mandates:
a. Department of Media- responsible for keeping the general public informed through journalism in all of its forms.
b. Department of Art and Design- responsible for providing logos, templates, and other types of artistic products to the government and citizens of the Coalition.

4. Constitutional Law

(1) The Departments Act is a constitutional law, and further amendments to it must meet constitutional amendment requirements.

Assembly Resolution on the Effect of the Amendment to Article VI of the Charter
A resolution postponing the establishment of the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Engagement, and Departments

The Assembly of the Coalition of the South Pacific resolves the following upon passage of the Amendment to Article VI of the Charter and the Departments Act:

(1) The Amendment to Article VI of the Charter and the Departments Act shall not enter into effect until the commencement of the next Cabinet elections.

(2) The incumbent Minister of Regional Affairs shall complete the rest of their term under their current mandate.

(3) The Minister of Engagement and Minister of Culture shall be elected in accordance with the Election Act and coincide with the election of all other Cabinet ministers.

(4) The Directors shall be nominated at the conclusion of the next regularly scheduled Cabinet elections.   

To-Do Items

• Any minor amendments? (e.g. wording changes, constitutional vs. non-constitutional Department Act)
  
• Do we want to continue, in this proposal, with having department heads nominated by Cabinet and confirmed by Assembly? Where do people stand on the question at this point?
  
• This proposal needs some enabling legislation prepared for it. Perhaps the text from Jay's proposal could be imported?
  • Enabling legislation has been added as of Omega's most recent update (05/11/2020)
    

Jay Proposal
This proposal removes integration duties from the Ministry of Regional Affairs and places them under a Ministry of Integration Affairs, leaving Regional Affairs with responsibility for events, roleplay, media, and design.

Spoiler

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(2) The Cabinet will consist of ministers with the following portfolios: Foreign Affairs, Regional Affairs, Integration Affairs, and Military Affairs.

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Minister of Regional Affairs

(7) The Minister of Regional Affairs will be responsible for promoting regional and forum activity, integrating new players into the forumsroleplay, organizing cultural events, and communicating with the world about the South Pacific’s activitiescultural activities for the benefit of the region and overseeing the regular publication of news and other media in the South Pacific.

Minister of Integration Affairs

(8) The Minister of Integration Affairs will be responsible for the integration of new players onto Discord and the forums, collaborating with the Local Council to integrate and retain new players into the South Pacific and NationStates, and will be responsible for collaborating with other ministries to integrate and recruit people into the ministries.

 

Assembly Resolution on the Effect of the Amendment to Article VI of the Charter
A resolution postponing the establishment of the Ministry of Integration Affairs

The Assembly of the Coalition of the South Pacific resolves the following upon passage of the Amendment to Article VI of the Charter:

(1) The Amendment to Article VI of the Charter shall not enter into effect until the commencement of the next Cabinet elections.

(2) The incumbent Minister of Regional Affairs shall complete the rest of their term.

(3) The Minister of Integration Affairs shall be elected in accordance with the Election Act and coincide with the election of all other Cabinet ministers.  

To-Do Items

• Any minor amendments? (e.g. wording changes, changes to the addendum)
  

Status Quo
This proposal keeps the Ministry of Regional Affairs exactly as it currently stands structurally, but would likely also see some minor internal reforms that are already planned for the Ministry.

To-Do Items

• For those who'd like to see basically the same structure we currently have remain in place -- are there other non-split ideas you have that you'd like people to be aware of?
  

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Other To-Do Items

• What's the progress on a unified Discord server? Pretty much any of the proposals which create multiple RA bodies make this a necessity. Could we have an executive server or a single server in place before the next Cabinet term? 
  • @Roavin says: Making the unified Discord server could be done in that time, though maybe not necessarily through the process I'd prefer. A more pragmatic solution would be to say that the RA Discord will house the new ministries + the departments initially, if a split passes.
    
• Will these proposals go to vote as competing legislation? Should the status quo somehow be an option that you can select in the vote?
  
• Other things?
  

~ Aumeltopia ~

Raccoons are bandits! First they steal your food . . . and then your heart/identity!

(This post was last modified: 05-11-2020, 10:51 PM by Somyrion.)

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The Qwert/Omega proposal needs a continuing resolution, though that can be copied almost verbatim from the Jay proposal.

What's the progress on a unified Discord server? Pretty much any of the proposals which create multiple RA bodies make this a necessity. Could we have an executive server or a single server in place before the next Cabinet term? 

Making the unified Discord server could be done in that time, though maybe not necessarily through the process I'd prefer. A more pragmatic solution would be to say that the RA Discord will house the new ministries + the departments initially, if a split passes.

Will these proposals go to vote as competing legislation? Should the status quo somehow be an option that you can select in the vote?

These would logically be competing bills once more. I don't see a legal mechanism by which the status quo can be an option in the vote (how we do competing bills is legislated pretty clearly), but what the Chair could do is offer guidance in the vote announcement explaining what vote a Legislator should cast in which situation (i.e. "if you want Jay, vote yes there, no on the other; if you want neither, vote no in both").

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I have no idea what all this is all about, but from what I'm reading, Omega's seems the most reasonable.

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I have no idea what all this is all about, but from what I'm reading, Omega's seems the most reasonable.

I can't tell you how to vote, but I strongly recommend you read the points for each proposal before voting for one. There are legitimate benefits and costs to each and every proposal, and this is also the reason why the debate has dragged on for a long time now and more than once.

Please don't vote without taking a good look at the arguments behind each one.

PS: The name "Status Quo" is misleading. "Status Quo" would entail small scale reforms within the ministry which we are intending to do before the final vote passes.

(This post was last modified: 05-11-2020, 09:30 PM by Jebediah.)

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To be fair here, I'm talking more along the lines of TSP's legislative history and culture. Even if I read every single word, debate, etc just on this one thing I would still be lacking just not knowing anything.

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To be fair here, I'm talking more along the lines of TSP's legislative history and culture. Even if I read every single word, debate, etc just on this one thing I would still be lacking just not knowing anything.

Generally, in these cases, the best practice is to abstain (or as this is an informal poll, not vote).

I know I'm biased here in that you voted for what I think is the worst proposal, but voting carelessly for the "one that looks nicest" isn't a good idea.

This is why official votes have an abstain option: so legislators aren't forced to vote for proposals they do not know much about.

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Also, status quo should link to this post, which also has proposals for the small-scale reforms I suggested.

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PS: The name "Status Quo" is misleading. "Status Quo" would entail small scale reforms within the ministry which we are intending to do before the final vote passes.

I've added a summary explaining that.

~ Aumeltopia ~

Raccoons are bandits! First they steal your food . . . and then your heart/identity!

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The version linked here (sorry I thought we were changing threads) does include some wording changes and a continuing resolution.

Above all else, I hope to be a decent person.
Has Been
What's Next?

 

CoA: August 2016-January 2017
Minister of Foreign Affairs: October 2019-June 2020, October 2020- February 2021

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The version linked here (sorry I thought we were changing threads) does include some wording changes and a continuing resolution.

Awesome, I've updated.

~ Aumeltopia ~

Raccoons are bandits! First they steal your food . . . and then your heart/identity!

Reply