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**Jay Coop** · 05-17-2020, 07:46 PM

After a discussion in #local-council on Discord, I have drafted a proposal that would abolish the Local Council and establish the Ministry of Local Home Affairs in its place. The intent of this bill is to give the gameside of the South Pacific a voice within the Cabinet and likewise give the Cabinet a direct link to the gameside.

Since the bill contains an amendment to the Charter and directly affects the gameside, a vote on this bill requires a three-fifths supermajority of those voting to pass in accordance with Article 1, Section 4 of Legislative Procedure Act and a debate and vote by the gameside in accordance with Article I, Section 4 of the Charter.

Revised proposal

Amendment to the Charter

Addendum 1 (Amendment to the Elections Act)

Addendum 2 (Amendment to the Regional Officers Act)

Original proposal

Amendment to the Charter

Amendment to the Charter Wrote:
THE CHARTER OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC

...

V. THE LOCAL COUNCIL

Establishing home rule for the in-game region residents.

(1) The Local Council will be the local government of the in-game community, composed of three or more residents of the South Pacific, and will represent the interests of all players in the region, moderate the Regional Message Board, encourage activity on the gameside, and administrate itself on issues unique to the in-game community.

(2) The Local Council is entitled to self-administration within its jurisdiction on local issues, but may not pass laws or regulations that contradict this Charter or constitutional laws. To that end, the Assembly may not enact any law, nor the Cabinet deliver any directive, that is solely related to an issue local to the in-game community.

(3) The Local Council may not be denied the authority to run regional polls, create and pin Dispatches, and to suppress messages on the Regional Message Board according to a standard moderation policy. However, it may not alter the regional flags or tags, and may not send out mass telegrams, without the approval of the Delegate.

(4) To help promote inter-governmental relations, the Local Council may send a representative to the Assembly whose term must not exceed the Local Council’s. The method of selection will be decided by the Local Council.

VI. THE EXECUTIVE

...

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

...

Minister of Local Affairs

(1) The Minister of Local Affairs will be the local advocate of the gameside community in the Cabinet. They will represent the interests of all players in the region, moderate the Regional Message Board, encourage activity on the gameside, and issue regulations unique to the gameside community.

(2) The Minister of Local Affairs may not enact regulations that contradict this Charter or constitutional laws. To that end, the Assembly may not enact any law, nor the Cabinet delivers any directive, that is solely related to an issue local to the gameside community.

(3) The Minister of Local Affairs may not be denied the authority to run regional polls, create and pin Dispatches, and suppress messages on the Regional Message Board according to a standard moderation policy. However, they may not alter the regional flags or tags, and may not send out mass telegrams, without the approval of the Delegate.

...

VII. THE DELEGATE

...

(2) The Delegate will work with the Local CouncilMinister of Local Affairs in moderating the Regional Message Board, fulfilling Regional Officer positions, promoting gameside activities, and representing the preferences of the gameside community.

...

VIII. THE HIGH COURT

...

(5) The High Court may reconcile contradictions within the Charter, constitutional laws, general laws, Cabinet directives, and Local AffairsCouncil laws and regulations, maintaining the least amount of disruption to the intended purposes of the contradictory parts.

...

VIIIIX. THE COUNCIL ON REGIONAL SECURITY

...

(2) The minimum qualifications for membership in the Council on Regional Security are: maintaining a World Assembly member nation in the South Pacific; a Soft Power Disbursement Rating of at least 130,000, or a Regional Influence ranking of Apprentice; 400 endorsements or half the endorsements of the Delegate; and having served at least six consecutive months as a legislator or two terms as Minister of Local Affairsin the Local Council. The influence and endorsement requirements may be updated by the Council, with majority approval by the Assembly.

...

XIII. AMENDMENT PROCESS

...

(2) Any amendment to the Charter or constitutional laws that directly affects the gameside community or its home governance, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, must also be debated and voted upon by the gameside community. Additionally, the Local Council may originate amendments to its constitutional structure, which must be debated and voted upon in the Assembly.

Addendum 1 (Amendment to the Elections Act)

Addendum 2 (Amendment to the Regional Officers Act)

Addendum 3 (Amendment to the Border Control Act)

4× Cabinet minister /// 1× OWL director /// CRS member /// SPSF

My History

(This post was last modified: 06-06-2020, 01:52 AM by phoenixofthesun14.)

**Somyrion** · 05-17-2020, 08:03 PM

I'd be cool with a Ministry of Local Affairs if it were in complement to the LC. But forcing our only gameside representation to be active on the forums and Discord as well so they can participate in the Cabinet? That defeats the entire purpose of gameside governance. That's not gameside home rule. No, absolutely not. I understand this is well-intentioned, but it's completely misguided.

Perhaps, if what we're really after is LC involvement in the Cabinet, each new LC can decide if they want to have a LC Cabinet Advisor, who would in that case have a vote like a Minister in the Cabinet and would have to be a forum/Discord user.

~ Aumeltopia ~

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

(This post was last modified: 05-17-2020, 08:04 PM by Somyrion.)

**Jay Coop** · 05-17-2020, 08:27 PM

As an alternative, we could keep the Local Council and let them appoint a Minister of Local Affairs to represent them in the Cabinet, but still require that individual to maintain accounts on Discord and the forums.

4× Cabinet minister /// 1× OWL director /// CRS member /// SPSF

My History

(This post was last modified: 05-17-2020, 08:28 PM by Jay Coop.)

**Amerion** · 05-17-2020, 08:37 PM

(05-17-2020, 08:03 PM)Somyrion Wrote: ... Perhaps, if what we're really after is LC involvement in the Cabinet, each new LC can decide if they want to have a LC Cabinet Advisor, who would in that case have a vote like a Minister in the Cabinet and would have to be a forum/Discord user.

I have not properly thought through this proposal yet but just to comment on this particular paragraph — if I recall correctly, we had requirement that a LC member be part of the Assembly a while back and we had to eventually remove that requirement because it wasn't being met so I am unsure whether a Cabinet role would likewise be as unsuccessful. That's not to say that we couldn't trial it and evaluate the outcome after a term but I suspect each LC, with their different members and priorities, will come to embrace this in varying degrees.

Admiral General of the South Pacific

**Somyrion** · 05-17-2020, 08:50 PM

(05-17-2020, 08:37 PM)Amerion Wrote:
(05-17-2020, 08:03 PM)Somyrion Wrote: ... Perhaps, if what we're really after is LC involvement in the Cabinet, each new LC can decide if they want to have a LC Cabinet Advisor, who would in that case have a vote like a Minister in the Cabinet and would have to be a forum/Discord user.

I have not properly thought through this proposal yet but just to comment on this particular paragraph — if I recall correctly, we had requirement that a LC member be part of the Assembly a while back and we had to eventually remove that requirement because it wasn't being met so I am unsure whether a Cabinet role would likewise be as unsuccessful. That's not to say that we couldn't trial it and evaluate the outcome after a term but I suspect each LC, with their different members and priorities, will come to embrace this in varying degrees.

The key there is that it was a requirement. I think things are basically just fine as they are, but if we were to do what I suggested there, it would be something the LC could opt in to.

~ Aumeltopia ~

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

**Amerion** · 05-17-2020, 08:55 PM

(05-17-2020, 08:27 PM)Jay Coop Wrote: As an alternative, we could keep the Local Council and let them appoint a Minister of Local Affairs to represent them in the Cabinet, but still require that individual to maintain accounts on Discord and the forums.

*nods*

I think this is a good idea and like Somy suggest, they could opt in to do so.

Perhaps the PM can invite them in on an informal basis as a Cabinet Advisor or make a new role, Gameside Advisor, and see how it goes?

Admiral General of the South Pacific

**Jay Coop** · 05-17-2020, 09:24 PM

(05-17-2020, 08:55 PM)Amerion Wrote: *nods*

I think this is a good idea and like Somy suggest, they could opt in to do so.

Perhaps the PM can invite them in on an informal basis as a Cabinet Advisor or make a new role, Gameside Advisor, and see how it goes?

We could do this for a term or two, but I favor something more substantive such as making this advisor a full-on minister.

4× Cabinet minister /// 1× OWL director /// CRS member /// SPSF

My History

***Tsunamy*** · 05-17-2020, 09:51 PM

So, I think there's a difference between being an Assembly member versus being a Cabinet official.

Anyhow, I like the idea a lot and think has the potential to help with integration.

Perhaps we ask the LC how they feel about it, but I don't see why they wouldn't be amenable to naming one of the three of them as a Cabinet member. We could make it so they don't need to be on the forums (if that's a hangup); they could get most of the info through Discord.

In any case, if we ask them to name a minister (we could give call it the Chair of the LC, if we didn't want to change names), I feel like one of the three should be willing at any given term.

-tsunamy
[forum admin]

**Jay Coop** · 05-18-2020, 01:36 AM

Okay, based on input from multiple people, I have written a new draft which retains the Local Council. However, I will welcome continued discussion on whether this position should be a minister or simply an advisor. Also, I agree with Tsu that we should get input from the Local Council on this matter.

Amendment to the Charter

Addendum 1 (Amendment to the Elections Act)

Addendum 2 (Amendment to the Regional Officers Act)

4× Cabinet minister /// 1× OWL director /// CRS member /// SPSF

My History

(This post was last modified: 05-18-2020, 02:02 AM by Jay Coop.)

**Somyrion** · 05-18-2020, 01:55 AM

To be clear, I used the term "LC Cabinet Advisor" not to mean that such a position would hold the same privileges as a Cabinet Advisor (i.e. able to talk but not vote in Cabinet). I simply didn't have a good term for a voting member of the Cabinet who wasn't a Minister in the typical sense.

That said, I'm now realizing that there's actually no requirement that a Minister have an associated Ministry -- that's just customary. So there's no reason there couldn't be a Minister of Local Affairs position in the Cabinet that doesn't have a Ministry but nevertheless has a vote.

~ Aumeltopia ~

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