Votez FreeDems!

[Gödafrïeu Válcadác’h]

The Free Democrat-led government has delivered where other parties have just talked. From taking control of our national website to reviving the national language, Miestra Schiva and her Government team have gotten things done and made things fun. Re-elect us for more democratic reforms, hard-working leadership and an exciting Talossa!

Your Free Democrat government has promised. And it has delivered.

Want more of the same? Vote FreeDems!

freedemstalossa.wordpress.com/

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

Our Programme for the 54th Cosa

PRIME MINISTRY:

move more jobs from the Cabinet to non-political (Royal Civil Service) posts, to encourage people to work for Talossa without having to get involved in partisan politics.

CULTURE:

Promote games, contests and puzzles for citizens, including a Mixtape programme.
Continue re-establishment of SIGN and pushing forward to not only an agreed spelling, but long-overdue reforms to the language itself.
Work with the Ladîntsch Naziunál on mandates for more use of ár glheþ.

STUFF:

Move our discussions to New Wittenberg under Chancery control as soon as possible.
Use social media and design website creatively to get Talossa “noticed”.
Collaborate with Royal Archives on Witt archiving project.

INTERIOR:

Create a “New Citizens’ Information Packet” and find other ways to get new citizens quickly involved in Talossan society and state.
Convene the Council of Governors to recommend a future for provincial governments including suggestions for further mergers. No provincial mergers imposed “top-down”.

JUSTICE:

Name several Justices of the Peace, with powers to adjudicate non-Constitutional cases subject to appeal to the Uppermost Cort.

Constitutional reform:

• non-hereditary monarchy;
• Seneschál to be named by a vote in the Cosâ;
• explore unicameral MMP Real Cosa (with mandatory lists).

Reform of Uppermost Cort procedures to make them transparent and simple to understand.
Removal of Wisconsin law and replacement with Talossan equivalents.

FINANCE:

Introduce $5 registration fee for Senäts candidates.
Increase national revenue with voluntary taxation (aka fundraising/donations from citizens).

FOREIGN AND DEFENCE: Maintain status quo.

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

YOUR FREEDEM CANDIDATES FOR THE NEW COSÂ

1. Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN
2. Munditenens Tresplet
3. Marti-Pair Furxheir S.H.
4. Dr. Txec dal Nordselvă
5. Amada Merþedes (also for Senäts in Cézembre)
6. Þon Txoteu É. Davinescu (also for Senäts in Maricopa)
7. Gödafrïeu Válcadác’h (also for Senäts in Fiôvâ)
8. Açafat del Val (also for Senäts in Florencia)*

* The Free Democrats heartily recommend a [2] vote in the Florencian Senäts election** for the AMP candidate, Breneir Itravilatx

** Assuming there is actually a Florencian Senäts election

[Breneir Itravilatx]

Madame Seneschal, thank you so much for the FreeDem endorsement.

[Lüc da Schir]

I must say this looks like a surprisingly tame manifesto

Nov 10, 2019 14:05:09 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

move more jobs from the Cabinet to non-political (Royal Civil Service) posts, to encourage people to work for Talossa without having to get involved in partisan politics.

Can you give an example of a Cabinet job you would give to a Permanent Secretary?

Additionally, do you agree that Talossa is in no particular need of cutting ministerial portfolios to four, or any other arbitrary number?

Move our discussions to New Wittenberg under Chancery control as soon as possible.
Collaborate with Royal Archives on Witt archiving project.

What is your opinion about the PNP's proposal of "abandoning ship", ie. leaving the current Witt without completing archival?

Would a Free Democratic government allocate money to the Royal Archives, if necessary for better archival, and how much of a priority would that be compared to other projects?

Create a “New Citizens’ Information Packet” and find other ways to get new citizens quickly involved in Talossan society and state.
Convene the Council of Governors to recommend a future for provincial governments including suggestions for further mergers. No provincial mergers imposed “top-down”.

I see no reference to the proposed ID check bill. Can you comment on that?

Introduce $5 registration fee for Senäts candidates.

Just to be clear, this proposal is for everyone, rather than only for elected candidates?

Holding on on the other parts for now. I do have comments, but they are pretty straightforward, so I'm not sure I have any interesting questions.

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

Nov 12, 2019 5:59:52 GMT -6 Lüc da Schir said:

I must say this looks like a surprisingly tame manifesto

Since no conservative party has entered the race as yet, it falls to the Free Democrats to speak for those citizens whose priority is good administration, responsible government, and making the structures we have work properly, rather than a "Year Zero" approach to our history and traditions.

Yes, I'm as surprised as you are. But we're a derivatist party which appreciates 40 years of Talossan tradition (the democratic parts of it, anyway), and can't and won't compete with the Nigel Tufnel Party, the Judean Peculiarist Front and the Peculiarist Front of Judea in a contest of "who can propose the blankest slate".

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

Nov 12, 2019 5:59:52 GMT -6 Lüc da Schir said:

Can you give an example of a Cabinet job you would give to a Permanent Secretary?

Well, we're not talking about entire ministerial portfolios, but particular jobs. For example, there are plenty of people who are good legal scholars and advocates who would like to do public service, but don't want the political responsibilities of Attorney-General or to be a political appointment. Other countries have an office of "Solicitor-General", who is a non-political lawyer who represents the Government and/or the State before the Courts and takes instruction from the Attorney-General. So that might be something to bring in here.

Additionally, do you agree that Talossa is in no particular need of cutting ministerial portfolios to four, or any other arbitrary number?

I would agree with that, just like I would agree that there is no arbitrary "right" number of provinces.

What is your opinion about the PNP's proposal of "abandoning ship", ie. leaving the current Witt without completing archival?

Since OldWitt is privately owned, the Government simply has no power to do that! In addition, certain less-active citizens would be left behind. I would prefer a situation where, at a given time, we agree to stop posting new threads on OldWitt, but leave existing threads open until they peter out of their own accord.

This brings up the embarrassing point that I don't actually know who has admin rights over OldWitt, apart from the King, who as we all know is rather "part-time"! I suppose that if I'm re-elected I'll get in touch with him to work out a timetable for the changeover.

Would a Free Democratic government allocate money to the Royal Archives, if necessary for better archival, and how much of a priority would that be compared to other projects?

If the Royal Archives makes a budget request I'm inclined to grant it - especially since we made no Cultural Development grants in the last term.

I see no reference to the proposed ID check bill. Can you comment on that?

I personally intend to pursue that in the new Cosa but that's not FreeDems policy. I should point out that the FreeDems will have our annual convention after the election and policy may well be changed at that point.

Introduce $5 registration fee for Senäts candidates.

Just to be clear, this proposal is for everyone, rather than only for elected candidates?

Thank you for the question. To be fair, I suppose it should be on the same basis as the Cosa, i.e. only the winning candidates pay.

[E.S. Bornatfiglheu]

Nov 12, 2019 12:51:10 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Nov 12, 2019 5:59:52 GMT -6 Lüc da Schir said:

I must say this looks like a surprisingly tame manifesto

Since no conservative party has entered the race as yet, it falls to the Free Democrats to speak for those citizens whose priority is good administration, responsible government, and making the structures we have work properly, rather than a "Year Zero" approach to our history and traditions.

Yes, I'm as surprised as you are. But we're a derivatist party which appreciates 40 years of Talossan tradition (the democratic parts of it, anyway), and can't and won't compete with the Nigel Tufnel Party, the Judean Peculiarist Front and the Peculiarist Front of Judea in a contest of "who can propose the blankest slate".

You're being a little glib in dismissing the Peculiarist movement here in Talossa.  Both the NPW and the PecNats have sugested programmatic changes that do not consist of a "year zero" approach.  The NPW, for one, acknowledges our history, but simply feels we may not be approaching it in the most sustainable format.

Derivativism does not equate to a respect for our nation's history.

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

Nov 12, 2019 17:23:46 GMT -6 E.S. Bornatfiglheu said:

You're being a little glib

[Ian Plätschisch]

Nov 12, 2019 12:51:10 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Nov 12, 2019 5:59:52 GMT -6 Lüc da Schir said:

I must say this looks like a surprisingly tame manifesto

Yes, I'm as surprised as you are. But we're a derivatist party which appreciates 40 years of Talossan tradition (the democratic parts of it, anyway), and can't and won't compete with the Nigel Tufnel Party, the Judean Peculiarist Front and the Peculiarist Front of Judea in a contest of "who can propose the blankest slate".

I seem to remember that AMP has been the party most vigorously opposing certain proposals of the NPW and PNP.

AMP certainly does not propose a blank slate, but we do propose ways to reinvigorate the institutions we currently have.

just like I would agree that there is no arbitrary "right" number of provinces.

We may think that four is the best, but it's not like we would be upset with five, or three, or whatever. But eight is definitely too many and two is probably not enough.