Post by Owen Edwards on Jun 12, 2008 9:51:35 GMT -6
I'd like to call honourable MCs and Senators together to discuss certain matters of concern arising from a conversation with Senator Davis, and if necessary, formulate Organic Law amendments.
The conversation - which I hope the dear Senator will forgive me for discussing in public, how vulgar of me - included certain observations on the political or apolitical nature of the offices and ministries of the nation.
He observed that the SoS was a non-political officer, as was the Minister of Immigration (to his mind, to a lesser extent; more on my thoughts later) - whereas, say, MinHome, MinFor, MinDef, MinStuff and MinCul all had a certain obligation to execute the published policies of the mandated elected government.
The OrgLaw reflects some of these practicalities but not others. For instance, OrgLaw XII.8 and XII.9 provide for the King's appointment of the Distain and Túischac'h, on the advice of the Seneschal; the latter an explicitly apolitical office, the former one that can be utilized as such, as the Distain's main responsibilities need not be tied to a party's platform.
Meanwhile, in OrgLaw IX.1:
"The Seneschál shall appoint a Secretary of State to an indefinite term. He may be removed and replaced by law."
Though I personally am hazy on the "law" used to remove or replace an SoS (though I am sure it exists and in plain sight, too), and though I know this issue has been discussed - privately and publicly - it seems a little illogical that the Seneschal may make, alone, the appointment for a necessarily apolitical office that wields enormous power. I, certainly, would be more comfortable if the King were involved too.
Regardless, and moving on:
Article XII, discussed already above, details the various Organically required Ministries, as well as roles such as the Distain and Speaker of the Cosa.
XII.1: The King appoints and dismisses members of the Government (Cabinet), and their subordinates, on the advice of the Seneschál. The Government consists of the Seneschál, the Distáin, the Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, Immigration Minister, and Minister of Stuff. Various other ministries may also be appointed as the Seneschál sees fit.
There are some minor matter of consistency in this article, but hardly important ones.
However - and I speak as someone with a stake in the matter, it should be clear - I am not entirely comfortable with MinImm being lumped in with the other ministries. Even though it is a decision made between the King and Seneschal (lacking with the appointment of the SoS), it still politicizes a department which must be entirely apolitical in nature.
A government may have immigration policy it wishes to push, but it is not MinImm's role to run that; indeed, as demonstrated by Viteu and my involvement in the recent talk of reform, it is but a small part of the job and one which consists of providing the practical experience necessary in debates in which some know but little about the actual subject.
MinImm's job is to administer people's interest in immigrating, and overseeing the first three quarters of the naturalisation process. There is no room for politics in that role. Indeed, bringing politics into it would profoundly damage it.
So what is MinImm doing as a "governmental" position? (Especially with the grey area about what a government consists of and when it is dissolved and so on - perhaps more on that later) It would, I contend, make more sense for MinImm to be seperated from the government, made an apolitical, non-"dissolvable" Office, and perhaps renamed so as not to be confused for a government ministry.
Discussion welcomed!
The conversation - which I hope the dear Senator will forgive me for discussing in public, how vulgar of me - included certain observations on the political or apolitical nature of the offices and ministries of the nation.
He observed that the SoS was a non-political officer, as was the Minister of Immigration (to his mind, to a lesser extent; more on my thoughts later) - whereas, say, MinHome, MinFor, MinDef, MinStuff and MinCul all had a certain obligation to execute the published policies of the mandated elected government.
The OrgLaw reflects some of these practicalities but not others. For instance, OrgLaw XII.8 and XII.9 provide for the King's appointment of the Distain and Túischac'h, on the advice of the Seneschal; the latter an explicitly apolitical office, the former one that can be utilized as such, as the Distain's main responsibilities need not be tied to a party's platform.
Meanwhile, in OrgLaw IX.1:
"The Seneschál shall appoint a Secretary of State to an indefinite term. He may be removed and replaced by law."
Though I personally am hazy on the "law" used to remove or replace an SoS (though I am sure it exists and in plain sight, too), and though I know this issue has been discussed - privately and publicly - it seems a little illogical that the Seneschal may make, alone, the appointment for a necessarily apolitical office that wields enormous power. I, certainly, would be more comfortable if the King were involved too.
Regardless, and moving on:
Article XII, discussed already above, details the various Organically required Ministries, as well as roles such as the Distain and Speaker of the Cosa.
XII.1: The King appoints and dismisses members of the Government (Cabinet), and their subordinates, on the advice of the Seneschál. The Government consists of the Seneschál, the Distáin, the Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, Immigration Minister, and Minister of Stuff. Various other ministries may also be appointed as the Seneschál sees fit.
There are some minor matter of consistency in this article, but hardly important ones.
However - and I speak as someone with a stake in the matter, it should be clear - I am not entirely comfortable with MinImm being lumped in with the other ministries. Even though it is a decision made between the King and Seneschal (lacking with the appointment of the SoS), it still politicizes a department which must be entirely apolitical in nature.
A government may have immigration policy it wishes to push, but it is not MinImm's role to run that; indeed, as demonstrated by Viteu and my involvement in the recent talk of reform, it is but a small part of the job and one which consists of providing the practical experience necessary in debates in which some know but little about the actual subject.
MinImm's job is to administer people's interest in immigrating, and overseeing the first three quarters of the naturalisation process. There is no room for politics in that role. Indeed, bringing politics into it would profoundly damage it.
So what is MinImm doing as a "governmental" position? (Especially with the grey area about what a government consists of and when it is dissolved and so on - perhaps more on that later) It would, I contend, make more sense for MinImm to be seperated from the government, made an apolitical, non-"dissolvable" Office, and perhaps renamed so as not to be confused for a government ministry.
Discussion welcomed!