How to run the game...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Things do seem to have ground to a sudden halt. A shame because we're almost there... Perhaps it is time to poke people with sticks.

[afleitch]

Things do seem to have ground to a sudden halt. A shame because we're almost there... Perhaps it is time to poke people with sticks.

It's all very odd. I suppose we just need to start the Parliament and open smaller boards for the different committees. That's all there really is to it.

[Smid]

The Government really needs to submit a Bill for debate. The Opposition could start working on legislation, too, but probably hold onto that until they form Government (that way things continue after elections). The Government could possibly even look at some Bills from real life Parliaments as an idea on something that could be debated.

One quick question about the committees... are they Committees of the Whole (like when a Bill goes into Committee stage between the second and third readings, or are they investigatory committess, like the Joint Committee on whatever? In other words - is committee membership universal or limited? Limited allows for more intra-party power plays and lobbying leaders for positions on certain committees (possibly in exchange for leadership votes, etc), but universal would allow much of the debate to rage about particular Bills in the committees and allow everyone to participate. It all works either way, it's really a matter of taste and desired outcome for the game.

[afleitch]

Education and Health
Social Affairs and Welfare (Social security, equality, welfare provision)
Law and Home Affairs (domestic security, police, army etc)
Business and Finance
Foreign Affairs
Constitutional Affairs (devolution)
Culture (sport, leisure, planning)

Slight re-jig

Merge - Constitutional Affairs with Foreign Affairs
Create - Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Change - Culture to Culture, Planning and Transport (ie adding the Transport Brief)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

To quickly establish a few ground rules:

1. Antillia will have developed its own deranged parliamentary and political traditions. In particular there is even less division between the executive and the legislature than in most countries; this even extends to the fact that cabinet ministers are allowed (and frequently do) chair parliamentary committees.

(OOC: we don't have enough players to do else, somewhat regrettably)

2. But following several high-profile bribery scandals in the 1970s and 1980s, there are now a few rules regarding conflicts of interest. For our purposes, the main one is that a cabinet minister cannot chair a committee that he/she has any responsibility for in government.

3. This is not America, so Chairs are given to all parties with a significant amount of seats.

Etc.

[afleitch]

To quickly establish a few ground rules:

1. Antillia will have developed its own deranged parliamentary and political traditions. In particular there is even less division between the executive and the legislature than in most countries; this even extends to the fact that cabinet ministers are allowed (and frequently do) chair parliamentary committees.

(OOC: we don't have enough players to do else, somewhat regrettably)

2. But following several high-profile bribery scandals in the 1970s and 1980s, there are now a few rules regarding conflicts of interest. For our purposes, the main one is that a cabinet minister cannot chair a committee that he/she has any responsibility for in government.

3. This is not America, so Chairs are given to all parties with a significant amount of seats.

Etc.

Agreed. Given the respective size of the country (and constituency size too), the Parliament is likely to focus on lots of smaller issues, that in larger nations would fall under the jurisdiction of states, counties etc. It will fill the parliament with debates on the price of fish. But that's a good thing