The People's Party October Convention - Final comments

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Key issues

* Vote on updated platform
* Endorsement for President and Vice President, Senate and Governors races
* Party leadership election
* Further business

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

To my fellow People.

This is just a warning that we have only a few days before our October convention starts.

I hope to have some discussion on the platform here in the next day or two.

Let the People gather and we shall start soon.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Where is the convention?

Uh... we don't usually do that.

But if the People wish...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Good good, tradition is maintained

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Everyone - let's start signing in.

xPolnut

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I want to endorse the Vice Chair's position of this party supporting President Tyrion and his efforts to re-engage the Executive.

I'd also ask Vice Chair Oakvale to put up the proposed platform for discussion and debate over the next two days.

I would also like to announce that I will be seeking re-endorsement as Chair of the Party.

Anyone who wishes the endorsement of the TPP should make their case here as soon as possible.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The first order of business.

While we finalise the draft platform, let us move to the Party Leadership Election.

I am seeking your endorsement for another term as Chair and I am nominating Oakvale to remain as Vice-Chair. I believe we need to retain our leadership team during this time of instability and while we continue to build our party's structures and platforms.

Over the next 24 hours, all of those who wish to seek our endorsement for the upcoming elections, or wish to nominate for party leadership will need to indicate it, so we can start our election and endorsement vote.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I would like to seek your endorsement for the Northeast gubernatorial election.

As a TPP member, you're automatically endorsed.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

As there are no other nominations for Chair and Vice Chair, I declare that Oakvale and myself have been re-elected by acclamation.

We now move to endorsement for parties.

We do have an issue here. Former SoEA Sjoyce is on a ticket with Senator Lumine. As Sjoyce is a TPP member, in theory, he is automatically endorsed as our candidate for Vice President. I see the difficulty in endorsing the bottom of the ticket, but not the top.

Therefore I have made a Chair's call in ensure a smooth process. Sjoyce will be the TPP's endorsed candidate for Vice President. However, I will include a Lumine/Sjoyce option on the ballot, as well as the traditional write-in option. I believe this is fair to all members and to the candidates. Only those candidates who have sought our endorsement will be on the ballot.

Please number

ENDORSEMENT BALLOT
President and Vice President
[ ] Marokai/Antonio V (Labor)
[ ] Lumine/Sjoyce (Federalist/TPP)
[ ] Poirot/TBD (Independent)
[ ] Write in:

Northeast Governor - Sawx automatically endorsed
[ ] Write in:

Northeast Senator - MattVT automatically endorsed
[ ] Write in:

Pacific Senator - Cranberry automatically endorsed
[ ] Write in:

xx Senator -
[ ]  Write in:

xx Governor -
[ ] Write in:

Polls close 24 hours after this message is posted.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The voting has closed and the ticket of Lumine/Sjoyce will receive the endorsement of The People's Party for President and Vice President at the upcoming election.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Vice Chair Oakvale will put forward a proposed platform that represents who we as The People are.

So we will be extending our convention until Monday to cover all required business.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The issue on income tax is that basic idea that someone should ideally not have more than 50% of their income taken by income taxes. So, extrapolated, that suggests an ideal income tax of more than 50%.

Because, while I agree with Senator Nix and other that putting a specific number on the tax rate is problematic... being too vague is also problematic.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Over the next 24 hours, we will need to get any final platform discussions up for votes. So we can actually get this thing wound up by Monday.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I understand the President's concerns, but I'm personally very comfortable with the language. There is evil in the world, just not of the biblical kind.

In relation to the issue around abortion, we are not advocating for the extreme position of Senator TNF. I think it is clear what our platform is reflecting.

On the issue of taxation - I note what Senator Nix is advocating and understand it.

I will propose some new wording that reflects the long-standing principle of the People, without tying too rigidly.

I am officially calling for final issues with the platform to be communicated here as soon as possible. I intend to put this platform to a final vote within the next 24 hours.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

1. The People's Party recognises the right to private property as a fundamental human right. No society where this right is under threat can be truly free.

2. The People's Party believes that climate change is real and anthropogenic. We believe this must be addressed not through half-solutions and tokenism, but through real, substantive action by governments and citizens alike. We firmly believe in a cap-and-trade system or carbon tax to limit harmful emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. In addition, we recognize that Atlasian flora and fauna are vital to the ecosystem and cultural heritage of our nation, and will work to preserve them.

3. The People's Party believes that personal liberty is the bedrock principle of Atlasian society. We believe that no government has the right to dictate the direction of its citizen's lives - we will fight for personal freedom in all walks of life, including in protecting the fundamental right of a woman's right to bodily autonomy.

4. The People's Party believes in a progressive tax structure, where those who have benefited the most give a helping hand to those who need it. But we do not believe that "taxing the rich" is an economic panacea. That is a mantra, not a policy. A strong economy that provides opportunity for all will be built and maintained not through the blind recitation of outdated dogmas but through cooperation, compromise, understanding and a realistic perspective on the challenges we face.

Furthermore, a truly fair and progressive tax structure must not be used as a tool to persecute or attack those fortunate enough to achieve wealth and success in our economy. Such policies turn citizen against citizen, breed discord and unrest, and weaken our nation. We believe that Atlasia must be a society for all the people, not for select interest groups. To this end, it is The People's Party's belief that an income tax should not exceed more than 50% of an individual's income. no individual should expect that more than half of their income should be taken as income taxation.

5. The People's Party recognises that investor confidence in our nation has often been shaken by ideologically-motivated decisions on economic matters. The People recognise a portion of our country derives their income from capital gains and dividends. For the social well being of The People, The Party favors a flat 15% capital gains tax on low and middle income Atlasians, whereas the top 3% earners should pay 20%.

6. The People's Party recognises the hardships too many employees experience in their everyday lives. This Party will fight a policy of honesty and openness between both employee and employer. While we hold employment policies, including “at will” laws a regional issue, we encourage regional governments to work to change policies like these -they are archaic and are a tremendous disservice to the employee. They discourage the principles of honesty, openness and job security that should be the foundation of of a healthy, vibrant and modern economy.

7.  The People recognize that business, large and small, is the backbone of this country. Therefore, we favor a low corporate tax to encourage domestic job creation, keeping The People at work in their home country, not boosting employment numbers overseas. The People also recognize the role certainty plays in the economy. We must be in touch with our business community, large and small, by giving employers certainty when it comes to taxes and other issues that lead to layoffs and a deterioration of investor confidence. Furthermore, we recognize that so long as public services are provided transparently, equitably, and efficiently, it does not matter whether the public or private sector provides them, and we oppose attempts to unilaterally nationalise, or privatise, such services on mere ideological grounds. The People believe that the default assumption should be that economic activity should be handled by the private sector, but that government must not hesitate to intervene when the market fails the people.

8. The People are realists. We recognize that there is evil in this world, and there are groups of people whose basic interests and values conflict with our own. But dealing with this evil does not always begin with bombs and bullets. Diplomacy must be our first line of defense, and we must work to keep the lines of communication open with both our enemies and allies. The People recognize Atlasia’s position in the world. We must lead by example. However, if diplomacy does fail, and a nation openly defies the international community, The People shall not shy away from using force, for we believe that the nations with the most power are those with the most responsibility.

9. The People believe that a strong national defense is essential not just for our own security but for that of those peoples throughout the world who rely on the most powerful nations for support and security. The military has been gutted for years by isolationists and ideologues. We recognise that, at one stage, the defense budget was undoubtedly bloated and inefficient, but we believe that the zeal for cutting our defense capabilities has gone too far. We support an increase in the military budget and rolling back the extremist policies by the far-left and far-right that have crippled our military and diplomatic standing. The People believe that the Atlasia does not need the largest or the smallest military, but the smartest and most efficient.

10. The People believe that healthy and thriving regions are the lifeblood of Atlasia. We oppose attempts to impose regional consolidation without the consent of the majority of citizens through political trickery and backdoor tactics. We believe that devolution of power to the regions should be concrete and intellectually justified - we oppose token devolution such as local administration of Senate elections, which only serves to add an unnecessary layer of government bureaucracy to our election process. We support the repeal and replacement of the 17th Amendment - an amendment should be ratified or rejected once, nationally, not voted on indefinitely by a single region until the desired result is achieved.

11. The People believe that we have been too lenient for too long on those who would usurp the law and threaten the stability of our nation. We favour tougher penalties for crimes against Atlasia, giving the power to the courts to sentence offenders for a ban on voting or holding office for up to a year. Similarly, we believe that deregistration must have serious consequences, and support increasing the time before a deregistered voter can re-register to a year.

12. The People's Party is an open and democratic party, and prides itself on its culture of open debate among its membership. The People believe that open debate and dialogue makes a party stronger, not weaker, and that attempts to stifle dissent or disagreement and impose top-down control are antithetical to a healthy party and the core values of The People.

After taking on board comments here and those sent to me privately, I have attempted to address a couple in this version.

In item 4, I have noted that long-standing principle of the People, going back to our founding, that tax rates shouldn't be punitive. It notes the importance of progressive taxation, those with the most, should pay the most. While it has removed the set amount, it does reflect the aspiration that we have held to for a long time.

Item 9 has an addition that has come up through some discussions with some party members. It notes that the ideological desire to cut the defense budget is an understandable goal, but one that has consequences and one we believe has gone too far. I have added a sentence which reflects something we in this party believe in. Let's stop wasting time arguing about specifics of the size of the military, and focus on what we need in order to guarantee our safety and do it in the smartest and most efficient way possible. Not everything needs to be ideological, some things, should be based on best-evidence and best-practice.

I propose this Platform to the Convention for its approval.

Please mark an [X] in the box of your choice.

[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Abstain

24 hours from the posting of this message.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

For whatever reason, the only time I see people de-register is after a heated argument when everyone is upset. I think if we are to have it in place, it needs to have harsh consequences merely so people won't use it to prove a point.

Maybe that's just me though. I don't care either way honestly. If I leave the game, I doubt I will de-register. I'll just disappear into the sunset.

Sometimes people de-register because they just need a break and I really don't think they should be punished with year-long banishment for that.

They don't need to de-register... Most of the time, it's usually out of some kind of tantrum. If you definitely don't want to come back, de-register. But if you intend to return, maintain a base level of activity ie voting (the ONLY thing you need to do). It really isn't that hard.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I propose this Platform to the Convention for its approval.

Please mark an [X] in the box of your choice.

• Yes

[ ] No
[ ] Abstain

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's really not that difficult... delete them. De-registration should be a big deal.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

The period for the vote has ended and the platform has been passed.

----

I would like to thank all of you, party members new, old and returned for your engagement in this convention. I would primarily like to thank my Vice Chair Oakvale for his tireless work on the platform and the support he has given me.

This party has been accused of many things, but this convention has shown that this is not a personality cult, but a party of committed Atlasians, who have now voted on a set of clear goals and principles to guide this party into the future.

We have come a long way since our return only a short time ago. We now have representation in all levels of Atlasian government, up to and including our first TPP President.

But this party is about more than winning the most seats. This party is not a traditional broad-church, but it does embrace a broad set of people who are committed to basic principles. Individual liberty, a strong safety net, a smart and efficient military, addressing climate change and supporting thriving regions is what we are about.

We are driven by best-evidence and best-practice, not ideology. We believe in aiming for the future with open eyes and a heart full of optimism.

This convention has set us on the right path and let us continue together to achieve those victories we need to set our country on its right path but also to ensure we do it in the correct way, without concern for exhausted arguments and preoccupations.

Thank you all again and the work begins anew tomorrow.