Talk Elections

I'm putting this in a seperate thread as this is how we can start the game as soon as possible with as minimal a fuss.

Rules

Parliament operates in 'real time' with the exception that we have elections say every 3/4 months. Therefore there is set business on certain days of the week. It has to work differently from what we have in Atlasia.

There is a Parliament Thread where more general discussion is located. This takes the form of a continuing 'narrative' of debate. This is also where ceremonial and procedural matters are discussed. Every Wednesday (at least to start) will be Prime Ministers Questions, probably the highlight of the week which should hopefully need no explanation :) Importantly, this is also where the final reading of each bill takes place; there is a short period of discussion/abuse allowed but this is where the final bill has to be voted on. The Speaker will announce the results of each division(vote)

However (and this is what makes it different from Atlasia) there will also be seperate threads for legislation. These will be 'Committees'; threads opened up for different concerns, where the details of the bills are discussed and amendments debated and voted on. We can run these side by side. There is no need for those playing to be involved in each and every one of them. You may never contribute to something about Foreign Affairs, but you may end up chairing the Arts Committee, When the final amended draft is decided upon, then the vote takes place in the main Parliament Thread.

For example we would have the  Parliament Thread.

Education Committee (where all Education related bills are discussed)
Health Committee
Foreign Affairs Commitee...

and so on.

Each Committee can only discuss one piece of legislation at a time unless in an emergency. Each Committee has a 'chair'; a sponsor who acts a bit like the 'PPT' for each thread.

It's a different way of doing things, but it allows the game to be more focussed. Serious stuff can be found in the Committee threads, while the rough and tumble and fun can take place in the Parliament Thread.

Straightforward, simple, workable. And if something needs changing, it can be changed with minimum fuss. Excellent.

I might post a lot of background stuff when I stop working later. Hopefully enough that we can then get things moving...

Thank you :) I was concerned that in trying to simplify things I might have made them more complicated.

In terms of committees, I thought it best to keep the number low, but 'split' them if necessary in the future. So I've grouped them as follows

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)

Not all the commitees will be constantly active. In retrospect it might be fairer to allow more than one piece of legislation to be considered in each committee.

I quite like it, i'm especially excited about PM's questions... since i actually sit and watch the stuff (both UK and Canadian), definelty are highlights.

My first question, is how is the new government going to be decided? The SD's (or whatever name they choose :P) will be the largest party, i think they need to work with the King to estblish a working government... so get on it guys :)

ps... teh Cooperatives are willing to enter negotiations :D
pps... i am working on posting all the Bronseland bio details... hope you enjoy

Given that we play characters here, we have an issue that Atlasia does not. Death, disgrace and retirement. I don't think we need firm rules on this, but it's something that needs at least some vague discussion.

What I would propose is that individual players handle most of that side of things, but that deaths are reported in an official newspaper of some kind (who runs it is irrelevant) along with a mini obituary. Retirements would be announced somewhere as well. The player would then be free to start a new character.

Are we going to have offices mps can retire from the house to?

This sounds good. Overgaard will seek seats on the Education and Health, Social Affairs and Welfare, and Business and Finance committees (he may not get that last one, though, as he's on the right of his party in that area).

That's a bit too specifically British, methinks.

Right. Let's get this moving.

Who want's to chair what Committee? Then we start the game. If we don't know the details about each region by then don't worry; we can still play.

Just to be clear, we're using the three committees in your opening post? :)

Shouldn't you have a government before you worry about chairs?

Discussions on the matter are ongoing.

Apologies, I was thinking it was best to use these;

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)

I've decided to rank the committees based on Overgaard's preferences.

1. Social Affairs and Welfare (Overgaard tends to be most vocal on these issues)
2. Business and Finance (Overgaard is to his party's right in this area, which may hurt his chances here, but he is interested)
3. Education and Health (Overgaard has strong feelings on these issues)
4. Culture (Being from Kristiana, Overgaard has an interest in Culture, but this is a lesser priority)
5. Law and Home Affairs (Overgaard is not an expert in this area)
6. Foreign Affairs (Nor in this one)
7. Constitutional Affairs (Nor in this one)

I decided to go with Vazdul's model. ;D

1. Constitutional Affairs (devolution) (Guess what he wants to devolve...;))
2. Social Affairs and Welfare (Social security, equality, welfare provision) (He feels the government can act to improve society for the poor, and destitute. Strong believer in nationalisation, or regional government control of industries in Pitfarris.)
3. Education and Health
4. Culture (sport, leisure, planning)
5. Foreign Affairs
6. Law and Home Affairs (domestic security, police, army etc)
7. Business and Finance

Mr Bastian De Wilde's ranked committee preferrences:

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

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

My character's interests are more with national issues than local ones. Foreign Affairs is the top one with concern over social well-being second.

1. Business and Finance
2. Law and Home Affairs (domestic security, police, army etc)
3. Culture (sport, leisure, planning)
4. Constitutional Affairs (devolution)
5. Foreign Affairs
6. Education and Health
7. Social Affairs and Welfare (Social security, equality, welfare provision)

Are we ready to go then?

Have been.

I certainly am.

Ian Harlow Prefered Committee Assignments

1. Law and Home Affairs
2. Social Affairs and Welfare
3. Foreign Affairs
4. Education and Health
5. Culture
6. Business and Finance
7. Constitutional Affairs

OOC: Hello?  Is this still going on?

I've been waiting on the new PM to do some sort of setting up a government or something, a vote or just about anything really... Everyone seemed to just drop out of sight...

I'm still here. I'm just waiting for action.

Perhaps I should be taking action instead...

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.

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.

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)

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 ;)