Labor Party Standing Committee thread: Endorsement voting

[Oakvale]

Will you be running a Presidential candidate?

[Oakvale]

I might be way off but IIRC Atlasia has civil unions for all couples, not marriage per se.

[Oakvale]

Btw I am thinking of running for something this summer. What would be a doable entry-level position for me(Pacific residency)?

Lieutenant Governor is a position with a noble history.





Yes, I was Pacific Lt. Governor once.

[Oakvale]

Pingvin is chairman of a major party in Atlasia? Oh, wow.

Well, with that and the fact that we apparently now only have 68 people voting in elections, I daresay disbanding the JCP and the RPP didn't prove to be the magic fix we were told it would be.

I do think it was a good idea - this decline's been going on for some time - but it's certainly true that it didn't magically solve everything. I'd stand by my opinion that we're better off than we would have been with the old system, though.

[Oakvale]

Me and Cincinattus were talking on the IRC recently and were vaguely considering running a quixotic independent campaign (in my case as a fun way to retire ) for the Presidency. I don't know whether we're going through with it, but in the event that I do I'd put myself forward for the Labor endorsement while remaining an independent candidate.

PS: While I'm no longer affiliated with any political party or hold any political office, it's obvious where my sympathies lie - depending on whether Cinci & I run or not Napoleon will be getting either my first or second preference, and I'd strongly favour electing a left-wing President.

[/trial balloon]

[Oakvale]

I'd also like to put my name forward for the Labor Party's support.

[Oakvale]

It's probably not in my best interests to defend my opponent (and a rival for the party's endorsement), but I'd agree that characterising Napoleon as simply "neoliberal" is overly simplistic and is just an appeal to dogma.

[Oakvale]

It's still early days in the campaign yet, so our platform hasn't been fully rolled out, but I'll make my pitch. I'm not a member of the Labor Party, and I'm proud to be the independent candidate in the race, but I think there's a lot of common ground.

The Oakvale/Cincinnatus ticket supports clean, renewable energy to bring Atlasia into a future free of fossil fuels.

We support replacing upfront college tuition  fees with a progressive graduate tax over a period of decades so that every child can have the opportunity to go to college.

We support Atlasia's universal healthcare system, and believe "reform" should be just that - not code for privatisation by stealth.

We support a pragmatic, multilateral foreign policy, favouring diplomacy and leaving UN-sanctioned military inervention as a last resort.

We believe in reforming and reshaping Atlasia's infrastructure, both as a form of vital economic stimulus in this turbulent period and as a crucial investment in the nation's future - as President, I will pass an infrastructure stimulus package allocating money to the regions to improve our roads, bridges, electricity grid, rural broadband, etc, etc.

While I've got a long record  of working with those from across the political spectrum, that does not mean I will compromise on my fundamental principles - as President, I will veto any attempt by the conservative Senate to infringe on a woman's right to choose or to gut our social safety net. It's important for a President to work with the Senate, but retain their principles.

If members of the party have any questions I will be more than happy to answer them.


PS: I agree with Napoleon that infighting on the Left would be a very move electorally - if there'd been a decent transfer pact last year Ben or I would have won on the strength of left-wing votes - this time around I think all left-of-center candidates can agree that we should all give high preferences to each other.

[Oakvale]

This might be an interesting opportunity to test the new primary legislation.

[Oakvale]

Governor Napoleon's brought to my attention that some see my rhetoric on healthcare in my previous post as a criticism of the New Atlasian Healthcare Act - this was not my intention, although I have a few minor quibbles with the bill as is.

My references to privitisation in the guise of "reform" was out of fear of what the conservative majority Senate might attempt to pass in the next President's term, not a dig at Senator Scott's very commendable legislation.

[Oakvale]

The only thing dissolution achieved is replading divided right with divided left.

Congrats, bgwah

Yet, I still hope for cooperation between the two left parties, even if I'm not a member of either Liberal nor Labor.

There was a divided Right?

[Oakvale]

Presumably my Labor campaign manager would be supporting me.

As will mine, I hope.

[Oakvale]

I think it's frankly disingenuous to characterise Tweed's candidacy as merely a "left-wing" one...

[Oakvale]

This is exceedingly minor, but shouldn't candidates be in alphabetical order?

[Oakvale]

Why not Oakvale?

He defines neoliberalism.

News to me.