McMasterdonia for Delegate

[mcmasterdonia]

I’m McMasterdonia and I am running for Delegate. I don't have a fancy logo, so hopefully the Melania Trump gif will do.

First off, I’d like to thank my colleague and friend @Pallaith for nominating me for Delegate of The North Pacific. I intend to accept that nomination.

Secondly, I would like to thank @El Fiji Grande for his service as World Assembly Delegate. El Fiji represented an example of a diligent public servant, who sought nothing more than to improve the region for all TNPers. He is incredibly hardworking. As someone who has had to make a difficult choice to leave office before, I understand how hard that decision must have been. I am grateful to have served in his cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Preamble

I have served in almost every role in the executive government since first joining The North Pacific in 2011. I joined the forum in early 2012 and was shortly thereafter appointed as the Minister of Defence responsible for recreating the North Pacific Army, and subsequently was elected Vice Delegate and then finally WA Delegate. It has been almost five years since I last held elected office in The North Pacific.

With the unexpected decision of Delegate El Fiji Grande to not seek a second term, the election is more open than many might have expected. This calls upon TNPers to make a decision on how the region should be led for the next four months, and where we, collectively, believe this ship ought to be heading.

Many of you know me very well. You understand what I am about, what I am like as a leader, Minister and citizen. Throughout my time in NationStates, The North Pacific and its community has always been my first priority. I have always been a powerful advocate for our region, its goals, security and future. As your Delegate, you can be assured that my advocacy in this regard will continue.

While a lot has changed in the last five or so years since I was last elected Delegate, the core principles that underpin a successful region and government remain unchanged. I believe The North Pacific is a place of tremendous opportunity and one of success, built through determination, pragmatic decision making, and a belief in the call to serve. I have my finger on the pulse of this community and I believe I can effectively govern and deliver for all.

The office of Delegate is bigger than any one individual. I truly believe that. I am running to be the WA Delegate for all TNPers. For the new and the old. For the gameplayers and the roleplayers. So we may work together in breaking down barriers in international diplomacy and discovering new opportunities for the next chapter in The North Pacific’s story. I hope you will consider allow me to be the one lead our region into the future.

General Admin Matters

Executive Staff

In my recent term as a Minister, I relied tremendously upon my Deputies to process executive staff applications. This is an area where throughout the term each Minister is likely to have some difficulty. I understand this can occur and will do my best to monitor it as Delegate.

I will ask each Minister to provide me with a copy of the personal message that they send each applicant. Given how the forum is operating currently, we need to be very clear and consistent with what we’re asking new applicants to do. If need be, I can also ask additional staff members to assist with this task to ensure it is dealt with efficiently.

Monthly Reports

I have found the monthly reports initiative established by El Fiji Grande to be an important initiative for government Minister’s to reflect on the work achieved in the preceding month and the obstacles that have come up during that time. I fully intend to continue to require these on the part of my Ministers and on the part of the office of Delegate. They serve as a useful public record, however, I have been somewhat disappointed with the lack of public engagement with the content of these reports.

Committees

If I am elected, I would propose to work with the Speaker of the Regional Assembly to appoint two informal committees of individuals grouped under the following categories:

1. “External Affairs” - Foreign Affairs, Defence, World Assembly Affairs;
   
   
2. “Internal Affairs” - Culture, Home Affairs, Communications

The role of these committees will be to ask questions, seek further clarification, and engage with the content of these reports. I believe this will quite clearly reinforce the notion of accountability and transparency to the citizens of the North Pacific. While the Speaker is not personally involved in the executive, I would value their input in the formation of these committees given that all government officials are accountable to the Regional Assembly. I think this would also be a great way to give new members the opportunity to take on a job and to find out more about what our government is doing.

Press Secretary

If elected, I would appoint a Press Secretary who will be responsible for The North Pacific’s Press Releases Program. The Press Secretary will be responsible for collating information about the day to day activities of the cabinet and the Delegate for public release. This will include the disclosure of official meetings with external parties. I believe that this innovation will prove useful in reminding the wider community about the routine activities that occur on a daily basis. I will elaborate more on this role in each of the areas outlined below.

Executive Ministries

Spoiler: Foreign Affairs

As the Foreign Affairs Minister for the past term, and having served as WA Delegate, I am very knowledgeable about the extensive foreign relations and partnerships that The North Pacific is a party to. My goal in Foreign Affairs is always to first ensure that we have as much information available as possible to make an informed decision and secondly, to undertake a pragmatic approach to determining the best possible path forward.


When it comes to our foreign affairs, I am an experienced, capable and well researched diplomat. I will always put my best foot forward on matters of state and will ensure that The North Pacific’s voice on key issues is heard and understood.

The World Factbook

One of the areas I have generally speaking been concerned about is how regional knowledge - particularly of our partnerships, rivals, and other challenging foreign policy issues can be held by relatively a few people. For example, I may know our relationship with The South Pacific very well, @SillyString may know Europeia very well, and @Tlomz may know our WALL partners very well. This information is not always collated and passed on.

My proposal to rectify this would be to pursue a TNP maintained world factbook, similar to the CIA World Factbook that some of you may be familiar with. Essentially this will involve creating a new version of our diplomatic report format. Our Ambassadors will then compile information on their assigned region, and this will be collated and displayed in a public document.

Secondly, I would invite our Senior Diplomats to contribute their ideas, opinions and analysis to these reports. This version would be maintained by the Senior Diplomats and be provided to newly elected WA Delegates and appointed Ministers when they make their transition into a new role.

I believe that the output for this initiative would be beneficial to internal and external parties. It would also show the operational power of our dedicated diplomatic officers and provide them with an opportunity to harness their experience as an Ambassador to assist future leaders of The North Pacific.

Regional Development as Foreign Policy

Advances in technology and infrastructure have created a whole new area of activity and opened opportunities for collaboration with our partners. The World Assembly Development Program (as an example) has been mirrored and adopted in some of our allies, such as The South Pacific. This technology provided us the opportunity to collaborate and build people-to-people links.

I believe that regional development should be a tool of our foreign policy. The North Pacific has some of the finest infrastructure in the world. Whether that is our information for voters systems, first pioneered by Eluvatar and innovated by r3naissanc3r, the World Assembly Development Program, our dispatch service, our extensive array of in-game telegrams and scripts, all of this has supported our longevity and stability.

The North Pacific should work with our allies to ensure that we can utilise our vast infrastructure to build positive and meaningful partnerships, and to support sustainable regional development. @Owenstacey and I touched upon this in a recent article we put forward in The Northern Lights.

If I am elected, I would propose that The North Pacific reasserts itself in a changing world by being a leader in supporting regional development. I admit that I am not exactly sure what form this will take, it will involve consultation with internal stakeholders, and may involve a number of strategic pacts to help facilitate these regional development goals. Nevertheless, I believe that this is a path worth trying in the coming months, and a path that will allow us to diversify our foreign policy initiatives.

Spoiler: Defence

I believe that we have the greatest army in the world. Unlike many other organisations and regional militaries, The North Pacific Army has sustained itself consistently over many, many years. My recent decision to return to service in Army only reenhanced that belief. The leadership team led by the general staff is excellent, hardworking, committed and goal oriented. There is certainly no hesitancy on their part to expect great outcomes from their appointed officials. LIkewise, the officer team and the general soldiers are hardworking and committed. As Delegate, I will do my utmost to ensure that the NPA has the resources it needs to succeed and to continue to operate at a high level.

One of the deficiencies I see currently is an inability to sell the successes of the NPA. The NPA bulletins in TNS have been a good example of what I’d like to see more of. My vision however would be for all NPA operations to be featured more heavily and promoted through press releases, on the regional message board, and utilised as a tool of recruitment.

Spoiler: Communications

Communications has worked very well under the recent stewardship of El Fiji Grande and Ghost with TNS, the NBS and TNL, and with Prydania for the Roleplay Reel. As Foreign Minister, Ghost and I worked closely together to help make it easier for our diplomats to get our communications out into the world.

To make this easier, I would like Communications to work on a style guide for their publications. Particularly for setting clear parametres around fonts, font and image sizing, as well as the hosting of images. I think this will make the coding and distribution work considerably easier. While this is quite an administrative task, I believe it would be very useful.

In my first week of office, once my communications team has been established, I would intend to set out a road map for the themes for TNL for the four months ahead. This will allow me to leverage the office of Delegate to help procure authors, through formal communications and the setting of themes in advance.

As an extension of this, I would like Communications and Culture to cooperate with the University to try to bring some of these articles and their authors to live in the form of seminars, hosted in the university on the forum and/or on the discord server. This will allow our citizens and visitors to better engage with our content than is possible simply through routine distributions.

Spoiler: Culture

@Prydania has worked very hard this term in Culture. Working quietly behind the scenes, Pry has been involved in planning a wide range of activities, some of which I expect will come to fruition in the next term of government.

In terms of my own goals for culture, I would like to see us deliver on a culture event with 10,000 Islands who recently approached us and expressed an interest in doing so. That will be a good opportunity for us to make new friends and get to know one another.

I would like us to return to the hosting of the Lennarts. Unlike previous years, I would like to handle these as a rapid fire event, so that they can be completed within one term. Once we have settled on the awards and created them, we will appoint hosts to present on each award, followed by two days of voting. After which, the winner will be invited to make an acceptance speech (which is imo, usually the best part).

I would welcome a return to low investment, but fun, discord based events. I am thinking a monthly Theme Thursday time competition, like we used to do on a weekly basis. A bit of fun for people to let their hair down and we can select a winner or ‘best dressed’ at the end of the event.

I would like for us to host a games week on discord. This will allow us to see which discord based games are the most popular amongst our members and decide whether or not a separate games server is the right way to go for our region. @Darcania has already been working hard on getting our discord games ready to go. So hopefully, it won’t be too far into the term before this can be launched by the Culture Ministry.

I’ve described culture as a brain drain before. It can be incredibly difficult to come up with new ideas constantly, as well as see them all through to implementation. I will make sure that My Minister is adequately supported by me and by the staff, so that they don’t feel overwhelmed with the tasks ahead.

Spoiler: WA Affairs

In World Assembly Affairs, my goals for the term will be to increase the accessibility, visibility and transparency of WALL to TNPers. While the server exists, I don’t think there are that many TNPers there and observing as there used to be. So I will be encouraging anyone interested to participate and get involved as much as possible.

With the assistance of the Press Secretary, I would work to showcase the success of WALL. As far as interregional alliances go, I believe that WALL has been very successful and long lasting. I think we can do more to sell its successes.

I would hope that in the coming term, we could proactively seek opportunities for growth and diversity of the WALL membership. We will do this in close cooperation with other WALL members. Given the success of the organisation, I believe it is now time for it to expand further.

As the WA Delegate, I would do my best to regularly participate in discussion in the onsite GA and SC forums. I would also encourage my Minister of WA Affairs to post TNP’s recommendations in the relevant threads in-game. I hope that by regularly participating there, I can build new connections and encourage aspiring authors to visit TNP.

I am also keen to support the sponsorship initiatives pioneered by @TlomzKrano in the past couple of terms. My experience is firmly within the Security Council, however I will make myself available to work with and assist other aspiring authors.

Spoiler: Home Affairs

I think Home Affairs it at it’s best when it is constantly getting the recruitment lists out and is hitting up the telegrams, participating in the regional message board, and working to integrate our new members. My focus for HA this term will be firmly on the side of these recruitment lists, as well as cultivating the existing FAQ’s, and reaching out to new citizens directly on our regional forum. It is important that we not only get them to join the forum, but that we do as much as possible to keep them here once they are a citizen. As an admin, I feel pain when I have only just masked someone as a citizen, only to see them leave a day or two later.

@Robespierre had some great ideas this term too about the recording of video FAQ’s that didn’t quite end up happening. I would be very keen to see this idea explored further.

Spoiler: Gameside Affairs

At this time, I am unsure whether or not Gameside Affairs should be an entirely separate Ministry or not. I am open to input on this front. My first thought is that the activities of the Gameside Advocates and monitoring the regional message board can be somewhat distracting from other key tasks - such as recruitment.

In terms of my gameside affairs, I will continue to participate regularly in the regional message board and I will encourage other Minister’s to do the same. The press office will regularly promote our activities and initiatives on the regional message board.

I intend to have a heavy on-site approach. I would like to use surveys and censuses of the Nations of the region to assess what they value and where they see a need for improvement. I would also like to use this as an opportunity to find out what approaches may work to invite them to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of citizenship within our region. I think this kind of surveying and collating feedback, as is happening with the WADP currently, would be very valuable in formulating executive policy.

Key Performance Indicators (A summary):

Usually I prefer to keep things brief, but I went a little overboard up above. So I’ve summarised these below as clear campaign promises. I hope I can deliver them all. Naturally, I will expect a $10,000 bonus for each performance indicator that is met.

General Admin:

1. Quick and efficient processing of Executive Staff Applications
2. Monthly Ministerial Reports and Delegate Reports
   1. Appointment of Committees of Citizens to engage with reports, ask questions, seek feedback, etc.
3. Appointment of a Press Secretary to ensure disclosure of government activity and promotion of government events.

Foreign Affairs

1. Develop and implement a World Factbook
2. Utilising regional development tools as a foreign policy initiative

Defence

1. Promote successful NPA operations through the press office, produce ribbons and provide incentives for successful operations;
2. Promote the NPA experience on the regional message board to recruit new members.

Communications

1. Develop a style guide;
2. Plan TNL themes further in advance;
3. Utilise the office of Delegate to recruit authors;
4. Work with Culture/TNPU to get authors to present their articles as a seminar/lecture for better engagement on the subject with TNPers.

Culture

1. Host the Lennarts
2. Host a cultural event with 10,000 Islands
3. Host TNP Games Week
4. Monthly Themed Thursday Discord Events

WA Affairs

1. Increase accessibility and understanding of WALL in TNP;
2. Showcase the success of WALL as a strategic alliance;
3. Participate in onsite discussions on resolutions and present TNP IFV’s in said discussions;
4. Work with the WA Minister and other authors to sponsor up and coming authors;

Home Affairs

1. More and more recruitment lists;
2. Updating of FAQ’s - written and video;

Gameside Affairs

1. Press Office/Press Releases to more regularly promote government activity, including NPA ops and Delegate activity;
2. Heavy on site approach - including the use of surveys and censuses to assess what our nation's value and see a need for improvement.

In conclusion....

I have enjoyed and treasured every opportunity to serve The North Pacific. The task as World Assembly Delegate can be difficult, overwhelming and challenging. It is also incredibly rewarding. It is a significant responsibility and one I will not take lightly. You can be assured that if I am elected your WA Delegate once again, I will work incredibly hard for each and every one of you.

I look forward to answering your questions.

 

[Gorundu]

Obligatory "Who would you appoint as Ministers if elected?"

 

[Dinoium]

This is by far probably one of the best Delegate campaign threads I have seen in awhile. As much as we have our differences, I think Mcm is the greatest choice for Delegate. You have my vote!

My only question is if you do end up remaking the Gameside Affairs Ministry, will all current Gameside Advocates become Ministry members and will Nessie be the new Minister?

 

[Darcania]

Gameside Affairs is something I've wanted to see return ever since it was abolished. Preferably it would be handled by a Delegate / Minister pairing that could really innovate and boost the strength that a gameside presence can bring.

All in all, this campaign is so agreeable.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Obligatory "Who would you appoint as Ministers if elected?"

I haven’t decided on all counts. That’s the honest answer. I also don’t know what everyone’s availability is like.

I could instead give you a list of my top choices if you prefer

This is by far probably one of the best Delegate campaign threads I have seen in awhile. As much as we have our differences, I think Mcm is the greatest choice for Delegate. You have my vote!

My only question is if you do end up remaking the Gameside Affairs Ministry, will all current Gameside Advocates become Ministry members and will Nessie be the new Minister?

Thanks Dino. I appreciate that.

If I did elevate it to Ministry status again, then I would imagine that the Gameside Advocates would become staff and they’d report to the Minister. Assuming Nessie was available, he would be an excellent choice. That said, I could imagine @Nessuno doing well as Minister of Home Affairs as well.

 

[Gorundu]

I haven’t decided on all counts. That’s the honest answer. I also don’t know what everyone’s availability is like.

I could instead give you a list of my top choices if you prefer

Sure, I'd like that.

 

[Syrixia]

What is your view on TNPRP and Roleplay Promotion within MiniCult? What will you do, as Delegate, to continue and expand on the amazing work in the RP department that Fiji has done this term, such as the upcoming RP Symposium and the Eras and Strangereal NBS Shows?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Gameside Affairs is something I've wanted to see return ever since it was abolished. Preferably it would be handled by a Delegate / Minister pairing that could really innovate and boost the strength that a gameside presence can bring.

All in all, this campaign is so agreeable.

Most excellent! You may just get your wish.

Sure, I'd like that.

In no particular order:

FA: Owen, r3n, Pallaith, Siwale
HA: Siwale, Nessie, Robes,
Culture: Prydania, SillyString, Madjack, Escade
WA: Tlomz, Sil, r3n, Pallaith
Comms: Robes, Pallaith, El Fiji
Defence: Bob, Darc, Zazumo, Robes

What is your view on TNPRP and Roleplay Promotion within MiniCult? What will you do, as Delegate, to continue and expand on the amazing work in the RP department that Fiji has done this term, such as the upcoming RP Symposium and the Eras and Strangereal NBS Shows?

Given my experience as a Culture Minister and as an RPer, I absolutely believe that Culture can and should be a driving force for good in our Roleplay community. The key here as you know is collaboration and team work.

I’ve not mentioned those particular tasks you’ve highlighted in my campaign as I don’t wish to take credit for them myself. Prydania and El fiji have both worked very hard on those initiatives.

Certainly I would strongly support the continuation of this excellent work. I would focus on providing support to Prydania (should he continue on) to ensure that these large responsibilities are not being shouldered by him alone. It’s a lot to take on and I have done my best to be a support where I can in the last term.

I would be keen to explore Roleplay spin-offs of the Lennart awards, as well as exploring options for more collaboration from experienced foreign RPers into the Roleplay Reel, NBS shows and our Culture sponsored events.

I recall only a couple of years ago, Madjack and I were exploring how Culture could support and work with the Roleplay community. We were told then that it wouldn’t work and even that it could create animosity. I think the opposite is true as our experiences have shown.

 

[Syrixia]

A solid answer, @mcmasterdonia, but remind me again why exactly we'd be letting foreign RPers into the Roleplay Reel and our RP NBS shows when those programs are intended to highlight our RP community? What did you mean by this remark?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

A solid answer, @mcmasterdonia, but remind me again why exactly we'd be letting foreign RPers into the Roleplay Reel and our RP NBS shows when those programs are intended to highlight our RP community? What did you mean by this remark?

Yes, happy to clarify. I realise I misspoke when I included the RP reel in that sentence.

I meant in the style of the seminar series we held a while ago with GD. We could have special edition RP NBS shows with say mentors that work in particular fields, like NS sports, languages, or whatever the topic of interest I might be. In that sense, that type of exchange of knowledge could prove to be quite useful for TNPers and for our partner region.

As an example, at the last seminar series, Prydania and a speaker from GD (I forget who) offered two different visions of how to approach mythology/religion in world building. Such a conversation could prove to be a very interesting NBS broadcast.

Likewise, “RP events” like the symposium and previous iterations of the World Cup have involved a degree of collaboration with foreign roleplayers and experts and are certainly valuable initiatives and something we could explore further, depending on the interests of role players and the type of events we pursue in the coming term.

 

[Syrixia]

I see. That's actually very interesting; I like that idea! I do have one more question, though, and I think this is the most important one. I mean no offense to you as a person by asking this, but I think it needs to be asked of a candidate.

You, during this term, had a feud with another TNPer that nigh-stopped an RP dead in its tracks and caused a fair amount of controversy within both GP and RP. You say you want to be a Delegate for all TNPers, so my question is, if you are elected Delegate, could something like this happen again during your term? Why or why not? What are your thoughts on it overall, in retrospect?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

I see. That's actually very interesting; I like that idea! I do have one more question, though, and I think this is the most important one. I mean no offense to you as a person by asking this, but I think it needs to be asked of a candidate.

You, during this term, had a feud with another TNPer that nigh-stopped an RP dead in its tracks and caused a fair amount of controversy within both GP and RP. You say you want to be a Delegate for all TNPers, so my question is, if you are elected Delegate, could something like this happen again during your term? Why or why not?

I think it was during the last term. Certainly it feels like a while ago and we’ve buried the hatchet and reached mutual understanding.

I don’t believe something like that would happen again. However if we assume that it did happen, I would not allow it to effect how I run the region or serve as Delegate.

I would always put the office and the work before any personal disagreements or issues I have. The position as I’ve said in my campaign is bigger than any individual. To approach it in any other way would be a huge disservice to the office, to the region and a betrayal of my own values. This is the approach I have always taken as Delegate.

 

[Dinoium]

If Melania Trump joined TNP today and you were elected Delegate, would you support her for the next Chairwomyn of TNP’s Council of Womyn?

 

[Syrixia]

It might've been the last term. I think it was a few months ago, but I'm not sure. Regardless, solid answer; and thanks for being chill about it. I know it was quite a sensitive subject.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

If Melania Trump joined TNP today and you were elected Delegate, would you support her for the next Chairwomyn of TNP’s Council of Womyn?

Yes. No question about it.

It might've been the last term. I think it was a few months ago, but I'm not sure. Regardless, solid answer; and thanks for being chill about it. I know it was quite a sensitive subject.

No problem!

 

[Zaz]

I'm not sure you have the experience to be delegate. Imo we shouldn't elect noobs. Sry no support.

<3

 

[plembobria]

How do you plan to fight the deep state backed by St. George Soros?

 

[r3naissanc3r]

Do you have any plans regarding trading cards?

 

[El Fiji Grande]

Will the press secretary release a daily report? Will it be sent out via telegram to all residents of The North Pacific on a daily basis, or be collated elsewhere, such as on the forums?

 

[Owenstacey]

With the press secretary, do you see there to be communication and collaboration between them and the FA Ministry to create more regular press releases for our embassies to keep them better informed with events occurring within TNP?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

I'm not sure you have the experience to be delegate. Imo we shouldn't elect noobs. Sry no support.

<3

Good point.

How do you plan to fight the deep state backed by St. George Soros?

I intend to embrace St George Soros publicly, while fighting him in Greitbart articles sometimes, and other times declaring him to be the hero that he is.

Do you have any plans regarding trading cards?

I don't have any plans for NS trading cards. As you know, I don't really participate in the NS trading card and wouldn't really know how to innovate with them at this point. However, I would be supportive of maintaining the current NS cards efforts including the lottery and wouldn't stand in the way of these projects.

Likewise I am sure yourself, Ghost, Praetor, Siwale and other card fans will be on my case with any new opportunities to utilise the NS cards for good. I am open to hearing those ideas.

Will the press secretary release a daily report? Will it be sent out via telegram to all residents of The North Pacific on a daily basis, or be collated elsewhere, such as on the forums?

I'm not sure at this point that a daily report would be necessary and certainly I think a daily telegram would be too much.

My vision would be for the Press Secretary to report on issues as they arise. If there are multiple matters to report, they could be compiled and released together. Essentially this would be a carrying on of The North Pacific Press Releases Program, however instead of being a responsibility of the MoHA, it would be a responsibility of the Press Secretary who would report to me and work with each Minister to get our news out there.

I expect this information would best be compiled both as a forum post and in a dispatch, which the Press Secretary would post on the regional message board and discord server.

With the press secretary, do you see there to be communication and collaboration between them and the FA Ministry to create more regular press releases for our embassies to keep them better informed with events occurring within TNP?

Yes, certainly. I think the Press Releases should be utilised by our Ambassadors to update their Embassy (particularly in the office threads we used to maintain). However given the difficulty of getting out even our mandatory releases, this would not be compulsory and I wouldn't expect the Minister of Foreign Affairs to track who has posted these.

 

[BluieGamer]

If there were an interregional incident to occur where a region/group of regions were being condemned, and TNP is being called upon to make a statement, what will be your go-to answer?

What are your thoughts on Antifa (the NS group, not IRL)? Are you willing to let the NPA continue working with them? Or would you rather that the NPA just conduct anti-fascist ops on their own? Or, (heaven forbid) have the NPA stop participating in anti-fascist ops entirely?

 

[Robespierre]

It’s often been said that Delegates of the past typically tend to step up only when the situation calls for it, usually so as to carry on the tradition of infusing new blood into leadership positions by stepping aside. In your mind, does the Delegate’s announcement in regards to not seeking re-election constitute one of these situational instances where a more experienced hand needs to take the helm once more?

Detail the situation from your perspective, if you please. What do you think the North Pacific needs in its Delegate right now at this point in our history?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

If there were an interregional incident to occur where a region/group of regions were being condemned, and TNP is being called upon to make a statement, what will be your go-to answer?

What are your thoughts on Antifa (the NS group, not IRL)? Are you willing to let the NPA continue working with them? Or would you rather that the NPA just conduct anti-fascist ops on their own? Or, (heaven forbid) have the NPA stop participating in anti-fascist ops entirely?

Whenever an interregional event occurs, my first response is to collate as much information as possible. This would involve meeting with my foreign affairs team and getting their input. Chatting to my contacts in allied regions and making my own assessment for the situation on the ground. The second stage is a consideration of our treaty obligations, if that is a factor, that may be relevant in determining who or where is the best place for us to go to.

I believe we've been a force for good through our direct and forthright conversations with individuals involved. That would be my first approach. I would then inform the assembly of my approach on the subject, as much as is possible. Sometimes it is important that we maintain confidences in order to get the best outcomes. If I could tell that this was not working, or it was not enough, I would then go for a public statement.

I am willing to allow the NPA to work with Antifa. I think we should always do our due diligence to ensure the region we are targeting is definitely fascist. I would prefer and be happy with the NPA leading its own operations against Fascist regions and being the lead regional army.

This applies generally too. I like to see the NPA as the leading army. Particularly given the huge number of troops we can contribute, sometimes I think our partner militaries treat us as an after thought.. like "btw thanks NPA" never mind that in most cases we contribute by far the largest number of operatives.

It’s often been said that Delegates of the past typically tend to step up only when the situation calls for it, usually so as to carry on the tradition of infusing new blood into leadership positions by stepping aside. In your mind, does the Delegate’s announcement in regards to not seeking re-election constitute one of these situational instances where a more experienced hand needs to take the helm once more?

Detail the situation from your perspective, if you please. What do you think the North Pacific needs in its Delegate right now at this point in our history?

I certainly have been a keen advocate and a supporter of developing new talent and allowing new blood to take on the role of leader. In this case, it has been almost five years since I sought the Delegacy. The last time I sought an elected office was Vice Delegate and I lost to Siwale, who went on to be an excellent Vice Delegate and an even better Delegate. I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch and would never count an opponent out until the results are known.

In terms of the situation today, I understand the Delegate's decision and I appreciate how difficult it must have been to make that call, having had to make that call myself in the past. I would say it was certainly a consideration on my part, but not the only consideration.

I’m running because I believe I have the energy, enthusiasm and ideas to deliver for the region. I’m sure there are many others who could also make an excellent Delegate. My decision to run is not a reflection of other possible candidates.

 

[Robespierre]

I certainly have been a keen advocate and a supporter of developing new talent and allowing new blood to take on the role of leader. In this case, it has been almost five years since I sought the Delegacy. The last time I sought an elected office was Vice Delegate and I lost to Siwale, who went on to be an excellent Vice Delegate and an even better Delegate. I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch and would never count an opponent out until the results are known.

In terms of the situation today, I understand the Delegate's decision and I appreciate how difficult it must have been to make that call, having had to make that call myself in the past. I would say it was certainly a consideration on my part, but not the only consideration.

I’m running because I believe I have the energy, enthusiasm and ideas to deliver for the region. I’m sure there are many others who could also make an excellent Delegate. My decision to run is not a reflection of other possible candidates.

Thank you for your answer, McMasterdonia, it’s much appreciated! I’m sure you can understand my desire to hold off guaranteeing support until other candidates present their platforms, but I must say that so far you’re stacking up very favourably and in my opinion there’s a lot to like about your campaign. No doubt, I’m sure even after five years you’d be an excellent Delegate.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

Thank you for your answer, McMasterdonia, it’s much appreciated! I’m sure you can understand my desire to hold off guaranteeing support until other candidates present their platforms, but I must say that so far you’re stacking up very favourably and in my opinion there’s a lot to like about your campaign. No doubt, I’m sure even after five years you’d be an excellent Delegate.

Absolutely. That’s a wise thing to do. Thanks for reading my campaign and asking me some questions.

 

[Ali nakhjavani]

i will support you

 

[mcmasterdonia]

i will support you

Much appreciated!

 

[plembobria]

MCM is not only the hero we need, but the hero we deserve. Full support.

 

[Gladio]

Why should we vote for you ?

 

[Styrica]

Nice, early (The first campaign), and well-written. I will not support you just yet, for I am waiting to read more campaigns before I make an informed decision, but I like this campaign very much.

 

[Eluvatar]

Today, Ministers are selected by the Delegate without much public input. In turn, a Delegate is empowered to remove Ministers for inappropriate or impolitic behavior. On the other hand, many candidates for Delegate use the offer, implicit or explicit, of Ministerial appointment to obtain support (campaigning, moreso than voting, now) in order to win election.

In the past, Ministers have sometimes been selected with public input, whether with formal elections like the South Pacific holds or more informal polls. As Delegate in 2012, I believe executive council elections allowed me to select ambitious and active Ministers who I might not otherwise have considered. However, I also allowed this to tie my hands on correcting misconduct.

I assume you intend to continue with direct appointment. How will you combat the possibilities of groupthink in your committees? How will you make sure your Ministers and advisors give you honest and varied input? How will you find talent outside of those you've long experience with? What can you do to combat patronage corruption in our elections as candidate?

Separately, will meetings of the External and Internal Affairs committees be public or mostly public?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

MCM is not only the hero we need, but the hero we deserve. Full support.

Thank you Plembobria.

Why should we vote for you ?

I believe that my campaign answers the question. I've offered an ambitious but achievable platform and have the experience and skills to deliver.

Nice, early (The first campaign), and well-written. I will not support you just yet, for I am waiting to read more campaigns before I make an informed decision, but I like this campaign very much.

Thank you! I appreciate that. Let me know if you have any questions for me.

Today, Ministers are selected by the Delegate without much public input. In turn, a Delegate is empowered to remove Ministers for inappropriate or impolitic behavior. On the other hand, many candidates for Delegate use the offer, implicit or explicit, of Ministerial appointment to obtain support (campaigning, moreso than voting, now) in order to win election.

In the past, Ministers have sometimes been selected with public input, whether with formal elections like the South Pacific holds or more informal polls. As Delegate in 2012, I believe executive council elections allowed me to select ambitious and active Ministers who I might not otherwise have considered. However, I also allowed this to tie my hands on correcting misconduct.

On the one hand, I agree that the elected model facilitated the appointment of ambitious Ministers. I'm unsure about the active part. I don't think an election guarantees activity. Ambition in Ministers can be a good thing. But it is also a simple fact that some individuals, who are incredibly skilled, dedicated, and active are not interested in seeking an elected office. So that would rule them out from any kind of Ministerial appointment.

I also believe that the downside is that this can create competing and opposing mandates around the cabinet table. This created the misconduct that you described.

I assume you intend to continue with direct appointment.

Correct.

How will you combat the possibilities of groupthink in your committees?

I don't intend to appoint the committee in full myself and will work with the Speaker of the Assembly to ensure they have input into the committee. I imagine that a good approach would be to allow new members to volunteer to serve on the committee at an early stage to have some say in keeping the government accountable.

I would envisage that the committee would need to have a mixture of players from diverse backgrounds. I think generally speaking we're pretty good at resisting group think and holding people to account. It is an experiment though, so we will have to reassess as we go.

How will you make sure your Ministers and advisors give you honest and varied input?

By appointing honest Ministers from a diverse range of backgrounds (as much as possible). By being open, approachable and tolerant of differences of opinion.

How will you find talent outside of those you've long experience with?

Most of the people i've had long experience with are simply too busy and not interested in serving even if I had wanted them to.

However I have been keeping a close eye on some of the Deputy Ministers and other new members of the region that have promise. I will do my best to ensure that I am supporting our new members to grow and contribute to areas they're passionate about.

I will pick the best person for the job.

What can you do to combat patronage corruption in our elections as candidate?

I think we could pass the election corruption amendment I proposed quite a few months ago now. I think that would be one step.

I think there are many people who expect job security. Sometimes you simply can't offer that to them. I think we've had a few people learn some hard lessons by agreeing to support someone on the promise of a job.

Personally, I will lead by example. I will appoint who I appoint regardless of who they vote for in the election.

Separately, will meetings of the External and Internal Affairs committees be public or mostly public?

I imagine that they would be mostly public. Certainly the reports are presented publicly and it would make sense for the questions and answers to be public. I am unsure if the committees will even need a private area to congregate, but I suppose depending on how successful this idea is, that could be explored.

 

[Oracle]

This is definitely one of the more robust and well thought out campaigns that I have seen in my time within TNP. Sometimes ideas seem great on paper and sound amazing when being presented. How do you intend to fully turn your ideas into action? How will you hold yourself and your cabinet accountable for situations where those ideas don’t materialize or under deliver?

 

[Lord Dominator]

How would you respond to TNP running out of rum?

 

[bootsie]

You go rogue, who’s the first person you’re kicking from the region and why? (The answer cannot be GBM)

 

[mcmasterdonia]

This is definitely one of the more robust and well thought out campaigns that I have seen in my time within TNP. Sometimes ideas seem great on paper and sound amazing when being presented. How do you intend to fully turn your ideas into action? How will you hold yourself and your cabinet accountable for situations where those ideas don’t materialize or under deliver?

Thank you, Artemis.

I wanted to provide a large vision for the region across all of the different areas that fall within the Delegate's responsibility. I see myself primarily as a community builder and a project manager in many of these cases. I will provide my Minister's with clear directions on what I'd like them to focus on, as well as my support to their own initiatives.

The reports are a useful check in tool as well. It helps Minister's to self identify where their strengths have been and where they've perhaps not risen to the task. I will be as hands on as possible to ensure we do all that we can to meet our goals.

It's possible that we won't meet all of the goals we've set out. I think that's okay and manageable. As long as we are working as hard as we possibly can be to advance the regions interest and improve the daily lives of TNPers, and not just sitting on our hands.

How would you respond to TNP running out of rum?

I would immediately order the arrest of @Great Bights Mum and preemptively eject and ban her from the region (she almost certainly would be the one responsible).

 

[Lord Dominator]

I like that answer, it's one worthy of receiving my vote.

 

[mcmasterdonia]

I would like to thank my privileged colleague @Darcania for taking this wonderful photo of me addressing one of the largest gatherings of supporters in the history of The North Pacific.

It has been confirmed that this gathering was the largest the world has ever seen. Certainly a lot bigger than at @El Fiji Grande's inauguration or at @Pallaith or @Siwale's retirement parties.

 

[Eluvatar]

I don't intend to appoint the committee in full myself and will work with the Speaker of the Assembly to ensure they have input into the committee. I imagine that a good approach would be to allow new members to volunteer to serve on the committee at an early stage to have some say in keeping the government accountable.

I would envisage that the committee would need to have a mixture of players from diverse backgrounds. I think generally speaking we're pretty good at resisting group think and holding people to account. It is an experiment though, so we will have to reassess as we go.

Why involve the Speaker, specifically?

I think we could pass the election corruption amendment I proposed quite a few months ago now. I think that would be one step.

I think there are many people who expect job security. Sometimes you simply can't offer that to them. I think we've had a few people learn some hard lessons by agreeing to support someone on the promise of a job.

Personally, I will lead by example. I will appoint who I appoint regardless of who they vote for in the election.

Will you hold a public applications process for ministerial roles? If so, for some of them or for all of them?