Gorundu for Speaker

[Gorundu]

Alright, how do I start...

I'm running for Speaker to start a revolution in TNP and end the grip on power by the Privileged Few!

Nvm I don't think that worked very well before...

I'll just introduce myself then. If you don't know me, I'm basically the same as Dreadton, except I ran for Justice first instead of Speaker, that's probably because I haven't been in the region for a long time and certainly not as long as the other candidates. However, that's not to say I don't have experience. I'm currently serving as a Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and World Assembly Affairs, and another contribution of mine to the region I would consider important is the Instant Runoff Election Bill, which is in fact being applied for the first time in this election. Other than that, I have served in and ran legislatures in smaller UCRs, though of course the duties for Speakers in those legislatures are not as sophisticated as it is here. I made mention of some of my other outside experiences in my last campaign thread for Justice, so I won't repeat them again. Now, getting on to what I plan to do as Speaker...

Reliability

The position of Speaker mostly consists of bureaucratic tasks including ensuring the efficient running of the Regional Assembly, accepting citizenship applications and performing citizenship checks. I think I've proven over my last few months here that I can be trusted to reliably perform these kinds of tasks. Although I don't have the experience in the Speaker's Office like the other two candidates running, I believe that I can learn fast and perform these tasks just as well.

Improvements

As always, there are small things that can be improved on for a better Speaker's Office, and here are the ones I see. First, I've noticed that in the past few terms, the Regional Assembly Highlights in The North Star has always been written by Speaker Artemis. I hope that as Speaker, I can delegate some of these articles to Deputy Speakers, especially relatively new ones, as it would help them get a better sense of the Regional Assembly. I would also develop a guide for writing the RA Highlights, which I'd like to see include more details such as what the debate about each bill is centered on, and different opinions on bills. Speaking of Deputy Speakers, I intend to split 2-3 Deputy Speaker positions between those who are more experienced and those less experienced but enthusiastic and trustworthy. These are small things that I believe will make the running of the Speaker's Office more efficient, and set up good foundations for future Speakers.

Innovation

Although the position of Speaker is not typically about revolutionary new ideas, I think there are things I can do as Speaker to make the Regional Assembly a better place. Participation in the RA is pretty low compared to elections, usually less than half, and I suspect many new citizens would find it difficult to start participating in the RA, whether it's because they can't find the laws of the region, the laws seem too complicated for them to get the hang of, or they're just lost in the sea of bills. If elected Speaker, I would begin a "Know your laws" program geared towards all residents and citizens of the region, but especially towards new citizens, which explains what each legal document in TNP is for and an overview of their contents. I hope this would help citizens and residents understand what our Regional Assembly is all about, improve participation in the RA, and help those with new ideas to come forward. I would also seek to make myself available to any citizen who has ideas for a bill.

So, I've laid out my platform for why I should be elected Speaker. I hope I can count on your support. As always, any questions are welcome.

 

[BluieGamer]

Where will you have your "Know your laws" program? Will it be gameside, forumside, or Discordside? How diligent will you be when it comes to speakership duties?

 

[Gorundu]

Where will you have your "Know your laws" program? Will it be gameside, forumside, or Discordside? How diligent will you be when it comes to speakership duties?

Thanks for the question.

The program will mostly be forum-side, since it's mostly targeted towards citizens, especially newer ones, though ideally I'd like to see it displayed gameside, through dispatches or telegrams, which would have to be coordinated with the Ministry of Home Affairs, since our laws affect residents too, and maybe it'll attract some to become citizens through the program.

To answer your second question, I promise to be diligent with my duties, I believe I've shown that I'm reliable during my time here.

 

[BluieGamer]

Thanks for the question.

The program will mostly be forum-side, since it's mostly targeted towards citizens, especially newer ones, though ideally I'd like to see it displayed gameside, through dispatches or telegrams, which would have to be coordinated with the Ministry of Home Affairs, since our laws affect residents too, and maybe it'll attract some to become citizens through the program.

To answer your second question, I promise to be diligent with my duties, I believe I've shown that I'm reliable during my time here.

Can you share some details on the program that you envision? What if it garners little to no interest?

 

[El Fiji Grande]

What is your opinion of McMasterdonia's Internal/External committee idea, as discussed in his campaign? Should he be elected delegate, would you do anything to assist him in fulfilling that objective?

 

[Styrica]

Good campaign. I like how you added humor into it.

 

[Gorundu]

What is your opinion of McMasterdonia's Internal/External committee idea, as discussed in his campaign? Should he be elected delegate, would you do anything to assist him in fulfilling that objective?

I think it's a great idea, because it creates an opportunity to learn more about the work of the Executive from an outside perspective, and should we both be elected, I would look forward to helping him by chairing these committees and appointing members if needed.

Can you share some details on the program that you envision? What if it garners little to no interest?

I guess it's better to describe it as an initiative than a program. It'll mostly consist of written guides, with opportunities to expand its scope to be more detailed if it is well-received, and even something like a full course on the RA for new citizens.

 

[El Fiji Grande]

Thanks for your response. You have my support.

 

[Gorundu]

Thanks for your response. You have my support.

Thanks for the support! Of course I'll be a better Speaker than you have ever been, there won't be a recall for me

 

[Sil Dorsett]

How strict are you going to be with nations taking the Citizenship Oath? If they forget their nation name, is that an automatic failure or would you ask the applicant to state their nation name and wait for a reply?

 

[Praetor]

You are rather new to the region. You have done a good job at processing applications for the Executive Staff for the two Ministries you are a Deputy Minister for so I have little concerns about that particular part of the job.

On legislative matters of procedure, how can you assure me that you are equipped, or will be equipped to deal with some of the most complex situations?

 

[Gorundu]

How strict are you going to be with nations taking the Citizenship Oath? If they forget their nation name, is that an automatic failure or would you ask the applicant to state their nation name and wait for a reply?

I would ask them to state their nation name, and when they do, I would accept their application. Until then, it wouldn't be treated as an application.

You are rather new to the region. You have done a good job at processing applications for the Executive Staff for the two Ministries you are a Deputy Minister for so I have little concerns about that particular part of the job.

On legislative matters of procedure, how can you assure me that you are equipped, or will be equipped to deal with some of the most complex situations?

Can you elaborate on what you envision these complex situations to be?

 

[mcmasterdonia]

I think you have great attention to detail which is important for a Speaker.

What do you think the most important job of the Speaker is?

What do you think was the greatest strength of your predecessor in this office?

What do you think is your greatest strength and how is this relevant to the office you intend to seek?

Do you believe that the Speaker should be an independent apolitical figure like in a Westminster system, or a highly partisan and political figure like in the US system?

 

[Praetor]

I would ask them to state their nation name, and when they do, I would accept their application. Until then, it wouldn't be treated as an application.

Can you elaborate on what you envision these complex situations to be?

Without providing an exhaustive list of more complex situations, say three citizens object to a motioning to vote, what happens then?

I'm not so curious as to what you will do in this particular case, but rather what will your process be to ensure you are informed or will be informed on these particulars?

 

[Gorundu]

I think you have great attention to detail which is important for a Speaker.

What do you think the most important job of the Speaker is?

The most important job of the Speaker, I think, is also the most boring job of the Speaker, and that is managing citizenship applications and citizenship checks. Citizenship is the cornerstone of how our democracy operates, and without a Speaker that performs regular citizenship checks, a variety of problems can arise very quickly.

What do you think was the greatest strength of your predecessor in this office?

I think Artemis' greatest strength was his consistency and stability, whether it's citizenship applications and checks, or legislative votes.

What do you think is your greatest strength and how is this relevant to the office you intend to seek?

I think my greatest strength is showing initiative, and that would be important for the Speaker's Office because the duties of Speaker need to be done without prompting, and with initiative, I can build new programs for the Speaker's Office that will make citizens more engaged with the Regional Assembly.

Do you believe that the Speaker should be an independent apolitical figure like in a Westminster system, or a highly partisan and political figure like in the US system?

I believe in an impartial Speaker as in the Westminster System (which is used in the country I live in as I'm sure you'd know). This is an excellent precedent set by our previous Speakers, and it's needed because the Speaker's duties cover citizenship, an important aspect for our region's healthy functioning.

Without providing an exhaustive list of more complex situations, say three citizens object to a motioning to vote, what happens then?

I'm not so curious as to what you will do in this particular case, but rather what will your process be to ensure you are informed or will be informed on these particulars?

If citizens were to raise objections to the scheduling of a vote, they would most likely do so in the forum thread for the motion/bill. If it is raised elsewhere on the forums, I would also acknowledge it, because the forums is generally the place for formal discussion, but if it's made in, say, Discord, I would ask them to clarify if it is an official objection intended to stop the vote from occurring. I will be active on the RA forums (which is a given for a Speaker) and the citizen sections of Discord to keep myself informed.

 

[Dinoium]

If elected, you would be fine if I made a legislative office thread in the RA or do think you the idea of legislative offices should be promoted and given its own sub forum?

For what it’s worth, the legislative offices would be similar to how the real life United States Congress members have their own website to release press statements, announcements, stances on certain bills, new bills they proposed, etc. Here’s an irl example(*) and here’s two NS examples(*) (*)

 

[Gorundu]

If elected, you would be fine if I made a legislative office thread in the RA or do think you the idea of legislative offices should be promoted and given its own sub forum?

For what it’s worth, the legislative offices would be similar to how the real life United States Congress members have their own website to release press statements, announcements, stances on certain bills, new bills they proposed, etc. Here’s an irl example(*) and here’s two NS examples(*) (*)

I personally don't see too much use in legislative office threads, given that all citizens are legislators and thus they don't have anyone to be accountable too. If you do make them, I believe the Resident's Lobby would be the most appropriate place, since I presume you would like non-legislators to also be able to view it. If there is enough interest, perhaps a sub-forum could be created, but I have yet to see that.