Forum:Election Debate

April 18-19 Debate

This section is the location for the second debate of the 2015 federal election. All parties, plus all independents, are invited. Any user may edit for a minor party (though it is recommended that this user be familiar with the party's policies, such as User:Ooswesthoesbes for RTP), and only party members (any, and multiple, will be acceptable) should edit for a major party. A user can debate for more than one party.

Rules: The forum will be open for 54 hours, from 09:00 (UTC) on Saturday 18th of April to 13:00 (UTC) on Monday 20th of April. Post whenever you want before the end of the elections, preferably earlier. The debate will be divided into the following sections:

• Opening statement. A party can add this to the forum at any time, preferably before answering any other questions. Statements should be around 100 to 150 words.
• Main debate. This will consist of several general questions, of which each party should give a response. Other parties may give counterarguments and such to that party's response, though not to excess. The questions may be answered in any order, and by any party first.

For typing responses, write the party name in bold rather than the leader name (e.g. UL instead of Abrahams). Otherwise, follow the same rules as in the first debate.

Opening statements

Moderator: Welcome to the second of the 2015 election debates. Representatives have been invited to debate tonight from all of Lovia's political parties, as well as all independents. Those that have showed up are here tonight to explain why they deserve your vote. We'll start by hearing an opening statement from each of the parties.

CCPL: CCPL will make Lovia a strong nation once again. Using devolution to bring politics closer to the people and Christian morals and values, we can help Lovia get back on track. We will invest in clean energy, health, education, and jobs. Another focus will be on preventing new conflicts by harsh punishment of those who want to destabilize our nation. A vote on CCPL is a vote on Lovia!

UL:

CNP:

GP:

SLP: If elected this year, the SLP will seek to revert the harmful effects of devolution on our nation, ensure civil liberties to all people, seek government control of the basic services in the economy, and reform health and education. We want to ensure welfare to all Lovians without curtailing freedom. Lovia needs unity, equality, and liberty to move forward.

RI:

LF:

LMP:

MCP:

CPL.nm:

PL:

UNS:

RTP: As it says in Psalm 24, verse 1-2: "[1] The earth is the Lords, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; [2] for he founded it on the seas." We live in a world that is given to us in stewardship and we should take care of it. All humans who have ears should listen to God's word and obey his rules to treat the world well. We should work to make Lovia a Christian state, as it says in the Book of Revelation 2:22: "Conversion is of the greatest importance; it is about life and dead, living for eternity or being dead for eternity." Reformed Traditional Party will bring Lovia back to, perhaps, a simpler time. And with that, it will also make our nation a happy, safe, and honest one.

OSB: That Parti fo that Nesavicelost 'Oshenna is yasni ebow oshine roshvers. We podhodite that ftip that is ecallen Lovia. Iese un inferiorni land, komparovatskopni kue un land like that Sovjet-Unia. That crashing Harven 'Oshenna an thie gaygnlouyieni anneksatsias o'thie Oshenna lands in the Emeralds an near that Rike o'Bobor bude jidden slobodni kragen. Lide that do un shmean de oshine sloboda, bude ekonatten in that erfangnes, inplace thatta dobereho Oshenna natsiá. Len sloboda for Oshenna can pomoctpos os, Lovia has eterpitten an is hinten reparatsia. Lasovat do that len resnitchen parti 'Oshenna: that Parti fo that Nesavicelost 'Oshenna! (Parti fo that Nesavicelost 'Oshenna is clear about its plans. We will get rid of the joke that is called Lovia. It is an inferior country, comparable to a country like the Sovjet-Union. The beautiful State of Oceana and the unlawful annexations of the Oceana lands in the Emeralds and near Beaver River will become one free country. People that betray our freedom will be emprisoned instead of good people from our Oceana nation. Freedom for Oceana alone can help us; Lovia has failed as a state and is beyond repair. Vote for the only truely Oceana political party: Parti fo that Nesavicelost 'Oshenna!)

KNPO:

March 28-29 Debate

DEBATE NOW CLOSED.

This section is the location for the first debate of the 2015 federal election. The following parties will be represented:

• Conservative Christian Party of Lovia, by Oos Wes Ilava
• Conservative Nationalist Party, by Lukas Hoffmann
• Social Liberal Party, by William Krosby
• Green Party, by Nicholas Sheraldin
• Republican Initiative, by Aina Sarria
• United Left, by Justin Abrahams

Rules: The forum will be open for 48 hours, from 00:00 (UTC) on Saturday 28th of March to 24:00 Sunday 29th of March. The debate will be divided into the following sections:

• Opening statement. You can add this to the forum prior to the opening of the debate. Statements should be around 100 to 150 words.
• Main debate. This will consist of 6 questions asked by audience members, covering the range of topics listed in the Pub. Each leader will answer one question, but there will be extended discussion so all leaders have a chance to offer their views on the topic, and to challenge the other views presented. Because of the constraints of the forum, we'll discuss the 6 topics concurrently in separate sections of the forum. You can discuss as you wish; the moderator (me) will probably intervene to direct the discussion towards certain areas.
• Closing statement. Add this towards the end of the weekend, if you think you won't be able to edit again before the debate ends. If you don't manage to add it by Sunday, it'll be fine. Again, around 100 to 150 words.

Important points:

• If two of you are online simultaneously (I'm thinking specifically of Kunarian and Horton here) limit your exchanges to a couple of replies each, and continue the argument on the talk page if you want to.
• As I said, each topic will begin with a question directed specifically to one of the debaters. Please answer this as soon as possible so others can comment on that topic too. If you don't succeed in answering by the end of Saturday or so, I shall have to open the discussion to the other participants.
• Rather than signing edits, please start your comment with the character's surname, in bold, followed by a colon (e.g. Ilava: I like barbecues.)
• If there's an edit conflict, try not to delete anyone else's edit, but add 'edit conflict' to the summary, so I can check you didn't.
• I'm aware of time zone differences and other commitments (like 77topaz's field trip), but there's a lot of time available and as long as everyone provides at least one comment on most of the topics, it should work out ok. There's no need to invest a vast amount of time.
• I have created the forum now so everyone can have a think about the format, prepare a statement and policies, or tell me how stupid it is; in the last case, there's time to make some changes prior to the start.

Opening statements

Moderator: Welcome to the first of the 2015 election debates. The leaders of Lovia's most important political parties are here today to explain why they deserve your vote. We'll start by hearing an opening statement from each of the leaders.

Ilava: Under CCPL's Government, Lovia has seen one of its most active periods. CCPL increased State Autonomy, and with that, it made politics closer to farmer Willy and office employee Margareth. We safeguarded culture, education, and family. In the coming Congress, we plan to renew this course, and we will focus on boosting Lovia's economy, which was hard-hit after the Burenian invasian, again. We will also focus on health, and, of course, Christian morals and values. CCPL has clear plans on investing in a clean environment. We will create laws that oblige states to set up waste disposal services, as well as other services, such as water, gas, and electricity. CCPL will also create strict laws against prostitution, which is degrading to women, and euthanasia, and stricter laws against abortion, which is murder of children. CCPL will also focus on the rural parts of Lovia. We will ensure that facilities such as education, communal services, and public transport, are available in even the smallest hamlets. In short, a vote on CCPL is a vote on Lovia!

Krosby: The Social Liberal Party has a variety of policies that we will push for in the coming Congress. First, we will seek to roll back devolution and return power to the federal government if elected this year. It is clear that decentralization is a failure and we will work to reverse it. However, we agree that the states have made some good policies, and we will work to elevate those systems, such as universal healthcare, to the federal level. Secondly, we seek to work with all parties, across the political spectrum. Lovia needs strong leadership and we will avoid partisan politics and work to make Lovia work again. Furthermore, we want to provide universal services to all Lovians, including education, both lower and higher, health, energy, water, transportation, and many others, present both in urban and rural areas. Every Lovian deserves these services, and they should not be privatized. Lastly, we believe in civil liberties. No religion or person's morals, other than those of the entire human race, will be pushed on anyone else. Vote SLP for progress these elections!

Abrahams: United Left has always worked to improve Lovia for all Lovians and will continue to do so. United Left governors have been elected to Clymene and Kings and have worked to improve the quality of life in those states, and have proven themselves to be capable of leading. United Left is committed to bringing further autonomy to Lovia's distinct areas, improving housing and infrastructure for areas adversely affected in the past year and work on further improving access to and quality of other services in Lovia, such as transportation. Furthermore, United Left will work with other parties to further help improve Lovia. Now is the time to take a step forward, so why not take it with the party that will work to do so?

Hoffmann: Under the Ilava governments things went smoothly, we legislated and created many reforms and we managed to command the greatest growth for years in the economy. We need to return to this, the key element that drove these governments was inclusivity and a clear set of ideas that each party pushed for. We want to bring this back. That is why the CNP will only support a government that will form a grand coalition or a majority coalition with shadow ministers. That is why the CNP has a clear set of priorities. We want to reform the constitution through the Congress and streamline government on a state and federal level. We want to ensure that the reforms in health and education are properly rolled out across the entire nation. And as a party I can promise that no matter what we shall not let the Lovian people down nor put them second place to special interests.

Sarria: Republican Initiative is the newest party of Lovia, but it also has the newest ideas. Supporting youths and people with disabilities. Republican Initiative wants to make a standard system in all of Lovia for education, health, and social services to have less bureaucracy, which will be easier for all Lovians to use. Republican Initiative will also work to keep lower taxes for businesses, especially the smaller ones, to help them to grow and be competitive. Republican Initiative will be helping all the Lovians: wealthy, poor, elderly, in the country and recent arrivals in Lovia, because all of these people together form a society that needs to be improved. Republican Initiative is more than only republican ideas; it's about ideas for all of Lovia.

Sheraldin: The nation of Lovia has been fraught with conflict in the past few years, including, most recently, the Burenian invasion. This has affected Lovia in many ways, and one area that has been somewhat overlooked is the environment. The Green Party will ensure that the environmental impacts of the recent conflicts are investigated, and programs will be put into place to mitigate any damage. These conflicts have also impacted the people of Lovia, and while recovery has been started, it is important that it continues. There are still people left homeless after their homes were destroyed in the conflict, and many people have lost their sources of income as a result of destruction, the decrease in tourism or the general economic slump that has followed the conflict. The Green Party will make it a priority that these homes are rebuilt, and that new job opportunities are created in the process of restoring Lovia's economy. Related to this, the universal healthcare policies initiated in some state councils should be implemented at the federal level, which is especially important now considering there may be many people still affected by injuries from the conflict. On the subject of the state councils, I feel that the processes have worked in some states but not in others, and the Congress should make sure that these are fine-tuned so that they work across Lovia, and that the federal government can intervene when they do not.

Discussion

Question 1

Moderator: Our first question is from Mary Watson, from Sylvania.

Mary Watson is a middle-aged woman, speaking in an urban Lovian English accent.

Watson: Hello, I run a small hotel in Charleston. After the recent conflicts, there are barely any tourists and I'm struggling to make ends meet. How are you going to rebuild Lovia so small businesses can flourish again?

Moderator: Ms. Sarria, could you begin, please?

Sarria: The Republican Initiative is going to work with all of the states so there can be a good plan to help the communities. In our plan, the government is going to work together to see how much money needs to go to every community that was damaged because of the conflicts. We will work with the governments of all the states and support the building of new schools, affordable houses and apartments, and other community infrastructure. For the businesses, in particular the small businesses, RI will promote lower taxes to so they can be competitive, get more money and assist in the local economy.

Sheraldin: I agree with Ms. Sarria that it is important that the government spends money to help Lovia recover from the damage it has incurred as a result of the recent conflicts. Homes, communities and small businesses have all been damaged, and they need to be rebuilt before Lovians can truly put these conflicts behind them. Additionally, the environment of Lovia has also incurred damage, and the government should investigate and mitigate this, for damage to the environment damages all of Lovia.

Hoffmann: I'm going to have to disagree with my colleagues. They've not said anything at all about how they would help Miss Watson here or how they would help businesses in general. Miss Sarria has said that she'd promote lower taxes on businesses but currently they are zero. We must of course rebuild Lovia, but that is not something unique to any party; all parties at this debate I believe will sign up to investing money into rebuilding social infrastructure such as schools and homes. However, what I say to Miss Watson and others like her, is that the CNP will create state investment funds which will be devolved to State Governments. These funds will be used to build infrastructure and invest money in businesses to help them survive this crisis and help other people get the money they need to rebuild Lovia's economy.

Moderator: Can I ask you to move away now from post-conflict reconstruction, which we'll discuss later, and focus on your economic plans? How will you get Lovia back on the path to economic security, and how will you ensure every Lovian has a secure livelihood?

Hoffmann: The CNP want to create a collectivist capitalist economy - one which is a limited free market, allowing for regulation to fix issues that a free market cannot fix itself, one where workers feel more like a part of a business that they work for than just viewing it as a job for money, one where everybody feels that they get out in rewards what they put in in effort. But that is our long term aim.

Our short term goals are aimed towards recovery and security and fair distribution from the recovery. Lovia has few economic levers that we can pull but what we have we will use. We structure our policy around the ordinary Lovian. Let's look at jobs first; we will have state funded retraining - prioritising the unemployed - to get people the skills they need to get a high wage job or start a business providing high return products or services. Further we will give more power to workers to negotiate with their bosses by strengthening unions and individuals, and giving everyone the right to withdraw their labour without fear of retribution. No other party is promising this.

Now let's look at giving ordinary Lovians security. We will ensure that every Lovian has a home to live in, whether it be their own or a government-provided social rent. And we will also never introduce any taxes on bills, as this will negatively affect the worst off in society. That means that we will not be introducing any policies that will increase the cost of energy, water or food. These policies in combination with our job-related policies will ensure that Lovians feel the return of stability in such an unstable time.

Abrahams: Economic security and the return of economic activity to Lovia begins at the home and small business. Already in Clymene United Left has worked to improve schools and is working to bring accessible and affordable housing to people. These plans are already working at the state level, and we know these and others can work nationally for the benefit of all Lovians. Like my leftists and rightist colleagues have stated, better taxes for small business and good government-funding for assisting the unemployed will be key and certainly a good start to get the economy further rolling.

Krosby: The SLP wants to create government-funded public services, including health, education, energy, water, and such, as well as unemployment services, housing, and investment funds and stimuli for small businesses. In general, we agree with our colleagues on this issue, but would like to create government-owned services for the basic things that all Lovians need to live.

Question 2

Moderator: Right, it's time for our second question. Owen Young, a student in Noble City. I'd like Mr. Abrahams to answer this one first.

Owen Young is in his twenties. He speaks passionately and with a slight stammer, with an urban accent.

Young: I'm fed up with 'grand coalitions.' The elections just shuffle government ministers round a bit; I've never seen a politician lose their job. Do you agree this needs to change?

Abrahams: Apart from the past year, our grand coalition governments have worked well enough. It is largely the same ministers, but these are generally the most active and most competent ones for our country, whether they belong to the CCPL, Green Party or others. Having a majority coalition government could be interesting to see, but there is the good chance that by excluding certain parties, it could exclude the viewpoints and opinions of many people, and even such a government could not be guaranteed to be different or even to have fully active ministers.

Moderator: You disagree with Mr. Young, then; does anyone else think he has a point?

Ilava: I fully agree with Mr. Abrahams. In CCPL, we make sure that our most competent people get into Congress, and that means that some people stay in Congress for a long time. Also, you need to take into account that we have federal elections every year. Most other countries have them less frequently.

When talking about grand coalitions: they have proven to be the most stable option. Lovians are a temperamental people and excluding groups from governing is something we cannot do in this country. Also, different people means different views, and sometimes better views. That is the beauty of our system.

Hoffmann: It warms my heart to hear my fellows agree that we need the best people in government. While I fully understand the gentleman's concern, we must not let ideology blind us to what is best for the Lovian people. Now, people are held accountable, we vote to increase and reduce the size of various parties which affects whether they get influence in ministerial positions and whether they can pass laws. Prime Ministers do change, and we can see the most obvious example of this has been that the Abrahams and Hoffmann governments were ended and removed. If that isn't accountability, then what is?

Krosby: I would like to see more accountability in the government, but I think that grand coalitions the best option we have -- it is possible that parties left out of government would try to undermine it, and we need as many politicians with the government as possible in order to fight the possibility of inactivity. In terms of how we can get more accountability, I would recommend the people to use the power of their votes and to peacefully call on their government to act when action is needed.

Sarria: I think that it is best to have a coalition with many parties. In that system all of the viewpoints can be represented. If Republican Initiative had the majority, not all of the parties would be happy and only one viewpoint is represented. If it is a Grand Coalition, the majority of the Lovians can be happy about their government.

Moderator: It seems you all agree, so I'll have to play devil's advocate. A poll recently showed Lovians favour a majority coalition. Shouldn't they be listened to? Perhaps they'd rather certain, unsavoury groups were excluded from government? And anyway, doesn't a grand coalition foster political dysfunction?

Hoffmann: You are right. They want a majority coalition, it would seem. Maybe after this debate they will decide that they don't? The CNP will work with what the electorate give us on the day. I think it is important to hear very clearly from Ilava and Abrahams on what kind of governments they would like, as they have the most chance of being Prime Minister. We other parties need to know as well so that we can decide whether we can agree with a party that wishes to exclude or include parties from government.

Krosby: I definitely support leaving extremist groups out of government - for example, we didn't allow the UNS to participate in government back in the Villanova II Government. In general, I think that in Lovia, grand coalitions foster better function than majority governments due to the inactivity in politics and government that we tend to get here - we need a united front for the government to continue functioning well.

Question 3

Moderator: We now have a question from Thomas Yech, a retired farmer who lives in Slowane.

Thomas Yech is in his eighties. He asks his question sitting down.

Yech: Dovidenia. Buet Lovia have un nove konstitutsia after that eleksia, an what mean thatte shpetshnine for Oshenna?

Moderator: For the leaders and viewers that don't speak Oceana, Mr. Yech is asking whether a new constitution will be drawn up after the election, and the consequences for his state in particular. What's your response, Mr. Krosby? We didn't hire a translator for this evening, so I'm afraid you'll have to answer in English (laughs).

Krosby: I don't think a new constitution will be created. The convention is over and it's clear that following the current constitution is the best course of action. However, I would expect amendments to be written and enacted this year - of what type, I'm not sure. If amendments proposing devolution are suggested, I will oppose them, as I have made clear in the past: Devolution does not work and only leads to further inactivity in our government and civil service. Centralization is the only real option for a nation of less than 300,000 people.

In terms of Oceana, and all over the nation, I want things to return to normalcy. I absolutely seek to maintain the Oceana language and culture as an important part of our national heritage, but I don't think autonomy is necessary for this. Currently, with state laws, I believe the states, including Oceana, have plenty of power to govern, help, and manage their affairs and residents. Any further managing can be done at the federal level, in which Oceanans will have a strong voice in parties like OSB.

Moderator: What do the other leaders think about the future of the Constitution? Is Mr. Krosby correct to advocate centralisation? And should we take a different approach to Oceana than to other states?

Ilava: I would love to reply in our mutual language, but I'll stick to English, so the other people can listen too. We have a lot of fresh ideas for fixing up the constitution following our convention earlier this year. So, I'd say: "Yes, there will be a new constitution." I believe Mr. Krosby's ideas are a danger to Lovia. In Lovia, we have many groups of people who desire more autonomy. In some regions, they form a majority. We cannot simply ignore this. Ignoring this caused the Hurbanova Crisis back in 2008. I do agree, however, that not all regions are strong enough for devolution, and devolution does not mean that different regions can no longer cooperate. Cooperation is a necessity.

Then to get to the Oshenna issue: Oshenna is Lovia's most powerful state and it is my personal opinion that we should remain Lovian. However, as a significant part of our voters favor an independent republic, we do not have an official view on this. However, CCPL will guarantee that Oshenna will keep its autonomy and its own laws. We will also work to get state courts and state police back. Oshenna culture has never been threatened and it never will be. The Oshenna people have proven to be very protective of That Lew and CCPL supports them.

To sum up, CCPL believes in a new, modern constitution and more devolution. For Oshenna this means more chances and more autonomy. A vote on CCPL is a vote on Lovia!

Abrahams: I cannot predict the future, so don't quote me on this in six months time. But, Mr. Yech, I'll give you what I think. A mass rewrite of the constitution as was planned in a national convention did not work and will not easily work. That being said, changes and improvements are needed to the constitution and we most definitely would be working on them, one at a time throughout the course of the year. 

As for devolution, and Oceana. Oshenna is culturally, linguistically and may I say gastronomically distinct... anyway, Oceana has a distinctness which should be recognized and the state should be given further powers of autonomy. There are certain areas the state should manage, and having lived in Hurb my whole life, I have seen the state government being able to be able to organize and maintain the areas they currently have power over. A system comparable to that in Spain, with a number of autonomous communities, could serve as a model for Lovia in the future, and that could be the best to balance states and autonomous regions as one nation.

Sarria: I think that we can do a system like the one of Spain. Republican Initiative is going to support Oceana, Truth Island and all the others to have autonomy, but only Oceana as a state. We can even give more autonomy to all of the states that have unique culture and languages: Seven, for example, Clymene, Sylvania and more. All the regions in Spain are Autonomous Communities and each of them have powers in some different areas, and that can be a good system to have in Lovia.

Moderator: Let's talk about specifics. How extensive will changes to the Constitution be? And what, specifically, will be changed?

Hoffmann: I am a bit fed up of pandering to Oceana, and I think many other Lovians are. Oceana is unique and distinct in the way that they have a very strong linguistic difference, yes, and less influence from the English language that other states have - but I feel insulted when people like Mr. Abrahams here talk this talk and then ignore the amazing culture of Sylvania and our fantastic regional cultures as if we are of less value than Oceana. I mean, it is like he is even down talking his own State of Clymene.

I believe that what we need to do is have equality and uniformity in a devolved system. I believe that legislating should take place in Congress on the federal level. I believe that executive powers however should largely be devolved and we should aim to devolve spending and that federal laws should devolve decision making power to the state level. Federally we should only have defence, justice and foreign affairs as policy areas completely and wholly managed from the centre.

We need to change the structure of our Congress by making so that we can deal with the inactive members of Congress. Further, I feel that we need to fix some small wording problems in the Constitution that cause massive ramifications in the Congress. We also need to firmly implant a more democratic state government, retaining governors but introducing properly elected state councils that are unicameral and fairly and freely elected. We also need to introduce ordinary courts that will deal with the day to day crimes; we only have a Supreme Court, and a Supreme Court does not deal with petty theft and trespassing.

The CNP will now officially oppose any state-like autonomy for Truth Island or any other rogue territory. We believe that states are states and should remain territorially sound. There can be local councils or other forms of autonomy decided by states, but nothing that cannot be removed immediately by a state Council or the Congress. States will be states and we will fight for them to be the places where many of the day-to-day decisions are made.

Krosby: I agree with Mr. Hoffmann for the most part. Also, in response to Mr. Ilava, I think it's a minority in Oceana that desire special treatment - and for this, I cite the victory of McCandless in 2010 and the strong performance of Whithdonck-Malsky earlier this year. However, I prefer to keep the government centralized. I have said it before and will say it again: we are a nation of less than 300,000. We have no room for such autonomy - we need a united front. Obviously, states will still manage day-to-day affairs and have some powers, but I think the current Constitution does not need heavy revision.

Question 4

Moderator: Our fourth question, from Elizabeth Smirnoff, who's between jobs at the moment, from Seven. Can you start us off, Mr. Hoffmann?

Elizabeth Smirnoff is about 55 years old and speaks in a Northern Lovian accent.

Smirnoff: I live in Novosevensk and after the terrible things that happened in the Civil War I still don't feel safe going out at night. How will you make the government and police strong, so we don't have to fear Shaynovna and the other militias?

Hoffmann: It seriously concerns me that you still don't feel safe, and I can assure you that concerning internal threats we are more secure than we have ever been. The Lovian Federal Police is now well-manned, well-equipped and well-led. I mean, they can go toe-to-toe with the military of other nations and win, and did so in the invasion. I'd like to see Shaynovna try and fight even one squad of the FP, let alone the entire Sevener district.

However, maybe your problem is more with the fact that these groups still exist and lurk in the shadows, waiting to be used by some undesirable group? (Smirnov nods) yes? We in the CNP have been working to smash militias, but it is difficult; current laws do not really allow us to do that and our judicial system is largely ineffectual.

But I can assure you that crushing this enemy within our nation is a key policy to ensure stability in the future. This is our plan: legislate to create clear legal definitions between hunters, security companies and militias and make sure that those definitions stick; legislate to create proper controls on the manufacture, sale and ownership of firearms; legislate to create a set of State Courts that would deal with the day to day cases that our Supreme Court cannot. Then, begin a swift and thorough purge of our nation to eliminate the known and unknown militia.s

We in the CNP were the first to introduce an investigative branch to the FP, and if anyone can root out the militia lurking in our nation, they can. With all of these actions taken sequentially, and with support from other parties that put the interests of this nation first, we can hopefully make you feel safe on the streets of Novosevensk again. But please don't hesitate to contact a local CNP member or your Governor, so that we can understand what people feel needs to be done to improve their life in this nation.

Moderator: Thank you, Mr. Hoffmann. What do the rest of you think about this issue? How can we ensure political stability in Lovia, especially when it seems our own politicians try to undermine it?

Ilava: I strongly agree with my colleague. In Lovia, most militias are acting locally and not nationally. That is why it is important to act locally. A strong state with a State Court and State Police will effectively halt these militias. Compare it to the situation prior to the first state reform. Lovia hardly had any militias. After the abolition of State Courts and State Police, these militias grew like mushrooms. Therefore it is important to give states more authority on this issue.

Another thing we easily look over is the reason why these anti-democratic groups exist: they feel our beautiful Lovian democracy has failed. CCPL has proven to be the most stable factor in our Congress for several years in a row: a strong CCPL means strong Lovian politics; strong Lovian politics means less anti-democratic sentiments. A vote on CCPL is a vote on Lovia!

Abrahams: I'll have to agree with Mr. Ilava here. While there may not be so much a need for a state court, we do need to return to having state police services. I will also go as far as suggesting we may need a small yet permanent military. The conflicts since the civil war emboldened militias and we do need to show Lovians that they can confidently walk along the Bay of Estonia or go to the Trh of Hurbanova without fear. States should be given more power to deal with these and our Federal Government should further have their presence shown to bring back confidence to Lovia.

Hoffmann: I'm glad to hear my colleagues agree with me on this matter. I reinforce that we need clear solutions to our problems. I encourage you to press the five other politicians standing here to tell you what they will actually do not vague ideas. I have listed very clearly the steps that we will take in the CNP to deal with this issue. And I would ask Mr. Abrahams whether he thinks that it is right that we have a Supreme Court but no ordinary courts to deal with theft or trespass? Do you honestly think that Lovians should be left without a local court to deal with the ordinary everyday crimes? We in the CNP want this and want to ensure a clear and accountable justice system where everyone can have the ability to be quickly tried in a fair manner.

Krosby: I don't think that State Police are necessary; instead, I would suggest the Federal Police branch out more to the states. However, I won't oppose this if it is put to a vote, as this is really a minor distinction. Otherwise, I agree with my colleagues. State courts are necessary to perform justice related to State Law and the affairs of a state. The Supreme Court can then handle Federal Law, national affairs, and appeals from the state level. In terms of militias, I will work to put harsher penalties on militia formation and tighter controls on firearms. However, we are very satisfied with the work the CNP has and will do and we support their efforts in relation to militias.

Sheraldin: The Federal Police have proven to be capable at handling conflicts such as the Lovian Civil War, the Donia coup, and the Burenian invasion, which is of course partially because of the efforts of Mr. Hoffman. If State Police are created, then we should make sure that they are trained and developed at least to an equal level, because less-competent State Police would have no additional merit to the already existing Federal Police, and would be a ballast on taxpayers' money.

Additionally, I have to disagree with one of Mr. Ilava's statements. It should be noted that the CCPL was actually involved with one of these militias, as the Brigade was created by CCPL member Ygo August Donia. This same individual even launched a coup of the Lovian royalty in 2013, and even at this time Mr. Ilava did not sever ties with him; to cite Sylvester Tso in the Noble City Times, he negotiated with him and even offered him support at one point.

Regardless of whether this specific example is still applicable, as it may or may not be, the Lovian public should be careful not to elect politicians who are corrupt or themselves involved with anti-democratic practices, as this would only strengthen anti-democratic militias and the like.

Sarria: Republican Initiative thinks that the government needs to definitely work to shut down all of the militias. In the Civil War, Southern Cross Alliance, Shaynovna and other militias were active and they still exist, breaking the law, and the government and the Supreme Court didn't do anything to arrest the members. In the Burenian invasion the Lovian Land Army operated, yes to defend Lovia, but it was still illegal. Nobody in the government before did anything to bring accountability to the actions of the militias, and Republican Initiative is going to do that. No more being able to get away and escape the public justice. Republican Initiative will work to finally end violent groups from breaking the laws of Lovia and terrorizing the citizens.

Moderator: Mrs. Smirnoff, what do you think of the answers you've heard?

Smirnoff: Well, I thought Lukas Hoffmann gave a good answer, and Nicholas Sheraldin had a good point about politicians being involved in the conflicts. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter whether the police are state or federal... just so long as they're doing their job. And it makes me very worried when I see governments rising and falling in a few months, that soon we'll go back to a time of lawlessness.

Question 5

Moderator: We need to move on to our next question, from Isaac Zhang, a web designer from Sofasi.

Isaac Zhang is in his thirties, one of the few non-white members of the audience. He speaks with an accent that sounds Californian.

Zhang: Hi. We still don't have full equality in this country. Today, only one out of the six of you is a woman. What will you do to assure women, the disabled, and the LGBT community they are valued and will be treated fairly?

Moderator: I think it'd be interesting to hear Mr. Ilava's perspective, first of all.

Ilava: It is very important that people have respect for each other and each other's opinions. That is one of the key factors of our democracy: openness. That is why CCPL is an open party, with a party declaration everyone can read. However, it is important to put things in perspective. Grouping women, the disabled, and the LGBT community in a single group would ignore the diversity between and within these groups. Therefore, I shall address each group separately.

Let's start with women. Lovian women are a key factor in our society. CCPL understands that a large portion of Lovians want women to actively participate in business life and politics. That is the reason why we chose to cooperate instead of shun. A working woman is as valuable as a working man, and should therefore get an equally high salary and equally high chances on the job market. Therefore, we oppose quota on the percentage of women in executive functions. However, women have a natural task to serve their family, and should be able to do so. A child growing without a mother looking after it, is a child not growing up. CCPL ensures that women do not have to find jobs by providing a good child allowance, so they can look after their families. After all, the future society of Lovia is born and raised up right now.

Now I'll address the issue of the disabled. CCPL is a party that looks after the vulnerable and less-fortunate of our society; it is part of our social principle. We understand that it is often hard to find a job if you're less-abled. That is why CCPL will pay for good services within companies willing to accept these people who are good at so many other things, such as elevators and other aids. It is important to note though, that some people, no matter how willing they are, will not be able to find a job or even work at all. For this group of people, CCPL will make a good deal: a social security on conditions. If they are still able to do some form of voluntary work, they will be asked to do so and in return they will get social benefits. In this way, it is a benefit for both the disabled and Lovian society as a whole.

And last, the LGBT community. We have often been accused of discriminating this vulnerable and diverse group of our society. This is not the case, however. CCPL understands that people with other feelings are often more afraid, and they have a difficult choice to make, early in their lives. For protecting these people, we want to raise the age of gay consent to 21 and place a stricter control on all forms of sexual consent. We will, however, not criminalize the homosexual deed itself, as we understand that that will do more damage than it will do good. Homosexuals should always be given a chance to explore other-sex relationships, and that is why CCPL will make government funded help groups in which they can talk and learn more about themselves, in order to maybe find out that there is another way. Then to get on the issue of transgenderism: we understand that people may have such feelings, but instead of them having their bodies ruined, they should be helped. CCPL will criminalize the sex-change operation and the administering of hormones, both for the doctor executing this and the person requesting it, so no more people will get hurt.

As you can see, CCPL stands for a society in which the vulnerable will be helped and protected. A vote on CCPL is a vote on Lovia!

Moderator: Many thanks for your detailed explanation, Mr. Ilava. I'd like to hear the views of the rest of you, too.

Krosby: As a homosexual, CCPL's policy on the LGBT community offends me. If their policy went into action, it would absolutely discriminate against us. The age of sexual consent should be equal and liberal for all. However, creating "help groups" is an interesting idea, though it should be generalized to providing free government mental health care, including both individual and group therapy. In terms of transgenderism, it should be an option to transition to a different sex, although sticking with purely mental health treatments should obviously also be an option - it should be the choice of the individual. The government has no place in dictating what is moral and what is not, aside from the morals of the entire Human race.

In terms of women, we promote full equality, but we do not support quotas as they violate this equality. We will try to pass a law that prohibits and penalizes discrimination, and there should be no more incentives to stay at home for a woman than a man. We believe that the current division between men and women is mostly psychological, so besides what we have already mentioned, in education, we will try to create programs that encourage equal participation in career pathways for boys and girls, and eliminate subconscious discrimination. We completely agree with Ilava on the policies for the disabled.

Ilava: I am pretty sure by your age you have perfectly found out that you are a homosexual, but for many young people it is a very difficult situation. These people should be protected and given a slight push in the easiest direction, so they don't miss out on the beautiful things of life, such as having a family, and so they will not get intimidated by other people. The same counts for transgenderism, which should be banned as it is irreversible.

"Morals of the entire Human race" sounds absurd. How do you determine what morals are universal and what morals are not? You are doing exactly that, what you say to oppose: namely, pushing your own morals - about morals - on other people.

Then to get at women's rights. Just to give a simple example: breast-feeding. Breast-feeding is good for the child, but how can a mother feed a child on the only natural way if she has to work? There happen to be biological differences between men and women, and they ought to be taken in account. That is why God determined the vocation of women. Who are we to not listen to that?

Krosby: By "Morals of the entire Human race", I mean that things like that murder, rape, theft, etc. should be illegal. I'm sorry that I can't think of a better way to put it. I disagree about what you think is the "easiest direction". Homosexuals can still have a family, and "not getting intimidated" is not a reason. Hiding your sexuality or gender identity is more intimidating as being open about it. I did it myself for years. On women's rights, I agree about your point, and so the SLP supports fully paid maternity leave, as well as paternity leave, to account for things like that.

Ilava: So, basically, you want to give people all the freedom they can have, as long as they do not murder, rape, steal, etc. To me, that sounds like a very chaotic society, and not the kind of society I want to live in. Take a look at suicide rates, overly free countries have higher suicide rates than countries with a healthy society. Freedom is good, but it should be limited.

I never mentioned "hiding". CCPL is pro-openness. I sincerely hope people come out with their feelings, so they can get the help they need. And to get on maternity and paternity leaves, those are very good ideas, and CCPL surely supports them. However, if a mother wishes to stay at home in order to take care of her family, she should be able to do so. As I pointed out in my earlier statement: It is very important that people have respect for each other and each other's opinions. If a woman wishes to work instead, she should also be allowed to do so.

Some booing, and a few cheers from the audience. The King, also in attendence, clapped his hands and exclaimed enthusiastically: "Hear, hear!" after speaker Ilava delivered his statement.

Moderator: Alright, I'd rather focus on practicalities than philosophical issues such as universal morals and the nature of freedom. I'd also like to hear from some of the other party leaders.

Hoffmann: I'd like to weigh in here and hopefully help diffuse the situation. Let's deal with the serious conflict we've just seen erupt particularly over the different approaches to the LGBT community. Let's not feed an argument over morality concerning the way someone is born. People are born lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender they are not created by society. The same way you can be born with strong legs, a long nose or thick eyebrows.

Therefore what do we do? We let them live and get on with our lives. CCPL is clearly stating that they have strong concerns and believe that the LGBT need help to be sure of themselves. SLP clearly wants to ensure total freedom for these people alongside support for them. What I feel is that we need to treat them as nothing special, as a citizen treats any other citizen. We need to support the sexuality of all peoples and help them to feel confident of themselves and understand themselves, that is why the CNP will support social education in the last year of primary school and all throughout secondary school.

This will include important discussions that also need to be had over gender, race and nationality. It will teach equality and confidence as well as basic social skills. We will certainly look to make sure that such a proposal is agreeable to all national representatives of the Lovian people. We've done this before with education reform, we can do this again to ensure that all Lovians know that they belong.

Now concerning women, the CNP will have a more balanced party list than ever before, largely because more women than before have stood up and declared they wish to stand for the CNP. But we will never accept quotas I am afraid and so we simply need more women to stand up and be counted. Legally we feel men and women are equal in Lovia and we will always work to preserve that.

Finally on the disabled. We believe they need to be given strong structured social care to help them live as ordinary a life as possible. Aiming to assist them into work and into ordinary life. We will legislate for this. We do not believe this is party political and therefore that this subject and all related issues in this area should be discussed calmly and with an aim for consensus.

Krosby: I agree with Mr. Hoffmann almost completely on this front, but I'd like to make it clear that I don't support special treatment for LGBT peoples - only equality.

Sheraldin: I find some of Mr. Ilava's statements regarding this issue rather disturbing. Young people should be pushed in "the easiest direction" - i.e. towards heterosexuality? How in the world is it our duty as politicians to try and "fix" matters that go right down to a person's identity? I feel that the only people who would be qualified to help people with issues like this are psychiatrists - not politicians.

Additionally - young people should be pushed towards heterosexuality so they won't be intimidated by others? Is that not a completely backwards approach? Instead of the victim, we should be targeting the bully. We should try to minimise discrimination in our society, including teaching young people about differences, and not to discriminate. If we can minimise discrimination, then young people won't need to fear intimidation, and they would be free to express their identity. In short, we should teach people not to oppress others' identities, not oppress those identities ourselves.

Sarria: Republican Initiative completely supports LGBT people, visible minorities and women's equality in Lovia. RI would like to see that more of them get more opportunities in work and in society get more visible roles and try and get rid of the stigma.

Question 6

Moderator: It's time for our final question, I'm afraid. It's from Philippa de Vere, a doctor from Newhaven, and it's the turn of Mr. Sheraldin to answer.

Philippa de Vere is in her forties and smartly dressed compared to most of the audience. She speaks Lovian English extremely well, but with a trace of a foreign accent.

De Vere: How will you allocate money to public services?

Sheraldin: A priority for Lovia at the moment is the continued recovery from the recent conflicts, particularly the Burenian invasion. The government should help families rebuild their homes if they have been destroyed, and work to create new job opportunities where these have been lost, like many in the tourism sector who have been affected by fear of further conflict, and businesses that have been destroyed by the military conflict. Additionally, it is likely that the precious nature of Lovia has been affected by the military conflict, and the government should assess the extent of the damage on Lovia's nature - especially the National and State Parks - and work to reverse it, because a damaged environment will affect all of Lovia. Finally, universal healthcare should be implemented at the federal level so that all citizens of Lovia can benefit from it, which is especially important in the aftermath of these military conflicts.

Hoffmann: It's a difficult question to answer this one. The allocation of monies is such a large and diverse subject that it's hard to get down concisely. Here's what I feel should be our priorities. Basic public services such as health, fire security, waste and water, transport, education and the federal police should all be the first priority when it comes to spending money. After that we move onto the leftovers where we will be able to pick and choose more. I believe that we need State Investment Funds to help the States locally target repair and improvements to their states and I also feel that we need to invest money into our culture.

I think that I would agree with Mr Sheraldin that we need to ensure our environment recovers from any damages incurred, the land we live in is as much a part of our nation as us and we should take pride in it. Further I believe we need to invest more in libraries and museums as well as the various protected sites around Lovia to ensure that we preserve our history and encourage others to come and see it for themselves. And on top of that the government should invest in creating social events in States to promote the unity of Lovia and appreciation of our nation.

Though I stress that I believe the public services must be paid for first before we look at other things and that we must also keep taxes low in this time of crisis. If we cannot achieve that then I do believe that these optional extras that we all wish to pursue must be sacrificed in order to maintain stability and keep public services running.

Krosby: I strongly believe that healthcare and education should be publicly funded, so obviously this will mean heavy money allocation. We'd like to more heavily regulate these two as well, and ensure strong standards for schools and hospitals. We oppose privatization.

Sarria: It is going to be important to finance the basic services that Lovia needs. Education, good houses, health, sanitation and more need to have funds, which are the most basic things that the people need. After that, supporting to protect more natural sites is going to be important.