[NSG Senate] Senate Chamber: Do We Have Work?

[Davincia]

"In the name of the over one million people killed during the Armenian Genocide I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote AYE on this bill. The denial of history is not only foolish and arrogant but reckless and unprofessional. Let's stand with the Armenian people in their suffering. " Ahmed said.

"Although I plan on voting aye for this bill, Armenian Genocide denial only seems to be an issue in modern Turkey. What we're doing here is little more than a polite gesture for what is otherwise a non-issue."

"I have nothing but support for this bill, denial of this gruesome act of killing the Armenian should never be denied. Shame on any country who denies history as many will undoubtedly do with our history. I urge all of my colleagues to vote AYE on this matter."

Linanto glares at the Honorable Speaker.

[Filimons]

“The bill is, much to my regret, unsatisfactory and incomplete, for it disregards the other, perhaps more obscure, ‘cleansings’ coinciding with the Great War: the Greek and Assyrian genocides. Remembrance of the Armenian genocide, which has been brought to prominence largely through the aid and advocacy of the particularly powerful diaspora, need not result in the others being consigned to oblivion. I invite the honourable member to include these two in the form of an addendum; should he refuse, however, I would still vote in the affirmative. Should this bill come to pass, I must advise the government to remain cautious in view of obstinate politicians’ predisposition towards imprudence; we are in no position to anger powers and foreign nations.”

[Tumbra]

"Order, order. Debate on the Act at hand is now closed."

"Given that we only had debate on one bill this entire week, I will not be holding a division on this Act at this time, moving it toward the next voting session as to not waste anyone's time."

"Seeing that Sen. Corbor's Executive Act has not been re-introduced, I shall move this House on to debate the Hon. Cornelius Sivousong - van der Loon's Fisheries Act, found here."

Fishery Regulation Establishment Act
Author: Cornelius Sivousong-VanDerLoon (Labour)
Sponsors: Hon. Ujang Duong (PtH) | Hon. Chu Canh Kim (Labour) | Hon John Chiu, Home Secretary (ChIP) | Hon. Kamil Varatiang (SLP) | Hon. Abraham Kamassi (Labour)

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RECOGNIZING the importance of fishing and other maritime industries to the economy of Elizia, it is the will, nay, the responsibility of this Federal Parliament to do all in its power to ensure the health of our fisheries for the future.

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Head of the State, by and with the counsel of the Government, and the authority of the Federal Parliament by virtue of the powers placed upon it by the Law, as follows:

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§1: Establishment of a Fishery Regulatory Agency

1. : Hereby an agency shall be founded for the regulation of fisheries. Said agency shall be called "The National Fishery Service"
2. : The duties of said service will be the following:
   1. To establish quotas for fisherman. A quota is herein defined as "a maximum number of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, or other organism of a certain species that a fisherman is allowed to keep
   2. To research the affects that commercial fishing and private fishing have upon our fisheries.
   3. To determine how best to propagate struggling species'.
   4. To do routine checks of catch on commercial boats, to enforce quotas.
   5. To protect endangered species of organisms from our fisheries

§2: Jurisdiction:

1. Jurisdiction is defined as "an authority under which an agency rests"
2. The National Fishery service shall be an agency falling under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment.

§3: Funding

1. Funding is defined as: "the amount of financial resources allocated to an effort, group, or agenct"
2. : Minimum funding will be defined by the Federal Parliament. Provinces will be required to pay for half of the basic funding for the National Fishery Service directly
3. : Provincial governments, and the Federal Parliament, may allocate extraordinary funding to the National Fishery Service at their will
4. :Use of Funding. The following are permitted uses of funding:
   1. : To subsidize fishery related research at exterior research institutions
   2. : To pay salaries, pensions, wages, and benefits of Fishery Service employees.
   3. : To pay for the upkeep of required seagoing and rivergoing vessels.
   4. : To pay for the upkeep of Fishery Service Buildings.
   5. : To fund research within the Fishery Service itself.
   6. : To fund advertising campaigns which create awareness of legal catch limits, and fishery regulation.
5. : Additional funding shall be provided from fines collected for illegal fishing. 1/6 of the revenue from these fines will go to the Fishery Service.

§4: Functions

1. In order to achieve the goals of fishery protection, the below shall be actions at the disposal of the National Fishery Service
   1. Institution of Individual Transferable Quotas (also known as individual catch quotas)
   2. Regulation of Catching techniques (i.e banning trawling or mandating certain net sizes)
   3. Restrictions on number of fishing vessels allowed in a zone
   4. Creation of zones and units in the ocean and waterways to regulate and manage fishery activity
   5. Regulating the type of bait and lures allowed for fishery activity
   6. Licensing of fishing vehicles and fishermen/women
   7. Removal of invasive organisms
   8. Maintenance of a Fishery Police force or patrol to round up illegal fishing vessels and people fishing illegally.

[The Symplegades]

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker"

"Fishery Regulation is of great importance, concerning that many of Elizia's fisheries are threatened by over fishing and climate change. I hope that my honorable colleagues agree"

"Our reefs have been facing increasing challenges every year from over-fishing, foreign poaching for jewelry coral, rare fish, and seafood. This is in addition to carbon depletion, 'red tide' and other bacterial, biological, chemical, and natural phenomena caused by changes in our climate and human recklessness."

"However, experts believe that with suitable human intervention, governmental protection, and strict limits on catch, beter known as quotas, amongst other things, can rescue Elizia's waterways and seas and preserve our wildlife for generations of fishermen and women, sportspeople, aquaculturalists, and citizens for centuries to come. Thank you and I would be glad to answer any questions"

[The Portland Territory]

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker"

"Fishery Regulation is of great importance, concerning that many of Elizia's fisheries are threatened by over fishing and climate change. I hope that my honorable colleagues agree"

"Our reefs have been facing increasing challenges every year from over-fishing, foreign poaching for jewelry coral, rare fish, and seafood. This is in addition to carbon depletion, 'red tide' and other bacterial, biological, chemical, and natural phenomena caused by changes in our climate and human recklessness."

"However, experts believe that with suitable human intervention, governmental protection, and strict limits on catch, beter known as quotas, amongst other things, can rescue Elizia's waterways and seas and preserve our wildlife for generations of fishermen and women, sportspeople, aquaculturalists, and citizens for centuries to come. Thank you and I would be glad to answer any questions"

*Haman Zaraq stood up*

Mr. Sivousong, while I do agree that there must be environmental regulations for certain species and wildlife in order to preserve them, what will we do about the less-known problem of fish overpopulation? Many species, especially the Pacific Salmon, have doubled in population over 50 years because of government protection. This is a major problem because the mass schools of Salmon have been eating everything nd running out of food, food that would be eaten by other species. Environmental protection is fine and dandy, but when one species is too large and eats everything, it won't matter because the smaller species cannot find adequate food. So Mr. Sivousong, will there be changes in your Act to make it more flexible and deal with fish overpopulation?

[The Symplegades]

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker"

"Fishery Regulation is of great importance, concerning that many of Elizia's fisheries are threatened by over fishing and climate change. I hope that my honorable colleagues agree"

"Our reefs have been facing increasing challenges every year from over-fishing, foreign poaching for jewelry coral, rare fish, and seafood. This is in addition to carbon depletion, 'red tide' and other bacterial, biological, chemical, and natural phenomena caused by changes in our climate and human recklessness."

"However, experts believe that with suitable human intervention, governmental protection, and strict limits on catch, beter known as quotas, amongst other things, can rescue Elizia's waterways and seas and preserve our wildlife for generations of fishermen and women, sportspeople, aquaculturalists, and citizens for centuries to come. Thank you and I would be glad to answer any questions"

*Haman Zaraq stood up*

Mr. Sivousong, while I do agree that there must be environmental regulations for certain species and wildlife in order to preserve them, what will we do about the less-known problem of fish overpopulation? Many species, especially the Pacific Salmon, have doubled in population over 50 years because of government protection. This is a major problem because the mass schools of Salmon have been eating everything nd running out of food, food that would be eaten by other species. Environmental protection is fine and dandy, but when one species is too large and eats everything, it won't matter because the smaller species cannot find adequate food. So Mr. Sivousong, will there be changes in your Act to make it more flexible and deal with fish overpopulation?

"I would like to thank the honorable senator for voicing their concerns about fishing overpopulation. The bill does provide for the removal of invasive organisms, and the law is deliberately vague on its definition of invasive. Thes organisms could be from elsewhere, or native populations that have run out of control. These species' can be cut down to size and reduced under the current language, but if there is a need for further definition to deal with overpopulation, I would be glad to work for it and with you, my friend. Pacific salmon have caused some trouble in certain areas, and once this is passed I am confident our Fishery Service will be well equipped and funded to deal with these issues"

[The Portland Territory]

*Haman Zaraq stood up*

Mr. Sivousong, while I do agree that there must be environmental regulations for certain species and wildlife in order to preserve them, what will we do about the less-known problem of fish overpopulation? Many species, especially the Pacific Salmon, have doubled in population over 50 years because of government protection. This is a major problem because the mass schools of Salmon have been eating everything nd running out of food, food that would be eaten by other species. Environmental protection is fine and dandy, but when one species is too large and eats everything, it won't matter because the smaller species cannot find adequate food. So Mr. Sivousong, will there be changes in your Act to make it more flexible and deal with fish overpopulation?

"I would like to thank the honorable senator for voicing their concerns about fishing overpopulation. The bill does provide for the removal of invasive organisms, and the law is deliberately vague on its definition of invasive. Thes organisms could be from elsewhere, or native populations that have run out of control. These species' can be cut down to size and reduced under the current language, but if there is a need for further definition to deal with overpopulation, I would be glad to work for it and with you, my friend. Pacific salmon have caused some trouble in certain areas, and once this is passed I am confident our Fishery Service will be well equipped and funded to deal with these issues"

Thank you for hearing me out, but I will state one more comment and a recommendation. The whole reason that Pacific Salmon grew rampantly was because in 1970, hatcheries released in total 500 Million young Salmon into the wild. According to statistics, in 2008, the total population of Pacific Salmon is 5 billion. Nearly the entire population of humanity in the form of salmon are living and eating in the South Pacific. This is devastating for the environment and I do not have enough faith in yet another bureau to fix this solution. I propose that fisherman be allowed to hunt and eat as many Pacific Salmon, and species like it, over the course of the next 5 years until another report is done on the population of Pacific Salmon. This will allow fisherman to switch over from fishing more endangered species to the overpopulated salmon, allowing the to keep a way of life and at the same time maintaining the environment.

[Tumbra]

Thank you for hearing me out, but I will state one more comment and a recommendation. The whole reason that Pacific Salmon grew rampantly was because in 1970, hatcheries released in total 500 Million young Salmon into the wild. According to statistics, in 2008, the total population of Pacific Salmon is 5 billion. Nearly the entire population of humanity in the form of salmon are living and eating in the South Pacific. This is devastating for the environment and I do not have enough faith in yet another bureau to fix this solution. I propose that fisherman be allowed to hunt and eat as many Pacific Salmon, and species like it, over the course of the next 5 years until another report is done on the population of Pacific Salmon. This will allow fisherman to switch over from fishing more endangered species to the overpopulated salmon, allowing the to keep a way of life and at the same time maintaining the environment.

"Order, order. Please don't shout at the Hon. Members, I believe they can hear you very well."

OOC: Please don't bold every word in your post. Me telling you "not to shout" is a reference to you bolding every single word in your post, which I take as shouting. Also don't quote this when you reply.

[The Portland Territory]

Thank you for hearing me out, but I will state one more comment and a recommendation. The whole reason that Pacific Salmon grew rampantly was because in 1970, hatcheries released in total 500 Million young Salmon into the wild. According to statistics, in 2008, the total population of Pacific Salmon is 5 billion. Nearly the entire population of humanity in the form of salmon are living and eating in the South Pacific. This is devastating for the environment and I do not have enough faith in yet another bureau to fix this solution. I propose that fisherman be allowed to hunt and eat as many Pacific Salmon, and species like it, over the course of the next 5 years until another report is done on the population of Pacific Salmon. This will allow fisherman to switch over from fishing more endangered species to the overpopulated salmon, allowing the to keep a way of life and at the same time maintaining the environment.

"Order, order. Please don't shout at the Hon. Members, I believe they can hear you very well."

OOC: Please don't bold every word in your post. Me telling you "not to shout" is a reference to you bolding every single word in your post, which I take as shouting. Also don't quote this when you reply.

(Oh, sorry. I'll keep that in mind. Also, I always bold the words of my main character in every rp to differentiate it from his action's. I'll keep it in mind, though, it isn't shouting)

[The Symplegades]

"I would like to thank the honorable senator for voicing their concerns about fishing overpopulation. The bill does provide for the removal of invasive organisms, and the law is deliberately vague on its definition of invasive. Thes organisms could be from elsewhere, or native populations that have run out of control. These species' can be cut down to size and reduced under the current language, but if there is a need for further definition to deal with overpopulation, I would be glad to work for it and with you, my friend. Pacific salmon have caused some trouble in certain areas, and once this is passed I am confident our Fishery Service will be well equipped and funded to deal with these issues"

Thank you for hearing me out, but I will state one more comment and a recommendation. The whole reason that Pacific Salmon grew rampantly was because in 1970, hatcheries released in total 500 Million young Salmon into the wild. According to statistics, in 2008, the total population of Pacific Salmon is 5 billion. Nearly the entire population of humanity in the form of salmon are living and eating in the South Pacific. This is devastating for the environment and I do not have enough faith in yet another bureau to fix this solution. I propose that fisherman be allowed to hunt and eat as many Pacific Salmon, and species like it, over the course of the next 5 years until another report is done on the population of Pacific Salmon. This will allow fisherman to switch over from fishing more endangered species to the overpopulated salmon, allowing the to keep a way of life and at the same time maintaining the environment.

"I thank the gentleman for the valid concerns he is raising, but I must remind him that Elizia is not within the range of Pacific Salmon. This has not proven to be a problematic issue for us, but should it prove to become a problem, it will be dealt with. Again, the bill does grant the fisheries service authority to adjust, implement, or totally eliminate fishing quotas based on unique conditions at any time, and it also grants the service the right to eliminate species' when they take an invasive role in an environment. Thank you, however for your concerns, and I am confident the fisheries service would adjust regulations in both commercial and sports fishing to meet local and environmental circumstances, as the language of the legislation stipulates. I would like to thank the gentleman for his goodwilled inquiries, welcome more, and hope he will vote in favor of the bill for environmental progress moving forwards"

[Tumbra]

"Order, order. Debate on the Fishery Regulation Establishment Act is now closed. We now begin debate on the Establishment of the Commission on Truth, Dignity, and Reconciliation Act."

Order Paper

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All times stated are tentatively 1830 UTC + 8 (Elizian Timezone) unless stated.

Sunday to Monday - Armenian Genocide Recognition Act (Sen. Ahmed Corbor)

Monday to Tuesday - Fishery Regulation Establishment Act (Rt. Hon Cornelius Sivousong-van der Loon)

Tuesday to Wednesday - The Establishment of the Commission on Truth, Dignity, and Reconciliation Act (Sen. Sayid Kasturi and Rt. Hon Tjilik Beluluk)

Wednesday to Thursday - Oral Questions to the President

Thursday to Friday - Amendment to the Central Bank (Payments System) Act (Rt. Hon Siva Jeyaretnam)

Friday to Saturday - Voting on proposed bills

Saturday to Sunday - Voting on proposed bIlls

"Again, attached is the bill for easy reference."

The Establishment of the Commission on Truth, Dignity, and Reconciliation Act
Authors: Siyad Kasturi (SLP) and Tjilik Beluluk (PtH)
Sponsors: Ahmed Corbor (SLP), Thu Tran (SLP), Michael Nugati (SLP), Li Zhang (SLP), and John Chiu (ChIP)

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An act to establish a commission to establish truth regarding crimes of the old regime, restore dignity to the victims, and promote reconciliation in Elizia.

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Head of the State, by and with the counsel of the Government, and the authority of the Federal Parliament by virtue of the powers placed upon it by the Law, as follows:

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§1 – Establishment:
a. The Commission on Truth, Dignity, and Reconciliation, henceforth to be referred to as "The Commission" or the "CTDR" in this bill, shall be established after the passage of this bill.
b. There will be a Director of the Commission, who shall be appointed by the President of Elizia and approved by the Senate by a majority vote;
i. The Director shall be granted the authority to appoint fifteen additional commissioners;
ii. Commissioners and staffers with the commission cannot have had any affiliation with the Armed Forces, police forces, or any security services that were either part of the Elizian government or were contracted by them before the implementation of the transitional government;

§2 – Authority and Scope:
a. Any citizen of Elizia may bring a case to the attention of the Commission;
b. The Commission may subpoena any persons of interest in connection with a case;
i. All witnesses are allowed legal representation. If they cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided by the state;
ii. The Commission has the authority to ask for and acquire any and all documentation and evidence in relation to specific cases from the complainant(s), the respondent(s), and all government ministries, agencies, and other entities. These requests must be respected and carried out by any party that is asked to turn over evidence to the Commission;
c. The Commission does not have the authority to deliver and/or carry out sentences;
d. Should a citizen voluntarily confess their crimes before the Commission, should those crimes exclude war crimes or crimes against humanity, and should that citizen hold no rank higher in the ENC regime than that of Colonel, then the Commission may choose to grant amnesty to that citizen.

§3 - Reports
a. At the end of every calendar year that the Commission is in session, it will release a report listing its findings, verdicts, and decisions, including a summary of its findings. The report will be presented to the President, Senate, and public of Elizia, until such a time that it is determined by the Senate that the Commission is no longer deemed necessary to be in session.

[Lykens]

Tijah rose from his seat and spoke up.

"Mister Speaker, let me be the first to rise in staunch support of this bill, offered by my most honorable colleagues Sayyid Kasturi of my own party and the Right Honorable Tjilik Beluluk.

This is an important bill that will seek to uncover the truth of the last several decades our beloved Elizia toiled under a totalitarian regime.

I thank my honorable colleagues for their efforts to pen this legislation and guide it to passage and into law."

[Argentarino]

"Mr. Speaker, my bill aims to address the people's desire for justice. As we are bound by treaty and cannot put former regime members on trial for crimes against humanity, I am hoping for the next best thing. This Commission will allow victims of the ENC regime to speak out about their experiences, while also ensuring that those who committed crimes share their own stories, but the focus here is primarily on the victims and their families."

[Nariterrr]

"As my colleagues before me pointed out, I believe that this bill is essential to the course of justice, I will be voting AYE on it and I would urge all of my colleagues to do the same."

[The Symplegades]

"I sponsored and will vote Aye. No more questions needed"

[Davincia]

"I was hoping that this chamber would be wise enough to oppose this bill. Sadly, it seems as though I've been mistaken."

[Skyviolia]

"I was hoping that this chamber would be wise enough to oppose this bill. Sadly, it seems as though I've been mistaken."

"Why would we oppose this bill?"

[The Sarian]

"Another bill proposed by the SLP with very little cross-party support."

[Nariterrr]

"Another bill proposed by the SLP with very little cross-party support."

"The honorable member who authored the bill was a member of the LDP and we were the people who pushed the bill. Are we going to start shaming political parties because they push progressive bills? Nevermind the fact that the bill was sponsored by your party leader."

[Davincia]

"I was hoping that this chamber would be wise enough to oppose this bill. Sadly, it seems as though I've been mistaken."

"Why would we oppose this bill?"

"It stigmatizes both the ENC and the people who served it. That is not something I can support."

[Britanno 3]

"It stigmatizes both the ENC and the people who served it. That is not something I can support."

And why on earth does the ENC warrant anything other than stigmatization?

[Normandy and Picardy]

bin Fajar stood up, hoping to add to the support for the bill, but also hoping to temper some of the emotions in the chamber, some of which he himself shares. He looked around at all the members before beginning to speak:

'I think we must be cautious when looking back at the ENC rule. What we don't need is a witch hunt, which is why I was glad a number of changes were made before the bill was brought before the chamber. I will be supporting this bill, as it is important we never allow the horrors of that time ever happen again, but I will say this; although we must not forget the past and we must learn lessons from it, we must not linger too long to the detriment of Elizia, but we must build a bright future. Support this bill, honourable members, but so that we may build a better Elizia, and not to get stuck in the past.'

[The Sarian]

"Another bill proposed by the SLP with very little cross-party support."

"The honorable member who authored the bill was a member of the LDP and we were the people who pushed the bill. Are we going to start shaming political parties because they push progressive bills? Nevermind the fact that the bill was sponsored by your party leader."

"I don't wish for this to turn into a debate of semantics, but little does not carry the same definition as none.

Though perhaps the Honourable member would like to explain what he means by progressive legislation?"

[The Portland Territory]

"I believe that this bill will be essential to making criminal investigation more effective and swift. I vote Aye."

[Argentarino]

"Another bill proposed by the SLP with very little cross-party support."

"With respect to the Honorable Member, Mr. Speaker, I had submitted this bill twice for the review of my colleagues before I introduced it to the floor. I asked for sponsors, comments, and yet, with the exception of the leader of the Chinese Interests Party and my Honorable Colleague from the Path to Harmony who coauthored this bill, the other parties were silent. Now, if I had pushed this through the Chamber without bringing this bill to the attention of the Honorable Members assembled today without doing my due diligence, the Honorable Member might feel in the right. However, I was met with silence, despite asking for my colleagues to review this bill twice. So I find the accusation baseless, Mr. Speaker."