[DRAFT] Business Lobbying Act

[Friday Freshman]

Could I change it to be non-government corporate entities?

Why exclude businesses that aren't corporations?

Non-government business entities?

[Friday Freshman]

2nd Draft is done.

[Old Hope]

2nd Draft is done.

Did you look at what I wrote you earlier or did you overlook it?

[Three Weasels]

So, as long as money doesn't change hands, all other forms of bribery remain fair game. Good to know. Not that it applies to us. After all, we have paws, not hands.

[Normlpeople]

Clover read the latest draft. "As I read this, it would prevent anyone working for a corporation from seeking public office, it may well prevent anyone in business from donating to a political campaign. While you may have an issue to tackle, perhaps doing so in a less draconian way would be better".

[Friday Freshman]

Clover read the latest draft. "As I read this, it would prevent anyone working for a corporation from seeking public office, it may well prevent anyone in business from donating to a political campaign. While you may have an issue to tackle, perhaps doing so in a less draconian way would be better".

Hmmmmm, I feel that if we made a special exemption for wages, companies could possibly just add a politician to their payroll and the whole resolution is out the window.

[Moronist Decisions]

We don't believe this is an international issue.
Prof. Jane Crick
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy to the Lion in Council

[The Great Leap Forward]

In the People's Republic, all businesses are owned by the state or state representative. This resolution takes an unfair view of our particular socialist system, and would effectively outlaw our state-owned enterprises; this is the height of capitalist ignorance and shows disrespect to our ancient culture and unique economic system by myopically embracing a corrupt "free-market" and inherently western view of economics and business. We steadfastly oppose this resolution.

Du Zhidun
毒滞钝
Special People's Representative to the World Assembly
Commissioner for Leisure, Architecture, and Political Re-education

[Normlpeople]

Hmmmmm, I feel that if we made a special exemption for wages, companies could possibly just add a politician to their payroll and the whole resolution is out the window.

"It is indeed a problem to be solved Ambassador Friday. Excluding someone from the political process based upon their employment situation will not be desirable for many nations, Indeed an argument could be made such discrimination falls afoul of the CoCR. Then again, you also bring up a loophole that needs closing. Perhaps wording it in such a way to mandate payment will only be made for work done during the course of routine employment?"

In the People's Republic, all businesses are owned by the state or state representative. This resolution takes an unfair view of our particular socialist system, and would effectively outlaw our state-owned enterprises; this is the height of capitalist ignorance and shows disrespect to our ancient culture and unique economic system by myopically embracing a corrupt "free-market" and inherently western view of economics and business. We steadfastly oppose this resolution.

"This is indirectly the point I was attempting to make referring to corporate governments. It doesn't matter if the government controls the corporation or the corporation controls the government, sometimes they are the same thing. In any case, it would seem Ambassador Friday has chosen to make the socialist 'government owned business' model you seem to follow exempt from this resolution."

[Separatist Peoples]

"So, if a government buys stock in a company, they are exempt? Talk about a loophole...I still struggle to see, and beg to be answered, as to why the WA is interfering with purely domestic issues. Such a system of corporate involvement very well may be what the people of a nation want. What does it hurt to allow it?"

[Olvern]

The Olvernian Representative to the General Assembly decides to get into this proposal-critiquing game.

Category: Political Stability
Strength: Significant

REALIZING that both international and national politics are plagued by many kinds of lobbying especially Corporate Lobbying

"I'm pretty sure some nations are pretty into the whole idea of the Corporation and the Government being... in bed, if you get my drift. I'm not sure if everyone in this body will agree with the sentiment that lobbying is a 'plague'."

RECOGNIZING that currently no resolution deals with these problems including and especially noting GAR #248 : Against Corruption

"What problems? Corruption? Even if they are supposedly inherent, be more specific. Kind of a "trying to make your case to the non-believers" kind of thing here."

DECLARING for the purpose of this resolution, any business that is the government, or is part of the government, will not be considered a business from here on out

"Okay, that kind of solves things. Except that sometimes the boundary between government and business can be quite unclear, especially in states where overtly private companies play some role in governance, but are not explicitly part of the government. Does this resolution apply to them in that case?"

DEFINING Corporate Lobbying as the act of influencing a politician or government with the promise of any reward, namely money or a position, for helping further business interests in the political world

"Only money or positions? I'm pretty sure corruption would extend beyond that."

DEFINING Corporate Heads as those who are currently the owner or hold a position of power that allows access to the financial budgeting in a business excluding stock holders that are not the majority stock holder

"No problems with this... except for Separatists Peoples' comment on the potential loophole here. Not sure if this is a smart move or what."

MANDATING:

1. That Corporate Lobbying be immeaditely made illegal in all member countries
2. Any business found to be funneling money any political candidate with the purpose of corporate gain shall be fined
3. Any business found to be expressing it's corporate interests under the name of their business in any way to a political candidate in the hopes that they may vote a certain way on a political matter shall be fined
4. That Corporate Heads donating money from their corporation's funds to a politician be immediately made illegal in all member countries

"That is harsh. Good luck getting this one passed, man."

RE-ESTABLISHING that a person, Corporate Head or not, still has the right to ask a politician to vote a certain way on a bill as long as money doesn't change hands

"Wow! So positions can be given? Sexual favours? Silly dances?"

HOPING that the World Assembly will eventually be able to fully remove corporations from politics

"In general, this resolution as it is too absolute, and presumes the nature of politics in many sovereign states as being supposed to be de jure independent from business interest, when that may not be the case for all WA members, and may in several cases be against the sovereign national interest of these nation states."

[Bears Armed]

OOC: This proposal -- which I and the Bears oppose on the grounds that it is neither an international issue nor a matter of fundamental sapient rights -- still confuses the terms "business" and "corporation". They are not synonymous. A 'corporation' is any organisation that has been 'incorporated' so that it has legal personhood.

[New Mushroom Kingdom]

The New Mushroom Kingdom stands AGAINST this resolution for undisclosed reasons.

In the event that it passes, does any delegate possibly know any loopholes?

[The Dark Star Republic]

The New Mushroom Kingdom stands AGAINST this resolution for undisclosed reasons.

In the event that it passes, does any delegate possibly know any loopholes?

It's impossible to advise you on "loopholes" if you won't state the nature of your objection, much as I'm sure there's some tortuous dictionary-wrangling ahead.

[New Mushroom Kingdom]

The New Mushroom Kingdom stands AGAINST this resolution for undisclosed reasons.

In the event that it passes, does any delegate possibly know any loopholes?

It's impossible to advise you on "loopholes" if you won't state the nature of your objection, much as I'm sure there's some tortuous dictionary-wrangling ahead.

Stepping up to the honourable delegate, the NMK delegate quietly whispered: 'I wish to keep the rights of corporations unrestricted in the regard of lobbying - if they want to try to influence a government agent via money, who is the WA to stop them?'

[The Dark Star Republic]

It's impossible to advise you on "loopholes" if you won't state the nature of your objection, much as I'm sure there's some tortuous dictionary-wrangling ahead.

Stepping up to the honourable delegate, the NMK delegate quietly whispered: 'I wish to keep the rights of corporations unrestricted in the regard of lobbying - if they want to try to influence a government agent via money, who is the WA to stop them?'

Then the most obvious, albeit unwieldy, loophole is to nationalise your entire industry.

DECLARING for the purpose of this resolution, any business that is the government, or is part of the government, will not be considered a business from here on out

More practically, you can still permit non-monetary lobbying. Share certificates, corporate benefits, pretty much anything is allowed "as long as money doesn't change hands".

The biggest loophole though is that this is a terrible proposal that, at worst, would be easy to repeal, and more likely wouldn't even pass.

[New Mushroom Kingdom]

Stepping up to the honourable delegate, the NMK delegate quietly whispered: 'I wish to keep the rights of corporations unrestricted in the regard of lobbying - if they want to try to influence a government agent via money, who is the WA to stop them?'

Then the most obvious, albeit unwieldy, loophole is to nationalise your entire industry.

DECLARING for the purpose of this resolution, any business that is the government, or is part of the government, will not be considered a business from here on out

More practically, you can still permit non-monetary lobbying. Share certificates, corporate benefits, pretty much anything is allowed "as long as money doesn't change hands".

The biggest loophole though is that this is a terrible proposal that, at worst, would be easy to repeal, and more likely wouldn't even pass.

Thank you, the NMK Delegate said, before passing over a 500 mushroom-coin note.