[NSGS] Labour-NWP Coalition

[Ikania]

As I've said before, many times, we share a lot of common ground on many economic and social issues. I think there's a lot to be gained by setting up a kingmaker power bloc to oppose the nationalist conservatives and the neoliberals.

[Arkolon]

As I've said before, many times, we share a lot of common ground on many economic and social issues. I think there's a lot to be gained by setting up a kingmaker power bloc to oppose the nationalist conservatives and the neoliberals.

Determined and committed in opposition, aside from voting for these people, of course. tag

[Ikania]

As I've said before, many times, we share a lot of common ground on many economic and social issues. I think there's a lot to be gained by setting up a kingmaker power bloc to oppose the nationalist conservatives and the neoliberals.

Determined and committed in opposition, aside from voting for these people, of course. tag

[MERIZoC]

Nonetheless you've done a pretty poor job of staying rhetorically and ideologically consistent, Ike. You may want to work on that.

[Ikania]

Nonetheless you've done a pretty poor job of staying rhetorically and ideologically consistent, Ike. You may want to work on that.

Why are members from your coalition trying to tell me I'm some sort of hypocrite for refusing to support social conservatives? Unless you have something valuable to add, leave me alone.

[Skappola]

Determined and committed in opposition, aside from voting for these people, of course. tag

Isn't that Elizia's primary export?

[Collatis]

Isn't that Elizia's primary export?

It was Calaverde's too.

[Britanno 2]

So... shall we make this official? Do we want to produce a platform (not entirely sure we need to seen as we sort of know what we stand for)?

We should also probably hold votes in our respective parties.

[Maklohi Vai]

So... shall we make this official? Do we want to produce a platform (not entirely sure we need to seen as we sort of know what we stand for)?

We should also probably hold votes in our respective parties.

Yeah, I think some sort of joint platform would be good, as there are small differences. I'll work on something tonight.

[Social Liberal Party]

We are still open for coalition talks

[Britanno 2]

We are still open for coalition talks

Thanks.

[Maklohi Vai]

Alright, since nobody has done the dirty work yet, I've went and done a comparison of the two platforms, so that we can come upon some common ground for the coalition. Labour and NWP for reference. I've diluted the platforms down quite a bit for simplicity of viewing them, but we can use official wording when actually forming the thing.

There are three categories with the same name for each party: Economic, Foreign, and Social policy. I've put the NWP's Education Policy in the Social section. The Labour Party has an environmental section, which I've put on its own. There's also a "Governmental reform" section for Labour and a "Law and Order" section for the NWP, which I've combined under "Law, Order, and Governance."

Economic Policy
Labour
- Nationalization of public utilities
- Pro-trade unions and worker's rights
- Support for state investment in local industry
- Regulation but not prohibition of foreign investment
- Support co-operatives
- A progressive tax system

NWP
- Nationalization of all industry
- Pro-unions and worker's rights
- Protectionist import taxes
- Increase taxation on the rich
- Break up the big banks

Foreign Policy
Labour
- Internationalism
- Against Chinese military aggression
- Diplomacy first in South China Sea
- Support anti-terrorism
- Join ASEAN
- Maintain Commonwealth membership

NWP
- Against imperialism
- Against Chinese military aggression
- Cooperate with socialist states and parties in the region and world
- Support skilled immigration
- Recognition of communist breakaway regions, like Donetsk and Transnistria

Social Policy
Labour
- Universal healthcare
- Free and universal primary and secondary education
- Developed welfare system, including employment and housing
- Maintenance of reasonable levels of immigration
- Support for anti-discrimination measures in both government and in the workplace, including affirmative action
- Accepts the traditional definition of marriage

NWP
- Recognize diversity, anti-nationalist sentiment
- Fight against sex-based discrimination and the wage gap
- Secular society
- Against homophobia
- Support reproductive rights
- Universal healthcare
- Curtail the drug trade
- Decriminalization and strong regulation of marijuana, as a form of medical treatment
- State-run education
- Support for teacher's unions
- Teach children about tolerance and diversity
- Support public funding of all our colleges and universities, with the goal of an affordable education

Law, Order, and Governance
Labour
- Prosecute those involved in the crimes of the former regime
- Introduce anti-corruption measures

NWP
- Support the death penalty for particularly grave crimes
- Support a strong police force
- Restrict gun ownership; against the ownership of automatic, semi-automatic and high capacity weapons.

Environmental Policy
Labour
- Develop renewable energy
- Protect nature through heritage and sustainability programs
- Support for a sustainable fishing policy which protects the environment while ensuring local job security

I will post separately, later tonight, about what I think the final platform could look like.

[Maklohi Vai]

Here's an outline for the coalition platform. I've divided it into three categories: direct overlap, near overlap, and points to debate. The first one can be included without much debate, the second with some tweaking but not much disagreement, and the third requires more substantial debate (on a range of issues where we may agree or disagree to varying degrees). Again, this is just my take on it.

Direct Overlap
Economic Policy
- Pro-trade unions and worker's rights
- Progressive tax system

Foreign Policy
- Against Chinese military aggression

Social Policy
- Universal healthcare
- Free and universal primary and secondary education

Near Overlap
Economic Policy
- Nationalization of public utilities (Labour's stance; a watered down version of the NWP's nationalization of all industry)
- Support co-operatives

Foreign Policy
- Internationalism/Anti-imperialism

Social Policy
- Regulate immigration/skilled immigrants preferred
- Developed welfare system, including employment and housing
- Fight against sex-based discrimination and the wage gap
- Support for anti-discrimination measures in both government and in the workplace, including affirmative action
- Secular society
- Against homophobia
- Teach children about tolerance and diversity
- Support public funding of all our colleges and universities, with the goal of an affordable education

Points to Debate
Economic Policy
- Regulation of foreign investment
- Breaking up bank monopolies
- Support for state investment in local industry

Foreign Policy
- Cooperate with socialist states and parties in the region and world
- Diplomacy first in South China Sea
- Support anti-terrorism
- Join ASEAN
- Maintain Commonwealth membership
- Recognition of communist breakaway regions, like Donetsk and Transnistria

Social Policy
- Support reproductive rights
- Curtail the drug trade
- Decriminalization and strong regulation of marijuana, as a form of medical treatment
- Accepts the traditional definition of marriage

Law, Order, and Governance
- Prosecute those involved in the crimes of the former regime
- Introduce anti-corruption measures
- Support the death penalty for particularly grave crimes
- Support a strong police force
- Restrict gun ownership; against the ownership of automatic, semi-automatic and high capacity weapons.

Environmental Policy
- Develop renewable energy
- Protect nature through heritage and sustainability programs
- Support for a sustainable fishing policy which protects the environment while ensuring local job security

[Malgrave]

I think we can agree to both support local cooperatives since they work in both a socialist and a capitalist economy.

[Oneracon]

Excellent work as always MV!

[Britanno 2]

I think we can agree to both support local cooperatives since they work in both a socialist and a capitalist economy.

Agreed.

[Maklohi Vai]

Excellent work as always MV!

Thank you!

As for the "debate" points on the platform, I have a few further thoughts:

- Regulation of foreign investment
- Breaking up bank monopolies
- Support for state investment in local industry

I think we could probably add all of this. Perhaps use slightly softer language on the banks issue than what's in the NWP platform.

- Cooperate with socialist states and parties in the region and world
- Diplomacy first in South China Sea
- Support anti-terrorism
- Join ASEAN
- Maintain Commonwealth membership
- Recognition of communist breakaway regions, like Donetsk and Transnistria

I'm pretty sure the second and third points won't be contentious. I don't know how the NWP feels about ASEAN, and I have a suspicion they don't like the Commonwealth, but please chime in. Personally, and I think other Labour members would agree, I'm not too keen on the first or last bits of the platform in this box. If we don't add any of the latter four I mentioned, we should at least have a blanket statement supporting regional cooperation.

- Support reproductive rights
- Curtail the drug trade
- Decriminalization and strong regulation of marijuana, as a form of medical treatment
- Accepts the traditional definition of marriage

Some interesting stuff here. If adopted, the first and third points would place us as decided social liberals compared to the rest of the political spectrum, and I'm all in favor of that. Even though it's part of the Labour platform, I don't think we should add the fourth point to the coalition platform. As for the drug trade... I don't think we need a war on drugs. What's a better solution, or at least one that is worded in different terms?

- Prosecute those involved in the crimes of the former regime
- Introduce anti-corruption measures
- Support the death penalty for particularly grave crimes
- Support a strong police force
- Restrict gun ownership; against the ownership of automatic, semi-automatic and high capacity weapons.

I'm pretty sure we can all agree on the first, second, fourth, and fifth points. I don't know what the thinking is of individual members of the coalition on the death penalty.

- Develop renewable energy
- Protect nature through heritage and sustainability programs
- Support for a sustainable fishing policy which protects the environment while ensuring local job security

I hope we can all agree on this as well.

[Malgrave]

As for the "debate" points on the platform, I have a few further thoughts:

- Regulation of foreign investment
- Breaking up bank monopolies
- Support for state investment in local industry

I think we could probably add all of this. Perhaps use slightly softer language on the banks issue than what's in the NWP platform.

We could copy a phrase from the US and say that if a bank is too big to fail, it is too big to exist. I think that is a stance that would suit both the NWP and Labour.

- Cooperate with socialist states and parties in the region and world
- Diplomacy first in South China Sea
- Support anti-terrorism
- Join ASEAN
- Maintain Commonwealth membership
- Recognition of communist breakaway regions, like Donetsk and Transnistria

I'm pretty sure the second and third points won't be contentious. I don't know how the NWP feels about ASEAN, and I have a suspicion they don't like the Commonwealth, but please chime in. Personally, and I think other Labour members would agree, I'm not too keen on the first or last bits of the platform in this box. If we don't add any of the latter four I mentioned, we should at least have a blanket statement supporting regional cooperation.

I'm personally against Commonwealth membership because I don't believe it is beneficial to the country, and frankly it is a relic of imperialism. I also don't see why Diplomacy First is a controversial point since the alternative is military action.

As for the other points I voted for membership of ASEAN and I frankly don't care about the recognition of these breakaway nations.

- Support reproductive rights
- Curtail the drug trade
- Decriminalization and strong regulation of marijuana, as a form of medical treatment
- Accepts the traditional definition of marriage

Some interesting stuff here. If adopted, the first and third points would place us as decided social liberals compared to the rest of the political spectrum, and I'm all in favor of that. Even though it's part of the Labour platform, I don't think we should add the fourth point to the coalition platform. As for the drug trade... I don't think we need a war on drugs. What's a better solution, or at least one that is worded in different terms?

I don't think that a "war on drugs" would be desirable since it has failed in nations across the world. I think that we should instead focus on removing the factors that contribute to drug use + focus on rehabilitation. I'm also fairly socially liberal so I don't have anything against supporting reproductive rights, decriminalizing medical marijuana and removing the nonsense about traditional marriage.

- Prosecute those involved in the crimes of the former regime
- Introduce anti-corruption measures
- Support the death penalty for particularly grave crimes
- Support a strong police force
- Restrict gun ownership; against the ownership of automatic, semi-automatic and high capacity weapons.

I'm pretty sure we can all agree on the first, second, fourth, and fifth points. I don't know what the thinking is of individual members of the coalition on the death penalty.

We could compromise and say that the death penalty is applicable for treason and serial murders.

- Develop renewable energy
- Protect nature through heritage and sustainability programs
- Support for a sustainable fishing policy which protects the environment while ensuring local job security

I hope we can all agree on this as well.

Yep.

[Arkolon]

My OOC two cents are that everyone's been respecting setting very well without realism restrictions, and social liberalism is not only a bit too over-powered, but also a bit out of place for Elizia, at least not a semi-major Elizian coalition's official platform. But I'm not part of this party, just here giving some OOC two cents, and I'll be on my way now.

[Britanno 2]

I think we should just remove the traditional marriage section from the platform. If we don't take a stance then I think we've got the balance right between realism and social liberalism.

I'd also oppose unconditional support for breakaway socialist states because being socilaist shouldn't be the only qualification for being an ally.

[Maklohi Vai]

My OOC two cents are that everyone's been respecting setting very well without realism restrictions, and social liberalism is not only a bit too over-powered, but also a bit out of place for Elizia, at least not a semi-major Elizian coalition's official platform. But I'm not part of this party, just here giving some OOC two cents, and I'll be on my way now.

Point taken. I think that the marijuana decriminalization and the reproductive rights would be a step over the OOC setting line. I'm currently debating whether I'm comfortable making that step. And we won't be as pill-pushing as to recognize gay marriage in the platform - I think we all know that's going too far considering the setting.

I agree with Brit on those two clauses as well.

[Britanno 2]

I think we should just remove the traditional marriage section from the platform. If we don't take a stance then I think we've got the balance right between realism and social liberalism.

I'd also oppose unconditional support for breakaway socialist states because being socilaist shouldn't be the only qualification for being an ally.

[Maklohi Vai]

I think we should just remove the traditional marriage section from the platform. If we don't take a stance then I think we've got the balance right between realism and social liberalism.

I'd also oppose unconditional support for breakaway socialist states because being socilaist shouldn't be the only qualification for being an ally.

I think you double posted, mate.

Anyway, I'm bored and my friends are out of town this weekend, so there's a good chance I'll be doing some writing, which may include this platform or some version of it. But please, if anyone else is working it, keep doing so. Please.

[Malgrave]

Can I get some coalition love for my housing bill?

[Maklohi Vai]

Here's a draft platform. Comments are very much welcome. I'd like to have a vote on it started by the end of the week.

Platform of the Coalition between the Labour Party and National Workers' Party

Economic Policy

• State protection and strengthening of trade and labour unions, empowering them to defend worker's rights
• A progressive tax system that makes Elizia a more equitable society
• The nationalization of vital public utilities, including energy and electricity generation, gas, water, public transport and communications
• Support for workers' cooperatives
• Regulation of foreign investment, ensuring that Elizian workers and corporations are protected
• Breaking up bank monopolies: if it is too big to fail, it is too big to exist.
• Support for state investment in local industry

Social Policy

• A universal healthcare system than ensures coverage for all Elizians
• Free and universal primary and secondary education
• Affordable post-secondary education, including at universities and vocational schools
• The development of a social welfare system to protect the poor, beginning with unemployment benefits and the construction of publicly owned housing
• Standing against discrimination in Elizian society based on sex, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, or any other distinguishing characteristic. This includes working to eliminate the wage gap between men and women, supporting affirmative action programs for those historically disadvantaged by society, and teaching our children about inclusive values, not just tolerance.
• A secular Elizian society where all religions, faiths, and creeds are recognized and equal under the law.
• A fair immigration system not burdened by bureaucracy, working to encourage skilled workers to come to Elizia while not endangering Elizians' jobs.
• Recognizing a woman's right to control her own body. Support for safe abortions, no "pink pricing" for feminine products, as well as measures to seek to decrease the number of abortions, including increased government assistance for new parents, especially single mothers.
• Decriminalizing marijuana and placing it under a strict, highly regulated regime for medical use only.

Foreign Policy

• Opposition to Chinese military aggression
• An internationalist, anti-imperialist world view, focused on diplomacy and cooperation
• Support anti-terrorism measures in Elizia, in Southeast Asia, and around the world
• Regional cooperation, including membership in ASEAN.

Law, Order, and Governance Policy

• Prosecute those involved in the crimes of the former regime
• Introduce anti-corruption measures
• Support a police force that is well equipped and well trained, but compassionate and not militarized.
• Restrict gun ownership; against the ownership of automatic, semi-automatic, and high capacity weapons. Require significant background checks, gun education, and handling restrictions such as the storage and carrying of weapons and ammunition.

Environmental Policy

• Develop renewable energy
• Protect nature through heritage and sustainability programs
• Support for a sustainable fishing policy which protects the environment while ensuring local job security