Sanctarian National Times: International Edition

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VOL. XCVII .. Num. 35,228

SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015

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SMYTH EYES CIDUS RETURN
by JENNIFER McSHANE, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

CIDUS HQ - Former Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary General Emeritus of the Council of IDU States, Mr. Robert Smyth, has been re-nominated to the role of Secretary General by the Sanctarian government, this paper can reveal. Smyth, who served as the founding Secretary General of CIDUS, was term limited to a single term before handing the reigns of the organisation over to Josie-Marie Kettle of The Dark Star Republic; Secretary Generals may not be re-elected to a consecutive term, but there is nothing in legislation currently barring them to non-consecutive terms.

Smyth, who is currently the only candidate, is a Sanctarian diplomat in long standing. Having previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Smyth forged friendly and warm alliances with politicians and diplomatic staff across the region of the International Democratic Union.

Robert Smyth at the World Economic Forum

Since finishing his term as Secretary General, Smyth has served as Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, a nonprofit think-thank based in Corpus, Sanctaria. The World Economic Forum is noted internationally for its annual symposium on economic, banking, and monetary affairs.

Announcing his re-nomination, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Yasminé Pontif stated that Smyth was the natural choice, and would be bringing experience to the role having previously served. When questioned if Smyth was being re-nominated because of a lack of credible Sanctarian candidates, Pontif said that there were many candidates shortlisted but "it made sense to re-nominate Smyth to serve in a role he has previously served in with distinction". Current Ambassador to CIDUS, Dr Katherine Saunders, applauded the re-nomination and emphasised that Smyth was well-respected in the diplomatic circles of the IDU. Smyth himself has refused to respond to his nomination to the press and, as it is an international, independent body he is being nominated to, no parliamentary scrutiny applies.

Senior government sources have indicated, however, that former WA Ambassador Dr. Christian Ferguson was quite interested in the role, but his appointment to the post of Ombudsman last year ended any chance he had of going forward to his role. The same sources also motioned that, even if this current role didn't preclude him, his age likely would have.

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VOL. XCVII .. Num. 35,332

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2015

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KINDLE RESHUFFLE COMPLETELY OVERHAULS GOVERNMENT
by SARAH PLEDYS, Political Editor

Sanctus - Prime Minister Mark Kindle's mid-term reshuffle yesterday has done more than retire a couple of Ministers - it's completely overhauled how the government has worked. The changes, which were announced yesterday evening, will come into effect on Monday morning, but it will likely take weeks for the changes to be pushed through legislatively. The change of ministers, detailed below, will come easy enough, but the changes in department names and functions, called "unnecessary" by the Opposition, will take weeks to come into force due to hundreds of pieces of legislation needing changing.

Kindle's aggressive reshuffle may be taken as a sign that he has no intention of slowing down his progressive agenda, mainly focused on domestic policies, and sources close to the Prime Minister say this reshuffle should be taken to be seen as the start of the general election and Kindle re-election campaign - even if they are still two years away. Ministerial personnel come and go, but many of these changes will be hard to undo, and so will be very long-lasting.

Department Changes

The first change is that the Department of Finance, long the most important department in all of the government, and only ever given to the Prime Minister's most trusted and able ally, is to be changed to Department of the Treasury. Kindle's reasoning for this is not known, but it's likely due to international norm, where Treasury Minister is becoming much more used to refer to the person in charge of the nation's finances. Its functions are to remain the same, with no changes announced, and will still be the department responsible for the government purse-strings, as well as being in charge of Revenue.

The Department of Agriculture has also undergone a revamp, with Kindle announcing that it will be renamed the Department of Land Affairs, to better reflect its status of being the department also responsible for the environment. He also announced that the Department of Land Affairs would be responsible for all things energy and natural resource related.

The Department of Communications & Infrastructure has been renamed to simply the Department of Infrastructure and, although it has lost the energy remit, it has gained the science, space, and information technology portfolios - a sign that Kindle is keen to see the new digital age ushered in as soon as possible. Removing energy from this brief and transferring it to Land Affairs was surprising, but the Prime Minister insisted it was for better efficiency and focus of his Secretaries of State.

The Department of Culture, the Arts, & Tourism has undergone a massive overhaul and has been renamed the Department of Communities. In an effort to remove the stigma of it being a hands-off department (currently dubbed the Department of Fun by political commentators), Kindle has not only added responsibility for Rural Affairs to this department, but also Local Government, meaning the new Department of Communities is also now responsible for the running of elections, and nominal oversight of borough and city councils that do not have a directly elected mayor.

Without a doubt, though, the biggest change is in the Department of Defence. Previously known as a dumping ground for favourite department for demoting Secretaries to, due to the relatively low importance a neutral nation like Sanctaria has for the armed forces, the new Department of Homeland Security is now responsible for immigration, border control, as well as the nation's intelligence agencies, all of which previously came under the purview of either Foreign or Home Affairs. This in conjunction with the added duties to the Department of Communities is a signal that Prime Minister Kindle is tired of political apathy and do-nothing politicians. The fact he's beefing up Homeland Security could also be a nod to the ever increasing threats faced by the region - Kindle is also known to be opposed to Sanctarian neturality, but has made no moves as of yet to change it.

The Department of Education & Science has been renamed to simply the Department of Education following its loss of the science and technology portfolios. All other functions remain the same.

The Department of Enterprise & Commerce has also had minimal changes made, with it being renamed to simply the Department of Commerce as well as gaining the Labour/Employment portfolio. Kindle is keen for the department most concerned with business to concentrate on creating jobs.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has suffered no changes, although the head of the SIS will no longer report to the Secretary of this Department, instead having been transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. Similarly the Department of Health has had zero changes made.

The Department of Home Affairs has been slimmed down considerable, having lost the jurisdiction for local government, border control, and immigration. It's been renamed to the Department of Justice, and will still retain responsibility for the police force, prisons, criminal justice, the court service, as well as a myriad of other administrative and legal functions.

The Department of Social Welfare & Family Affairs has also been effected by Kindle's re-branding, resulting in the new name of the Department of Human Services. No big change here, but it has lost responsibility for Labour with that going to the Department of Commerce.

Secretaries of State

As well as the major re-branding, Kindle also instituted a reshuffle, which was the catalyst for the big changes. Kindle went for a small shuffle of the chairs, with no big promotions or demotions to cabinet. He's clearly happy with his team going into the latter half of his term and into the election.

Deputy Prime Minister/Secretary of State for the Treasury - Deputy Leader of the Sanctarian Conservative Party, Jason Reid, continues in this role, albeit with a different title. The Treasury Secretary has had a good two-and-a-half years with no major shakes to the economy, although the stagnation in growth a number of months back is likely to cause concern if it continues for any longer. Kindle is confident that Reid will be able to re-start the economy on it's upward growth trend.

Secretary of State for Commerce - Secretary Julie Chrisintim gets a promotion here from her previous role as Agriculture Secretary, likely as a nod to her stellar performance in that Department. With agriculture exports on the up thanks to her handling of a regional Sanctarian beef-export treaty, Chrisintim has shown she has a head for business.

Secretary of State for Communities - Secretary Dorian Gallows is moved from Infrastructure to the newly expanded Department of Communities. Gallows was appointed to his last role with a view to boost his profile, something that hasn't really worked as well as had hoped. Kindle would expect his new Communities Secretary to get his face out there - being responsible for culture, sport, rural affairs, as well as community funding and local government should do the trick. Gallows is a good worker and should do well here.

Secretary of State for Education - Former Deputy Prime Minister Andrew Silk has been moved to this position from the Department of Home Affairs, or Justice as it's now known. Silk and Prime Minister Kindle have a notoriously frosty relationship, and this is most definitely a demotion for the former Foreign Secretary too. Silk is popular among the eastern bloc of SCP members, however, so keeping him in the cabinet is vital to party unity.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs - No change in this brief as Secretary Dr. Yasminé Pontif remains in the post. The removal of the SIS from the brief, however, could be seen as punishment for Pontif dragging her heels in appointing a new director at the start of the government's term.

Secretary of State for Health - Another no change here with Dr. George Merlinson staying in the Department he always wanted to run. With no major problems having emerged in the health service, Kindle likely didn't want to stir the pot in what has previously been a bit of a poisoned chalice.

Secretary of State for Homeland Security - No longer is the previously known Department of Defence seen as a dumping ground. With an expanded portfolio, including responsibility for international security, immigration, and border control, this is now a big department, with a big budget, to lead. Kindle has appointed former Social Welfare Secretary Kate Cruz to lead the Department. No longer a post for demotions, this is definitely a promotion for the efficient and highly lauded Cruz.

Secretary of State for Human Services - The formerly Department of Social Welfare welcomes Noreen Islington, former Education Secretary. Islington sees another promotion here, as Human Services is usually seen as one of the more important "social" portfolios, ranking above education generally. It had been thought that Islington would get Justice, but sources say she specifically asked for Human Services.

Secretary of State for Infrastructure - Secretary Oscar Grayson has been moved to this Department from the Department of Communities in what is seen as a promotion. Grayson is a key ally of Kindle and his staying in the cabinet was expected. Grayson did well but was not sorely tested in his last position, it's likely this new role will be a little more bumpy.

Secretary of State for Justice - Minister for Immigration Ann Bond gets a big promotion into cabinet with her appointment as Justice Secretary. Although stripped of its immigration and border security roles, it still remains one of the biggest and most important government departments, with responsibility for the police, courts, prosecution service, equality, law reform etc. Ms. Bond has a big job ahead of her, and her promotion could be seen as Kindle appeasing women.

Secretary of State for Land Affairs - Government Chief Whip, and eternal Junior Minister Shane Thompson finally gets a promotion into cabinet and is given the expanded role of the Department of Agriculture, now called Land Affairs. Thompson is another ally of Kindle and his appointment was seen as likely, especially given how long he was a junior minister. Noted as being a strict Chief Whip, Thompson has no lack of enemies, so the appointment to one of the biggest budgets will also see no more pork barrel spending being doled out.

Ministries

As part of Kindle's major overhaul of the government departments, he also announced today that he would be abolishing all so-called junior ministries, and instead deputies or senators would be appointed as Assistant Secretaries of State at government departments with responsibility for specific areas. He announced the following Assistant Secretaries (or A/Secs):

A/Secretary of State for Land Affairs with Responsibility for Food - Deputy Royce Norn

A/Secretary of State for Land Affairs with Responsibility for Energy - Deputy Celine Taylor

A/Secretary of State for Infrastructure with Responsibility for Transport - Deputy Danielle Cordes

A/Secretary of State for Infrastructure with Responsibility for Technology - Deputy Marc Foster

A/Secretary of State for Communities with Responsibility for Local Government - Deputy Melanie Shore

A/Secretary of State for Communities with Responsibility for Rural Affairs - Deputy Eric Crowley

A/Secretary of State for Commerce with Responsibility for Trade - Deputy John Warren

A/Secretary of State for Commerce with Responsibility for Labour - Deputy Camille Richardson

A/Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs with Responsibility for Diplomatic Affairs - Deputy Ben Sessions. Deputy Sessions shall also be Government Chief Whip.

A/Secretary of State for Justice with Responsibility for Equality - Deputy Peter Long

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VOL. XCVII .. Num. 35,402

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2015

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CHRISINTIM WARNS OF TURBULENT ECONOMIC PERIOD
by MATTHEW FALLON, Business Correspondent

Sanctus - Commerce Secretary Julie Chrisintim has warned the public that Sanctaria's usually thriving economy will likely go through a rather turbulent period over the remainder of the government's term of office. Chrisintim was speaking at a government press conference discussion the 2015 Q4 tax intake predictions. She made the remark as part of her announcement that the government would be undertaking significant efforts to overhaul the Sanctarian economy, where currently the Goverment made up almost 65% of the national economy, and private business was just over 26%.

As part of the government's efforts, Chrisintim admitted, there may be a period where unemployment increases dramatically as the government downsizes. But she said she was confident this period would not last very long as private industries and business should move in to where the government pulls out and hire those who had found themselves out of work.

"Obviously we will seek to support those who find themselves out of work while we work on the restructuring of the economy", Chrisintim said, "but the public are being forewarned and they need to know how important it is that we make these changes. The Government alone cannot sustain an economy."

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VOL. XCVII .. Num. 35,422

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015

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MERLINSON TO OUTLAW ABORTION
by SARAH PLEDYS, Political Editor, and ROBYN GRAY, Health Correspondent

Sanctus - Secretary for Health, Dr. George Merlinson, today announced that the government would be bringing forward a bill to the House of Deputies which would provide for the prohibition of abortion in all cases, except those of fatal foetal abnormalities, incest, and rape. He also confirmed that where a mother's life was in danger, her life would be prioritised over that of the foetus. The proposed change, which had caused widespread shock and criticism of the Sanctarian Conservative Party, comes on the heel of a review of the extant liberal abortion laws, where a woman can request and receive an abortion for any stated reason.

Though the Democratic Left Party, who have vociferously opposed any change to the nation's abortion laws, have tonight released a statement saying there is no chance of it's passage through the Senate which they control, SCP insiders have said that they expect some Independent Senators currently supporting the DLP in the Senate could vote their way - they also said it was not outside the realm of possibility a number of DLP Senators representing rural constituencies may abstain, or even vote against.

The Christian Union Party, the third largest party in parliament, have said they "wholeheartedly support the government's plan to end foeticide in Sanctaria", and their support of the legislation means than any SCP Deputy or Senator which may vote against on conscience grounds would not lead to the defeat of the measure.

The SCP does remain divided on the issue with many MPs and Senators - including all the women in the Cabinet - advocates of liberal abortion laws. It is not known how the Prime Minister feels about the issue, but it is certain that since the bill is being brought to a vote, a majority of the Cabinet are in favour of the legislation. When contacted for a comment, Government Chief Whip Deputy Ben Sessions confirmed that the bill was being brought forward next week, and that all SCP deputies would have a free, non-whipped vote on the measure. When asked if this included the Cabinet, Sessions said that the issue of cabinet collectivity being suspended for the vote was a matter for the Prime Minister.

Pro-choice groups have announced their deep opposition to the proposals and that marches and pickets will be organised over the weekend in an attempt to "stop draconian measures being forced on the Sanctarian people by sexist men". Pro-life groups have indicated they will stage rallies in support of the legislation.

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VOL. XCVII .. Num. 35,440

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2015

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SANCTARIA VOTES ON POTENTIAL NEW FLAG
by JOEY SESSIONS, Political Correspondent

Sanctus - As part of the Sanctarian Conservative Party's election manifesto, the nation will have a chance tomorrow to decide on whether or not to change the nation's flag and, if so, if they will adopt a new design designated by the government. Communities Secretary Dorian Gallows has signed commencements orders approving the referendum to begin tomorrow. As a reminder, below are the the rival designs that will be put to vote.

New Design 1

New Design 2

New Design 3

Existing Design

Both Design 1 and Design 2 candidate flags feature the same design with a different colour palette applied. Design 3 is an updated and modern version of the existing flag; the country's national animal, the Deer, has not fallen from any of the proposed designs either, as many opponents had feared.

Tomorrow we vote, and on Thursday we could wake up to a new flag.

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VOL. XCVIII .. Num. 35,443

FRIDAY, JANUARY 01, 2016

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EDITORIAL - 01/01/16
by CLAIRE EYLES, Editor-in-Chief

It's a New Year, and a new Sanctaria. Or at least that's according to the politicians. 2016 does see something new for Sanctaria, and that's the new flag adopted by the people in referendum. A referendum with a low turn-out, marred by confusion, which no-one really wanted. But we had it anyway, and the people chose the third design on offer. Which was basically the current flag with some colours switched around. Plus ça change, and all that jazz.

2016 marks the 98th year that the Sanctarian National Times has been in operation. And that time has flown. We've seen new Digital Editions of our paper established, editions adjusted and specialised for particular regions, and a growth in our highly educated workforce, with reporters who know what they're talking about. 2016 will see us build on this concrete foundation, and allow us to extend into even further niches and domains. News is for the people, and every person should get a chance to know what is going on in the world around them.

This paper will continue to push the boundaries, and will refuse to allow our elected representatives to carry out actions without defending or explaining them. We will continue to push for justice for those who have been persecuted, and will root out corruption wherever we see it. Hearing the voices of the minority is important to us, and we will publish more articles from those in minority communities because it is only through education that we can break barriers of segregation and allow diversity to envelop the populace.

We envision 2016 to be a year full of opportunity for the Sanctarian people, and year for this paper to prove that conventional media is still relevant. Happy New Year.

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VOL. XCVIII .. Num. 35,449

THURSDAY, JANUARY 07, 2016

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ECONOMY REACTING POSITIVELY TO GOVERNMENT SHIFT
by ALISON HUGHES, Finance Editor

Sanctus - The government's attempts to downsize the share of GDP generated by Government spending have been greeted by the market with great enthusiasm, according to Treasury Secretary, Deputy Prime Minister Jason Reid. This is coupled with a marked increase in private industry profits, with its share in the Sanctarian economy rising from 26% to 49.9% only a few months after the government announced its restructuring of spending.

Reid announced the findings at a press conference where he also disclosed the tax intake was up 2% year-on-year, almost 0.5% more than Treasury Department analysts had predicted. "The Sanctarian economy is proving reliably robust as we execute our mandate to severely decrease government spending vis-a-vis GDP indicators", Reid said to reporters. "Employment is actually still on the up, which is frankly the opposite to what we expected, and the average household wage has also increased significantly, so average Sanctarians actually go home with more in their pockets thanks to employment opportunities from new and emerging industries." Reid later explained industries were growing more in Sanctaria do to relaxation and repealing of outdated business regulations, as well as potentially harmful taxes.

However critics have claimed that not all is sunny in the garden. "The average household wage has indeed risen, but so too has income inequality", said Deputy Leader and Treasury Spokesperson of the Democratic Left Party, Deputy Niamh Winters. "The poorest 10% in Sanctaria now only get on average S£35,000 - that's a decrease of almost S£25,000. The Sanctarian Conservative Party has abandoned this country's poor to the dogs because it wanted to jump into bed with big industry - they've totally gutted minimum wage laws supposedly in the name of cutting spending and increase profits to corporate Sanctaria, all so they have somewhere comfy to retire to."

The government has played down the dramatic increase in income inequality by pointing out that "employment has increased, so the poorest 10% are actually far fewer than they were a number of years ago. Also to note is that the average tax rate has also tumbled, meaning more people have more money to spend as they wish". Reid also confirmed that the SCP Government would continue with their reforms until GDP generated by private industry far outweighed that generated by government, "it's a process we're determined to see through to conclusion".

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VOL. XCIX .. Num. 36,041

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2017

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PRESSURE ON KINDLE AS SCP CONTINUE PLUNGE IN POLLS
by SARAH PLEDYS, Political Editor

Sanctus - With a general election only six months away, the pressure is on Prime Minister Mark Kindle to improve the SCP's standing in the polls or face a leadership heave - one that would definitely see the end of, not only his premiership, but most likely his political career too. His cabinet members' full throated support have become less vocal - one Minister, thought to be a front-runner in any leadership election, actually refused to answer the question when asked.

But Kindle is not the only party leader under pressure. Charlene Hendry has been Leader of the DLP, and Leader of the Opposition, for ten years now. This is her last chance too. The DLP were painfully close in 2013, but another failure will mean another 5 years of SCP rule, and she will definitely be out as leader. But there is a glimmer of hope for Deputy Hendry. The DLP have been leading substantially in every poll in every newspaper since the start of this year. After decades of SCP rule, the floating voters want change. That's been the biggest call in every poll. The voters want change.

Would the DLP have a slam dunk if they changed leader? Absolutely. They couldn't lose. That's all the change the voters want. But they won't do that, they're going to give Charlene one last chance at the gauntlet.

And as for SCP? They could appoint a movie star as leader and still would be gone.

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VOL. XCIX .. Num. 36,045

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017

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SAUNDERS NEW WA AMBASSADOR
by KIM TOWERS, World Assembly Correspondent, and SARAH PLEDYS, Political Editor

World Assembly HQ - The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Yasminé Pontif, today confirmed that the Sanctarian Government was appointing the Ambassador to the IDUSA, Dr. Katherine Saunders ORD DSJ, to be the new Sanctarian Ambassador to the World Assembly. Saunders, who supposedly declined the role when offered in 2014, succeeds Dr. Nicholas Carson who is returning to Sanctaria to join the Department of Homeland Security as it's Secretary General.

Dr. Saunders, who also served as Sanctaria's Ambassador to the now defunct Council of IDU States, is one of Sanctaria's longest-serving diplomats, with a career spanning over twenty years. She is the second female Ambassador from Sanctaria to the World Assembly. She has been recognised by a number of governments for her diplomatic service, including Blozendland of the IDU, and has been an Officer of the Order of the Dove since 2013. Dr. Saunders is said to be conservative in her politics, and decidedly against too much interference from the World Assembly in domestic affairs.

In announcing Dr. Saunders' appointment today, Secretary Pontif praised the Ambassador for her diligent work in representing Sanctaria but noted that "while we may not author as many resolutions as we have done previously, we will continue to defend the rights of the oppressed in the General Assembly, as well as our own nations interests" suggesting that Dr. Saunders is not being brought on to further any legislation, but to protest any legislation that compromises Sanctarian ideals. Secretary Pontif also confirmed that, despite being commended by the body, Dr. Saunders would be continuing a long-standing boycott of the Security Council.

Dr. Saunders was not present at the announcement today, with no excuse given for her absence. It is believed she has not yet left her posting in the IDUSA to travel to the WAHQ.

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VOL. XCIX .. Num. 36,049

MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2017

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IDENTITY CARDS TO BE INTRODUCED BY 2018
by BRIAN DeNOBLE, Defence & Security Correspondent

Sanctus - Secretary for Homeland Security Kate Cruz today confirmed in a long-postponed press conference that the Sanctarian Conservative Party would be pushing ahead with introducing national identification cards for all citizens before the next general election - a move which party insiders has suggested is a direct challenge to Prime Minister Mark Kindle, already under fire to resign because of poor polling, who is thought to be opposed to the measure.

The National ID Card Scheme has been brought up by every SCP government since 2000 but due to significant backlash from both the public and opposition parties, as well as opposition from individual members with the SCP, the measure has never been brought to the house. The debate has ramped up in recent months with Secretary Cruz's crackdown on illegal immigration, stricter border controls, and requests for increased surveillance to combat in an over-arching effort to stem any possible terrorist cells. Sources within the SCP have confirmed that they have the numbers in the House of Deputies to pass such a measure - and they believe they can get the numbers in the Senate too, with recent comments from Sen. June Warren (Ind-Haven) suggesting that some independent, and even Christian Union Party members, would be willing to support the motion with amendments.

Prime Minister Kindle has been reluctant to tackle this divisive problem in the lead-up to the general election, particularly with the party so far down in the polls. However Secretary Cruz today admitted that it was because of the recent polling that the SCP was going forward with it's plan saying "it is vitally important the NIDCS is implemented before the next general election; elections cause instability, particularly if there happens to be a change in government. Instability is a breeding ground for terrorism".

When questioned on whether or not the PM had signed off on her announcement today, Cruz declared that "the government acts as a collective. The Cabinet has agreed we are moving forward with this legislation". Sources in the Secretary's private office have confirmed, on the condition of anonymity as they do not have the authority to divulge such information, that Kindle has effectively been sidelined in the Cabinet, with the other government members voting him down on a number of occasions - "they all know his days are numbered. It's just a question of how much they can get passed and implemented before a DLP government".

As for the DLP, their press officer today condemned the legislation as "big brother infringing on civil liberties" but would not confirm that, if elected, they would scrap the scheme. Privately most politicians believe the move to be a prudent move, but will not admit so publicly because of the implications with the public - it is believed the DLP will use the NIDCS to attack the SCP during the spring election but, ultimately, will not move to abolish it if elected to office.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,182

MONDAY, JANUARY 08, 2018

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ELECTION TO BE HELD ON JANUARY 27TH
by JOEY SESSIONS, Political Correspondent

Sanctus - Prime Minister Mark Kindle's first speech post Parliament's return from their Christmas break today confirmed that the House of Deputies would be dissolved this coming Friday, January 12th, with an election to take place on Saturday, January 27th. Kindle also confirmed he was not using his constitutional prerogative to dissolve the Senate two years early - sources inside the Sanctarian Conservative Party say this is because, at the moment, the Democratic Left have a slim 1 seat majority, whereas if an election was held, they would likely increase this. The Senate will be dissolved instead in February 2020, at the latest.

Kindle's office also confirmed no emergency conference for the SCP would be taking place, signalling that Kindle intends to go into this election remaining the SCP leader - many political commentators had suggested that because of his declining popularity within the party, as well as the poor polling of the SCP as a whole, Kindle would have stepped down. While this decision will surprise some, it will also anger others, no doubt including Secretary for Homeland Security Kate Cruz who has emerged as the leading anti-Kindle figure in the party. Cruz is said to be "fuming" that Kindle has not taken the honourable route of resignation, and allowing someone else fight the campaign for the SCP and perhaps do better than they might otherwise do.

However members of the Kindle faction of the SCP are saying it's precisely because he will be toppled soon that he is staying on through the election - he doesn't want to lumber his successor with a failed election as their first official action as leader of the party. Sources not wishing to be named have confirmed that should the SCP lose the election, as most commentators believe, Kindle will then resign, giving the SCP opportunity to then elect their new leader.

On the other side of the aisle, the DLP's leader Charlene Hendry also has her own personal popularity issues within her party, but after a decade at the helm, and with them so close to power, senior figures within the DLP are reluctant to push Hendry to retirement without giving her a crack of the whip as Prime Minister. One Shadow Secretary said "Charlene has wanted to be Prime Minister for years. She's done her time as Leader of the Opposition. She may be unpopular personally, but she is a good captain, and we will win this election - she's going to be the first female PM, but let's not forget the Senate elections are in two years time. We're definitely going to revisit the leadership at that time".

Pundits are certainly expecting the DLP Leader to cruise comfortably to victory, with all signs in the polls and in column inches that Sanctaria will soon see her first female Prime Minister.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,185

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

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DLP TO HAVE LARGER, GENDER-EQUAL CABINET
by SARAH PLEDYS, Political Editor

Sanctus - DLP's spokesperson on Women, Deputy Ann Ramirez, today declared at a campaign rally that, if elected, the Democratic Left Party would likely enlarge the cabinet to ensure a more inclusive, and gender equal, representation of Sanctarians in government. The move, later clarified by the party press office, is not yet confirmed, but is under active consideration by party leader, Deputy Charlene Hendry.

Sources within the DLP have further expanded on this mooted move by saying Hendry is considering abolishing all junior ministries, or assistant secretaries, and instead enlarging the cabinet for the first time in the State's history. Since foundation, the cabinet has been consisted of the Prime Minister plus 11 departments, though the names and functions of the departments have changed over the years. The same sources and indicated that Hendry is considering bringing the number of departments up to at least 16 or 17.

The move would be controversial, not least because of the costs involved, but because previous sweeping changes by the Kindle administration were called "unnecessary" by the DLP's then Reform spokesperson Barney Collins. But it has been suggested in recent polling that the public would prefer more focused government, even if it meant enlargement.

Commentators don't believe that this will become a major campaign issue with some going so far as to posit that the majority of people's minds are made up and that, simply, after 18 years of Sanctarian Conservative Party rule, there is no way the public will gift the SCP with another 5 years.

Also today, the DLP confirmed that no sitting Senator would be permitted to attempt to gain the party's nomination to run for a House seat, but this Paper's thorough research in the matter suggested no DLP Senator wished to do so.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,202

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 2018

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DLP SEIZE THE HOUSE WITH 60+ SEAT MAJORITY - HENDRY TO BECOME FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER
by SARAH PLEDYS, Political Editor

Sanctus - The national returning officer was very clear this morning; Christian Union Party - 31 seats, Democratic Left Party - 432 seats, Green Party - 41 seats, Independents - 5 seats, and finally, the Sanctarian Conservative Party - 290 seats. The DLP had a majority of 64 seats, and were returned to government for the first time 18 years.

The SCP is having an election-day meltdown. Though it was announced just after 2am that outgoing Prime Minister Mark Kindle had managed to retain his urban Sanctus South West seat, by 5am the absolute drubbing the electorate was giving the party was becoming known. 2 outgoing Ministers lost their seats - Justice Secretary Ann Bond, and Health Secretary Dr. George Merlinson were given the heave-ho. At 6.30am Outgoing Secretary for Homeland Security, Kate Cruz, a known critic of Kindle, openly called for his immediate resignation, just after it was announced she had narrowly managed to hold on to her own seat - her recently introduced ID cards being very unpopular. By 8am the rest of the former Cabinet that had managed to keep their seats joined Cruz's chorus.

At midday the final tally was announced. The SCP had lost 115 seats. Until now, despite the public calls, Kindle had been quiet. Once he had kept his seat, he went home. Sources say he went to sleep until woken by his aides at 6.30 to listen to Cruz's evisceration of him. He made calls to those who had lost their seats - many, now former, backbenchers were furious with him. They blamed him for them losing their seats. We understand Kindle spoke to SCP Party officials. At 12.45 today, Kindle announced via radio he was stepping down as leader of the SCP, with his resignation effective as soon as a successor is chosen. Sources in the SCP have confided to us they're hoping no contest will be announced, with most of the former cabinet, and key backbenchers, now lining up behind Cruz as his successor.

Kindle continues the Prime Minister's curse - no Prime Minister has been returned, either in his seat or to his office, after an election. But it's not entirely his fault. The SCP have been in power for 18 years. Their time was up, some would say.

But we should say their seat, or their office, because with the announcement of the seats, Sanctaria will have a new Prime Minister. A female Prime Minister, for the first time in the state's history. Charlene Hendry, leader of the DLP for over a decade, finally achieves her longstanding wish to get into government. She's definitely made the history books, no matter how long or how effective her tenure is.

The Senate will sit earlier tomorrow to adjust their schedule for the week for cabinet confirmation committees. The House returns Wednesday at 12 to formally elect the new Prime Minister, who will then nominate her Cabinet. It has been touted throughout the campaign that new departments will be created for the first time in the state's history. Which Senate panel will interview who will be worked out behind the scenes before Hendry makes her announcement on Wednesday, as the Senate will not have enough time to overhaul their committee structure.

[Sanctaria]

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,206

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 01, 2018

1 SANCTARIAN POUND

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NEW PM HENDRY'S CABINET APPROVED BY SENATE
by SARAH PLEDYS, Political Editor

Sanctus - Sanctaria's first female Prime Minister was quick to make even more history yesterday when, shortly after her election by the House of Deputies, Prime Minister Charlene Hendry announced a complete overhaul of government departments, with many being split up, abolished, and some new ones created too. 18 DLP deputies were announced to be new Cabinet Secretaries, along with 18 Government Departments to lead. Hendry also announced she was abolishing Assistant Secretaries, or Junior Ministers, as her new, enlarged cabinet, should suffice for executing the decisions of the government.

This is the first time since the creation of the Divine Republic that brand new Government Departments have been created, and Hendry's new additions are obviously rooted in DLP principles, with new departments dedicated to minorities, to families, and to climate change.

Hendry's nominations to Cabinet were approved today by the Senate - since there is a DLP majority there, albeit a slim one, confirmation of the new Cabinet Secretaries was essentially guaranteed. Some Senate committees, such as the Land Affairs Committee, interviewed more than one nominee simultaneously as there are no extant committees that reflect the new government departments. This was for efficiency and expediency purposes, with the Senate expected to change their Senate committees over the next few months.

The Prime Minister and her new Cabinet were applauded by the House of Deputies as they took their seats after their confirmation before the Prime Minister announced they would be travelling to Eagleston Manor to receive their ceremonial seals of office from President Marian Woodstrom.

The new Cabinet, and the new Departments, are as follows:

Prime Minister - Charlene Hendry

Hendry takes office after spending over 10 years as Leader of the Opposition. She is Sanctaria's first female Prime Minister, and the first DLP Prime Minister since Glen Cox left office at the 2000 election. The new PM was previously Secretary for Social Welfare and Family Affairs in the Cox government, and held that post for 7 years. She is considered to be a very steely and determined politician who, despite personal unpopularity within the DLP parliamentary party, has managed to stay as party leader because of being very well liked by grassroots members. Indeed, in the recent election, her personal vote numbers went up by almost 15%. She was more of a chieftain than a chairman when it came Shadow Cabinet meetings - it is well known in House circles that she hates waffle and will bluntly cut across even close allies when they begin to stray from their point - and it's more than likely she will continue this trend in Cabinet proper.

Deputy Prime Minister/Secretary of State for the Treasury - Niamh Winters

Hendry's closest ally, and Deputy Leader of the DLP, was always a shoe-in for the DPM role. Winters spent the better part of the past decade as the DLP's finance spokesperson too, so being appointed Treasury Secretary was no big surprise also - though there were some rumours in Government Buildings that she might possibly have wanted to try her hand at a different portfolio.

Nevertheless, her nomination as Treasury Secretary was expected so much so that DLP Senators didn't bother holding an interview panel for her with the Senate Finance Committee - they approved her nomination in a voice vote on the Senate floor. Winters' background as an accountant has, over the past few years, been a real asset to her as the DLP Finance Spokesperson, but now she is Treasury Secretary she will have to implement DLP policies, some of which can be costly, and try to balance the books at worst, at the same time. Hendry is a tough master, though, and it's believed that despite the rake of promises made during the election campaign, she will be seeking to ensure there's a surplus every year post budget.

Secretary of State for Agriculture & Rural Affairs - Gerald Rivera

Hendry has reverted the Department of Land Affairs back to the Department of Agriculture, and split out areas such as Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources to "better focus" the Department now that Assistant Secretaries have been abolished. She has, however, taken Rural Affairs away from the old Department of Communities and added it back to this Department, where it used to sit, because "rural affairs and agricultural affairs go hand-in-hand".

She has appointed DLP veteran Gerald Rivera to this position. Rivera is one of the few DLP Deputies who hails from a rural district - he comes from the Isles and has a background in fish-farming - and he served as the DLP's Food and Aquaculture Spokesperson for the past 5 years. He has been a Deputy since 1993. His appointed wasn't expected because it wasn't believed Hendry would split up Land Affairs again. The previous DLP spokesperson on Land Affairs has been assigned a different position.

Secretary of State for Business, Industry, & Trade - Julia Griffin

Another victim of Hendry's root-and-branch review was the old Department of Commerce, now rebranded as the Department of Business, Industry, & Trade (or D-BIT as the mandarins in the Department have already started calling it). It has lost responsibility for Labour/Employment in this new regime, but most other functions remain intact.

DLP Commerce Spokesperson Julia Griffin - who notably stood in for Niamh Winters as Finance Spokesperson during her pregnancy a number of years back - was named to this position without much surprise. Griffin is known to be a very quiet individual - she doesn't speak up in meetings, but rather absorbs a lot of information - so how she will fare in international trade negotiations will remain to be seen, but as a businesswoman in her own right, with a range of her own healthfood stores across Sanctaria, she certainly knows her stuff when it comes to commerce and business.

Secretary of State for Climate Change & the Environment - Debbie Howard

The first of Hendry's brand new Departments, Climate Change & the Environment, was created because "Sanctaria needs to show she is serious about the problems facing today's worlds", according to the new Prime Minister. The new Department's functions have been split from the Department of Agriculture (previously Land Affairs) but it is understood that the new Department will share the same building so as to save unnecessary costs.

The woman tapped to head this new Department focused on Sanctaria's international committments to pollution standards, and care of the environment, is the DLP Land Affairs spokeswoman Debbie Howard. Howard was a decent enough spokesperson for Land Affairs, but it was always clear her heart lay in attacking the SCP on their performance on curbing vehicle emissions, their lacklustre attempts at banning certain plastics, and their reticence in providing more natural parks. All these issues can now be her sole focus as Environment Secretary, and it's one that she told the Senate Land Affairs Committee that she is "relishing".

Secretary of State for Culture, the Arts, & Heritage - Amanda Thomas

The Department of Culture has reverted to its original name after undergoing a brief turn as the Department of Communities. Hendry felt Communities was too broad and that, although Culture was always seen as a hands-off department, it was vitally important to Sanctaria's image at home, as well as abroad, that we been seen to value our culture. A former Empire, as Sanctaria was until the 70s, remnants of our culture and heritage "can be seen across the world" according to the Prime Minister, so it was important that Sanctaria dedicated time to preserving it.

DLP Communities spokesperson Amanda Thomas was tapped for this position. Thomas was a recent addition to the DLP's front bench, and has only been an MP for a number of years (originally having been elected in a by-election in 2014), so this is a rapid promotion for someone touted as a future leader. Sources tell us that Thomas is "honoured" to be appointed to Cabinet, but is a little miffed she wasn't given a more hard-hitting portfolio.

Secretary of State for Devolution and Governmental Affairs - Ben Jackson

Another brand new Department, and one that has long been called for, the portfolio of Local Government has finally been given it's time to shine. Hendry's rationale was that this new Department would not only look after local government, and all the responsibilities that entails, but would oversee the devolved matters to city councils, would look at further devolution, and would also be responsible for elections, for government reform etc.

Ben Jackson (or Bennie as he's affectionally known in Parliament circles) is a popular, veteran member of the DLP, but one who struggled to hold on to his semi-rural seat, despite the DLP wave that occurred. A long-time backbencher, Jackson never served in Hendry's frontbench before, so despite his 18 years in Parliament, this is his first responsibility. The reason for his appointment is likely two-fold; firstly, Jackson is a very popular member, so will be good for getting rebellious MPs on board. It also helps with Hendry's own popularity within the party too. Secondly, it boosts his profile and, it being local government and government reform, should hopefully make him a little more popular in his district through likely pork-barrel spending or other favourable measures. It'll be interesting to see how he performs after his entire parliamentary career on the backbenches.

Secretary of State for Education - Peter Miller

No changes made to this Department since former PM Kindle's reforms in 2015. Hendry did not say much about the Department of Education, other than that she will be directing her Secretary for Education to have a particular focus on changes to higher education and to adjust the curricula so it is in-line with international standards.

The man she has tasked this to is Peter Miller. A Hendry loyalist, Miller has been DLP Education Spokesperson since 2015, and before that served in a range of other portfolios in the Shadow Cabinet. Often seen as Hendry's strongman, Miller is one of those few politicians whose bite is just as bad as his bark. Like the PM, he isn't the most popular in the DLP, and unusually he is one of the parliamentary party's most conservative members. Miller is one of 3 DLP PP members on the record as being pro-life, likely stemming from the fact that Miller represents what was, until his election in 2000, a Christian Union Party stronghold.

Secretary of State for Energy, Renewables, & Natural Resources - Mark Adams

Another brand new Department, and another born from the Department of Land Affairs (now Agriculture), Hendry has said that preservation of Sanctaria's natural resources "is vital, but so is ensuring our energy provision matches and exceeds Sanctaria's needs" - Hendry has put a particular focus on renewable energy, saying "this can be sold to international energy grids, gaining important revenue for Sanctaria". The new Department will focus on continued reduction in use of fossil fuels, oversight of Sanctaria's oil, gas, and coalfields, and reviewing Sanctaria's current energy levels. This Department is also responsible for Sanctaria's nuclear program.

Appointed to oversee this new Department is DLP Deputy Mark Adams. Adams has served as frontbench spokesperson for Health until the most recent election, but is considered one of Hendry's critics. Although not the most popular member, he is regularly considered one of the House's fiercest hard-workers. This is a quiet, hands-on department where Hendry can dispose of one of her political foes.

Secretary of State for Equality & Minority Affairs - Ann Ramirez

This other brand new Department was born out of the Department of Justice. Hendry has said that she has noticed government after government appoint Junior Ministers for Equality but nothing ever seems to be done about ensuring there is equality for all in Sanctaria. Hendry has created this department to represent and look after those in Sanctaria who are a census-recognised minority, those who are disabled, and also to ensure discrimination in laws with regards to gender, sexuality, religion etc are struck out. The new Secretary will be responsible for thorough examination of previous laws, proposed legislation, quango standards, the internal rules of city councils and corporations, as well as the day-to-day lives of minorities and women to ensure their lives are not hindered.

DLP Spokesperson for Women, Ann Ramirez, has been appointed to this role after a much lauded - by DLP members anyway - performance in her role in the previous House. Ramirez's nickname is the Spanish Pitbull because of her fiery speeches and her ability to keep dogging at something, or some one, until she gets what she wants. It is said that she and Hendry have a cordial relationship, with each respectful and friendly of the other, but they are not particularly close. It's possible Hendry keeps her in her frontbench because she would be a massive pain as a backbencher.

Secretary of State for Families & Youth - David Hughes

Yet another brand new Department, this one born out of duties torn from both the Department of Communities (now Culture) and Department of Social Welfare and Family Affairs. Hendry has said it's important for her that the Sanctarian government keeps the plight of less well off families, as well as the voices of children, in mind when making decisions, and she hopes this Department will be an advocate for this. Adoption Services, orphanages, youth centres, social workers, and community grants and schemes such as Tidy Towns and Villages are just some examples of the duties this department will be responsible for.

Deputy David Hughes is the person tapped to lead this new Department. Hughes is a former DLP Spokesperson on Social Welfare, and has been a strong defender of one-parent families, the working class, and minority communities in urban centres. This is a role he should do well in, but time will tell if he's all talk and no action.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs - Brian Young

One of the few Departments that remains untouched, the DFA remains one of the most prestigious Departments that a party member can be appointed to. Hendry has said in her opening speech to the House of Deputies, she wants to expand the reach of Sanctaria in third world countries, including the amount of aid that will be spent.

Brian Young, long-time supporter of Hendry, and recent spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, was handed this role as expected. He was grilled in the Senate Committee, especially by some Independent Senators, but was confirmed easily enough. He is seen as a compassionate but firm man, very polite, so it is hoped that diplomacy will come second nature to him. He is, by his nature, very liberal and will most likely direct the World Assembly representation to ensure liberal legislation is passed. In WA parlance, he is an IntFed (International Federalist), which is likely to put him in to conflict with recently appointed WA Ambassador Dr. Katherine Saunders who is seen as quite conservative and a National Sovereigntist (NatSov).

Secretary of State for Health - Linda Kelly

Another Department that hasn't been changed, Hendry was quite vocal in her campaigning that Sanctaria's abortion laws would be re-liberalised, and that her appointee to this Department would be focusing on that first and foremost. Hendry has also promised quite a bit of funding for primary care centres, and it is understood the doctors' unions are biting for more money for the many emergency departments across Sanctaria.

Health is known for eating up a lot of the budget, and so Hendry has astutely put in Deputy Linda Kelly, who was finance spokesperson prior to Niamh Winters, but has served on the backbenches since. Kelly is a DLP stalwart, and, approaching her 70s, the oldest person in the Cabinet. However Kelly is also one of the most liberal members of the DLP, and one of the veterans who campaigned for legalisation of abortion after the Papal States became the Divine Republic. Kelly is "a bit of a legend" according to many Young Democratic Left members, so this is not just a popular move, but also a move to signal seriousness about the abortion question.

Secretary of State for Homeland Security - Kathryn Stewart

Again no changes here, Hendry is keeping Kindle's beefed-up department, now considered one of the most important ones in government. The DLP was slammed for not promising to tone down on the "Big Brother-like" changes that the SCP had made to the old Department of Defence, but Hendry said during the campaign, and again in the House yesterday, that it is necessary for Sanctaria's continued protection from terrorism.

Stewart is a hard-working DLP Deputy. A supporter of Hendry, she was previously spokesperson for Home Affairs (now Justice), followed by Human Services. She is a deeply private individual, rarely goes to party functions, and is said to loathe public speaking. That said, though, she was a tireless campaigner for those on social benefits, as well as any problems her own constituents may have. Her appointment here was a surprise, but as this is now considered the third most important department in government, after the Treasury and DFA, it's a sign that Hendry trusts her competency completely.

Secretary of State for Infrastructure - Xander Morgan

Changes to this department include it being stripped of the science and technology briefs, but Infrastructure remains "a vital ministry" according to Hendry. Responsible for communications infrastructure, roads, ports, rail, and post, just to name a few, this is another government department that is a big spender - but also a big employer, crucially, as Hendry seeks to expand government employment after the SCP "cut it down drastically".

Tapped to this Department is Xander Morgan, who was appointed its Shadow Secretary by Hendry in 2015. He has shown in debates to be on top of his brief, so his confirmation through the Senate was swift, but his reputation as someone with a loose tongue and a over-familiarity with the media was touted as possible reasons for not including him in the Cabinet proper after the election. Hendry, though, is said to be fond of him, and prior to serving as Infrastructure Spokesperson, he was the Opposition Chief Whip, so he's a familiar face and voice to the DLP PP members.

Secretary of State for Justice - Eric Hill

This is the third change in a row for this Department, with it now losing the equality part of its brief. It's now almost solely responsible for prisons, police, the probation and rehabilitation services, the court services, and criminal justice. Some ceremonial and administrative functions remain with the Department, but it's now seen as the "new Department of Defence", according to one DLP member, which was famous for being a dumping ground for out of favour or retiring senior party members.

And Eric Hill could be considered one of those party members. Hill and Hendry famously do not get on, but Hill's connections in the business world are vital for donations to the party, and he is famously capricious. Keeping the DLP on his good side by putting him in Cabinet is obviously important to Hendry. Hill was police and prisons spokesperson for the DLP back when that was a junior ministry, so he does have some experience here, but this isn't the power house of a department that it used to be when it was Home Affairs, and provided he does even an adequate enough job at oversight, Hendry can put up with him.

Secretary of State for Labour & Employment - Jessica Scott

Yet another brand new department, this time born out of duties previously allocated to the then-Department of Communities. Hendry said that initiative to encourage and create employment, and keep people employed, were "vital to Sanctaria's continued growth and success" and so she decided to create an entire Government Department for it. This was one of the least popular decisions with the new opposition, the Sanctarian Conservative Party, as they felt if the duties didn't suit the Business Department, then it would suit the Social Welfare Department.

Nonetheless, Hendry's appointed Jessica Scott to spearhead this department and Government employment initiatives. Scott was DLP Spokesperson for Children, and prior to that Mental Health, so the choice was a little left-field, but Scott's very popular with the DLP grassroots members, and gave a rousing speech during the campaign. She is exceedingly popular in her home district and, aged only in her mid-30s, considered a future leader of the DLP. She is also, however, seen to be from the more socialist side of the DLP, and it remains to be seen whether or not these views will be visible in plans by her Department.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, & Technology - Laura Parker

The last of the new Departments, D-SIT, as it is being called already, is responsible for "turning Sanctaria into a Smart Country, not just a place full of Smart Cities". The DLP want a renewed focus on the roll-out of better broadband, amongst other technologies, to rural parts of Sanctaria, as well as increased funding for the Sanctarian Space Programme. Hendry wants her new Cabinet Secretary to appointed a Chief Science Officer for the country, responsible for encouraging science education and being the go-to-person for the government when matters of scientific awareness is needed.

And Hendry's go-to-person to lead the department was a no-brainer, Laura Parker. Parker, who has a PhD in biochemistry, has been a DLP Deputy since 2007, and the DLP's Science Spokesperson since then too. An advocate for more women in STEM, sources in the new PM's office tell us Parker was instrumental in pushing the PM to create a department focusing solely on Science, given "how pervasive it is now in day-to-day lives". Secretary Parker and the PM are good friends, and it is believed that Parker is Hendry's preferred replacement as leader when her own time comes to step-down - it is not believed, however Parker has such lofty ambitions.

Secretary of State for Social Welfare - Harry Bell

Hendry has reverted the Department of Human Services back to the Department of Social Welfare because "Human Services makes people sound like a commodity, these are people to be cared for". Other than that, no changes here since those made back in 2015 by the Kindle government. This Department is a big spender, and the DLP were heavily criticised after their last spell in government for spending way to much on "giveaway budgets". It was popular with the people, but not with the coffers.

In a surprise move, Hendry has tapped Deputy Harry Bell for the job here. Elected in 2013 for the first time, Bell has served as Transport Spokesperson for the DLP since 2015. Grilled by the Senate on how he will run his Department, Bell was confirmed by the tightest of margins, with some SCP Senators voting against him - this didn't happen with any other nominee. With such little experience, and running a department with a big budget, many SCP Senators laughed privately that he "must have some dirt on Hendry". But Hendry sees him as a rising star, according to DLP sources, and she's seen how hard he works. She wants to give him a big break. He'll either do really well, or fail miserable in this department. And he knows it.

[Sanctaria]

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,299

FRIDAY, MAY 04, 2018

1 SANCTARIAN POUND

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AMBITIOUS DEVOLUTION PLANS UNVEILED
by JOEY SESSIONS, Political Correspondent

Sanctus - Secretary Ben Jackson today launched the government's new ambitious and wide-reaching plans to further devolve powers and decentralise government-making in Sanctaria. In a move that comes as a shock to many, including within the DLP itself, the crowning part of these plans is to begin a process of federalisation - a move that would take countless revisions of the country's constitution. Also included in the plans include a controversial election promise to decentralise the Sanctarian Police Force which would see cities and counties - and eventually states - have individual and separate police forces.

Jackson's ambitious plans go far beyond that which was promised in the DLP's election manifesto, which said it would examine the feasibility of cities like Sanctus, Corpus, and Haven having their own police forces. Included in the plans today are:

• A division of Sanctaria into 4 federal states, plus 3 city-states
• Each state would be represented by a Governor, except the cities which would keep their Mayor as their CEO
• The county system, used in local administration as well as Senate elections, would remain, but be subordinate to the state system
• The Sanctarian Police Force would be split into 8 to ensure minimum loss of jobs and stability in policing - 4 state police, 3 city police, and a federal police bureau
• Each Sanctarian county (except the three cities) would be permitted to establish their own police force too, in consultation with the State they are in
• The House of Deputies would be drastically cut in size as state assemblies would be set up to take over up to 70% of domestic and fiscal policies
• Government ministries would be streamlined as more powers are devolved
• Further significant constitutional reform

At the press conference announcing the white paper for these changes, Jackson said that while they were definitely ambitious plans, with significant constitutional changes, they were all achievable in the lifetime of this government and that "they will give power back to the local communities". Jackson also confirmed to journalists present that the national government would have keep the powers to legislate for any devolved matter, and that they would suspend devolution for any mismanagement.

Justice Secretary Eric Hill, who was also present, said that legislation to allow Sanctus, Corpus, and Haven to establish and keep their own police forces would be drafted and presented soon - as these are the cities with the most devolution in the country, they already have the resources and infrastructure in place to manage their own police forces. When asked who these police forces would be answerable to, Hill said "the Mayors of these cities". He confirmed the SPF would take over in cases that were either of the national interest, such as child abduction or corruption, or involved crimes that took place across the country, such as situations where criminals left city limits. He said structure of these police forces would be up to each individual city. He also stressed that SPF offices currently serving in the three cities will have the option to transfer over in the same positions (or their new equivalents) and the same salary. If they chose not to, they would be redeployed elsewhere in Sanctaria.

There was muted comment from the Sanctarian Conservative Party, now in opposition after 18 years. Currently undergoing a leadership election, a statement from the party's press office said they were "opposed fundamentally" to the plan and further comment would be issued when a new leader is elected.

[Sanctaria]

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,305

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

1 SANCTARIAN POUND

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CRUZ VICTORIOUS AFTER BITTER LEADERSHIP BATTLE
by GWEN COPLEY, Political Correspondent

Corpus - When Prime Minister Mark Kindle announced he was resigning following a drubbing in January's general election, no-one expected it would be May before the Sanctarian Conservative Party would have found themselves a new leader. Once Kate Cruz, Kindle's biggest critic and cabinet foe, announced she was running to succeed Kindle as the SCP's leader, people thought that was it; there'd be no contest. Cruz was popular in the party, well-liked by her peers (even if not necessarily by the voters - she just managed to secure her seat), and, crucially, she was tough. Kindle, who said his resignation date would be effective on the choosing of his replacement, did so because he too expected election by acclamation. But then in stepped Andrew Silk.

Silk, a former Deputy Prime Minister, has long harboured leadership ambitions. Indeed, he was Kindle's challenger in the previous SCP leadership election. Popular amongst hardline conservatives in the party, Silk felt the SCP moved too far to the centre in this past general election campaign. And he wasn't going to let Cruz, who despite being a vocal critic of Kindle was actually on his wing of the party, just waltz away with the leadership. Not on his watch. And what followed was four months of public, bitter spats about the future of the SCP. The party has been torn apart and Kindle, who today finally gets to step down as leader after the eventual leadership election, said as much before his successor was announced, "whoever wins today has the tough job of putting this party back together. We were broken after a bruising general election, but the fights we have seen to get to lead this party have split us right down the middle. Whoever wins today, by their actions during their campaigns, do not deserve to lead this party - but they now have an obligation to be better, to do better, and to heal the rifts they caused."

Kate Cruz was announced as the victor, and the first female leader of the Sanctarian Conservative Party, just after 3pm today. Belying the vicious campaigning the party had seen over the past weeks, it was a landslide victory. 70% voted in favour. In a way, all the jabs, the ad hominem remarks, the "choose your side" belittling remarks to the voters, it was all for nought.

In her victory speech, Cruz did thank Kindle for his service, and did promise to heal the rifts. People speculated that Silk ran to ensure he was in any frontbench that Cruz put together, and that it was his far-right populist supporters that made the campaign the way it was. When asked, Cruz declined to commit to putting Silk in her frontbench. But deep down she probably knows that she'll have to have people from that wing of the party if it's to truly come together and not split apart.

[Sanctaria]

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,326

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

1 SANCTARIAN POUND

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"GREAT DEVOLUTION BILL" SENT TO CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM COMMITTEE
by GWEN COPLEY, Political Correspondent

Sanctus - Almost a month after the government first unveiled their white-paper on devolution and decentralisation of power, Secretary of State for Devolution Ben Jackson today formally submitted a bill to the Joint Committee on Constitutional Reform, the bill now formally beginning a long and arduous journey through committee stages, report stages, and debates and scrutiny in both houses. However despite only a month having passed since the plans were first unveiled, there have been many significant changes made, which may upset even sympathetic deputies on the Opposition benches.

Despite being called the "Great Devolution Bill" by proponents in Government, Jackson's overhauls "prima facie fundamentally change Sanctaria" according to SCP spokesperson on Devolution and Governmental Affairs, Andrew Silk. Not longer intending to simply devolve power, Jackson's bill would actually completely federalise the Divine Republic, and some of the "significant constitutional reform" first heralded in the white-paper include even more reform of the Senate (the Senate was last reformed only 5 years ago), changes to how central government and the House of Deputies are composed and work, giving the President more power, and changing the title of the Prime Minister to Federal Chancellor. A further change includes changing the description of the country from "Divine Republic" to "Divine Federation".

Jackson defended his proposed bill at the Joint Committee today by saying "if we're going to fundamentally change the way government is devolved in this country, then we need to do it right, and we need to do it thoroughly. People deserve autonomy, not whatever scraps of power any given government may feel like throwing to them". He went on to explain that "deep and thought-provoking discussions with people around the country, with the Attorney General, and looking to international best practice has convinced me that a country of Sanctaria's size and influence needs to properly decentralise power and federalise power to further improve and grow as a nation".

Also confirmed today was the number of federal states - six will be created, and not seven as the government had originally planned. Three will be the largest cities - becoming city-states; Sanctus, Corpus, and Haven will all take in surrounding towns and administrative counties to become enlarged enough to operate independently federally. The other three will be Aquitanium, Glorionis, and Novum Aeternum. While Aquitanium's boundaries have already been proposed by the government - everything west of the River Sonder, excluding that given to Corpus, plus the Isles - the proposed boundary between Glorionis and Novum Aeternum have yet to be decided.

Jackson has said that he hopes the Great Devolution Bill will be passed by the autumn, with a referendum before Christmas likely. He said if passed, he would expect the first state elections to be conducted for 2020 and that the government would, over its lifetime, continue to devolve power and upon dissolution of parliament in 2023, full constitutional and legislative effect would be given - Sanctaria would be fully federalised.

When asked if the government would dissolve early to allow this to happen, Jackson said this was unlikely, but state elections would probably be held the same day as the Senate elections in 2020, which is why they were aiming for that date.

[Sanctaria]

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,328

SATURDAY, JUNE 02, 2018

1 SANCTARIAN POUND

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COMMITTEE EXAMINES FEDERALISATION PLAN IN DEPTH
by JOEY SESSIONS, Political Editor

Sanctus - The Joint Committee on Devolution and Governmental Affairs yesterday, Friday, had their first real chance to review in great detail the highly controversial - at least in the halls of Parliament - "Great Devolution Bill". Though many pieces of the bill were fed piecemeal to the press by the Government over the past number of weeks, members from all sides of the debate took great glee in questioning Devolution Secretary Ben Jackson on the finer points of the bill for over 10 hours. As a result of those questions, and the answers provided, we're in a much clearer position on what the government's plan, and schedule, looks like.

Firstly, the Government is expecting the bill will pass through the Joint Committee by the end of June, just before Parliament rises for the summer. When it returns in September, it's expected that the House of Deputies will take a week to review, the Senate will take a week to review, and then it'll be back to the Joint Committee to iron out any differences between the two houses. The Government is tentatively scheduling final votes in the Committee for the first week of October, with the House of Deputies taking a final vote that week also, and the Senate the next week. They intend for the President to sign the bill into law by the end of the second week of October, with a constitutional referendum giving effect to all changes proposed scheduled for the first week of December. If the referendum is passed, which the opinion polls suggest it will comfortably, changes will take effect between 2019 until 2023 when at the next general election, full federalisation will be in effect.

It was revealed that the cities of Sanctus, Corpus, and Haven, which will become three of the six states, will be fully federalised by 2020; the reason given for this was that the cities already have a very high degree of autonomy and devolution, and that a process of moving them to full federal states will involve a singular piece of legislation from the government transferred the powers currently not devolved but intended to be under the federal system. The cities already have Mayors who act as chief executive officers for the cities, with enlarged city councils. The existing city councils are already responsible for much of what is intended to be federalised, and the Joint Committee today acknowledged no significant delay or problems are expected in the 3 city-states becoming officially and legally established.

Concerns were raised over the other 3 states - Aquitanium, Glorionis, and Novum Aeternum - specifically over laws having to be established and passed and put into effect - if full federalisation occurred overnight then "there'd effectively be no laws in those states", according to a number of SCP and CUP members on the Committee. Secretary Jackson confirmed the government had thought of this and it was planned that there'd be a sunset provision in the Sanctarian Constitution until 2023, allowing the Sanctarian Parliament to pass laws on a federal state's behalf, and should there be no legislation on a federalised matter in a particular state, then federal law would fill the gap. Jackson said with state elections envision at the same time as the Senate elections in 2020, it'd give the new states 3 years to fill the gaps. He also confirmed that, before the 2020 state elections, the Parliament would pass a standard state constitution for each state to give them a basis of fundamental laws for each state. Each state would then be free to amend their constitution to fit their own needs. Secretary Jackson further confirmed that, as with most federal republics, the federal Sanctarian Constitution would reign supreme.

As part of the discussion into basic democracy and laws for the states, mentioned above, Jackson confirmed that if the referendum is passed, that gubernatorial elections and state house and senate elections would take place in 2020 for the three states of Aquitanium, Glorionis, and Novum Aeternum - the city-states already have their own scheduled elections, and city charters. He said each state constitution would provide for a Governor, a State House, and a State Senate. Once these organs of government are in place, the states will be free to amend their constitutions to however they wish.

He further confirmed that the city-states would not have to change their function of governance significantly - he said the Mayor would remain in charge as both head of the State and head of the government, and that instead of a State House and a State Senate, their city councils would remain in place. He said the federal government would work with them throughout 2019 to ensure any changes necessary to their respective city charters would be made in time.

Jackson yesterday also confirmed that the Sanctarian Court Service would be changed, though not particularly significantly. The Supreme Court of Sanctaria would remain as the nation's highest court, and all Justices thereon would remain in situ. He said that the proposed state constitutions would establish High Courts for each of the States, and existing Justices on the equivalent national courts would be redeployed, and those courts disestablished in favour of the state ones. "We currently have 16 judges on the Court of Appeals. This Court of Appeals would be disestablished, and the judges redeployed to the 6 new State High Courts. We don't envision Circuit or District Courts to change, though where they cross newly drawn state jurisdictions, the Sanctarian Parliament will make the final decision", Jackson relayed from a memo written by Secretary for Justice Eric Hill.

Also confirmed today was the redeployment of civil servants along similar lines. The proposed splitting up of the Sanctarian Police Force will continue along the lines set forward in depth a number of weeks ago - Jackson yesterday said that the cities would have their own police forces by July 2019, with Sanctarian Police Force officers currently stationed in the cities being transferred to the new forces, their salaries and pensions being grandfathered in. He said he understood the Mayors of the three cities were already in preliminary stages of recruitment for heads of their respective new police forces.

Revealed today also was further Senate reform. The Senate would be cut from 100 members to 40; each of the six states would elect, in state-wide constituencies - non-negotiable, Jackson said, and this would be in the federal constitution - 6 Senators each. The remaining 4 Senators will be elected by Sanctarian citizens living abroad, the first time Sanctarians abroad will be able to vote in elections in the country, and be entitled to representation. As to the House of Deputies, Jackson today confirmed it'd be cut in half to about 400 and that the Federal Constitution will specify that the Nation Census will dictate how many Deputies each State will send to Parliament; he did, confirm, however that once the Census sets the representation, the States would be free to determine districting etc. He said he anticipated the new Senate would come into effect after the 2020 Senate elections, and the House of Deputies after the 2023 election.

In terms of an overall schedule for how federalisation will go, Secretary Jackson said the following was the Government's timeline, post-referendum passage:

January 2019 - Federal States officially created. The 3 non-city states will be ran by the Department of Devolution and Governmental Affairs, and have laws passed for them, until February 2020 when they will have their own elections for State offices. Parliament will reserve the right to pass laws for these 3 states until the House of Deputies dissolves in 2023.

The Divine Republic of Sanctaria will change its name to the Divine Federation of Sanctaria.

The Parliament of Sanctaria will change its name to the Federal Parliament of Sanctaria; the House of Deputies will remain the same, while the Senate will also not changed, but will be given the secondary name of the Federal Senate.

The title of Prime Minister of Sanctaria will be changed to the Federal Chancellor of Sanctaria. It's expected this will be referred to colloquially as the Chancellor.

July 2019 - Sanctarian Police Force officially split up into 7 - 6 separate police forces for each state, and the remainder becoming the Sanctarian Federal Police. Functions transferred to each state - the Department of Justice will regulate the police forces of the 3 non-city states until after their state elections in 2020.

January 2020 - Sanctus, Corpus, and Haven become full federalised states of Sanctaria.

February 2020 - State Elections will take place in Aquitanium, Glorionis, and Novum Aeternum.

July 2020 - Sanctarian Court Service officially split up amongst the States.

July 2020 - February 2023 - Federal Parliament of Sanctaria will continue to assist the new non-city states come into establishment through legislative safety nets and federal oversight and control of services not yet properly established.

March 2023 - Once the House of Deputies elections conclude, Sanctaria will be a fully federalised country. Redundant federal departments will be disestablished as their functions will have been transferred to the States.

Outside of this timetable, Jackson said the Parliament would be passing laws and transferring laws "as and when it's appropriate"; until January 2020 for the 3 city states, and until then plus thereafter until 2023 for the others.

Further changes to include the President of Sanctaria getting a full veto over laws passed by the Federal Parliament, excluding money bills and those passed by constitutional referendum. The President would also be given more expansive pardon powers, including over state crimes, not just federal ones.

Jackson said yesterday that he fully comprehends this will be the biggest overhaul in Sanctarian history since independence in 1974, but that for Sanctaria to continue to expand as a power, it was necessary. The opinion polls agree with him, with 68% of respondents saying they supported the idea, 20% saying they opposed it, and 12% saying they had no opinion.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,363

SATURDAY, JULY 07, 2018

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PATRIARCH SIMON XVI COMATOSE AND "PEACEFULLY DRIFTING TO THE HEAVENLY FATHER"
by EDWARD ALLENS, Religion Correspondent

Sanctus - The Patriarchal Palace this evening announced via their press office that the life of Patriarch Simon XVI was "slowly coming to a close" as they revealed the head of the Sanctarian Catholic Church was in a coma following what they called a "cardiac episode" that occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning. Msgr. Peter Montague, the Church's communications director, confirmed the Patriarch's doctors were with him, monitoring his progress, but did not expect the Patriarch to recover; "he is peacefully drifting to the heavenly father", Msr. Montague told reporters in the regular Saturday evening press gaggle.

Patriarch Simon XVI has been head of the Sanctarian Catholic Church, also known as the Church of Sanctaria, since March 2003 when he succeeded Mark VII. Prior to becoming the Archbishop of Sanctus, and thereby Patriarch of the Church itself, he was an auxiliary Bishop in Corpus; he was the first non Sanctus or Haven Archbishop or Bishop to be translated to the See of Sanctus in over 700 years.

Simon XVI's current state of health was announced this evening prior to the weekly Sunday Mass celebrated by the Patriarch in Sanctus. The health of the Patriarch is usually kept as a private affair with the public and church-goers not usually notified of any ill health unless hospitalisation or death occurs. Msgr. Montague confirmed that Sunday Mass would be going ahead in all dioceses and parishes as expected, with an auxiliary bishop celebrating the Mass in the Basilica of St. George in Heaven in place of the Patriarch.

When pushed on the current state of affairs of the 88-year-old Patriarch, Msgr. Montague said that though the respected theologian is currently in a coma, and is not expected to awake, doctors said they were not expecting an imminent death. "Out of respect", Msgr. Montague said, he would "not be commenting further on His Holiness". Sources close to the doctors attending Simon XVI, however, have said that while death does not look imminent, he is not expected to survive the coming week.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,367

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2018

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SIMON XVI DEAD AT EIGHTY-EIGHT; GOVERNMENT ORDERS FLAGS TO BE FLOWN AT HALF-MAST
by EDWARD ALLENS, Religion Correspondent

Sanctus - It was announced this afternoon that Simon XVI, Patriarch of the Sanctarian Catholic Church, has died. He was 88-years-old. He passed away following a cardiac attack that occurred in the early hours of last Saturday morning. He had served as head of the Church of Sanctaria since 2003.

Both the President and the Prime Minister today paid tribute to the late Patriarch, in particular praising his policies that the Church increase its outreach efforts to drug addicts and the homeless in recent years. Flags have been ordered to fly at half-mast until sundown tonight. Amanda Thomas, Secretary for Culture, the Arts, and Heritage also paid tribute to Simon XVI and confirmed she would be attending the funeral as representative of the Government. The President's office also confirmed she would be attending the funeral, which has been set for next Monday, July 16th at 11am.

With the passing of Simon XVI, the Church of Sanctaria now enters a period of sede vacante; the Chamberlain of the Sanctarian Catholic Church will now act as head of the body until a successor has been chosen by the Synod of Bishops; the Chamberlain is not permitted to execute any policies or announce new changes or directions, he is simply to act as an administrator.

Simon XVI's successor as Patriarch, or more strictly speaking his successor as Archbishop of the See of Sanctus, will be elected by the Synod of Bishops from among their own number. It is the only See of the Sanctarian Catholic Church that requires its Bishop to be elected. To be eligible for translation to the See of Sanctus, Bishops and Archbishops must be under the age of 70; of the 80 or so dioceses and archdioceses in Sanctaria, only about 30 have incumbents therefore eligible for election.

The date of the next meeting of Synod, which meets on a regular basis, was originally set for this Friday, July 13th. The Chamberlain's office has confirmed it would be postponed and an Extraordinary Synod would be called to elect the next Patriarch of the Church; the office has indicated the date for this Synod will not be set until after the funeral next Monday.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,435

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

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SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO FEDERALISATION PLAN TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY
by JOEY SESSIONS, Political Editor

Sanctus - The bill that would federalise Sanctaria goes back before the Joint Committee on Devolution this week after a tumultuous fortnight in both Houses of Parliament. While both Houses were overwhelmingly in favour of federalisation, in principle, a number of Senators and Deputies raised significant objections with how the government was planning to execute them. This paper can reveal that civil servants in the Department of Devolution and Government Affairs have spent the past few days and nights working non-stop to come up with a version of the bill that alleviates the very serious fears that were raised.

Firstly, the new draft of the bill outlines nine new states within the soon-to-be Divine Federation of Sanctaria; the three city-states of Sanctus, Corpus, and Haven, and the other six states of which will be: Aquitanium, Galvium, Glorionis, Novum Aeternum, Novum Limium, and Terra Monticolarum. A map of the proposed borders will also be produced and circulated to the Joint Committee this week. This reduces the amount of population in each non-city state to about 70/75 million, as opposed to the 150 million people per state under the previous division. The biggest complaint was if 500 million was unwieldy, 150 million would still be too much. 70-80 million is typical for large nation, the government was told by various Senators.

Secondly, the government will agree that having to create new laws for the new states is redundant and unnecessary. Lawyers in both Houses have argued that states won't be devoid of law, as has been suggested, as federal law still exists and, as Sanctaria has existed as a unitary democracy since 1974, there will be federal law on every subject. The government will acknowledge today this will be the case, thereby speeding up full federalisation from 2023 to 2020. Civil servants have drafted that while some topics will remain the purview of the federal government, like defence and foreign affairs, the new states will be free to amend the laws under their jurisdiction as to their own unique specifications.

It is also expected to be announced that Prime Minister Hendry, or Chancellor Hendry as she will be known from January 1st 2019, will announce the dissolution of the Senate approximately six month earlier than planned. As the Senate can sit until February 2020, it was expected that Hendry would let it continue until that date and hold state elections for the first time on the same dates. However, it is believed that Hendry will now call for the Senate and State elections to happen in about September/October 2018, so that the new Senate and the new State parliaments and governors can be in office from January 1st 2020, and full federalisation can take effect from that date. Under current plans, the Senate will be reduced now from 100 to 40 Senators; each of the nine states (six states and three city-states) will return 4 Senators each from a state-wide constituency. The remaining 4 will be filled by the Sanctarian diaspora around the world, a first for Sanctaria to have emigrant representation.

Also to be confirmed is the new size of the House of Deputies from 2023 to 2028, its first term after devolution. Hendry is also to announce that any seat in the House of Deputies that becomes vacant between January 1st 2019 and the end of the House's term in January 2023 won't be filled with a by-election, as the effort to reduce the size of the Federal Parliament will commence. The constitution will be edited to reflect this with a sunset clause, and any constituents not represented by a Deputy in this interim will still have their Senator to represent them.

It will also be confirmed that the format of each state's system of government will be enshrined in the federal constitution; city-states will have a city-council led by a Governing Mayor, which will be a combination of a head of the state and head of government. The other six states will have a Governor as a head of the state, performing similar state-level functions as the Sanctarian President, and each State Parliament, which will be bicameral, will elect a Premier, who will be the state's equivalent of a Prime Minister or First Minister. Each non-city state will have a State House and a State Council, which will be the lower and upper chambers respectively; the Premier will be elected by majority vote in the lower chamber of the state parliaments.

The Supreme Court of Sanctaria will remain the highest court in the land, and can hear appeals from the the states. The Sanctarian Court of Appeals, the second highest court, will however be split between the 9 states. It will be officially abolished and judges from the Court will be divided among the new High Courts established in each of the state, likely to be 3 per new High Court given the current makeup of the Court of Appeals. District and Circuit Courts will not be changed, bar those that cross new state lines - in these cases, the boundaries of their jurisdiction will be adjusted.

The new timetable will look something like below:

January 2019 - Federal States officially created.

The Divine Republic of Sanctaria will change its name to the Divine Federation of Sanctaria.

The Parliament of Sanctaria will change its name to the Federal Parliament of Sanctaria.

The title of Prime Minister of Sanctaria will be changed to the Federal Chancellor of Sanctaria. It's expected this will be referred to colloquially as the Chancellor.

October 2019 - Senate elections. State elections (bar non-city states, which have their own existing schedules).

January 2020 - Sanctaria fully federalised.

Sanctarian Court Service officially split up amongst the States.

Sanctarian Police Force officially split up into 10 - 9 separate police forces for each state, and the remainder becoming the Sanctarian Federal Police.

New state officials take office and begin their work.

January 2020 - February 2023 - Federal Parliament of Sanctaria will continue to assist the new states via legislative safety nets and federal oversight and control of services not yet properly transferred.

Redistricting of federal House districts.

March 2023 - Federalisation project officially completed.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,439

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

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ARCHBISHOP MANDLESON CHOSEN AS NEW PATRIARCH; TAKES NAME OF LUKE VI
by EDWARD ALLENS, Religion Correspondent

Sanctus - The Synod of Bishops of the Church of Sanctaria today announced they had chosen the Archbishop of Haven, Archbishop Geoffrey Mandleson, as their new Patriarch. Mandleson, who will be translated to the Metropolitan See of Sanctus immediately, succeeds the late Simon XVI, who died in July. It was announced shortly after Mandleson's selection that he will be taking Luke as his Patriarchal name, becoming the sixth of that name to be Archbishop of Sanctus.

The newly designated Luke VI takes charge of a Church that has seen a sharp decline in both congregation, and amongst its own clerics, over the tenure of the past three Patriarchs. Criticism of the Church's teachings on same-sex marriage and abortion, both of which are legal in the Divine Republic, have been contributing factors to the decline of the Church. However chief among the Church's problems is its current attitude to women - women are generally treated as second class citizens, according to critics, within the institution, and that it is exempt from sexual discrimination prohibition legislation is "concerning", according to Ann Ramirez, Secretary for Equality & Minority Affairs. She later confirmed she would be looking into ending religious exemptions from equality legislation.

With the President, Prime Minister, and half the cabinet all women, and all having expressed negative opinions about the status of women in the Church of Sanctaria - officially still the nation's state Church - the Synod of Bishops responded in a way today by choosing Archbishop Mandleson, generally considered to be even more of a hardliner than his predecessor Simon XVI; the Church, now a private institution, will not kowtow to the State.

Luke VI's tenure will likely cause a new series of rifts between the Church and the State, the biggest since the two separated in 1974. No longer running the country, and no longer involved in any way with public life, the Church is sliding into irrelevance, and like any dying animal, is lashing out viciously to prevent further harm. The position of Patriarch used to mean one was the Emperor of an expansive theocratic Empire, all under the Sanctarian banner; now it signals the chief executive of a failing organisation, trying desperately to glean back some of the power and prestige the office held prior to 1974.

At the age of 77, Luke VI will likely not serve as Patriarch for nearly as long as his predecessor, but this tenure will likely be just as tempestuous.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,451

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2018

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FEDERALISATION REFERENDUM TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 10
by GWEN COPLEY, Political Correspondent

Sanctus - Secretary for Devolution & Governmental Affairs, Ben Jackson, today announced that he had signed the order for the referendum on federalisation to occur on Saturday, November 10. The move comes after both the House of Deputies and the Senate today passed what has become known as the "Great Devolution Bill" with wide cross-party support. The name of the bill, of course, greatly undervalues the content and should the referendum be passed, it will be the biggest overhaul of the Sanctarian Constitution since it came into effect in 1974, with many commentators saying a new constitution should have been written instead of the piecemeal edits to a whole host of different sections.

Last minute adjustments in the legislation include the scrapping of the proposal that a sunset provision will be inserted in the constitution that would remove the necessity to replace any retiring/resigning members of the House of Deputies to bring down the numbers. Further amendments include specific details in the constitution surrounding the composition of State parliaments, their titles, and the limits of their powers; non-city states will be required to be bicameral, with a State Assembly as the lower house, and a State Council as the upper house. The city states will have a Governing Mayor, combining the offices of a head of state and head of government that the non-city states have, however any other cities across the nation in all other states must rename their city councils to boards of supervisors to avoid confusion with the City Councils that will exist in Sanctus, Corpus, and Haven.

The Parliament of Sanctaria will continue to have supremacy in law, but will allow states to legislate on most matters, excluding defence, foreign affairs, some tax and financial measures, and matters that require federal involvement, such as national curricula in education, and national minimum wage laws. Conflicts between state law and federal law shall be arbitrated by the Supreme Court in all other cases, with the idea that it will either uphold the supremacy of federal law where it deems it is constitutionally appropriate, and rule in favour of the states' rights to create their own legislation where the constitution doesn't not forbid it to do so.

Also included in the the bill are provisions that state government departments are to be called "Ministries" and while each state's head of government will be called the Premier, members of the state cabinets are to be called "Ministers".

Polling currently has the referendum passing at a 62% Yes rate, but this is seen as slightly soft by some commentators.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,483

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2018

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LAUCHENOIRIAN TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION TO START THIS WEEK
by JENNIFER McSHANE, Foreign Correspondent

Buttercity, Lauchenoiria - There has been a noticeable tension in the air across most of Lauchenoiria since the civil war ended with the signing of the Haven Accords in Sanctaria, but here in Buttercity, the capital, the populace seem to have started to hold their breath, in anticipation and perhaps dread, the beginning of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission this week.

The TRC, which will like the negotiations to end the war be hosted by neutral Sanctaria, will finally do what many Lauchenoirians want now the war is over - lay blame. Only then, many commentators here say, can healing actually begin. Interim Prime Minister Keitha Noguera last week penned a column in a local paper where, stressing how important the TRC, implored people to remain calm and to respect its verdicts. The verdicts, which may not come until mid-2019 at the earliest, will likely inspire protests regardless of the results, and will one of the first major tests for Noguera in post-conflict Lauchenoiria.

Group Special Envoy for the Lauchenoirian Conflict, Robert Smyth, who is responsible for executing the provisions of the Haven Accords on behalf of the Sanctarian Government, last week announced the TRC will be held in Nicene on the Sanctarian west coast. He also revealed that retired Court of Appeals Justice Sylvia Churcher will be the chief adjudicator in the TRC.

The International Democratic Union will be keeping a very close eye on the TRC as its proceedings get underway. Countries like Laeral and Gonhog participated heavily in the civil war on either side and their actions will also come under close scrutiny. So too will the actions of the Matriarchy of Kerlile, a country reported to exercise huge human rights abuses against the male minority - abuses which some say are almost genocidal in nature. This will be the first time in recent history the seculsive and isolated nation may have to air its laundry in public.

Sanctarian Foreign Secretary Brian Young said "Sanctaria was proud to defend democracy and peace in the International Democratic Union" and that through its responsibility as guarantor of the Haven Accords it is "more than happy to host the TRC and to ensure its decisions and verdicts are carried out". There have been some protests already in Nicene outside the old courthouse where the commission will hold its business; activists say the Sanctarian government should "stop with the show trial" and "arrest all the warmongers".

No protests yet in Buttercity but for the first time since the end of the war, there's been more armed police on the streets at night in the week leading up to the beginning of what may prove to be the most important judicial event in Lauchenoirian history.

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VOL. C .. Num. 36,489

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2018

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SANCTARIANS GO TO POLLS TO DECIDE ON NEW, FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TO COUNTRY
by JOEY SESSIONS, Political Editor

Sanctus - Sanctarians are today voting in one of the most important and radical referenda since the formation of the Divine Republic in 1974 - but turnout reports from polling stations this morning suggest that many don't seem to care.

Federalisation, and significant overhauls to the 1974 Constitution, will impact the day-to-day lives of citizens, but neither the pro- nor anti-campaigns seem to have generated enough interest to get people to the ballot boxes - national turnout at 12 noon today is only estimated to be approximately 29%. With polls open until 10pm tonight, the government is hoping many late risers on the weekend will get out to vote.

Despite the lower than expected turnout, however, the government is confident the measures will pass, with all parties in the Sanctarian Parliament in favour of it. Smaller parties too have been asking their members to vote in favour of the ballot; federalised assemblies will give them a greater chance for election, particularly if some states decide to adopt different, and more subjectively more fair, electoral systems than the first-past-the-post system that the parliament operates under. One exception to these smaller parties, and the main side leading the anti-campaign is the Sanctarian People's Party, whose policies include embracing the imperial past of Sanctaria, and imploring it become a nation-conquering empire once again. The SPP typically receive less than 2% support in the polls.

Some academics have suggested that if the government had simply decided to introduce a new constitution, and thus removing the requirement the remaining seven referenda that are planned in the DLP's term, turnout would be higher since people would be more motivated to go to the polls. One leading law professor has said that, if passed, 80% of the 1974 Constitution will have been rewritten since its adoption, a significantly high amendment rate which in other countries would have spurred on a constitutional convention to rewrite the country's basic law; only the Green Party have consistently adopted an election policy of introducing a new constitution since the election in 2000.

If passed today, the government will spend the next year preparing for federalisation which, though nominally in place from 01 January 2019, will only see matters devolved and state governments functioning in January 2020, following elections which Secretary for Devolution Ben Jackson has said take place in late October 2019.