South Pacific Independent News Network

[Lyrical International Brigade]

Sorry I missed this before, but...

FOOD
POTATO SALAD
Boiled potatoes, a custard-like dressing and your mayo of choice. What's not to like about a good, homemade potato salad? Your Chef's Tip for today? Salt and sugar quantities are referential; always add them to taste.

INGREDIENTS
• 4 extra large potatoes
• 4 slices of bacon
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of milk or cream
• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

PREPARATION
1. Boil the potatoes; make sure they have been rinsed, but not peeled.
2. Peel the potatoes -this should be easy, once they are boiled- and cut them into chunks.
3. Fry the bacon to your desired crispiness and set aside. Do not drain the pan.
4. Mix in a bowl the beaten eggs, the sugar, the salt, the milk or cream and the white vinegar.
5. Pour the mixture into the pan with the bacon grease, cooking on low heat and stirring until you obtain a custard consistency.
6. Crumble up the bacon and add to your mix.
7. Add the mix to the potatoes and let it cool.
8. Add in mayonnaise and mix, once the potato salad has cooled.

Bacon grease and mayonnaise and cream and eggs? Boy howdy holy shit! This is properly classed as weaponry rather than food, strictly speaking.

[Independent News Network]

Good, Insightful and Timely | Year 18 | 18 July 2020
SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Home | Gameplay Weekly Brief | Breaking News | Real News

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ELECTIONS
AMERION ELECTED DELEGATE; WINS 62% OF THE GAMESIDE VOTE

Election Commissioner Tsunamy certified on July 18 that, with 150 votes cast, Amerion has captured 62% of the gameside vote and has been elected Delegate of the South Pacific.

Amerion, who consistently led Penguin throughout the vote, ran on a graphics-heavy platform of supporting existing projects, including the fledging Office of World Assembly Legislation (OWL), and attempting to bridge the gap between the gameside and offsite communities. The campaign was enthusiastically supported by various South Pacificans who embraced Amerion's self-assigned title of "Supreme Leader" and their most recent self-reference as "Auphelia-lite".

Penguin, who congratulated Amerion shortly after the certification of the election results, ran a more austere campaign and focused on their qualifications for the delegacy, rather than on pursuing specific projects or policies, though they still maintained an active presence on the Regional Message Board (RMB) and engaged with citizens throughout the elections.

Amerion is now expected to continue obtaining endorsements. Until the official transfer of power takes place, regional law dictates that Somyrion will continue serving as Delegate.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 whose goal is to provide good news, insightful commentary and timely information for the citizens of the South Pacific. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published anonymously, unless is the author requests otherwise. The SPINN is in no way, shape or form associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Qvait]

Congrats to the Supreme Leader!

[Independent News Network]

Good, Insightful and Timely | Year 18 | 20 July 2020
SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Home | Gameplay Weekly Brief | Breaking News | Real News

---

ELECTIONS
AMERION GAINS EARLY LEAD IN DELEGATE ELECTION GAMESIDE ROUND
Amerion has gained an early lead against Penguin in the gameside round of the Delegate election, having obtained 72% of all the votes that have been cast so far. The vote, which will run until July 18, is open to Native World Assembly members and deployed Special Forces personnel, and will determine which of the two candidates, who have already passed through the forum round, will succeed Somyrion as Delegate. Once a winner is announced, they will have to surpass Somyrion in endorsements before formally assuming the office of Delegate.

HIGH COURT
COURT EXTENDS DELIBERATION ON LOCAL COUNCIL VACANCY CASE
The High Court has extended the deliberation period for the Local Council Vacancy case, which was set to conclude on July 11. In their public notice on July 8, Associate Justice Nat announced that the deliberation period would be extended until July 18 to allow for a redraft of the expected ruling. This extension is the first publicly known use of the Standards for Case Management, one of the three internal rules that the Court announced and released earlier this month.

ASSEMBLY
LEGISLATOR COMMITTEE DID NOT CONDUCT JUNE LEGISLATOR CHECK
Chair of the Assembly Rabbitz published their first State of the Assembly report on July 10, accounting for changes to the legislator roster, recent debates and votes held. In addition to announcing the admission of 10 new legislators during the past month, Rabbitz said that the monthly activity check, which would lead to legislator removals, would not taken place given that the Legislator Committee Act requires the Legislator Committee to perform activity checks only during the first week of a month.

MILITARY AFFAIRS
SPECIAL FORCES REPORT 93 OPERATIONS IN THE PAST WEEK
Minister of Military Affairs Phoenix distributed the latest Special Forces Weekly Report, which summarises the 93 operations that the military conducted during the week. These options include 53 defences, 38 detags and 2 liberations, conducted with regional partners such as The Gray Wardens and the Rejected Realms Army. In addition, the report also shared the news that Swifty Gamer, until then a Trainee, was promoted to Soldier, having proven, in Phoenix's words, ""more than capable in battle"".

---

FOOD
RICE PUDDING
It's soft, sweet and warm. The perfect dessert for a cold afternoon, here's SPINN's recipe for rice pudding. Your Chef's Tip for today? The rice should be soft, so it's better to err on the side of adding more water when cooking it.

INGREDIENTS
• 200 grams of rice
• 10 cloves
• 1 cinnamon straw
• 1 litre of water
• 400 grams of evaporated milk
• 400 grams of condensed milk
• 1 teaspon of vanilla extract

PREPARATION
1. Cook the rice with the water, the cloves and the cinnamon straw.
2. Once the rice is cooked, remove the cloves and the cinnamon, keep cooking at medium heat, add the evaporated milk and keep stirring.
3. Once the evaporated milk is consumed, add the condensed milk and the vanilla extract, then stir until well incorporated.

If you like this recipe, make sure to try it and share a photo of your result!

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 whose goal is to provide good news, insightful commentary and timely information for the citizens of the South Pacific. Recipes shared in its publications presume personal responsibility or adult supervision in the kitchen, as well as adherence to local laws. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published anonymously, unless is the author requests otherwise. The SPINN is in no way, shape or form associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Tinhampton]

Good, Insightful and Timely | Year 18 | 20 July 2020

[...]

Amerion has gained an early lead against Penguin in the gameside round of the Delegate election, having obtained 72% of all the votes that have been cast so far. The vote, which will run until July 18, is open to Native World Assembly members and deployed Special Forces personnel...

Emphasis mine... I'm not sure that the above is my idea of "insightful and timely news" myself

[Bormiar]

Who is the Editor-in-Chief of SPINN? That will help to provide context behind any current or future articles, should they be divisive. Articles in an independent newspaper are likely to occasionally be divisive.

It's not traditional for the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper to be hidden from the public, so there's no excuse there. In this example in 2012, Hileville is named as editor. In fact, it seems to be just as normal for SPINN writers to reveal their identities as SPINN writers hiding them. Here's another example.

[Independent News Network]

Who is the Editor-in-Chief of SPINN? That will help to provide context behind any current or future articles, should they be divisive. Articles in an independent newspaper are likely to occasionally be divisive.

It's not traditional for the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper to be hidden from the public, so there's no excuse there. In this example in 2012, Hileville is named as editor. In fact, it seems to be just as normal for SPINN writers to reveal their identities as SPINN writers hiding them. Here's another example.

It has been standard practice since 2015 to keep the management of the SPINN anonymous, which is why even on the regional forum an anonymous account is used. The reasoning for this was explained at the time:

The new SPINN practices editorial anonymity. We believe that the content is more important than who writes it. Oftentimes in NationStates, discussions are dominated by personalities and the personal grudges and nonsense that come with them. The story gets drowned out in ad hominem attacks and musing about the authors. We wish to cut through this tendency and highlight what really matters.

The only occasion where writers are named is when guest contributors write opinion columns, since the opinions in them are not necessarily the opinions of the SPINN.

[United Massachusetts]

This is strange journalistic practice. A public editorial roster would serve to (a) demonstrate accountability by showing that SPINN's writers and editors are confident enough in their material to put a name on it and (b) show NSGP that SPINN's editorial board has no agenda.

It is remarkably interesting that SPINN is worried about the names of their authors being scrutinized. If you are worried that the personality and names of your writers/editors would overshadow your content, perhaps that information would be highly relevant. In short, your current justification is the justification of someone intent on hiding an editor who perhaps is more controversial.

[Tinhampton]

In this example in 2012, Hileville is named as editor.

It has been standard practice since 2015 to keep the management of the SPINN anonymous

The above quote has been edited for brevity. Is this the same SPINN that existed in 2015, but a completely different SPINN to the one that existed in 2012 (much like Rangers still exist in the Scottish football pyramid today but have been under different management for the past ten years or so)?

[Sandaoguo]

This is strange journalistic practice.

It's modeled after The Economist and, as they explain, was actually the tradition until recently (relative to the invention of published news).

It's common in editorial sections of real-world newspapers, too. The Guardian also doesn't use bylines in their lead editorials. Same with The Washington Post. Could find more examples, but I think this actually standard among editorial sections, when you're writing from the "the newspapers'" view, rather than externally submitted op-eds or columnists.

SPINN (2015) adopted The Economist's approach of not having any bylines at all, even for news items. From what I can find, only one actual editorial was written (https://tspforums.xyz/thread-2941.html), about court reform. The idea being anonymous bylines makes sense to me. How often do GPers dismiss an article simply because it's written by someone they don't like?

It has been standard practice since 2015 to keep the management of the SPINN anonymous

The above quote has been edited for brevity. Is this the same SPINN that existed in 2015, but a completely different SPINN to the one that existed in 2012 (much like Rangers still exist in the Scottish football pyramid today but have been under different management for the past ten years or so)?

Traditionally, SPINN can be taken up by whoever dedicated the time to it. It's gone in and out of publication many times since it was created, and each new incarnation has to my knowledge been led by a different person.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 01 June 2021

THE SPINN
3 KEY INSIGHTS AHEAD OF THE JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
James D. Halpert | Senior Editor

Today Election Commissioner Kris Kringle opened the floor for nominations and declarations, marking the official start of the June 2021 Cabinet Election. As legislators begin nominating their peers and considering their own possible candidacies, the South Pacific Independent News Network is finally able to publish the results of FiftyPlusOne's election survey and discuss some key insights from it.

Awareness needs to be a priority for the home ministries

The survey asked respondents to state if they were familiar with the duties and responsibilities of each of the ministers who comprise the Cabinet. Respondents, both citizens and legislators, showed high levels of familiarity with the offices of Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence. Out of these three the Prime Minister had the lowest level of familiarity, with 95% of legislators and 87% of all respondents saying they are familiar with the office:

https://i.imgur.com/yoqW79M.png

The situation is relatively less encouraging for the three home ministries, which are also the newest ministries. The levels of familiarity for all three hover around the 80s, with familiarity for the Ministry of Engagement reaching 78% among all respondents and 80% among legislators. To be clear these are not bad numbers: this still means that a vast majority of respondents are familiar with what each office does. However, when comparing to the Prime Ministries and the foreign-minded ministries there is a clear difference in familiarity that, even if not bad, is clearly undesirable. The challenge for whoever are elected to lead the Culture, Engagement and Media portfolios should be to ensure that, by the end of their term, this gap in familiarity is closed and that citizens and legislators know what their government does and how to have a role in it.

Experience is the name of the game

Moving on to the core section of the survey, for all ministries prospective voters seem to value experience more than other factors, with former officeholders or otherwise experienced legislators leading preferences. Jay Coop leads preferences for Prime Minister with 55% of legislators expressing an interest in seeing them run for the office, closely followed by Amerion (50%), Penguin (45%), and Omega, Roavin and Somyrion (40%). No significant surprises here: legislators would seem to prefer candidates who either have held the office before or have a long record in other elected offices.

https://i.imgur.com/PpK0lhR.png

The lineup for Minister of Foreign Affairs is slightly more diverse, with eight legislators having at least 25% of the preferences. Former minister Omega leads preferences with 45%, followed by also former ministers Jay Coop and Roavin, both with a more distant 35%. A notable name in this list is HumanSanity (25%), who has never held elected office before. The lineup is similar for Minister of Defence: Nakari and Witchcraft & Sorcery tie for first place with 40%, followed by HumanSanity and Luca (30%). Both HumanSanity and Luca are soldiers in the Special Forces and HumanSanity is also involved in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which might explain their rise in preferences for these two offices.

https://i.imgur.com/LuV4T1P.png | https://i.imgur.com/WNPV91l.png

The lineups for both the Minister of Culture and Minister of Media have clear frontrunners: Seraph (40%) for Culture and Islands of Unity (45%) for Media. In both cases the next most preferred legislators only have 25% of the count, though it is worth mentioning that Jay Coop is the second preference for both offices. All three of Seraph, Islands of Unity and Jay Coop have strong credentials in the ministries where they lead preferences, but one cannot help but wonder why there is a relative lack of new names, either leading or somewhere near the top. This is not a criticism of any of the three, all accomplished legislators, but it is a question that perhaps should be answered, particularly since these are some of the ministries that are meant to stimulate growth and activity in the region.

The final lineup is the one for Minister of Engagement, which is particularly competitive given incumbent minister Vietnam's decision not to run for reelection. Purple Hyacinth, Somyrion and (despite their announcement) Vietnam, all with 25% of preferences, followed by Amerion, Jay Coop and Seraph, all with 20%. While only Vietnam can claim to be a former minister in this portfolio, one sees again a lack of new names, instead seeing former ministeers from other portfolios or branches of government, rather than any talent that was nurtured within the Ministry of Engagement. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. The ministry is relatively new and does need time to grown into its own, but this could still serve as motivation for the new minister to make it a priority to foster new talent and ensure that the ministry is better known within the region.

https://i.imgur.com/8jZWtDg.png | https://i.imgur.com/n5UA5Y5.png | https://i.imgur.com/7iisnEj.png

Nothing is set in stone

The above results could paint a rather pesimist picture if one is a newcomer: with very specific exceptions all the top preferences go to experienced legislators and former ministers. Is there a place for someone new who has not previously held elected office? As a matter of fact there might well be. This survey gauges preferences before any candidacies are declared and any campaigns are posted; that means that respondents have to rely mainly on name recognition. It is obvious that former ministers will have the most name recognition, along with those legislators who may have been particularly active in their respective ministries. In fact, responses to the survey would confirm this, with many saying that "they appear to be active", "most have served the region in some capacity" and "have proven themselves capable". However, anything can happen once the election begins.

A popular former minister may choose not to run, leaving the field wide open. An enthusiastic legislator with a bold agenda and the skills to enact it could prove to be just what voters did not know they wanted and turn what seemed like a slam dunk into a competitive election. In the end this survey only captures part of the picture; it is the job of each legislator to complete this picture by considering their chances and deciding that they might just have what the region needs.

Editor's Note: Follow this link for the report with the statistical data that was used to write this piece.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 08 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
MINISTER OF ENGAGEMENT INTERVIEW
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participant: Luca

Welcome to the June 2021 Minister of Engagement Interview!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this interview with Luca, candidate for Minister of Engagement. This interview is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this interview will consist of a single section:

• The only section will feature questions on the candidate’s qualifications, intended policies and their vision for the coming term.

The candidate is asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked.

Opening Remarks

[Luca] I'm afraid I've prepared no opening statement. I'm excited to be here, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to participate in the government of the South Pacific. The platform that I'm running on is rather simplistic. It's launched out of necessity to staff the office with a competent worker that's interested in the South's wellbeing and its oriented especially at outreach to members of the region who may not know much about who we are, what we do, and why they should be a part of our institution.

You've had some time to look at the state of the region, and particularly as a newcomer your perspective is probably fresher than that of others. What do you think are some key challenges facing the region in terms of engagement?

[Luca] The best perspective that I have to answer this is my own experiences getting acquainted with the region. And that experience is based a bit on the ease or disease of access that I've had in other regions. In some ways, the South is very open to newcomers and I think we express this with our citizenship and rights afforded to them. But like any region, I think we could benefit a bit more from giving a clearer picture of what we do and how to get involved. I think the staffing for ministries and the application process to those ministries would probably be the most helpful at the moment.

You have said in your campaign that a significant issue is the way in which newcomers are explained the basics; for example, how the role of legislator was explained to you as "like citizens". What steps would you take to assess the issue and address it accordingly?

[Luca] Well, one of the ideas that I have is that is to paint a better overview of the government departments and what they do presented to the region. We do have something that functions like a master dispatch, but like a lot of TSP's dispatches, it's rather long, and doesn't present a narrowly defined objective of advertising the ministries. Beyond that dispatch, I believe that each area of government, including the ministries, including the work and role of Legislators and LCs should be highlighted to newcomers and people who generally just hang out in our chat.

To that end, we could be organising periodic events that spotlight these areas, presented by the people who know them best, and advertised here as low-key festivals to boost interest and enrolment.

Are there other similar issues that you think need addressing in terms of how citizens perceive the government and interact with officials?

[Luca] At this time, I haven't noticed many issues in this area. We have a lot of friendly people in the government who are willing to talk to newcomers, introducing themselves and welcoming them to the region. I do think it is vital that we continue doing this and that everyone, no matter their rank, station, or seniority, engages with new players and tries to make them feel at home. We are, ultimately, all people who are here for a sense of community.

Since its creation the Ministry of Engagement has worked on a number of projects, such as the dispatch system, card farming, and the wiki. In fact, the outgoing leadership has talked much about leaving a working infrastructure to whoever is elected next. Considering this, which projects would you prioritise if elected?

[Luca] I would absolutely prioritise the dispatch system.

We see a lot of activity here in the chat, people who are more invested in the government of the region are more likely to see activity on the forum, but all players see the region. There's lots of folks out there who will, in fact, only ever see the region. So the information that we can present to them through the dispatch system is the most vital, the most helpful to giving them an idea of what they can do and how. Information in all of our dispatches needs to be oriented to the player who wants to find out more or find out the latest about who we are, what we do, and how we're doing it.

Are there any other projects, either existing or new ones, that you would want to develop at some point during the term, if elected?

[Luca] I would like to see the cards program pushed to a release during the upcoming term. I've seen the plans for it, and I know that the total idea of the program is complex, but we do really need to get something up and running to keep people engaged. We've seen cards used in other regions as useful incentives, and tools that can assist delegate transitions, and so this is an available asset that we could be using. I think we only need a little more of a push to get there, and I'm happy to contribute what resources I can to that goal.

The agenda for the Ministry of Engagement can be ambitious, particularly given the technical demands of its projects. How would you ensure that things move along in the ministry? That is, how would you respond if staff did not participate or yield adequate results when asked to handle assignments?

[Luca] I think if there's a work dynamic that's not working, we need to (in an actual situation) go into depth about what about it doesn't work. Are the staffers uncomfortable, are they clear on how to carry out the work, are they available and willing in their free time to help contribute to our region? There's a lot of questions there, but certainly the answer is not to push nose to the grindstone and bang it out, we have figure it out and find something sustainable. I have a little more time than most people right now, but even I can only do the best I can. As long as work is steady, we'll all find a way to get there.

You have talked in your campaign about what you call a "corporate boardroom-style" to presentations and updates. How do you think the ministry should handle updates and accountability moving forward?

[Luca] Well really, in the way they already are. There's already an update thread about ministry projects and the updates that are going out to them when they are ready. My critique relates to the threads about each individual project, which feature corporate organisational themes, and are written in a way that expects a high standard of relevant update posts talking about their development. And I'm not sure any of those actually had any updates at all beyond placeholders, most of those threads have scarcely any views as well. So we should be putting effort into the main thread and not worrying so much about presenting these other threads as though we need to appeal to investors.

You are, at the end of the day, relatively new as a legislator. What would you say to voters who might have questions about your record within the region and your qualifications to serve as Minister of Engagement?

[Luca] I would say that my history is publicly linked in my TSP forum signature, as well as my NS forum signature. I'm pretty big on documentation for relevant NS areas, and my records on private community work are also accessible if anyone wishes to read up on those. I'm always available if anyone wishes to talk to me about my present or my past, and what ideas I have about the future. They just have to ask.

This is the first time you are running for office in the region. What exactly motivated you to run in this election and for this office in particular?

[Luca] As I've said in my opening post, I think there's a responsibility for people to be engaged with the region if they are able and willing. I have experience in the subject on infrastructure development and maintenance, and so I feel there's a responsibility for me to apply that familiarity to work that has to be done anyway. I'm interested in other areas of government work quite a bit, including World Assembly Affairs and representing TSP as a top tier defender organisation at update. Those areas are well handled by other capable workers at this time.

Desserts are a contentious issue in the region. Do you prefer cake or pie?

[Luca] lol I'm definitely down for some pie any time.

Closing Remarks

[Luca] I think that what's most important is working together with people, talking to them, finding out what's going on, and seeing what we can do to make any situation better. TSP definitely benefits a lot from that ideology already and I think that's the core of our strong democracy. By applying this to our outreach especially, I think we can make new friends and strengthen the ones we have. Ultimately, I'm excited to see what we can do.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 10 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
MINISTER OF DEFENCE DEBATE
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participants: HumanSanity and Quebecshire

Welcome to the June 2021 Minister of Defence Debate!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this debate with HumanSanity and Quebecshire, candidates for Minister of Defence. This debate is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this debate will consist of three sections:

• The first section will feature questions for all candidates on their qualifications, intended policies and their visions for the coming term.
• The second section will feature specific questions for each candidate.
• The third section will allow each candidate to ask one question to their opponent(s), after which a few minutes for discussion will be allowed.

Candidates are asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to invite the other candidate to answer or to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked. If any candidate wishes to respond to their opponent at any time, they should first ask for the floor; the goal of this is to keep an orderly flow of discussion and avoid excessive interruptions.

Opening Remarks

[HumanSanity] Hi, I'm HumanSanity and I'm running for Minister of Defense because I believe I bring the organization-building focus that the SPSF needs right now.

W&S' term has seen a huge boost in SPSF activity and we've acquired a handful of new members from other organizations. This speaks well to the reputation the SPSF already has within established defender circles, something we should continue to grow on. My campaign is about taking this flurry of growth and attempting to fully utilize the resources available to us to grow the SPSF. My campaign is focused on recruiting, retention, positive community, and infrastructure building to ensure the SPSF can become a more significant contributor to defending. I've laid out an ambitious but specific plan for how to expand the reach of SPSF recruiting, how to train and integrate new personnel, an approach and mindset for the creation of positive community, and the building of key infrastructure. I look forward to being able to discuss these ideas in the debate and thank SPINN for hosting today.

My ultimate goal is an SPSF by TSPers, for TSPers, and serving TSP's values of democratic self-determination abroad. I believe I have the experience, determination, and regional focus to execute on these ideas.

[Quebecshire] I'm looking forward to debating and discussing the issues with HumanSanity. We both have written very large campaign platforms, and it will be nice to now be able to talk one on one with the public audience.

Recently, the SPSF has seen an increase in activity with new core members and the beginning of the summer. I believe that moving forward we should focus on building internal infrastructure for activity among both our active updaters and the Tidal Force and increase off-update training for newer members. As one of the largest defender militaries globally, it is important we maintain a strong fighting force to defend ourselves, our allies, and the innocent regions throughout the world.

I believe the Ministry will be in great hands regardless of the result of the election, but I believe I have the experience and leadership focus to make a strong Minister of Defense.

What do you think is the current state of the Special Forces (SPSF) in overall terms? Is the SPSF better off today than it was four months ago?

[HumanSanity] The SPSF is self-evidently better off today than it was four months ago. Four months ago, we were lucky to pull 2 updaters at any given update. Today, getting 5 is pretty standard. That's huge improvement we should continue to build on.

W&S' term also saw the launching of the Tidal Force program, which is both an opportunity for us to get more good defending work done by harnessing the piler power of a feeder region to conduct detags and support passwording/refound operations and can serve as a long-term pathway to getting on-site users integrated with our updating force.

The area where I believe we're weak is infrastructure as it relates to recruiting, training, and retention, which is the focus of my campaign.

[Quebecshire] I concur that the SPSF is definitely better off than it was four months ago. We've had a strong increase in both membership and skill, notably with HS and Luca joining in March. Regular updating has made many of our chasers very skill-full, being able to move in 2s or less at times. The growth in a core updater group is a huge step forward which has happened recently. Additionally, the summer has allowed others who were otherwise busy to be able to update.

Like HS mentioned, the Tidal Force has done quite well. Unfortunately, the TF was held up in The Global Union Consortium for nearly a month, but since then has resumed detagging operations under its coorindators. I believe this is crucial to keeping pilers and emergency liberators active, and I hope to see this continue.

I believe our weakest points are training (hence my campaign's note of encouraging more off-update and diverse training) and outreach (such as advertising what the SPSF is up to regularly in the hopes of keeping people informed and gaining new interested members).

You both mention the importance of recruitment and training. What issues is the SPSF facing today, in terms of recruitment and retention? Stemming from that, do you think any such issues have an effect on the Special Forces' ability to be a leading defender force across NationStates?

[Quebecshire] I believe that it's quite difficult to retain a lot of people at first advertisement. Only so many people want to commit, and fewer want to be up every day at midnight and noon (or their respective times) to chase and detag, as is the case for normal updates. So you have a pool of people willing to join, and fewer who will be interested in active involvement.

I think the Tidal Force is our best bet at integrating people over time, as it gives a more viable option for involvement and growth in the military. Additionally, more public updates on SPSF occurrences such as with Cabinet Twitter on the Forum and active reporting would enhance public awareness.

As far as leading a defender force, that lies on our leaders in the faction, primarily in Libcord. The SPSF is in a good position to continue to have a vocal role in Libcord leadership, and that can be backed effectively with our recent increase in updaters. However, stagnation or inactivity can threaten that position of notice-ability and it's important that we continue to maintain and grow the SPSF to ensure it can have a leading role moving forward.

[HumanSanity] The SPSF is facing an issue with getting new South Pacificans in the doors of the SPSF, getting them trained and ready to participate in update operations, and with keeping them interested and their activity focused on the SPSF. I remarked in #leg-lounge the other day that we have relatively little TSP-originating and TSP-dedicated talent right now, instead largely relying on members moving from other organizations (obviously, it's a bit hypocritical for me to say such a thing, but I speak to the trend I wish to create).

In terms of recruiting, we are simply not doing enough cooperation with the Ministries of Media and Engagement to get our message out there. I have elaborated on this at length in my campaign, but we need to be doing more regular promotion through the Ministry of Media which uses multiple different strategies to promote the image of the SPSF to potential new members, we need to work with the Ministry of Engagement to organize, update, and consolidate our on-site promotional materials, and we need to do Q&As on-site (in conjunction with the LC) and on Discord about the experiences of our updaters.

In terms of retention, I believe this is two fold. First is training: we need to actually have this in a structured fashion. My campaign talks about how to use our existing rank structure, especially for the transition from Trainee to Soldier, to train new members. I want to raise specific umbrage with Quebecshire's post in his campaign thread that we should be relying on our allies in Libcord for this type of training. We should attempt to do the initial stages of training in SPSF barracks. The reason being that Libcord is a large server with a lot of big egos and where people rarely take dedicated time to work with newer members unless they explicitly ask for it, which many are uncomfortable doing. Even as a fairly experienced defender, having been on and off the battlefield for over a decade, I found this environment intimidating at first. Carving out space for initial training in SPSF areas will allow new members to become comfortable working with smaller groups.

Lastly, for retention, our goal is not just daily updaters but our deeper bench we can call on for liberations.

Second, we need to focus on positive community, which I spoke about elsewhere at length and I won't delve into here as much.

Some militaries have a "one organisation policy" where their members cannot be simultaneously be members of other military organisations. Do you believe that such a policy is something that the SPSF should explore? What potential upsides or downsides do you see from this?

[HumanSanity] I personally believe "one organization policies" are beneficial in the long term for an organization. While they somewhat restrict the liberty of updaters (although they retain the ability to act as mercenaries as long as it does not go against the organization's prerogatives), it minimizes issues with the siphoning of personnel to focus on other organizations, which I think is a significant concern. We see how other organizations with such a policy - namely NPA and TITO - do an excellent job at retaining the focus of their members in line with their objectives.

At the same time, the SPSF is not currently in a position for such a shift as it would substantially restrict our personnel and I would not push for one. Many of our updaters are members of other organizations, and I have to respect that. It would also not be within my discretion as MoD to change because the Military Code explicitly permits it.

Finally, I want to note that my sole focus as MoD would be on the SPSF. I am a member of only one organization and see no reason that will change. My ire about regionalism is not just a political tactic, it is something I adhere to in my interactions, and the SPSF would have my full attention as its Minister.

[Quebecshire] I do not believe that policy would be beneficial for the SPSF, at least at this time. First, let's be open about the fact that I'm a member of another organization, The League's Defense Forces. I was largely the driving force behind its re-establishment/re-introduction to defending and growth, and I am still one of its higher up members - just so we're all clear on that as I discuss this issue.

Now moving on to the crux of the policy itself. I believe everyone in the SPSF should without a doubt have to disclose what other organizations they are in and keep the Ministry up to date on any non-SPSF operations either with another military or as a mercenary. That said, let's look at some of our active updaters in the Tsunami Force. Moonfungus, myself, and W&S (if you consider the FRA to be a standing organization, if not, then not him) are all in a second organization.

Two of our Generals, Roavin and Nakari, also hold membership in a second organization. While I have faith that they are loyal to TSP first, I do not believe that the impacts of pursuing this policy would be beneficial to the SPSF at this time. In the future, I might be open to it, but to put it simply, it would cause a distraction and strain from more important goals if pursued in this term.

My joint-membership is not a decision I came to lightly and is the result of my desire to be involved with and contribute to TSP after my decision to hand over the reigns of civilian government in The League. If elected, the Coalition would be my foremost priority.

A cursory review of forum threads and gameside dispatches shows missing information and out of date rosters. What role does record-keeping and, more broadly, transparency and accountability, play in your view on how to manage the Special Forces?

[Quebecshire] I think we should realign our recordkeeping. As I explained in my campaign, I think nightly reports should be logged in a channel on this Discord server in the Ministry's category in a format displaying SPSF members, operations conducted, and then which allied forces/groups the operations are conducted alongside (if any).

I'm aware there is a forum thread designed to do this, but it has not been updated recently and I do not think it keeps strong public interest in its information. I would much rather a monthly compilation of all data logged in Discord-held reports to show the full operations of the month, the operations by member, and so on. For rosters, I think we need a complete re-do and audit/review/inventory (couldn't think of a perfect word for it, apologies) of our membership to confirm members and post a full roster of leadership, Tsunami Force, and Tidal Force membership.

I think this change would improve public understand of what we do, keep us on our toes, and furthermore improve the record-keeping system overall. Beyond this, it keeps us transparent and accountable as we would include the types of operations, notes on them if necessary, and other information that is deeply relevant to the Assembly and citizenry.

[HumanSanity] I have explicitly addressed how I would rectify these problems in my campaign, as well as when in the course of my term I would turn myself to these tasks. On a theoretical level, these are very important to me as the SPSF is unique among major defender militaries because it is subject to public civilian oversight from the Assembly, which I believe is essential to the democratic character of the South Pacific.

Getting the forum records thread up to date would be a quick piece of manual labor early on in my term. A bit more intensive but very "worth it" would be a private check in with all SPSF members currently on the roster which would result in a public and updated roster being available. I've also identified that keeping the thread updated would be a weekly to do list item for me during the term and that I will allow Officers to be active in this process as well. I have also identified a record-keeping system using Spreadsheets with periodic public updates on member-specific statistics to be a late-term priority for my term. I believe this approach is both more democratic/transparent and more sustainable than the approach favored by my opponent.

Getting on-site Dispatches up to date will be more laborious, but is perhaps the most significant part of my strategy working with the Ministry of Defense. That's an early term priority, and hopefully we'd have something public on it after a month in office.

As to transparency and accountability more broadly, I've explained how I would use my Office thread to cultivate accountability by both digesting and explaining major trends in our update reports and providing periodic updates on progress for ongoing Ministry projects.

Earlier this year there was an incident with the North Pacific regarding the practice of quorum raiding. What position do you personally have towards quorum raiding and how do you think the Special Forces should approach future instances of it, and particularly when it involves facing allies?

[HumanSanity] First off, I want to clarify something - we go against our allies in the field all the time. Just last night Quebec and I were both defending against NPA and EPSA, which are two treaty allies.

As a result, we should feel comfortable defending against quorum raids of any region which is not itself fascist. Anything else would betray the democratic ideals of self-determination which are the basis of our philosophy. If I had been in W&S' officer chair at that time, I absolutely would have ordered those defenses. This is an essential part of our identity, and respectful/good allies will segment this off as just another military engagement, just like we will.

As to how to approach it in the future, I have laid out a brief strategy in my campaign. Any time there is a potentially quorum raid-targeted resolution in queue, we should begin outreach to other defender militaries with an investment in defending quorum raids (and the democratic process of the WA more generally) as early as possible to prepare our defense party. These efforts would also include preparing to contact natives we are unable to successfully defend about their recourse (e.g. the need to restore their approvals after they regain the Delegate seat). As someone who is active in the SC drafting community, I am uniquely well positioned to do this. Early in my term I would also reach out to other defender militaries about general rules of the road as it relates to this, including shared operational spaces if Libcord is ruled a poor venue for that specific operation for any reason.

[Quebecshire] What made the issue the whole ordeal it was not the quorum defenses. Like HumanSanity said, just last night we chased the NPA and EPSA all around the world. Being on opposite sides of the battlefield is not something new, and the Aurora Alliance mentions that this does not constitute hostility. What created the issue was The North Pacific's conscious decision to attack, malign, and mischaracterize us. The SPSF did absolutely nothing wrong and I would have done nothing different were I presented with that decision.

If elected, and in any other military leadership capacities, I will order quorum defenses of any regions with are not themselves fascist or OOC problematic. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the offensive military to inform us of these realities, as chasing is a fast paced environment in which we cannot often identity and evaluate targets.

On aftermath issues, I agree that we should contact the natives to inform them of the necessity to reinstate approvals if they are hit, and even if they are not, inform them of the situation (and perhaps encourage measure such as increasing endorsement gaps until after the resolution has passed or offering further support).

Perhaps on a more extreme note, I would seek to respond to quroum raiding with a higher priority than tag raiding if the two are happening concurrently. Tags can be undone the following update that does not have a necessity for chasing by a detagging squad, whereas well-timed quorum raiding can completely manipulate and override the democratic processes of the World Assembly.

HumanSanity, your campaign highlights the importance of culture. Could you expand on your ideas about the role of culture in growing and strengthening the role of the Special Forces in the South Pacific and in NationStates Gameplay?

[HumanSanity] I believe that culture, and positive community specifically, are an essential component of a defender moralist philosophy. e.g. why do we defend, we defend so people can have access to the communities that are important and which do good for them. I believe this focus on positive community should also appear in our approach to building a military. The culture of a military must be positive (meaning not defined by extreme negative antagonism/confrontation) and autonomous (meaning not dependent on outside influences or organizations) to be truly sustainable, otherwise it falls to operational headwinds as a few bad nights on the battlefield can lead to alienation from the project. The vision I articulate is somewhat utopian, but it is an ideal worth striving for, and the attitude I in my day to day presence attempt to reflect is one that I believe will help cultivate this community and culture, regardless of if I am elected or not. Additionally, my term would include explicit cultural events for the SPSF.

I believe having a strong culture is the single most important thing for a NS military. Without that, a military cannot retain its members, it cannot invite new ones, and they're all easily picked off either by other organizations or simply by disinterest in continuing in the organization.

Quebecshire, your campaign mentions the importance of general defending, operations against quorum raiding and antifascism. Do you envision a common theme or thread that would help convey the mission of the SPSF to all three of soldiers, citizens and the broader world?

[Quebecshire] I think those values all go hand in hand, relatively, especially the former two. Quorum defending is simply an extension of and specific type of defending. I included it specifically due to my strong personal beliefs on it as well as its relevance due to the TNP controversy. As I've said in contexts outside this campaign, I consider fascism to be an OOC issue and I do not recognize the sovereignty of any fascist region. Antifascist operations also provide good practice and morale to our soldiers while contributing to an important cause.

My vision for the SPSF is simple. We are a hardline defender organization and we will not be bullied by foreign militaries or shouted down by those acting in poor faith. Our duty is to defend the Coalition and its interests, and that is best advanced by being a defender military in all in-character cases in which we can. While we are the military of this region at the end of the day, the cause of defenderism is a crucial one which we cannot stray from.

Cross Questioning and Discussion

[Quebecshire] In your campaign your briefly mention placing sleepers as an off-update contribution to our interests and defending by our members, though on a volunteer basis. Would you be open to establishing an SPSF-specific sleeper program to encourage and/or direct members (specifically Officers and above) to each build and develop their own networks of sleepers, if they do not already have them?

[HumanSanity] Yes! I have had an idea for this for many months but I've never gotten to work on it, and I somewhat considered it a low enough priority to not make it into my campaign and I'll probably work on it only if I get some other stuff done first, either way -

Sleepers (nations in founderless regions which accumulate influence to complicate occupations) are important in two spots. They're important in a spot where a less-raided region is being targeted and we need an anchorpoint as our lead or we need to attempt a refound or passwording (with native consent). They're also important where a common/major target is being attacked (e.g. Japan, Belgium, Equestria, etc.) and we need to be able to get numbers into the region which are difficult for raiders to eject. For the former, I would (time permitting) create an SPSF-only sleeper registry. For the latter, I would (again, time permitting) encourage SPSF personnel, especially non-updater pilers, to place a set of sleepers in 8-12 core commonly raided regions. The reason being that if those regions are hit, having more nations who wouldn't even be able to jump on a liberation already "in" the region and at high influence to eject will substantially aid liberation efforts.

You are both active in and an active leader of another military (the LDF), including doing regular work on its activity, training personnel, etc. What guarantee can you provide the SPSF and its mission and rhetorical style (which varies from the LDF's) will be your priority during your term?

[Quebecshire] As background, for those unaware, the LDF's reintroduction to defending was largely at the direction of myself and was aided by The Order of the Grey Wardens in particular. I would characterize the ideology held by that organization to be that of a more moralistic/political version of TGW's ideology and inclination. While I remain involved in military affairs to ensure its members can stay competent and grow as defenders since I have mentored many of them, I am not the person directing Leaguer foreign policy (which I an interpreting to involve/include rhetorical style and mission ideology) beyond at most an advisory role on those matters. I resigned as Chief Consul at the conclusion of the last month for reasons which I explained in relative detail in my resignation dispatch/announcements. The ultimate deciders of Leaguer ideology, rhetoric, and policy are Terranihil and Creeperopolis. As I stated many times to The League, I was scaling my activity back in essentially all forms other than military-specific work. If any TL related affairs came to the cabinet during a hypothetical Ministry under my leadership, I would abstain from those discussions as an extra safeguard on that.

This is of course a fair question to ask, and I would not run for Minister of Defense if I did not intend to prioritize the Coalition as Minister. I was deeply humbled to receive several nominations for the position despite being so new, and whether I am elected or not I hope to continue to work for and contribute to the South Pacific. I expect the public to hold me accountable to this promise of prioritization and hope I can meet those expectations.

[HumanSanity] "I would characterize the ideology held by that organization to be that of a more moralistic/political version of TGW's ideology and inclination." What does that mean?

[Quebecshire] The LDF's main if not near-exclusive exposure to defending (outside of myself and maybe one or two other people) has been through wardens. Most of my knowledge and training has been given by Warden Commanders, for example, with the notable exception of working with W&S at minor updates and learning in that manner. I think the LDF and its other members are very TGW-adjacent in mindset, though The League's government also has interests beyond solely military affairs (which TGW does not for the most part) and is more inclined to accept "raiding is wrong" than some TGW leadership who may be more inclined to competitiveness and non-morality based rhetoric.

Sorry if that was unclear in my original answer.

[HumanSanity] This is fair, although this TGW-adjacentness has resulted in some bombastic rhetoric becoming a part of your personal and the LDF's generally forte. To be incredibly blunt: In the past, you have been incredibly abrasive towards other militaries, including in ways that I am concerned could present diplomatic issues if you were elected (for example, you have said repeatedly you wanted to print the Independent Manifesto on toilet paper and want to wipe feces with it, keeping in mind we have multiple allies who are Independent or unaligned and who we want to work with militarily) and go beyond ideological distinctions which are directly connected to the goals of the SPSF. Will this be walked back if you're elected?

Respectfully, you're an amazing organizer, but this is something that should be discussed if you're running for office.

[Quebecshire] My personal opinions about what is mostly known as capital-I independent ideology (and the jokes about it between myself and other individuals, in this case, Frenchy mainly) would not take any sort of priority over my responsibility as Minister. While I may be vocal in my commentary, I have built cooperative apparatuses with organizations that are independent and unaligned in my other leadership capacities (namely the JTF and Thaecia). I understand the concern of my personal rhetoric, but I do believe I have been able to build and maintain similar relationships and could continue to do so in an official capacity as Minister.

In a more general sense, I'm aware of the expectations of a cabinet member, which in many cases involve either silence/abstention from comment on an issue or rhetorical moderation. I intend to serve the Coalition as its government sees fit and appropriate whilst appropriately maintaining my personal values.

Closing Remarks

[HumanSanity] I close where I started. I'm running for Minister of Defense because I believe I have the correct skills, experience, and approach to lead the SPSF through its next stage. We need strong organization-building to help us capitalize on our current gains and my campaign represents a detailed strategy to get us there.

My approach will consistently be the development of positive community within the SPSF supplemented with strong recruiting and retention tactics. I have a proven track record of successful work on NS projects and in NS communities and my rhetoric and character consistently matches the purposes I state I wish to pursue in my campaign. Being a community-oriented, inwardly-focused moralist is not a new coat of paint for me.

Regardless of who you vote for, I thank everyone for taking the time to sort through the incredibly detail-oriented campaign both Quebec and I have run. Regardless of the result, I look forward to working with Quebec and the rest of the SPSF in the upcoming term to help advance the SPSF and its goals.

[Quebecshire] I hope that the audience has enjoyed this debate. I launched my campaign because I believe I could make an effective Minister in gaining new members and improving our infrastructure in updating, recordkeeping, and off-update training for new members.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this campaign process. I think a lot of important issues have come up, ranging from culture to day-to-day functions to rhetorical approach. I hope the voters feel we have given them sufficient information to make a decision during the election itself, and if not, I am of course still open to any questions that anyone wishes to direct to my campaign.

The SPSF is in a strong position right now, and it is my hope that I would be given the mandate as Minister to continue to build on this foundation and improve our standing both in the faction and in global military power. I have a strong history in building activity and getting new people involved in defending on active and impassioned levels. Whether I am elected or not I hope to put my skills and dedication towards continuing to work for our Coalition.

To everyone who has read the campaign threads and this debate, thank you for all of the time and attention you have provided us during this election cycle. I am quite excited to see how the SPSF is able to advance its own development as well as our region's interests in the upcoming term. Thank you.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 10 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
PRIME MINISTER DEBATE
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participants: Islands of Unity and Witchcraft & Sorcery

Welcome to the June 2021 Prime Minister Debate!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this debate with Islands of Unity and Witchcraft & Sorcery, candidates for Prime Minister. This debate is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this debate will consist of three sections:

• The first section will feature questions for all candidates on their qualifications, intended policies and their visions for the coming term.
• The second section will feature specific questions for each candidate.
• The third section will allow each candidate to ask one question to their opponent(s), after which a few minutes for discussion will be allowed.

Candidates are asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to invite the other candidate to answer or to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked. If any candidate wishes to respond to their opponent at any time, they should first ask for the floor; the goal of this is to keep an orderly flow of discussion and avoid excessive interruptions.

Opening Remarks

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Hi everyone! Thanks to Islas for an excellent campaign so far and thanks to SPINN for hosting this debate and dealing with my very tight schedule this week.

I’m running for Prime Minister not because I’m trying to shake things up or because I have some new idea that I think will make TSP better, but because I’m competent, experienced, and a proven leader who tackles issues head-on without much fuss or drama. I’m running on a platform that can best be summarized as “bringing some reliability to the Cabinet.” One of the common threads I see throughout a lot of issues facing TSP both at home and abroad is that we do good work, but people don’t know what to expect from us or when. At home, I want to focus on deadline-setting, scheduling, and creating achievable goals for the ministries and their projects. Abroad, that looks like assessing military and FA issues in a consistent manner so that our allies know what to expect from us and we know what to expect from them.

My time as Minister of Defense has shown that I’m a consensus-builder, a battle-tested leader, and someone who can generate excitement and activity in the areas in which I’m involved. It’s those qualities which I will bring to the Executive branch and why I hope I’ll earn your vote to be TSP’s next Prime Minister.

[Islands of Unity] See that’s where I’m the opposite, don’t you want a PM who rides a motorcycle and has a leather jacket? Maybe a little bit of the wild side is needed occasionally. I have ideas for the cabinet but the priorities I hold are like strengthen the defender cause and help with the growth and sustained integration of new players in tsp, these are the demands of the voters. I don’t think I have anything to say that’s too wild or radical for Roavin tbh, and tbh I’m just having fun with running for PM, I feel like either of us would do really well.

Glad to be here glad to help out glad to be Islas :sunglasses:

How do you see the region today? That is, are things measurably better than four month ago, simply alright but otherwise stagnated, or are they worse?

[Islands of Unity] The region faces particular issues with staffing, and focus. These problems aren’t insurmountable, and tbh the solution seems as easy as crushing the complacency that leads to elections with less candidates and voters than this one, I believe a majority of candidates this election will seek to implement the integration policies or ones similar enough to the integration policies I’ve been calling for since forever, the newsflash is that integration is coming and it’ll be here soon.

Focus is an issue that I should self criticize on, I have to acknowledge that this area is one I have room for improvement on, and it’s one that I’ll have to keep at my organizational tasks forefront.

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] This is an interesting question. In many ways I think things are better - but there is a long way to go. For one, I’ve seen a noticeable dip in activity as the term has gone on, largely due to various ministers’ RL obligations. That’s okay, but we need to be honest and figure out how things can proceed in our absence. My department, the SPSF, has seen a surge in activity this term and will only get stronger with either of the two candidates, but other areas have seen a bit of stagnation. The MoC had a lot of events planned but not many of them have come to fruition. Some FA issues have stagnated. My goal is to make sure that doesn’t happen - that there’s a sense of consistency even when a minister has to take a break.

Overall, I’d say things are certainly in a better spot than four months ago. There’s work to be done, but I can definitely say the trend is positive. Islas is correct that staffing is a major issue - recruitment and advertising saw a big drop this term and I hope we’ll take some steps to fixing that, as well as setting realistic and achievable goals for ourselves.

[Islands of Unity] I should point out that the effects of not being able to fill out a complete election ballot with candidates is felt in the form of like legislative inactivity until the recent island of activity for a while.

When it gets to the point of the former the latters well underway.

Speaking of (in)activity, the consistent use of the Cabinet Twitter thread is a constant promise that is rarely kept once candidates become ministers. Are there any avenues for accountability and promotion, beyond the Cabinet Twitter, that you consider worth exploring and that would be used consistently?

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Yeah, that's one thing I noticed last term. I was the only serious user of Cabinet Twitter and even I didn't really have much to update with - but that had more to do with a general slowdown in Cabinet Twitter-worthy defender ops than my laziness about using it. Defenders are dominant right now and raiding is barely active.

That said, we need to be developing gameside outreach for this kind of stuff even more than we already do. Ever since my MoD campaign I've been looking at ways to increase the SPSF's reach into the gameside crowd, which culminated in the Tidal Force relaunch, and I'm happy to see both Quebec and HS commit to more gameside outreach beyond what I've done in their respective campaigns.

As PM I want to make sure the same holds true for the other ministries - this is something I'll look forward to working especially with the new Minister of Engagement on but also each individual minister. I truly believe the government has an obligation to be at least somewhat accessible on the gameside level and we should be doing as much as we can to keep them informed about forum and discord goings-on.

[Islands of Unity] I would try to do a VC thing as often as feasible for direct communication with the Public from myself and the ministers, the written sheets of information and updates will be sent over to be a duty of the Llama Drama publication in the media ministry, a creation under my regime that I’m hamfistedly enriching here.

I would ensure that I’m held to the schedule of interaction by asking that specific individuals here hold me accountable in addition to a calendar reminder to regularly go out and fireside chat.

Other executives would be expected to do the same, barring the loa stuff some of us dealt with this term.

While you are running for Prime Minister, other candidates are also running for other offices with their own agendas. How do you expect to manage the Cabinet during the term in terms of aligning the various ministerial agendas, producing a common agenda and ensuring that this agenda is met?

[Islands of Unity] So the thing is that I have already seen strong evidence of a general want for integration policy from the candidates, I am sure that whoever wins will have the biggest single hand in shaping the direction and course of TSP bc of the principal that many already support the ideas at the highest levels.

Aside from that, I haven’t finished it yet but my campaign will lay out 2-3 specific agenda points for each ministry and maybe a few general ones that would probably serve as my focus for activity during my regime.

For example I would like to propose perhaps an issues committee who could recommend responses to issues that could allow us greater siteside ideological consensus for a general idea or as I’ve mentioned before I’d like to instruct the ministry of culture to stage vc theatrical performances, Islas the musical coming soon.

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] This is one of my great strengths as a leader, both in real life and in NS. I was captain of my school’s mock trial teams and I had a skill of taking talent that was expected to underperform and producing results with them - I’m very good at identifying people’s strengths and maximizing their potential.

My standing question to the other ministers is going to be “what do you need from me?” - whenever there’s a gap that needs to be filled or a fire that needs to be put out, I’m there. As HS rightly pointed out about me in legislators lounge some time ago, I’m very active in the community on the ground and in chat a lot, so I’m in tune with the lay of the land and I have a good sense for what needs to be done so that we can have a unified front and set agendas for the whole cabinet.

That doesn’t mean ministers won’t have broad autonomy to do their own projects - of course they will. As PM my goal will be to reconcile things where they need to be reconciled and ensure the ministers have the tools, resources, and direction they need to be successful.

Broadly speaking, I want to make sure each ministry sets achievable goals for itself and sticks to them - not to over promise and have some form of consistency.

Are there any particular policies that you hope to advance or otherwise prioritise during the term?

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Yeah, agenda-setting per ministry is one of my big goals, actually. I think it's critically important that a ministry like the MoC, for example, sets up and maintains a consistent culture calendar. That can be extended to all of the home ministries - making sure they set reasonable agendas and stick to them is my number one priority here. I'm also going to dedicate the majority of my card farming operation to providing resources to the card program - we need to make sure that gets out of the gate this term.

On the whole cabinet level, we need more public cabinet meetings, period. That was a huge success of the last term and we'll be doing at least one of those per month in my administration.

Externally, I'm a soldier at heart. You all know that. We're going to maintain our steadfast commitment to the PfS and to sovereignty across the game, and I'm excited to work with the Minister of Defense on increasing the actual gameside presence of the SPSF - finishing the work I started as MoD, so to speak.

[Islands of Unity] I hope to make it legally obligated that any lampshade that passes into the bar is transferred to my account.

During the integration push I hope to do a fair consisting of displays or activities set up by the regional government ministries and offices, people could be informed on what the functions of various areas are while also having fun and doing what makes a community best: hanging out and being one.

In general the strengthening of the defender ideology and the push for integration are the two biggest and most impactful thing to focus on in the coming term.

Desserts are a contentious issue in the region. Do you prefer cake or pie?

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Pumpkin pie > apple pie > cake > other kinds of pie.

[Islands of Unity] Pie.

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Like everything else i have a complicated answer to this question.

[Islands of Unity] Cake is good as cheesecake.

Pumpkin or sweet potato wands?

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Pumpkin. Definitely not a fan of sweet potatoes.

Islas, you mentioned earlier that you are working on your campaign. What policies or ideas can voters expect in your campaign that you might not have had an opportunity to share during this debate, and why should voters expect you to be the most qualified choice for Prime Minister?

[Islands of Unity] I am open to exploring a process in which certain laws and privileges are extended to the Prime Minister, ofc only if I win.

I will be seeking to exploring new diplomatic relations with other regions, have a proposal for an artistic representation of the drama llama currency, and will be hoping to set up a complex spy ring reporter-journalist system throughout the regional gov to document and report on public ministry and for example court and LC buisness.

Who said anything about qualified I’m here to have fun!

I’d like to think and have been told that I can do well here as pm, I also recognize that I am still improving, and can do better. The one thing I can guarantee is the fun though.

W&S, your most prominent involvement in the region has been in the field of military gameplay. How would you approach the home ministries -Culture, Engagement, and Media- to ensure that they have the appropriate level of support from the top and also that they yield consistent results?

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] I've mentioned this in my campaign as well, but one of my biggest strengths as a leader is my ability to fill in wherever help is needed. I'm a "boots on the ground" type of soldier - my preferred method of involvement is putting my head down and getting the work done wherever it's needed. I'll be in regular contact with all of the ministers and they can expect to hear the words "What do you need from me?" a lot.

I find a lot of successful leadership comes down to just being available. My constant presence in chat makes me a natural fit for that type of position and I've taken part or led many projects over the years that make me not completely inexperienced with the type of work that the home ministries do. I hosted the 2017 Defender Awards that essentially brought them back from the dead, and more recently I provided a lot of the resources for TSP's cards program.

Cross Questioning and Discussion

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Islas, I’ve always known you as an excellent public servant, and I have great respect for the work you’ve done for TSP. Still, with regard to this specific election, you posted your campaign thread an hour before the debate started and it was not complete. I know you’ve made it a bit of a meme that you always post your campaigns super late, but how are the voters supposed to make an informed decision as to whether you’re the best candidate for the office if a) you give the people such little time to read and ask questions about your candidacy, and b) if you effectively ambush your opponent with your campaign and policy proposals with an hour of time to prepare before a debate?

[Islands of Unity] Well you see the thing is that I find it funny, and the voting populace detached and ironic they be, will probably enjoy it too! (Serious: I probably held onto this one too long, my apologies everyone).

To settle your concern that you hadn’t seen them before an hour ago, imagine how I feel.

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] I just had to ask the question - I'm still not sure how the voter is supposed to accurately judge your campaign if the opponent has to initiate a discussion about this as opposed to a real policy discussion.

[Islands of Unity] There is ofc still plenty of time for my ideas to get out there, in order to catch up maybe I could borrow some of the questions they asked you? I should have released it sooner we agree.

My question for wands is: Even if it gets tough when you’re prime minister you know you can call me to get a helping hand right?

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] Definitely.

[Islands of Unity] Where is the region heading with its issues in integration policy in your view? When will issues with it finally cause a major problem if not averted?

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] I think the government has not done a great job making itself known and available on the gameside level. With maybe a couple of exceptions, none of the current cabinet is really active on the RMB or gameside much at all. We've probably regressed in terms of recruitment and outreach this term - that's why I was a little tentative to say outright that the region is headed in a measurably positive direction. While i think the trend is overall that way, we need to do a lot more in terms of putting ourselves out there.

That means gameside platforms for the ministries, that means more telegrams advertising opportunities to get involved, that means unleashing our inner marketing executive, as I know Vietnam likes to call it. That's not just the MoE's job, that's the responsibility of the cabinet as a whole, and i think it will go a long way toward solving some of the staffing issues you've talked about.

Closing Remarks

[Witchcraft & Sorcery] I want to close by again thanking Islas for a good debate and SPINN for hosting - it's always a pleasure taking part in these. They're well run and the questions are always very good.

I hope I've shown today why I'm the best candidate for Prime Minister - I've got the experience and skill to lead the Executive to a new era of consistency and accountability. In my administration you'll see a marked increase in transparency, public meetings, and on-the-ground assessment to better meet ministries and the Assembly where they are at. That's my approach to leadership and that will be my approach to agenda-setting in the Cabinet. Thanks to everyone for tuning in and I hope I'll earn your vote for Prime Minister!

[Islands of Unity] I am proud to be here, I never pictured that I would be MoM or running for PM here this term, every step along the way was my desire to try to help out tsp, i can only imagine the places this desire will lead me next. I am here to have fun!, I think that the regional gov is headed towards brighter days and I’m excited to be a part of it. The moment is here and I can just feel that it’s right, that not only are we going to grow in a positive way as a region, but also that we’re going to have a lot of fun and not miss chances to make lasting impacts! Happy pride month! Happy elections! The lampshade thing from earlier wasn’t a joke (:P)! I hope I earn your vote but I hope more that we all have fun and make a change!

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 11 June 2021

EDITORIAL
ON THE REQUEST TO REMOVE DEBATE TRANSCRIPTS
The Editorial Board

On June 11 the Editorial Board received a request that the transcript of the Minister of Engagement Interview for the June 2021 Cabinet Election be removed from this organisation’s thread on the Gameplay forum, where it had been published as one of three venues maintained for the distribution of our media content. The request argued that "elections are a private regional matter and the opinions that candidates express, while held with the region's interest, will not always be appropriate for prime time television".

This request prompted a productive discussion among the Editorial Board regarding the role of journalism in the community and the prerogatives and privileges of private media within a democratic society. Resulting from this discussion, the Editorial Board has unanimously voted as follows:

• The request is declined and, therefore, the transcript of the Minister of Engagement Interview will not be removed from any venue where it is currently published.
• This organisation has, consistent with the right to freedom of the press, discretion to determine the time and place where it publishes its content, without any need to ask permission from, or otherwise notify, any third parties.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is, as its name suggests, an independent and privately owned media organisation. Its vision, mission and objectives are its own; they are not dictated by the Government of the South Pacific nor are they accountable to an electorate. The initiatives that are pursued and the content that is written, edited, published and distributed are consistent with the objective of ensuring the growth and development of the Network as the main media alternative within the South Pacific.

In response to the points raised by the request, we address them as follows:

• While content has not often been published on the Gameplay forum, it has still happened in the past, most recently with the publication of 3 Key Insights Ahead of the June 2021 Cabinet Election on 01 June 2021.
• Even if this organisation has never published election debates and interviews on the Gameplay forum, the practice is not without precedent within the region. The Southern Journal published its coverage of the November 2015 Cabinet Election on said venue, as was its prerogative as a news organisation.
• The invitation to participate in election debates and interviews comes with the logical expectation that full transcripts will be published in those venues that this organisation deems suitable. A cursory review of the coverage of the October 2020 and February 2021 Cabinet Elections will show this to be the case.
• The content of election debates and interviews can hardly be considered "logs", which could perhaps be subject to certain privacy concerns. These are discussions held on the record in a public venue. Any expectation that their distribution would be limited to a limited audience is naive and inconsistent with basic principles of journalism.
• The distribution of debate and interview transcripts to a foreign audience has no negative effect over the region, just as the publication of a piece that might criticise the government has no negative effect over the region. On the contrary, both are legitimate exercises of the free press that show the vitality of South Pacifican democracy.

This organisation performs a valuable service in its role as one of the foremost media organisations within the South Pacific. It informs the public and seeks to ask difficult questions that might not be asked otherwise. A perfect example of this is A Final Look at the Government before the New Year, which brought to the forefront of public debate the inactivity of the Cabinet at the time. A less obvious example are the election debates and interviews, which promote the confrontation of ideas and help the public see their candidates in real time.

This organisation is not, however, a public utility. It does not answer to any electorate other than its Editorial Board, and it does not seek to advance the interests of any public institution. This does not make SPINN an enemy, it simply makes it an organisation that exercises its right to freedom of the press to its logical consequence: sometimes it will make decisions that some will find disagreeable, and while it will hear those disagreements and consider them fairly, in the end it does not need to comply with them.

In the end, the Editorial Board does hope that this incident will not detract from what it considers to be a good record by SPINN of reporting the news, asking difficult questions and informing the public, particularly as it concerns the ongoing June 2021 Cabinet Election. There is much work to be done, and while not all will disagree with the way it is done, rest assured that the South Pacific Independent News Network will remain as it has always been, a clear reminder of the strength of this region’s commitment to freedom and democracy.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do reflect the views of the Editorial Board. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Cormactopia Prime]

On June 11 the Editorial Board received a request that the transcript of the Minister of Engagement Interview for the June 2021 Cabinet Election be removed from this organisation’s thread on the Gameplay forum, where it had been published as one of three venues maintained for the distribution of our media content. The request argued that "elections are a private regional matter and the opinions that candidates express, while held with the region's interest, will not always be appropriate for prime time television".

I just skimmed the interview and I didn't see anything wrong with it to warrant this concern in the first place?

[The Church of Satan]

Since when has election coverage been a problem? Every media outlet among the gameplay regions does it. -_-

[Unibot III]

My only criticism of SPINN’s statement is whether or not SPINN is private or public is immaterial —-a media corporation should be independent and the government’s request, in any democracy, would be inappropriate.

I find people have a unidimensional view of media in NS: either you’re a trashy private magazine churning out gossip or a second arm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a democracy, public media should also be independent of the government.

As for the incident at hand, c’mon what the hell. Coming from one hack to another, picking a fight with your regional press over the freedom of information ain’t bright.

[Independent News Network]

My only criticism of SPINN’s statement is whether or not SPINN is private or public is immaterial —-a media corporation should be independent and the government’s request, in any democracy, would be inappropriate.

It should be pointed out, and perhaps this was not made clear in the editorial, that the request came from a candidate, not from the government. To our knowledge, there has been no government interference into the operations of SPINN. That being said, our point does stand that elections are not a private affair and that we have a right to publish legitimate content in this forum.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 12 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS INTERVIEW
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participant: Qaweritoyu

Welcome to the June 2021 Minister of Foreign Affairs Interview!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this interview with Qaweritoyu, candidate for Minister of Foreign Affairs. This interview is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this interview will consist of a single section:

• The only section will feature questions on the candidate’s qualifications, intended policies and their vision for the coming term.

The candidate is asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked.

Opening Remarks

[Qaweritoyu] I didn't have one prepared in particular but I'm Qaz, most of you probably know me. I am the current Secretary of State of the TSP MoFA. I have been involved in the MoFA on and off since 2018, continuously since November 2019 and thank you for having me here today.

Your campaign has a heavy focus on administration, rather than foreign policy positions. Does that reveal anything about the way you perceive the responsibilities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs? What role does policy definition and implementation play to you, vis-à-vis administration?

[Qaweritoyu] Well, I think, first and foremost, the MoFA is not a purely administrative position and that it will require you to be, maybe not an expert in terms of foreign policy exactly but very close but I focused more on administration in my campaign based on the work I have been doing as Secretary of State this term and what I have seen unfold.

In terms of having an approach to TSP, my approach very much remains to represent the qualities of the region to our neighbours so not having an emphasis on it in the campaign doesn't mean it won't happen, it means it didn't strike me as something, in the past term, which needed fixing.

Earlier this year there was tension with the North Pacific over the practice of quorum raiding. This incident went largely unresolved. Could you expand on how you plan to address this, if at all, and what options remain on the table regarding the future relations with the North Pacific?

[Qaweritoyu] Due to ongoing activity in the current MoFA, of which I am an involved member, I don't see it fit to comment on this at this time. I am bound by my involvement to confidentiality surrounding the matter at this time.

How do you envision relations with regions, such as the East Pacific, that are not part of the defender world? Is there a particular role that you would like to see them play in the region's foreign policy?

[Qaweritoyu] Well, I think it's fair to say we'd all love to see them become a defender region but it'd be a miracle is that happened, the chances are quite slim. I get on well with TEP's inhabitants but this does not change anything from a military point of view, we're going to remain defenders and they won't and I don't think, friends or not, we can be expected to be inconsistent in our ideals, if they act in such a way as to make us question their actions and so act, I think that's only natural and to be expected. My opening sentence to this response was only partially a joke as that is all we can hope, we can't force them to become defender and I don't think encouragement is right either, for them to become so of their own accord is possibly wishful thinking but it is our best hope for now.

Desserts are a contentious issue in the region. Do you prefer cake or pie?

[Qaweritoyu] Ooh, yes please, as if I haven't put on enough weight in the past year but yes to all of the above and more!

Cross Questioning

[Jay Coop] Hi, Qaz! First of all, I'd like to apologize that we couldn't debate face-to-face. Unfortunately, I had some RL commitments that couldn't let me debate with you. Our campaigns are like yin and yang. Your campaign seems more administration-focused, while mine is arguably more policy-focused. So fair warning, my questions will be policy-heavy.

I was surprised to find no mention of the Partnership for Sovereignty in your campaign thread. If elected, how will you interact with your counterparts in the PfS and work on developing and maintaining the bloc?

[Qaweritoyu] Well, as I already said, my campaign is based on what I have experienced and, I suppose, my worries for the future of the Ministry, I didn't say that before but it can't be denied that did play a role. I'm not ignoring a foreign policy but that I am very much pleased with the current Minister's approach to this and inspired to continue it. I will work with my counterparts, I will continue to uphold it and work with OWL in doing so. OWL will know WA isn't a huge area for me but I am aware of it, its necessity and committed to facilitating PfS and the work they do. Part of my hope is to point Advisors and I would hope at least one of those will be more expert in that area than me. Sorry if this response doesn't really know its right hand from its left.

[Jay Coop] Are you willing to terminate the Aurora Alliance treaty with The North Pacific if efforts to come to a resolution fail?

[Qaweritoyu] I am neither for or against any particular result to discussions, I am open to anything, however, if it comes to that, yes, I am.

[Jay Coop] Do you believe that the League has done enough to earn a spot in the PfS?

[Qaweritoyu] I believe it has done good work to this point but I don't think they're quite ready yet, I think a few more months could tell. I get the impression they're trying to move too quickly and I think they need to slow a bit and take their time rather than rush and good things come to those who wait.

[Jay Coop] The South Pacific has a treaty with all PfS members except the Philippines. What steps would you take to develop a bilateral relationship with the Philippines, if any?

[Qaweritoyu] I've not really given it thought, I have to be honest, I am not comfortable trying to form a response on the matter before I have given it proper thought.

[Jay Coop] With the ongoing delegate election in The East Pacific, the candidates have been upfront that the Consortium has been a failed project. On another front, the WALL has suffered from stagnation, something admitted by leadership candidates in member regions. Do you believe that this is a learning opportunity for the PfS to avoid the same mistakes? If so, what would you do to avert these potential issues?

[Qaweritoyu] I hate to speak as if they were our example, however, I do think they were a perfect learning opportunity for the PfS. Again, I do have to think, though, it should be noted these are more personal thoughts than objective, that they also tried to rush into having an alliance that all thought about the long-term existence of the alliance was not thought through. Whilst I do think the PfS was thought through, I think it's a reminder that there is no deadline for this work and that we should do it with our regions' collective interests in mind rather than to say, "Hey, look at what we did!"

Closing Remarks

[Qaweritoyu] TSP is at its best when it works together. Working together, our MoFA will achieve great things and I look forward to the term ahead with great anticipation and thank you for having me.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 12 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
MINISTER OF MEDIA INTERVIEW
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participant: Rabbitz

Welcome to the June 2021 Minister of Media Interview!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this interview with Rabbitz, candidate for Minister of Media. This interview is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this interview will consist of a single section:

• The only section will feature questions on the candidate’s qualifications, intended policies and their vision for the coming term.

The candidate is asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked.

Opening Remarks

[Rabbitz] Howdy! My name is Rabbitz, and I hope to serve TSP as MoM to the best of my ability. I plan on providing strict policies temporarily so that MoM may reap the benefits after. Thank you!

You have been critical, in your campaign, of the current state of the Ministry of Media. What exactly do you think has gone wrong? Is it a leadership problem? Is it something more cultural or structural?

[Rabbitz] Specifically, a leadership and structural problem. In leadership, there's no management and there's not much of an effort to contact those who have asked to write a an article and remind them, and there's also no proper calendar to mark due dates for articles leading to articles getting published after their due date. Structurally, I think that MoM would devoilve into having writer roles and statisitic roles and editor roles if leadership nudged MoM a bit. Thank you.

Your main proposed solution to the current issues with the ministry is adopting a firm hand approach when it comes to expecting results from staff. Why exactly do you believe this would be an effective approach, and what would you do if it failed?

[Rabbitz] Why it would be effective: essentially, it would get the members of MoM to actively participate and allow them to get into the habit of the way of MoM. Such as following the set due dates, planning the monthly TSJ before I would even ask them, etc.

If it fails, then I will relax the policies and see if that works in providing a proper managing style in MoM. I want MoM to succeed and flourish, and if my former strategy does not work, then I will accept the latter.

Do you have any concerns that this firm hand approach could have the opposite result and discourage citizens from participate in the ministry?

[Rabbitz] I don't have much concerns for this. Afterall, creating a poll, editing an article, and even writing an article are not that hard of tasks once the members get used to writing them. Once new members see how fluid and easy MoM can produce articles and polls, then the firmhand policies won't have muich affect on their judgement. In addition, in concerning my policy of aan activity check, it's doing three tasks a month. Writing a poll, an article, and edit an article are super easy to have gotten done in the span of a month. So I don't see how this could be of much conern. Also, I do see how the hounding policy would be very annoying, which is why I formally say that the notice will be half way of the due date.

Also, I plan that the firmhand policies to be relaxed in a gradual way once I see that MoM is taking on the role of self sufficiency; they won't last forever.

New members will receieve a guide teling them about the expectations of MoM, and if they have any concerns they could come to me about it and work something out.

What style of publication should we expect from the ministry under your leadership? Would publications be whimsical, serious, analytical, etc.?

[Rabbitz] The Souther Onion would be very unserious with satirical articles, poetry, and all around silliness.

The Souther [sic.] Journal would be moderatly serious with matters of regional affairs and recaps of varous events that happened in TSP, but I plan to have a sudoku section in it as well as have some NSBall creators for some lively comic fun.

The Llama Drama would be very serious with interviews with newly elected Delegates across the NS globe, breaking news, and more.

You said, in your interview for the February 2021 Cabinet Election, that if elected you would have publications show a clear defender bias. Do you stand by that position?

[Rabbitz] I stand by it when MoM members are addressing matters that relate to R/D that will be showcased at the front of the TSJ; however, raider-aligned authors will be allowed to voice their opinion on the matter. If my MoM members want to criticize defenderism, Independentism, Imperialism, or raiderism, then they may do so in the Opinion section of the TSJ.

How do you envision South Pacifican media across NationStates? Would you seek to publish content to foreign audiences? Or do you expect to focus your efforts on content aimed mostly at citizens and legislators?

[Rabbitz] I do envision South Pacifican media across NS to foreign and regional audiences; however, MoM must first take baby steps before then; as such, this will not be my main centerpiece of my term. The leadership and management of MoM come first, and if I also focus on this, then I think I will stretch MoM thin. If MoM does become self-sufficient to a high enough degree that this could be possible, then I will go for it; but if it doesn't, then I won't dwell too much on it.

Belschaft is running, for the second consecutive time, on a platform of abolishing the ministry due to what they consider to be its superfluous and inactive nature. What do you think of this? Is there a place for a Ministry of Media in the region today?

[Rabbitz] The place of MoM is to showcase the creative writing of TSP, provide the news of local media to the citizens of TSP, and to have a media center that can be counted on to provide the news. Although I do see his argument in having local news sources, they are generally managed by one person, and they frequently go inactive for long periods of time when the one player doesn't have time. With MoM, however, if one person says they can't do it, then there will be someone who will pick it up and write, edit, or create that specific task for them; thereby, being far more efficient then a one-person-run independent source could ever be.

Earlier in the interview you criticised the current state of the ministry. Could you give voters some insight into any actions that you have taken to try to remedy the situation, even if you yourself are not the minister?

[Rabbitz] One thing I have tried is Dming Islas and asking him to announce an opportunity to write about a topic whenever I hear news or arguments breaking out in the NSGP server, which has had success. Doge for instance signed up to write about the Nazi ban and Quebec offered to write a few pieces for us after the ping reminded him that he had some iirc. In addition, I have pinged Islas to remind those of article dates, which has also had benefits such as most articles being done by the due date.

Offtopic: I hope to standardize these practices when I'm MoM, and have specific roles that are dedicated to relaying information.

You have served in elected office before, only to resign before the end of the term. Can you assure voters that this time would be different? How would you handle the rigorous nature of serving in the Cabinet?

[Rabbitz] Can I assue them? As much as I would like to say that I can, I really can't and I admit that. What I hope is that even in my asbsences, which will be kept to a minimum, the members of MoM will be provided with enough instruction and habitual training that they will know what to do when I'm gone. Also, I plan to have a Deputy that will help and assist me in managerial crises.

I would handle the rigorous nature of serving the Cabinet by creating a checklist for myself. I write down what I need to announce to MoM, and check it off when I complete it.

Desserts are a contentious issue in the region. Do you prefer cake or pie?

[Rabbitz] Cake.

Closing Remarks

[Rabbitz] I hope that the Assembly of TSP will give me the chance to bring up MoM and make it to the fantastic ministry that we all want it to be.

Vote for me!

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 12 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS INTERVIEW
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participant: Jay Coop

Welcome to the June 2021 Minister of Foreign Affairs Interview!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this interview with Jay Coop, candidate for Minister of Foreign Affairs. This interview is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this interview will consist of a single section:

• The only section will feature questions on the candidate’s qualifications, intended policies and their vision for the coming term.

The candidate is asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked.

Opening Remarks

[Jay Coop] Thank you to SPINN for hosting this interview. In anticipation of an opening statement, I have prepared one in advance. I wish I could have debated with Qaz, but it couldn't be helped. Nevertheless, I'm happy to have this interview as a candidate for a position of great consequence, that position being Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The South Pacific has come a long way in its history, and we have reached new heights as a region that has resulted in us having more responsibilities than ever before in the global landscape. The choices we make in our elections, especially in selecting a MoFA, carry many implications in interregional politics.

In electing a MoFA, we need someone who can be a visionary and act as a pragmatist at times, which is why I am running. I believe that I can deliver a balance between being a visionary and a pragmatist, leading the revolutionary institution that is the Partnership for Sovereignty, and being conscious of how and when we exercise our regional power.

On 17 July 2019, the South Pacific instantly became the largest defender region in NS when the Assembly passed the defender resolution. Ever since formally becoming defenders, the South Pacific has led the charge for an increasingly integrated defendersphere, and that is where our work continues. If elected, I will work on building and maintaining the PfS.

This time last year, I successfully campaigned to become MoFA, and I hope that I can return to serving in the interests of the South Pacific, a region that I have called home for the past seven years. In 2014, this region was weaker and less influential, but we are stronger than ever before, and we can afford to swing our weight around and strive to build a world in our vision. Let's seize that opportunity together.

What role do you think the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should play within the region? Should it be a policy-intensive institution, a staff-oriented institution, or is there a middle ground somewhere in there?

[Jay Coop] I have to go with the latter. There is a middle ground between policy and staff that can be synthesized to develop a ministry that can produce a strong and effective foreign policy for the South Pacific and acknowledge the role that the ambassador corps plays in conveying our regional developments and our positions and providing the minister with useful updates on regional developments abroad to allow for the implementation of an informed foreign policy.

You mention ambassadors in your campaign, and again in your above answer. How well is the Ambassador Corps working? That is, are its members truly learning the ropes or is there more that can be done to ensure they become the future of the ministry?

[Jay Coop] If I recall correctly, Roavin established a new precedent of bringing along ambassadors to diplomatic conversations with his counterparts in other regions, and I believe that this new precedent would be critical in giving ambassadors the knowledge and experience necessary to become ministers themselves in the future. If elected, I will continue this precedent to make sure that our ambassadors can feel confident once they take on the mantle.

The region's foreign policy has shifted significantly throughout the years, from its position as a leading Independent region in 2012 to a leading defender region in 2021. While treaties with regions like Europeia, Balder and The New Inquisition have come and gone, the Aurora Alliance remains, even though certain tensions from the quorum raiding incident seem to remain. Is there a future to the alliance, or is it likely to be another casualty in this foreign policy shift?

[Jay Coop] The future of the Aurora Alliance is uncertain, and I find it troubling to even say that about one of our oldest surviving alliances. As I stated in my campaign thread, our decision to become defenders brought about consequential change to our foreign policy. I do not state that as if it is a bad thing because I still believe that it was the right choice for us to pass the defender resolution. That being said, what has happened in our relationship with Independent regions, especially The North Pacific, was a natural consequence of that decision. There is still hope that the relationship can be salvaged, but the jury is still out on whether this will be accomplished.

While circumstances can always change, are there any considerations that you consider key to any assessment of the future of the alliance? What exactly would be your thought process in that regard?

[Jay Coop] If the dispute with The North Pacific is not resolved by end of this term, then the responsibility will inevitably fall upon the upcoming Cabinet to do so. I believe that there is enough room for a compromise, and I will work with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence to decide what we are willing or not willing to compromise in our negotiations with The North Pacific. As stated before, no compromise can be reached without a full-throated retraction of the January statement in part or in whole. That is my minimum.

The issue of the region's military presence surfaced in the Minister of Defence Debate earlier this week. Do you think that there is work to be done in that front, particularly as it relates to the South Pacific being a credible leading actor for a defender military alliance?

[Jay Coop] Yes, we should have a discussion with our friends in the PfS as to whether we are willing to expand the organization's scope, which means adding a military alliance component to the PfS through an opt-in treaty. If that is a conversation that our partners are not willing to have within the PfS, then I will try pursuing it through other avenues, particularly in parallel to the bloc. The work that we need to do is at least have that discussion.

What about the region's own military presence? Is the South Pacific where it wants to be in terms of its military, or would you hope to coordinate a specific strategy with the Ministry of Defence?

[Jay Coop] I think that is a question more appropriate for the Minister of Defence candidates, but I am willing to pursue a foreign policy with input from the MoD as to how our foreign policy decisions will affect the SPSF. Through open communication and collaboration can the Cabinet put forward a nuanced and well-working policy. I look forward to working with the Cabinet on these matters, especially the MoD on policies that affect the SPSF.

How do you envision relations with regions that are not part of the defender world? Is there a particular role that you would like to see them play in the region's foreign policy?

[Jay Coop] I believe that we should maintain relationships with Independent or otherwise unaligned regions. A region unaligned today is a region that could be a defender tomorrow, so I hope to build on existing relationships or foster new ones based on that idea. Some regions may hold steadfast on the so-called Independent ideology, but some of them are our closest allies outside the defendersphere, and I see no issue with maintaining our relationship with such regions.

You mention that "a region unaligned today is a region that could be a defender tomorrow". Does that mean that the ultimate goal to relations with unaligned regions would be to expand the defender sphere? Or would there be space for relations with regions that have a culture affinity to the South Pacific (for example in terms of roleplaying or other home-focused activities) but that, for lack of a better term, otherwise lack military alignment value?

[Jay Coop] Developing relations with roleplay regions is a good idea, which was part of the reason why I opened an embassy with Greater Dienstad when I last served as MoFA. Unfortunately, not much came out of doing that, but I believe that I could work with the Minister of Culture and GD and other RP regions to see what we can do there.

However, the gist of my statement is that there are a plethora of regions out there where we could work on developing a relationship with and a military culture aligned with defender values, ultimately expanding the defendersphere. We worked on such an idea last year, but I haven't seen what has come out of that. I hope to work with the Cabinet to further expand on these ideas.

Cross Questioning

[Qaweritoyu] There are plenty of new candidates running for other positions in our election this month, which is great to see. Does it worry you that neither me nor you are new to MoFA and are the only two candidates?

[Jay Coop] To be honest with you Qaz, it's surreal that we're having a rematch from last year. I think that the ministry needs new life, new blood, and more candidates willing to take on the mantle of MoFA, but part of the reason why I decided to run is that I didn't think that there were going to be many viable candidates for this position. Omega's gone, and Roavin told us on Day 1 that he was gonna be a one-term MoFA. We absolutely need new people who are willing to take the reins of our region's foreign policy, and it's slightly troubling that we are the only two people running for this job.

[Qaweritoyu] Does it worry you how little new people are getting involved in the MoFA? How will you increase the amount of new people joining the MoFA and encourage them to run in our elections?

[Jay Coop] I addressed this issue in my campaign. I believe that we should stimulate more discussions on FA in #legislators-lounge or even #government-discussion. If some drama is going on in GP, let's get a discussion going on that. I believe this is one way we can tackle the lack of interest in getting involved in the ministry, but it takes a village, so I hope to have more discussions with legislators and ambassadors to see what we can do to change the tides on this issue.

Desserts are a contentious issue in the region. Do you prefer cake or pie?

[Jay Coop] Pie, pie, and more pie. If anyone dare says cake, it's off to the dungeons with them.

Cake.

[Jay Coop] visible anger

Closing Remarks

[Jay Coop] My friends, voting is already underway, so make sure to head over to the forum to cast your vote in the Cabinet elections. I wish all the candidates good luck during the voting process, including my opponent Qaz, whom I believe is just as qualified as I am to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs. No matter what choice you make in the MoFA election, know that the region is in good hands with either candidate. With that being said, I would prefer if you vote for yours truly.

There is no better moment than now to feature a shameless plug. Make sure to watch Black Widow when it comes out on 9 July.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 12 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
MINISTER OF MEDIA INTERVIEW
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participant: Moonfungus

Welcome to the June 2021 Minister of Media Interview!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this interview with Moonfungus, candidate for Minister of Media. This interview is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this interview will consist of a single section:

• The only section will feature questions on the candidate’s qualifications, intended policies and their vision for the coming term.

The candidate is asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked.

Opening Remarks

[Moonfungus] First of all, I would like to thank SPINN and Mr. Halpert for hosting this debate. It’s really an honor to stand here and be given a chance to serve this wonderful region more extensively than I was able to before.

I would like to start with the admission that the Ministry of Media hasn’t been the most active ministry over the past term. Part of it can be blamed on unforeseeable real-life problems that our senior leaders couldn’t anticipate, while another part of it can be blamed on our own lack of initiatives to do something. Either way, it is clear that MoM is in need of some reforms. My campaign focuses on generating consistent, sustainable activity in the ministry, getting staffers involved with the workings of MoM through encouragement and guiding, getting the gameside community involved, and giving TSP’s residents a platform to speak out their thoughts and opinions. While I know this might sound all too ambitious for a ministry that has been criticized for being inactive by a significant portion of the region over the past two terms, I can guarantee that there won’t be a lack of effort from my side to ensure that MoM rises above its ongoing slump and goes on to be a key part of our region that we can all feel proud of. Thank you.

How would you assess the current state of the Ministry of Media? Are things going well or are there issues that need to be addressed?

[Moonfungus] I would say it's a mixed bag right now; while MoM has improved in some regards, notably in getting more new staffers involved, producing more quality contents, it hasn't showed signs of improvement in other areas, like the lack of a consistent release schedule, little visible activity and just a general feeling of stagnation in the ministry. There are other areas to improve upon and heed advice from others.

A common theme in this election has been, as you mention, the issue of activity within the ministry. Rabbitz has suggested a firm hand approach to ensure that only staff who contribute are allowed to remain on the roster. How would you approach this issue?

[Moonfungus] As much as I respect Rabbitz for their work in MoM, I don't believe that a firm way is the best way to approach this. We have to keep in mind that NationStates, at the end of the day, is just a game. Any and every contributions people make here is of their own volition, so we can't exactly go around and force them to participate in something that they don't like. That would be counter-productive and bad for the overall growth of the ministry.

I would look to encourage all staffers to contribute and guide those who are eager to help us. It's important to create an helpful, positive environment that encourages and self-sustains activity without much input from others and I will look to do just that.

It has been known to pass that, even after a minister encourages people to write, directly gives them assignments and pings people to follow through with them, there still isn't much of a response. How would you adjust your approach if this happened? Would there be anything to be done?

[Moonfungus] While it is unfortunate that this happens, I don't think there's anything we can do except to move on and give the same assignment to another staffer or do the work ourselves. It's not like we can force them to do it; as I said before, it's counter-productive.

I do look to ensure that the assignments that I assign to my staffers are well within their abilities to do so, so that they can be self-encouraged for the task they've undertaken and hopefully go on with it.

Is it possible that this might be historically an issue with outreach and recruitment, in the sense that prospective staff members might not fully understand the work that involves working for the ministry?

[Moonfungus] I would think so, yes. Part of the blame might fall upon us; most of us are not exactly great at explaining the work that is required to put in these areas for the region to function. It isn't a flashy job like foreign affairs or military affairs either, so people lose interest in it quickly and don't pick up much of it from the senior staffers. Yet recruitment and outreach are probably the most essential gears in the well-oiled machine called a successful region. We have to change it by making people concisely aware of what we do, why we do it and how we do it. I see no other way to solve this longstanding problem other than raising awareness among prospective members.

Publications by the Ministry of Media are, at the end of the date, state-owned. If elected, what kind of content would you pursue? Would it be content that advances government interests, content that maintains strict neutrality, or would there a diversity of views, including some that might disagree with what the government does?

[Moonfungus] I would like to pursue a diverse portfolio with MoM's contents. While I won't deny that our state-owned status and my personal leanings will have an impact on the nature of our content, I will encourage others - regardless of their ideological leanings - to voice their opinion through MoM publications. I feel like it's important to understand all the sides before we reach an opinion and I would look to do exactly that.

Have you considered how you would approach situations where content that you publish is particularly uncomfortable to the government or the public, while still legitimate as journalism?

[Moonfungus] It is...a tricky question, to say the least. In some cases, there would times that an uncomfortable situation arises and it would fall upon our shoulders to inform the public what's going on. It is not exactly a great position to be in, if you're a journalist of MoM.

At the end of the day, I would say to go ahead with it if I believe that the publication of such information will benefit the region in the long run. We have a duty towards reporting to the public and I don't want to set this aside, no matter how many storms we might face.

How do you envision South Pacifican media across NationStates? Would you seek to publish content to foreign audiences? Or do you expect to focus your efforts on content aimed mostly at citizens and legislators?

[Moonfungus] I would definitely seek to advertise TSP media contents all over NationStates. TSP is a great region to be in, with an open and friendly community, a lively democracy and lots of llamas. I would like people to know of these facts and I have outlined the ways I want to do this in my campaign.

You have made a case in your campaign for why voters should prefer you over other candidates, but could you make a case specifically for voters who might be on the fence between you and Belschaft, whose campaign calls for the abolition of the ministry?

[Moonfungus] Belschaft, with all due respect to him, bases their campaign on the lack of visible activity MoM has showed over the last term, with the primary evidence being no posts posted in the MoM thread. Anyone who's knowledgeable in how the government works knows that most of government activities, if not all, happens in Discord. This makes the forum redundant to use and nothing but a complexity to add upon a system that already works.

Furthermore, there hasn't been much time since MoM was created as an entity. Are we really going to judge MoM's effects when it has only existed for like what, 3 full terms? 4 full terms? There isn't really much evidence to go around to say that, "Hey look, this system doesn't work. Let's abolish this!"

I would ask those who are on the fence to give MoM another chance, regardless of who's elected as the Minister. While we might not have been able to live up to your expectations in the past, we will try our best to do so in the future. That is a promise from my part and I believe Rabbitz would feel the same way about this too.

Desserts are a contentious issue in the region. Do you prefer cake or pie?

[Moonfungus] Cake for the win.

Closing Remarks

[Moonfungus] I would like to reiterate a part of my campaign here; while I don't believe that I would be a perfect minister by all means and that I don't believe that I won't make any mistakes at all while performing my duty as MoM, I do promise that I would be fully dedicated to bring positive changes to the ministry and ensure the delivery of quality content to the hands of TSPers and other region members around NationStates. I wish my opponents Rabbitz and Belschaft good luck in the ongoing election and hope that may the best candidate win at the end. I trust the voting Legislators to make the judgement on what's best for our region.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Independent News Network]

SOUTH PACIFIC INDEPENDENT NEWS NETWORK

Year 18 | 12 June 2021

JUNE 2021 CABINET ELECTION
MINISTER OF MEDIA INTERVIEW
Moderator: James D. Halpert | Participant: Belschaft

Welcome to the June 2021 Minister of Media Interview!

I am James Halpert and I will be the moderator of this interview with Belschaft, candidate for Minister of Media. This interview is sponsored by the South Pacific Independent News Network.

The format of this interview will consist of a single section:

• The only section will feature questions on the candidate’s qualifications, intended policies and their vision for the coming term.

The candidate is asked to clearly mark the end of their answers so that I may know when to move on to the next question and to answer no later than 3 minutes after a question has been asked.

Opening Remarks

[Belschaft] Hello Jim, and thank you for having me.

I have a simple, clear proposition for the electorate of TSP - the Ministry of Media shouldn't exist, and if elected I will abolish it.

Over the last eight months we have clearly seen that creating the Ministry was a mistake. The simply reality is that media is best left to independent players with a genuine interest in journalism and that creating a government Ministry has simply been an exercise in unnecessary bureaucracy. The output of the Ministry has been irregular and of variable quality, and many of it's proposed programmes and initiatives have been left abandoned.

The government should get out of the media business instead of continuing to pretend that the Ministry is working. Sometimes admitting that you were wrong can be the hardest thing, but I would challenge people to look at the performance of the Ministry of Media today and ask themselves if they think it's doing well. Is it doing what was promised and proposed when it was created? If it didn't already exist would you vote to create it?

It's time we as a region admitted our mistake and moved on.

Islands of Unity won the February 2021 Election, presumably obtaining a mandate to make the Ministry of Media work. How do you think things have done in the term? Given the fact that you are running again, is it safe to assume that you don't think there has been an improvement?

[Belschaft] I object to the existence of the Ministry of Media on a fundamental and philosophical basis so would likely have run again on the same platform regardless of the success or failures of the Ministry, but I do not consider the last four months to have been a success.

Let's look at the campaign priorities of Islands' campaign from Febuary;

"TSJ: I plan to continue publishing this at a more regular interval rather than a monthly publication if i continue on as minister for a whole term. The regions abroad series will continue to bring foreign regions and players in for interviews or pieces."

Looking back over the content of The Southern Journal, I don't think it's publishing scheduled could be called regular. The Regions Abroad series has not been continued.

"Llama drama: I plan to continue publishing breaking news through the LD publication as it develops. I have cleared it with the chair (who is the founder of the publication) to clear legislation news otherwise considered private to the assembly if we should need in order to provide breaking news about our own internal workings and debates."

The Llama Drama has published twice in the period in question.

"Real time: This is another area im weak on, we havent been working on RT to any significant extent, but i hope to start producing content through this ministry organ soon or in a whole term. The barrier is my unfamiliarity with the technology we use for the service, so once im able to get a grasp on it we could expect RT content to be released more regularly."

Real Time has not published anything since 2019.

"Statistics Department: I plan to continue on with polling services administered about regional debate topics, crucial polling around elections, and humourous polls. The Stats. Dept. Is the quickest growing part of the ministry and i see it only getting better and growing as we continue on. To self criticize here, i missed several crucial polling areas since ive been minister due to my own forgetfulness, i hope to remedy this by having a list of things to poll on and when concerning elections and other important parts of the region, so it isnt on the minister or staff to remember to start those processes."

The statistics department has conducted polls, but there has been a worrying trend for these to be push-polls or otherwise fail to meet proper polling standards.

Other promises and proposals, such as more use of VC have also failed to appear.

Essentially noting that was promised in February 2021 has been achieved. I don't think that is strong record for the Ministry.

Would you say that the problems you identify in the ministry are a result of mismanagement, a general lack of motivation, or are they just inherent to any iteration of the ministry?

[Belschaft] I would say they are inherent to the Ministry. The reality is that a successful media origination in NationStates requires genuine passion and dedication for journalism, and players who are willing and able to commit considerable amounts of their time to it. It also requires a rather specialist skillset. In the absence of a player who has that passion and dedication for journalism being Minister of Media it is always going to be a failure.

We do have players in TSP with that passion and dedication, as is clear from the success of both SPINN and NationStates Today. They just don't want to be Minister of Media, and I can't blame them.

The reality is that journalism and government aren't a good fit, and as such the Ministry of Media doesn't attract that kind of player it needs to be a success. In that sense it's set up for failure.

This is the second time you are running on a platform of abolishing the Ministry of Media, yet not once have you submitted a bill before the Assembly to actually abolish it. Why is that?

[Belschaft] Because I don't think there would be the votes in the Assembly to abolish it. I have absolutely no expectation of being elected Minister - last time I got just under a quarter of the vote, this time it looks like I will get less - but in a democracy everyone has the right to stand up for what they believe and make their case to the public, no matter how quixotic it may be.

I suspect TSP will keep voting for players who promise to make an unworkable ministry work, and that is the regions choice. But it's my choice to stand up and make the case that it shouldn't, even if I don't expect to win.

Recently SPINN received criticism for posting debate and interview transcripts in the Gameplay forum. What is your opinion on this incident?

[Belschaft] The nature of a free and independent press is that people don't have to talk to it, but once you do then what you say is open to the world. I think the criticism showed a great deal of naivety and ignorance about what journalism is.

It certainly effected how I voted in the Ministry of Engagement ballot.

As for SPINN's own handling of the incident, including the editorial it released, I have noting but praise for it. It was a strong defence of journalistic freedom and showed clear integrity.

If elected, and even if not, would you take any actions to support the rise of independent media in the region? What would you do, or think, if no independent media was established?

[Belschaft] I would certainly be happy to provide assistance to any player who wanted to establish their own independent media origination, but that assistance is best provided by non-political administrators on the Forums & Discord. I'd love to see more independent media organisations be started in TSP, but at the end of the day it's not the job of the government to establish or promote them. I want to get the government out of the media business, not re-define it's role.

While understanding that different publications could have different focuses, what role would you like to see South Pacifican media play in NationStates? Should it be focused on a local audience, or would you like to see regional media have a greater presence abroad?

[Belschaft] I think there is a strong case for both a local audience and a foreign audience. What NationStates at large is interested in isn't always going to be the same as what the local audience in TSP is interested in, and that might be best reflected by different publications writing and publishing for different audiences or a single publication deciding which articles to publish in what place. An article about a major political scandal or our elections will have more interest to a foreign audience than a piece about regional roleplay. At the end of the day it's up to each journalist and media organisation to decide what their intended audience is.

I've certainly always found reading the newspapers of other regions in NSGP interesting, and I know from experience that many players feel the same way. A presence there for TSP media originations can only be a good a thing in my opinion, helping to promote and advertise our region to the game at large.

Desserts are a contentious issue in the region. Do you prefer cake or pie?

[Belschaft] Ice cream.

Well played sir.

Closing Remarks

[Belschaft] I'd like to wish both Moonfungus & Rabbitz the best, and encourage them to write about what they find interesting in NationStates. Trying to write the kind of content you think others are interested in or that you think you should be writing will kill your interest in creative writing and journalism faster than anything else. If you what you want to write is a multi-edition study of regional roleplay, then write that. If you want to do a series on the oddities of small UCRs', then write that. We need more journalists and writers in NationStates, and don't let politics kill your passions. Be realistic in your aims, don't commit to anything you can't do, and prioritise your own happiness. This is a game, treat it like one.

And that is that.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.

[Unibot III]

My only criticism of SPINN’s statement is whether or not SPINN is private or public is immaterial —-a media corporation should be independent and the government’s request, in any democracy, would be inappropriate.

It should be pointed out, and perhaps this was not made clear in the editorial, that the request came from a candidate, not from the government. To our knowledge, there has been no government interference into the operations of SPINN. That being said, our point does stand that elections are not a private affair and that we have a right to publish legitimate content in this forum.

Hahaha, that’s even sillier! Haha. Good lord.

Lovely interview series overall, very comprehensive.