Ceni 4-0 Tumbra
TMB (4-2-3-1): 13 - Gillespie (▮ 8'); 2 - Boullogne, 20 - Edmonds (14 - Connolly, 66'), 5 - Gorostieta, 3 - McReary (19 - Bailey, 66'); 6 - Hovhannisyan, 15 - Gillard, 23 - Campbell (25 - Sváfnisson, 72'); 7 - Frecklington (1 - Scott, 8'), 9 - Hoffman - inj (17 - Nunnaro, 72'); 26 - Elliot
TMB scorers: Nil
Player of the Match: Sebastian Ellex-Mar (CEN)
Disgraced former Conservative leader Spalko forms new Vanguard Party
MILLSBURGH: In a city that could not have possibly been further removed from Nottingham, Georgia, the disgraced former leader of the Conservative Party, Alan Spalko, launched a his new political party, Vanguard. In his own words, the party would "seek to safeguard traditional Tumbran values from the evils of socialism" and "guide Tumbra towards a future where the founding values of Tumbra — liberty, justice and truth."
The party's launch, which was attended by most of the disgraced former leader's inner circle, signals a return to politics for Spalko, who was deposed from the leadership of the party after April's federal election and subsequently suspended. Spalko, who currently is under investigation for charges of money laundering, said that the launch of this new party "would mark the return of true conservatism to the political sphere of Tumbra." Fewer than 200 people attended the event launching the party. Georgian Senator and member of Spalko's inner circle Kathleen Nielsen, who served as MP for Ravenstoke from 2021 to 2025, confirmed that she would be leaving the Conservative Party to join Vanguard, giving the party one member in the Senate.
Associate Professor Linda Brennan of the University of Grantfeldt, in an interview with the National Broadcasting Network in the afternoon, remarked that the party's ideology was "dangerously far-right" and that beyond serving as a vehicle for Spalko to raise funds for his trial, it would largely be a "way for his voice to be heard beyond his political lifespan."
The party's launch, which was attended by most of the disgraced former leader's inner circle, signals a return to politics for Spalko, who was deposed from the leadership of the party after April's federal election and subsequently suspended. Spalko, who currently is under investigation for charges of money laundering, said that the launch of this new party "would mark the return of true conservatism to the political sphere of Tumbra." Fewer than 200 people attended the event launching the party. Georgian Senator and member of Spalko's inner circle Kathleen Nielsen, who served as MP for Ravenstoke from 2021 to 2025, confirmed that she would be leaving the Conservative Party to join Vanguard, giving the party one member in the Senate.
Associate Professor Linda Brennan of the University of Grantfeldt, in an interview with the National Broadcasting Network in the afternoon, remarked that the party's ideology was "dangerously far-right" and that beyond serving as a vehicle for Spalko to raise funds for his trial, it would largely be a "way for his voice to be heard beyond his political lifespan."
First plans for Senate by-election reform introduced; recalls to be introduced for both MPs and Senators
STRATON: Balkar Singh, the Minister of State for the Constitution, unveiled the government's plan for constitutional reform on Friday. The plans, which were heavily hinted at during the election campaign, will see the formal introduction of Senate by-elections to fill casual vacancies, removing the power of the state Premiers to appoint Senators from the same political party to fill said vacancy. The prospect of Senators being recalled, as well — long since a vocal policy that accountability experts have called for — will also be put in place, with a hefty twenty percent requirement to remove a Senator from their seat.
The exact text of the changes, which were detailed by Singh, would see Clauses 99 and 100 of the Constitution be amended from:
to:
Similar changes are in store for Members of Parliament, with the prospect of recall election being added to the Constitution as well. Unlike recall elections for Senators, however, thirty-three percent of the number of voters will be required for the seat to be declared vacant. The wording will be changed from:
to:
The Senate voting system will also be changed from closed-list proportional representation to open-list proportional representation, giving independents a higher chance of being elected to the upper house, which has long been a criticism of its electoral system. These plans, however, will be introduced in a separate Act, since amending the method of proportional representation used for the Senate does not require a constitutional amendment.
Under the new system, there would be two ways for people to vote. The new Senate ballot paper, if introduced, would see voters be able to vote "above the line" or "below the line," with "above the line" votes being for the party running candidates in the order the party provided. "Below the line" votes, meanwhile, would see voters be able to vote for a specific candidate. "Below the line" votes would also count for the party that the vote was cast for; though if a single candidate received more than 25% of "below the line" votes cast they would be elected before candidates with less "below the line" votes. All independents would be placed "below the line", with a single candidate being elected should they reach the threshold of votes required for a single Senator to be elected.
The released plans have gained support from the vast majority of Senators and Members of Parliament, with the interim leader of the Labour Party, Bertram Andrews, saying that the Party saw "nothing fundamentally objectionable" in the constitutional reform and that he would be "happy to support it." Cressida Granger, the leader of the Alliance, called for a wholesale switch to proportional representation, saying that the current electoral system "robs people of the choice to truly vote for a Parliament that is representative of what the people want."
Singh also released that citizens would be able to initiate a petition for the recall of any Member of Parliament or Senator through registering a complaint with their state elections office, which would ascertain the validity of signatures and set deadlines for their collection. Petitions would be able to signed either online or in person, with the Tumbran Identity Card being utilised as a marker of legitimacy. Signatures gathered before the start of the Act, however, would be considered invalid.
Tumbra has utilised proportional representation for the Senate since the founding of the Republic in 1864, while the House introduced its current system of preferential voting in 1906, transitioning away from the first-past-the-post system.
The exact text of the changes, which were detailed by Singh, would see Clauses 99 and 100 of the Constitution be amended from:
99. Any Senator, may, in writing, offer their resignation to the President, who shall then, on advice from the head of government of the State that the Senator comes from, appoint a new Senator to complete their term.
a. The new Senator shall come from the same political party, alliance orcoalition of the previous Senator, with the same rules applying for any Senator with no party affiliation.
100. The above clause 99 applies also to any other vacancies that may occur in the Senate by such means as death or otherwise.
to:
99. Any Senator, may, in writing, offer their resignation to the President, who shall then issue the writ for a by-election for the Senator's state.
a. Such by-elections shall occur no earlier than ninety days and no later than one hundred and eighty days from the date the writ is issued.
b. Should the President be unable to issue the writs for any such by-election, the Vice-President shall issue the writs for them.
c. The by-election shall be conducted through preferential voting.
i. Should multiple by-elections be required for multiple vacancies, said by-elections shall be contested separately.
100. The above clause 99 applies also to any other vacancies that may occur in the Senate by such means as death, recalled, or otherwise.
a. A Senator shall be recalled if at least twenty percent of the number of voters at the last election for the Senate in the state sign a
petition calling for the Senator to be recalled.
i. Further details shall be decided by any act of the Federal Parliament.
b. Any Senator who has been recalled shall not be barred from running in the subsequent by-election.
Similar changes are in store for Members of Parliament, with the prospect of recall election being added to the Constitution as well. Unlike recall elections for Senators, however, thirty-three percent of the number of voters will be required for the seat to be declared vacant. The wording will be changed from:
68. Any Member of the House, may, in writing, offer their resignation to the Speaker, who shall then issue the writ for a by-election for the Member’s former
constituency.
a. Such by-elections shall occur no earlier than thirty days and no later than ninety days from the date the writ is issued.
b. Should the Speaker be unable to issue the writs for any such by-election, then the President or Vice-President shall issue the writs for them.
69. The above clause 68 applies also to any other vacancies that may occur in the House by such means as death or otherwise.
to:
68. Any Member of the House, may, in writing, offer their resignation to the Speaker, who shall then issue the writ for a by-election for the Member’s former constituency.
a. Such by-elections shall occur no earlier than thirty days and no later than one hundred and eighty days from the date the writ is issued.
b. Should the Speaker be unable to issue the writs for any such by-election, then the President or Vice-President shall issue the writs for them.
69. The above clause 68 applies also to any other vacancies that may occur in the House by such means as death, recall or otherwise.
a. A Member shall be recalled if at least thirty-three percent of the number of voters at the last election for the constituency sign a
petition calling for the Member to be recalled.
i. Further details shall be decided by any act of the Federal Parliament.
b. Any Member who has been recalled shall not be barred from running in the subsequent by-election.
The Senate voting system will also be changed from closed-list proportional representation to open-list proportional representation, giving independents a higher chance of being elected to the upper house, which has long been a criticism of its electoral system. These plans, however, will be introduced in a separate Act, since amending the method of proportional representation used for the Senate does not require a constitutional amendment.
Under the new system, there would be two ways for people to vote. The new Senate ballot paper, if introduced, would see voters be able to vote "above the line" or "below the line," with "above the line" votes being for the party running candidates in the order the party provided. "Below the line" votes, meanwhile, would see voters be able to vote for a specific candidate. "Below the line" votes would also count for the party that the vote was cast for; though if a single candidate received more than 25% of "below the line" votes cast they would be elected before candidates with less "below the line" votes. All independents would be placed "below the line", with a single candidate being elected should they reach the threshold of votes required for a single Senator to be elected.
The released plans have gained support from the vast majority of Senators and Members of Parliament, with the interim leader of the Labour Party, Bertram Andrews, saying that the Party saw "nothing fundamentally objectionable" in the constitutional reform and that he would be "happy to support it." Cressida Granger, the leader of the Alliance, called for a wholesale switch to proportional representation, saying that the current electoral system "robs people of the choice to truly vote for a Parliament that is representative of what the people want."
Singh also released that citizens would be able to initiate a petition for the recall of any Member of Parliament or Senator through registering a complaint with their state elections office, which would ascertain the validity of signatures and set deadlines for their collection. Petitions would be able to signed either online or in person, with the Tumbran Identity Card being utilised as a marker of legitimacy. Signatures gathered before the start of the Act, however, would be considered invalid.
Tumbra has utilised proportional representation for the Senate since the founding of the Republic in 1864, while the House introduced its current system of preferential voting in 1906, transitioning away from the first-past-the-post system.
Labour leadership election sees Whittaker and Andrews vie for kingmaker Campbell's support
STRATON: The Labour leadership election, which will see former Home Affairs Minister Hugh Whittaker face off against former Deputy Prime Minister Bertram Andrews, has seen both leadership hopefuls scramble for the support of the former Minister for Commerce Sandra Campbell. Campbell, 35, who entered Parliament in 2017 as the youngest MP elected in sixty years, is widely seen as the head of the young, progressive wing of the party that remained after a majority of that side of the party broke off to form the Progressive Party in 2023. She has not publicly declared who she will be supporting in the leadership race yet, and an endorsement for either of the two candidates running would most likely prove to be decisive in where most undecided MPs and Senators place their support.
Neither Whittaker, who lost his seat in April's election before returning to Parliament in August in the safe Labour seat of Franport Lusidel, nor Andrews, who has served as Member for Serrapince Rainford for the past sixteen years, have registered particularly in the public's attention. Polls of the general public have largely drawn a blank on them, with more people professing they are unsure of who the candidates are than having any opinion on them. Polls of Labour's membership have also seen a similar deadlock, though a significant minority said they wanted to see Michael Chambers, a long-time bastion of the left of the party, run for the leadership. Chambers, 72, ruled out his running for the party leadership early on in the race, but the rise in support for him has sparked rumours that someone on the same ideological wing as the left-wing maverick run for the party leadership as an alternative.
Neither Whittaker, who lost his seat in April's election before returning to Parliament in August in the safe Labour seat of Franport Lusidel, nor Andrews, who has served as Member for Serrapince Rainford for the past sixteen years, have registered particularly in the public's attention. Polls of the general public have largely drawn a blank on them, with more people professing they are unsure of who the candidates are than having any opinion on them. Polls of Labour's membership have also seen a similar deadlock, though a significant minority said they wanted to see Michael Chambers, a long-time bastion of the left of the party, run for the leadership. Chambers, 72, ruled out his running for the party leadership early on in the race, but the rise in support for him has sparked rumours that someone on the same ideological wing as the left-wing maverick run for the party leadership as an alternative.