Guest Speaker - Eovart Grischun

[Ian Plätschisch]

Please welcome our first guest speaker; Senator for Vuode Eovart Grischun!  *Roaring Applause*

[eovartgrischun]

Delegates and ordinary members,

guests and observers,



It is my pleasure and an absolute honour to be invited here to address you all at your party conference. My gratitude is genuine, so, thank you. Thank you all.



Let me take an opportunity to congratulate Senator Da Schir on his re-election as leader of the MRPT. I wish him all the very best of fortune for his tenure as leader and I wish the MRPT, as a whole, all the very best of luck in the coming general election.



I have always been fond of the MRPT, despite my political differences with the party, and I have been pleased to see how the party has conducted itself over the past years with integrity, dignity and the upmost professionalism. I applaud you all.



As I come here to make this guest speaker appearance, I am reminded of a time, not so long ago, where the Talossan Press noted that I had a "Stacatto" approach to public speaking. I warn you all just now, this will probably go much the same way. You see, I never went to University (or College) and, so, I didn't learn the skills of essay writing or argument making past a high school level. I only learned what an oxford comma was via Google Search at some point in my mid-twenties. I don't sit and plan the paragraph structure of my writings in advance. I pretty much have a spark of a thought and run with it and a short bit of time later, well, my brain dump is floating around on the internet for all to see. I am centainly not an "Ian Tamoran" with my words. So, in advance, please forgive me if I go all stacatto or venture off on mild to major tangents.



That said, I'm not just appearing here, at your convention, to flap my gums (or rattle my keyboard, lol). I do have a message, and I'll try my very best to convey it in a manner that makes some sense.



I am hopeful for an "Era of Cooperation" in Talossa.



I don't just mean that I'd like to see Miestra and AD give it a rest for a while. I don't say it in the "let's build a City on a Hill, shining beacon of light style" kind of way. Rather, I say it because I think our nation needs it.



There are things needing done, that can only be done, by working together. Hence, why I am hopeful for an era of cooperation.



Okay, "era" is probably a stupidly strong word. However, in our tiny country, two or three election cycles can feel epic in duration. Plus, "Era of Cooperation" sounds a heck of a lot better than "I am hopeful we can all get along for at least eight or nine months". Wait, hold on. Yep, let's laugh out loud. A snowball has more of a chance surviving in the big bad fire than there being a chance that the entire Talossan political spectrum can get along with each other for more than twenty seven minutes. But, I can hope.



Again, why do I hope for an era of cooperation? Again, because, I think we need it.



I truly believe our Organic Law, while being a friggin' awesome constitution, has reached it's date of expiration. I don't think it "fits" with what our Nation has become today. The Kingdom has changed in volume and flavour dramatically over the past five years, and the Organic Law, I feel, just does not mesh well with today's Talossa.



Recently, we have had "CRISIS". Wow, strong word. But, yeah, it's a crisis. The constitution of this country has elements that simply do not fit, at the most fundamental level, with the democratic will of the citizenry of this country.



It's goes deeper than just the Proclamation crisis though. A few years back, for example, an entire re-write of Article XIX took place due to multiple mismatches between the tenants of the constitution and the tenants of the people.



We have a document that has swathes of text that should be Statute. We have a set of principles that don't actually match the principles of the majority anymore. We have spelling errors, We have grammar errors, We have syntax errors. We have sections that we are not actually all that sure are recorded properly because they might have been changed a while back, but we're not really sure either way.



The constitution has reached the end of its life. It used to fit what Talossa once was. But, that's not Talossa anymore.



We've had reunision since then. We've had mass immigration from outside of the GTA since then. The fundamental composition of our country has simply changed since then.



And, along the way, the document has had so many amendments that it's been twised and contorted to the point that it doesn't even resemble the original document anyway. If the Organic Law, as it reads today, were a vehicle .. It would be a scrapyard ringer.



Let's look at it this way. Name any other country that has daily raging political battles over it's constitution. Name any other country that constantly needs to ammend it's constitution.



Talossa has multiple constitutional amendments EVERY. SINGLE. CYCLE.



Talossa has a political spectrum that is, in whole, divided and fractured over the constitutional elements of the Nation's Laws. Now, while it is normal to have political parties that disagree with the constitutional status quo, anywhere else on the planet, those sorts of parties are in the fringe. Not here. It is mainstay and somewhat fashionable to hold a contrary view over major articles of the constitution. MAJOR ARTICLES. This is not a sign of a healthy nation.



Let's look to our neighbour state. The USA has a constitution that is so difficult to ammend, that the very thought of tinkering would probably end in an impeachment hearing. The citizens of the USA stand by their constitution so steadfast that they would shoot you if you try to take it away from them.



Sure, there are the strange and extreme groups that want to chip away at it. And heck, there are no doubt multiple interpretations of particular Articles. And yes, there is gross division on agreement on a particular section in regards to guns. But, in whole, the country stands by that constitution, is proud of that constitution and would fight hard and die harder in defence of that constitution.



That's the way it should be.



A country should be proud of its constitution. A country should love and cherish its constitution. The citizens of a country should be able to stand shoulder to shoulder and, together, no matter their day-to-day differences, say "We fuckin' dare ye" to any outside influence that threatens the smallest ink blot on that document.



Talossa used to be like that.



We used to love our Organic Law. Without difference. Without reservation.



It's not like that anymore.



I am hopeful for an Era of Cooperation. For, a job needs doing. We all need to sit down in our chambers and round our tables and get that job done. Not just for the betterment of a tatty piece of paper. But, rather, to build the foundations of the long lasting future of our nation and endurance of the constitution of this country.



We need more than a commission.



We need more than a convention.



We NEED a national conversation.



And, we need it now.



I thank you,

warmly, and

most kindly.



With love for my neighbours,

and yours, for Talossa.



God bless us all and God save the King.

[Glüc]

You make a very convincing case s:reu Grischun (nothing wrong with your speechwriting btw. Its better than most guest speakers we've had in the past.)

One question, would you agree that the bill that forms the basis of the current constitutional commission was not particularly inviting to such a national dialogue and might be seen as a missed chance?

[Eovart]

I do agree with that statement, Gluc. I voted PER on that Bill, as I didn't see the point in standing against a move towards Organic Law reform, but I do not think the Commission was the right way to go.

I think with something this big and important, the issue should not be dealt with by a closed group of a very few. It is rather elitist in nature and, yes, does not offer any opportunity for a broader national conversation.

I think the mission of the Commission is the right one, but, the method for achieving that mission is wrong.

I think at the first stage, the Commission should be holding an open public consultation. They should create a survey of sorts and gather as much data as possible from the entire citizenry. That way they will know what changes to make to the Organic Law that would be in line with the thoughts and feelings of the Nation.

At present, we have a small sub group of about four people making decisions without any greater guidance from outside of its own body.

TL;DR

I'd like to see Organic Law reform be a "National Conversation" and I think the easiest and most efficient way for that to happen would be for the Commission to hold a public consultation before wading into a draft bill.