The Atlasia's POLITICO Labor Presidential Debate.

[Blair]

Governor Blair's Opening Statement

Friends, in my announcement speech I talked about the fierce urgency of now. When I announced my intention to challenge President Griffin I knew that I'd be facing a President who has years of experience in the game, and who has many deep relationships with various members. I'm sure the seasoned political minds would have told me to simply wait; but I simply couldn't watch whilst Atlasia suffers.

To put it simply the President needs to lead. I've shown this leadership in the Northeast; whilst some other regions in Atlasia remained at a static level we had a full assembly that passed a whole host of policy reforms. I've issued executive orders to tackle mental health, I've passed a bailout package that decreased unemployment and I helped lead the fight to stop a Refugee bill that would have imposed religious quotas on vulnerable citizens trying to flee war-torn nations Make no mistake; if I'm elected President I will be ready to serve on the first day of office.

No doubt some will think that my achievements in the Northeast are small fry; of course I disagree with this. But I've got a long history of leadership; even when it goes against my own interests. I lead the impeachment efforts after Attorney General Al failed to stop TNF's coup, I helped increase activity in President Bore's last couple of weeks in office and I've helped several Atlasians back into the game such as Dkrol and Pikachu.

I've already released a plan to reform the office of President which would see the President become the face of the nation. I'd want to issue more speeches, have more meetings and become a dedicated fighter for the regions of Atlasia. I've been saying for months now that the regions need an economic stimulus package, and support from the Federal Government to tackle the economic crisis. The President has been largely quiet during the budget process; whilst in the Northeast I've steered through a budget that cut taxes for working families, increased infrastructure spending and expanded anti-poverty help for Veterans. I take this simple message friends; look at the Northeast, and look at what Atlasia can achieve

My opponent President Griffin seems to be casting me as a 'Generic Laborite'; well friends as you know that's not me. I've been elected in a state with an increasingly conservative electorate; and recent polls show that I have a staggering 12:1 approval rate. I've worked across the ideal with conservatives in the Senate, I've appointed conservatives to my Cabinet in the Northeast, I've got record trust ratings in the Northeast and I've been endorsed by 2 Senators and a sitting Governor within 24 hours of my campaign launching. This is not the time for Labor to simply 'stick at it', this is the time for Laborites to stand up and show that the Presidency can be a tool for progress in the Atlasia

[Blair]

2) Presidential candidate and Governor Leinad (Fed-South) blamed President Griffin for not being active at all during his first term, saying that "we're not better than we were in October". Do you agree with him?

Frankly Governor Leinad is being disingenuous in saying that 'we're no better than we were before' because we've had some areas of progress since October; the regions in Atlasias have managed to rebound, the Northeast has managed to hold together and unite after a referendum and after action from the regional Governments we've seen a drop in unemployment. I supported a number of President Griffin's early actions, and honestly thought that he was making a number of positive steps. He appointed a broad cabinet, responded to the Paris attacks and set up a good foundation. However as many Atlasians have said to me; we could be doing so much better.

We've had a Federal Budget thread open in the Senate since December; yet the President has yet to to comment on the budget page and has made no plans to support the economy of Atlasia. We're facing an unemployment rate of 8% in Atlasia, and we've faced virtual silence from the President about how to improve the Economy. The President has made virtually no mention of the Economy in his first term, and apart from signing some minor legislation he's yet to put forward any policy proposals that would create jobs, training or support for our vulnerable citizens.

Now the President is right to claim that activity falls during December; but that's not an excuse for falling behind. During my December term as Governor despite personal commitments I continued with the job I was elected to. In my December term alone I had a trade visit to Japan, issued executive orders to combat the Heroin crisis in the Northeast and issued a Christmas address. I've shown that as Governor you can be active all year round, it's just a case of putting your own effort into it. It's easy on Atlasia to sit back and say 'It's looking pretty dull around here' but I'm not that type of person. I want to create activity, to get people talking about the issues and to get people involved in the game. I believe that I can do this as President.

Atlasia could be something so much more, and we need a President who has a vision that can achieve that. I've been one of the most active players in Atlasia over the last year, I've been a driving force behind policy whether it's in the Senate or Governors office and I've managed to lead the Northeast fightback. Believe me; if you elect me as President then you'll never hear anyone complain about my lack of activity. I'd rather be the President that is eager and open, than the President who sits in silence I want to be fighter for Atlasia, and use all the powers of the Presidency to ensure that Atlasia can thrive.

[Blair]

3.) What makes you proud to be a member of the Labor Party?

What makes me proud is that I know that no matter what our party will unite after this Primary, and fight as a united front in the General Election. Everyone of us joined this party to fight for common values- the right to a decent wage, the right to a secure job, the right to choose, the right to a high quality education and fundamentally the right to a community where the common good is put first.

I'm proud that unlike other parties the Labor Party has managed to stick together, and fight for economic and social justice across Atlasia. I've been endorsed by the Labor party's only Senator, and the other Labor sitting Governor, VPH. I'm also proud of what we've managed to achieve when we put our energy behind a cause- police reform, an increased minimum wage, economic stimulus in both the Mideast and Northeast and most importantly our continued defense of a woman's right to an abortion. Make no mistake friends; there's a number of figures in the Federalist party who want to see this right removed... we simply cannot allow this.

[Blair]

4.) Why have you decided to challenge the incumbent President of your same party? How would your presidency be different than a Griffin one?

I knew that challenging a sitting President of my own party would not be easy, and I knew that some people would no doubt criticize me for it. But this is such a crucial time for Atlasia; and we can do so much better. I've got a great deal of respect for President Griffin but to put it simply it's time for New Leadership in Atlasia.

I ask Laborites to compare my record with President Griffin. Whilst the President claimed that December was a hard month to govern in I showed in the Northeast that if you devote energy, passion and a bit of spark to your office then you can achieve a great deal. I've already released a plan about how a Blair Presidency would use the office to inspire a new generation of Atlasians, but it's important that I highlight just how I would differ from President Griffin.

Firstly I would put myself at the heart of the recent Budget; I'd talk to the regional Governors about what they would need, I'd talk to the Senators about what reforms we could make and most importantly I'd talk to the citizens of Atlasia about what I planned to do. The Presidency should be a vehicle to fight for progress. Likewise, President Griffin has been silent on the recent Paris Summit despite me publicly asking about the administrations policy on the climate change. We need a President who is prepared to lead, and join the other 196 nations who've committed to reducing their carbon emissions. Labor has always been the party committed to fighting climate change, and I assure you that as President I will not be silent on the matter.

The one thing that I'll take with me to the White House is my commitment to govern in a pragmatic, yet energetic manner. In the Northeast I appointed a cabinet that featured 4 different parties, I won support in the October election from conservative voters and I've managed to build close relationships with people from across the political spectrum. I've got the experience, dedication and personal relations to drive through the Con Con, and most importantly ensure that we get the best possible arrangement. However it's not enough to sit here and say I'll support the ConCon; it's about ensuring that that we continue to govern, that we continue to draw in new players and most importantly that we actually have an Atlasia that is worth reforming

President Griffin is frankly being untruthful when he says that I never came to him with concerns about his job performance, or the state of Atlasia. Not only have I publicly called for more action to support the regions economies, I've also PM'd the President about my concerns over his decision to allow Secretary of State ClassicConservative to have such strong sway over the Refugee policy. I've been public in expressing my concerns with the executive branch.

To put it simply I challenged President Griffin because I feel that I can offer more optimistic vision for Atlasia; a vision that is based on renewing the office of the President, a vision based on engaging with international issues and a vision based on a true Atlasian revival

[Blair]

1) During these days, the Senate is debating the 2016 budget. What changes would you like to see to the current version ?

I've always argued that the budget needs to provide economic support for the regions, and for Atlasia as a whole. We currently have a $42 billion Surplus, and that gives us several opportunities as a nation. I fully support the efforts of Senator Truman to provide a tax cut to working families earning between 35k and 80k. As Governor of the Northeast I did just this-I removed income tax for people who earn less than 30K. It's fundamental that we help the poorest in society; and by removing the income tax burden I believe that we can do this.

As I said above I'd also want to see an economic stimulus package for the regions of Atlasia-we're facing up to 8% unemployment yet we've not seen any solid action from the President on this issue. I'd lead the fight in the Senate to get a stimulus program; one that works with the private sector get matching investing funds for infrastructure, one that creates high quality jobs and training for the unemployed and one that provides support for small businesses through a credit bank. By supporting business, and workers I believe that my budget would best represent labor values. I'd also make sure to work with Senators from across the political spectrum, and talk with them about the budget process. In a lot of cases with Atlasia it's about quality of activity; not just activity.

The buget has has often been overlooked in Atlasia, and signed off as a mere formality. Yet we need to use the budget as a vehicle for the revival of Atlasia. My plan for the budget is simple: cut working families taxes, keep a balanced budget, invest in infrastructure and tackle the unemployment rate. I've done this, and succeeded as Northeast Governor; I believe that we need a President who can do this for Atlasia.

2) Abortion is an important issue in the general political debate and it's important expecially for a Labor debate. What's your exact position on this important issue?

My position is simple: I support a women's right to get an abortion within 22-26 weeks of her Pregnancy. The thing that has concerned me the most in Atlasia is that we've seen a number of players in several regions try and completely remove the right of a women to get an abortion. I'm sure Labor voters know the value of keeping a women's right to choose; when we take away this right unsafe abortion rates skyrocket, women's health rapidly declines and we're transported back to a time when women didn't have control over there own bodies

I've lead the fight in the Northeast, and even in the South to stop this attempts to get rid of a right to choose. This again shows the leadership that I've shown-not just have I opposed attempts in the region but I've also set up a group to defend abortion rights. As President I will always defend a womens right to an abortion, and I will use every single tool of the Presidency to do this. I've defended abortion rights in the Northeast, and I'm sure that Labor voters can trust me to do the same as President.

3) According to the most recent estimation of December, the unemployement rate stay basically the same, going up in the Mideast and the Pacific and going slighty down in the remaining regions. These estimates are based on activity level of each region. Regardless of whether the regions will be recuced or not, how will your administration work with regions to remedy this?

Well a problem we've faced is not having an active GM; we only had one jobs update in the whole of the last term despite me, and several other players asking several times for jobs numbers to reflect the fact that we'd put in a large amount of work. Ultimately there's a lot we can do in Atlasia to get the unemployment rate down; and I've got a proven track record at creating jobs and working with people across the political spectrum to get this done. We need a President who can accept that the economy is still struggling across Atlasia; the regions have done a great deal whether it's the South's energy bill or the Mideast's impressive infrastructure bill. But there's only a certain amount that the regions can do; it's time for a President who is going to devote his energy to creating jobs.

As Governor of the Northeast I devoted the energy of my campaign, and first term in office to doing just that. Not only did we create a number of bi-Partisan job plans; but we also got solid results. We only had one job update but in the Northeast unemployment declined. This shows what can happen when you have an active executive branch that is willing to take a leading role. There's several things I do as President; I'd create a round table for all Governors to come together and discuss what we can do to help support the regions. I'd also use the budget to pass an economic support act for the regions that would provide emergency aid. Likewise I'd create a national credit bank that could provide small loans to businesses, whilst also cutting the rates of taxes for working families to get more money back into the hands of consumers. I'd also visit areas of the country that have been badly affected not just now but for the last 30 years. It's been over 40 years since Senator Kennedy toured these areas to highlight poverty and not a lot has changed. We need a massive program of reform; but this doesn't simply need to be the government handing out a check. We need to bring private and public interests together, invest in higher levels of education and promote Atlasian trade abroad. As President we need someone who not only has a comprehensive plan, but someone who has a track record of delivery. I've delivered this in the Northeast; I'm ready to deliever this in Atlasia.

[Blair]

4) The Constitutional Convention agreed to a legislative reboot. All laws will be written again. What would be your ideal Atlasia's healthcare system?

My ideal healthcare system would be a 'Medicare for all' model that follows that allows for hospitals/doctors/healthcare providers to remain in private hands whilst also allowing for people to get access to healthcare free at the point of use. On the matter of healthcare I've always been a massive policy nerd; I've passed legislation that expanded healthcare coverage for HIV/AIDS patients, I've passed executive orders to clamp down on drug abuse in the Northeast and helped get better access to Mental Health care. I'm sure that Labor members know that a strong health system helps to build a strong nation, and a strong economy but it's worth noting that we must never allow ourselves to get in the situation where the most vulnerable people in society are overburdened with high health costs. We also need to tackle inequalities in healthcare, and ensure that groups that are historically disadvantaged are given all the support available.

It's one thing however for a President to say that they favour a certain system; we need a President who has the energy and experience to work with Congress (as it will be) and get a bill passed that provides healthcare for all Atlasian Citizens. This for one means being active in the budget process; something that I've done in the Northeast. We also need to be responsible in adopting a new healthcare; we can't simply write a blank check and expect people in Congress to support the bill. I've got experience passing both healthcare reform, and large policy pieces. I'm confident I'm the strongest person to lead the fight for affordable healthcare in Atlasia.

5) Let's suppose you are in the Oval Office. What actions would you take to stop the growth of the Islamic State (or ISIS or ISIL) and to make our country safer?

The main job of the President should be to keep the nation safe, and I'm more than ready to take this role. As Speaker of the Senate I passed legislation that send Troops to stop TNF's rebellion, as Interior Secretary I lead the opposition to the Northeast Referendum highlighting the security needs of the Northeast and I've been advocating support for the Kurds since I arrived in the Northeast Assembly.

As President I'd take a direct role in helping the Secretary of State to start a peace conference to end the Civil War in Sryia. Without peace in Syria ISIS will continue to be able to hunker down in the build up urban areas where our air power would be less effective. I'd also begin a tour of European nations, and our middle eastern allies to ensure that we get broad support for the fight against ISIS; this means sharing intelligence, military support and access to counter-terrorism programs. The Paris attacks showed that the threat of terrorism hangs over us, and we should be vigilant in making sure that no terrorist attack can occur in Atlasia. I'll be releasing a much longer plan about how to defeat ISIS, and how a Blair Presidency would re-engage with the International world to ensure that Atlasia is at the centre. We can't defeat ISIS if we're not taking part in International Affairs.

6) What are your thoughts on the Talleyrand's appointment? Do you agree with President Griffin decision?

I worked with Talleryand when I first came into the Senate, and found that he was always good to work with, and would be happy to talk. However as President Griffin himself admitted Talleyrand was involved in the wider trolling movement that took place, and tried to destabilize Atlasia. For that reason I share the concerns, but I also believe in redemption and the opportunity for reform. We're facing a crisis in Atlasia, and we've been unable to fill key Federal Positions. If Talleyrand carries out the duties of office in the correct manner there's no reason that he can't continue. As President, as with everyone in my administration I'd be watching closely to monitor his performance. It would be easy for me to sit here and criticize the appointment; but we need to fill the positions in the Federal Government. As President I want to bring people back into the game, and bring the country together. 

[Blair]

I am not sure of the protocols surrounding rebuttals and the like, but I simply cannot allow this to go unchecked.

Governor, first of all, I would definitely like to congratulate you on having conversations with yourself during the month of December.

You've mentioned that you'd like to "give more speeches" and "have more meetings" - all the while hitting me on "activity" - but these elements are not the definition of "activity". Activity comes from the combined input and output of dozens of engaged citizens and elected officials. Talking to yourself is not the definition of activity.

You also made reference to the fact that I did not acknowledge the results of a trip you solely initiated to another country. Here's the bottom line: the President cannot be the initial acknowledgment what is real and what is not in terms of storylines, nor can any other elected officeholder. Plenty of officeholders issue speeches about actions they've taken, but at the end of the day, only the Game Moderator, Secretary of State or Secretary of Interior can acknowledge whether an event occurred or not. To my knowledge, this has not occurred regarding your initiated activities. In fact, based on precedent regarding the court case against me as Registrar General, it wouldn't surprise me that anyone making up story-lines and pretending that they are real could be charged with "performing the roles of a cabinet official". However, I don't think anyone would actually go after an elected official for doing so; yet again, I couldn't believe they tried to come after me, either.

You cannot force people to engage in actions. You cannot force people to run for office. You cannot force those in office to do their jobs. You cannot force regions to be populated when you are not directly in charge of those regions. I've learned something very interesting in the past few days: apparently, the President can be blamed for every element and facet in this game when things are bad (this campaign), but will never get credit if those elements are running well (see the last 3 years).

I just want to make sure that you understand that giving speeches that most of the game doesn't read, attempting to force the Senate to talk with you, and crafting story-lines on your own does not count as the type of activity that this game needs. We need collaboration and engagement in the form of people joining the game, people running for office, and a fresh start to make even older players more interested in the concept. We're going to get all of those under my leadership over the next 2 months and beyond, because I truly understand what constitutes "activity". We have hit the bottom and are beginning to rebound. If you or any of my opponents wind up in the White House in March, you'll not only understand that, but you'll also understand just what a complicated behemoth the Presidency and the game truly are when making its dozens of parts all function seamlessly and well.

This is where I disagree Mr President, and frankly you've perfectly showed where the dividing lines our with our campaigns.

The problem with your approach which ignores speeches, budgets and some other political events is that it damages the game; as I said before there's a deadly approach where no-one chooses to give out any activity, and then everyone complains about the lack of activity. You're trying to present the picture that we can either have a President who is active in a whole range of areas, or we can have a President who gets new people engaged in the game. Why can't we have both? In the Northeast I've been able to do that; it's not about one type of activity. I've recruited new players into the region, I've recruited old players back to the region, I've appointed a broad cabinet and got them to get involved in policy. I know what it takes to manage the executive branch, and it's simply wrong to assume that we can't have a President who is active in public, and behind close doors

[Blair]

1) What are your thoughts on the work of the Constitutional Convention? Will you support or not the new version of the Constitution?

I fully support the work of the constitutional convention, and have constantly pressed for the need for to complete and wholesale reform of Atlasia. I think that the ConCon had a really good start; the problem was always going to be getting activity to continue. I want to say that Truman has been absolutely brilliant in leading the ConCon; he's been a credit to the game. Within joining as a delegate I had already received about 4 PM's from him about the the concon. We need to build on this momentum.

One thing I want to say is that I fully support the fact the ConCon has agreed to wipe the slate clean on Atlasian laws. This will give us a great foundation to start on, as we'll be able to recruit new players who'll understand what's going on. Even active, and long standing players struggle to know what types of healthcare system we have; I have to admit it is confusing. The ConCon will give us a chance at a fresh slate; and give us a chance to re-launch Atlasia.

The one thing I want to say is that I've been hearing briefings, and accusations from my opponent that I'm not skilled, or experienced enough to push the ConCon through, and manage it's aftermath. I've got a history of showing dedicated leadership; whether it was leading the effort to impeach Al, bringing the Northeast together after a bitter referendum or leading the charge in having an active Atlasia it's clear that I've got a history of results. The ConCon is the last chance that Atlasia is going to have to save itself; we need a President who can lead this effort, and I believe I'm qualified for this position.

2) The Constitutional Convention worked and is working on a great number of areas and is working on a lot of details, so I assume you don't agree with all decision that were made. There are things that you would have differently changed or not changed?

Generally speaking there isn't any major reforms that I disagree with-creating two houses in Congress, having a high threshold for succession and allowing the regions to name themselves are all steps that I agree on. However I have to admit that I agree with President Griffin, and Truman who both argued that there should be limits on how much the regions can change the size of their legislatures. I think some sort of agreement; where the regions had a said but this was then codified into law would have meant that we wouldn't see the regions creating endless amounts of assembly seats. We need to be recruiting players into the Federal Government; and also into the Senate. It can be hard if we have assemblies that keep on expanding. The main thing that I'd of wanted to see with the ConCon was more activity from all delegates involved; we need to have a big debate about the future of Atlasia. This is an opportunity we simply will not have in the future

3) The Constitutional Convention decided to retain the Vice Presidency in the next Constitution. Do you support that decision? What role would your Vice President have in your administration

I actually disagree with Griffin about the Vice-Presidency. I believe that it's a powerful office, that is simply what the maker makes of it. It's easy for it to become a backwater post, but under a Blair Presidency I'd make sure that I appointed an active VP who'd have his own clear responsibilities-whether that would be helping to recruit new players, or another role I'm not sure. I also believe that the independence of the executive branch should be maintained; I'd not be open to allowing Senators to serve in Cabinet posts unless we're at a complete failure to maintain any form of activity. We need to maintain the traditional separations of power to protect Atlasia.

 4) What changes, if any, would you make to the current judicial system of Atlasia?

The Judicial System in Atlasia is often overlooked; but as we saw in the Roe vs ZoWu case it has the ability to massively shape Atlasian politics. For this reason the President should be committed to ensuring that the we have the best minds on the court. I agree that a big problem with Supreme Court Justices, and specifically Supreme court cases is that they're rarely used, and when they are the court cases are often too slow. The first, and rather small change I'd want to see is one on the regional level: I'd want to see all regions of Atlasia having an Attorney General. Naturally this is an appointed position, but I feel that it would allow for a stronger legal position for the regions seeing as there's been threats of court cases in both the South and Northeast recently. I'd also want to give the President full discretion in what Cabinet posts he can, and can't have; this would allow for example for the Secretary of Home Affairs or whatever position the President deems fit to argue cases in the Supreme Court. I'll also be wanting to be heavily involved in drafting the bill of rights when it comes up in the ConCon; this is one of the most important aspects when it comes to Supreme Court Cases that deal with social issues such as abortion

[Blair]

5) Please issue a closing statement.[/font][/size]

Friends, I thank you for holding on through this rather lengthy debate. Since I announced my campaign on Thursday night I've had a great deal of support from people across the political spectrum. Whether it was the only Labor Senator; Truman or a Senator who sits with another party Dkrol it's clear that we've managed to build a positive campaign that rests on a firm belief; Atlasia can do better than this. The choice is in the hands of Labor members; you have the power to decide the fate of Atlasia

I've set out my plan for reforming the office of Presidency; for making it the centre of the Nation. Me and President have set out our disagreements in this debate; the main one for me has been just what the President should do. Believe me, if I'm President I won't be ignoring the budget talks. I'll be putting myself at the centre of Atlasia, and fighting for a new and reformed Atlasia. Not just that, I'll also be putting myself at the centre of policy discussions; and yes despite what President Griffin says these will be real discussions with Senators and Governors about what we can do to support the Regions of Atlasia, and what we can do to sure that we tackle unemployment.

When Labor voters ask themselves if I'm qualified enough to lead, if I'm prepared to this job I ask them to look at the Northeast. We were faced with the same crisis that the rest of Atlasia faced; low activity, a sagging economy and a general belief that Atlasia was on the rocks. But we fought back; we filled a cabinet with cross party members, we created jobs, we passed an economic stimulus and we had an active Government. Imagine if we could achieve this in Atlasia. I've got the experience, and the record to make sure that we can get started from day one. All it takes is your vote in the Primary, and we can begin this journey.

I'd like to thank Cris for holding this debate at such short notice, and I'd like to thank President Griffin for taking part. The most important message that Labor Party members should take from this is that the power is in your hands. If I'm entrusted with the nomination then I'll take my positive and optimistic case to the country. It is now a time for choosing