Building On The New Foundation - The Conservative Party: Stability, Not Chaos

[Oakvale]

With the Parliament dissolved and the election fast approaching, as party Director Of Elections I'm setting this thread up to serve as the main hub for the Conservative Party's discussion of its record, its vision and its manifesto, as well as campaign material.

The manifesto will be published here shortly, laying out the Conservative vision for South America and our comprehensive plan for building upon the new foundation.

X Oakvale, MP
Director of Elections, Conservative Party
Minister for Justice

[Oakvale]

As the party's Director of Elections, it's my delight to unveil to the people of South America our party's vision for the months ahead. Our manifesto, Building On The Foundation, as drafted by the party -

Building On The Foundation
The Conservative Party Manifesto

X Potus, MP
Prime Minister of South America & Leader of the Conservative Party

The Conservatives on Social Protection
Living Happy, Healthy Lives In A Compassionate Society.

South American society is united and bound together by one crucial institution: the Catholic Church. As a result of this, our political institutions are informed by the values and convictions of our faith. Pope Francis, has called all people of Christian conscience to make war on poverty and to care for the most vulnerable among us. The Conservative Party is pleased to announce our plan to answer that call to defend human dignity and provide an upwardly mobile society.

Unemployment and Disability Insurance

Millions of South Americans find themselves in economic destitution through no fault of their own. Whether their job perished in a business’s bankruptcy or they suffered debilitating physical injury that limits their ability to work, the Conservative Party supports policies that preserve their dignity and guarantees their right to life. In order to achieve this goal, a Conservative government will provide a system of unemployment and disability benefits through a debit card that exempts the beneficiary from consumption taxes. Additionally, all workers will receive at least 6 months worth of unemployment benefits following a job loss, with funding coming from the Social Protection Trust Fund. Conservatives support the ability of civic institutions to establish non-profit insurance pools to care for the unemployed and disabled.

Public-Private Healthcare Partnerships

South America has unique healthcare assets that a Conservative government will develop to provide a high standard of care to all South Americans. We support a series of grants to promote the operation and construction of nonprofit hospitals across the continent. Government can successfully fill its critical role in the healthcare sector while preserving and promoting civil society and community initiative. These values, loving thy neighbor and taking the initiative to act on that love, are values the Conservative Party is proud to stand on.

Public Pensions

The South American public pension system, as envisioned by the Conservative Party, is one leg of a three legged stool. The public pension is a support for low and medium income retirees designed to supplement their own savings, in tax-exempt private accounts, and civic commitments to help the elderly. The Ministry of Social Protection will be tasked with chartering Community Funds in partnership with cities, churches, and other civic groups that function in a way similar to the public pension, with the distinction of being decentralized, voluntary, and more flexible. Beyond the Community Funds, expenses incurred by workers taking care of their pensioning parents should be exempt from taxation by the federal government. In addition to these programs and policies, seniors receiving a public pension will be eligible for a consumption tax-exemption card.With these responsible pension policies, the federal government can guarantee a strong safety net for seniors while equipping them, their families, and their communities with the tools needed to live happy, healthy lives.

Wage Subsidy

Conservatives believe in the fundamental value of working hard and dreaming big. In order to preserve and promote hard work in South American society, getting a job must be a financially responsible decision. Work must pay. For this reason, a Conservative government will be deeply committed to a wage subsidy program, added directly to a worker’s check, that raises the standard of living for working South Americans. Most nations use means-tested benefits or sweeping, economically harmful minimum wage regulations to improve the condition of the working class. The Conservative Party endorses a plan which takes the good of a minimum along with the good of a means-tested, independent-of-employer benefit. The wage subsidy proposed by the Conservatives will task the Ministry of Social Protection, in conjunction with our constituent nations, with calculating average wages in localities across the country. The wage subsidy will be responsible for closing 50% of the gap between a worker’s wage and the average wage. By basing public benefits on wage rather than income, we create and incentive for people to work hard and truly raise their standard of living.

Social Protection Trust Fund

It is wrong to force workers to pay their Social Protection Contribution if politicians are permitted to squander the money buying votes and naming buildings after themselves. For this reason, the Conservative Party supports distinguishing the general budget, funded by income, consumption, and business taxes, from the programs paid for with workers’ Social Protection Contributions. Establishing a separate set of books, known as the Social Protection Trust Fund, and allowing the trust to make low-risk investments will protect the integrity of our safety net.

Federal Role in Education

While the Conservative Party supports the federalization of the tax code, we also recognize the diverse needs of schools across the continent. Under a Conservative Government, the Ministry of Social Protection will establish an Office of Educational Grants to provide funding to schools and communities in their pursuit of education. The Office of Educational Grant ought to provide fair treatment on the basis of college and career readiness to vocational, nonprofit, and neighborhood schools, regardless of where they derive their funding.

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[Oakvale]

Building On The Foundation
The Conservative Party Manifesto

X Potus, MP
Prime Minister of South America & Leader of the Conservative Party

The Conservatives on Taxes
A Fairer Deal For You & Your Family.

The power to tax is fundamental to a government’s ability to function. However, excessive taxation threatens economic dynamism and damages social opportunity. It is the objective of the Conservative Party to develop a federal tax code which provides the revenue necessary to maintain a functional, responsible government while not interfering with innovation and growth.

Income Tax

Operation of the federal government is expensive and warrants the enactment of a reasonable, limited and progressive income tax. However, we view the taxation of income as a necessary evil, not an avenue of social change, conspirator against productivity, or method of punishing investment. The Conservative Party, therefore, endorses the following income tax brackets with annual adjustments for inflation of the currency:



Worker’s Exemption

The Conservative Party believes in the value of hard work. Millions of South American families struggle to make ends meet. The government should not make that process any more difficult by placing an undue tax burden on the working class. For this reason, the Conservative Party endorses a worker’s exemption of $1,000 per dependent. This exemption will provide the working class with thousands of dollars in tax relief while still providing the revenue necessary for governmental function.

Business Income Tax

It is not fair to small shop owners that the income they pay their workers with is taxed as personal income. The Conservative Party supports maintaining a level playing field and stable tax structure for businesses of all sizes. The Party endorses a 15% flat rate on business income made in South America. This reasonable rate will attract foreign investment while leveling opportunities for domestic shop owners. No longer will investment in our nation depend on the whimsy of many countries, each with their own unique political pressures and concerns. Instead, the federalization of the tax code will allow business the certainty it needs to make South America prosperous.

Civil Society Exemption

South America, like all great civilizations, is not defined in the heart of each individual nor in the court of public opinion. Instead, our nation is defined by the many organic institutions between the state and the individual. For this reason, the Conservative Party supports tax exempt status for charitable, religious, political, and educational institutions, as determined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This exemption will go beyond the organizations themselves, benefitting also the businesses and individuals who contribute to the success of civil society.

Consumption Tax

Economists agree that consumption taxation is the least economically destructive form of revenue raising. For this reason, the Conservative Party supports a 5% tax on the consumption of goods with exemptions for food, clothing, and housing. By shielding life’s essentials from taxation, the consumption tax raises necessary revenue while protecting the interests of workers and the destitute.

Common Tariff

The Conservative Party is committed to the sound economics of free trade, but we oppose the strategy of unilateral disarmament in the face of foreign economic manipulation. As long as other nations maintain trade barriers against South American goods, we must preserve our leverage during trade negotiations. When we are faced with aggressive trade barriers from hostile countries, the Conservative Party supports the creation of a common, harmonized pan-South American tariff equal to 5% of the value of foreign goods with the ability to change that rate with bilateral or multilateral trade agreements. The Conservatives endorse a process of economic harmonization that will allow our nation to enjoy a new era of shared prosperity.

Social Protection Contribution

The Conservative Party supports a reasonable social safety that provides people an escape route from poverty during difficult economic times. This common commitment to helping the least fortunate among us requires a common contribution to that safety net. The Conservative Party supports raising necessary revenue for the Social Protection Fund with a contribution of 4% of all income, regardless of source or other tax exemptions. Employers will be expected to contribute an additional 4% of their total income to the Social Protection Fund. This shared commitment to the safety net secures the wellbeing of every South American and allows for the creation of an upwardly mobile society.

The Conservatives on Foreign Policy
Strength Abroad, Security at Home.

Providing for the common defense of the people is a natural responsibility of government. The world as it exists today is a dangerous place for free people. The enemies of freedom, conscience, and civilization are many, and all are constantly menacing to undermine our society and harm the people of South America. The Conservative Party places utmost importance on being a bulwark against evil, a champion of national defense, and guardian of South American interests.

National Armed Forces

South America has potent military forces operating within its borders. However, these soldiers serve in separate command structures which stem from the constituent nations of the South American Parliament. In accordance with our dedication to a powerful national defense and building a unified South American society, the Conservative Party supports forming, training, and maintaining a national armed forces by incorporating existing militaries in South America. The commitment to the necessity of a national armed forces must be coupled with an equal commitment to funding that same organization. As Conservatives, we endorse providing necessary financial backing to improve and modernize the military forces of South America.

Atlasian Reform and Reconnection

Our neighbors to the north, the Republic of Atlasia, have withdrawn from the world for much of the past decade. Once a mighty superpower, socialism has seeped into the very foundations of Atlasia. This previous commitment to juvenile radicalism has rendered the nation a scene of desolation marked with the craters and scars of vile communism. While this once great nation has forfeited its superpower status, the world has been left to deal with the consequences. The Conservative Party believes that Atlasia can, indeed must, be rebuilt through reform and renewal, and in the spirit of cooperation will appoint an Ambassador to Atlasia, accountable to Parliament, to represent our nation’s interests in our northern neighbour and serve as the liaison between our federal government and the Atlasian state.

Global Energy Security

From time to time, the attention of the world’s nations falls into the rabbit hole of the Middle East. As the most chaotic region of the world, it is nonsensical for the globe to pursue energy strategies drawing mainly from the Middle East. The Conservative Party supports promoting a global energy strategy that draws on secure, reliable South American energy assets. With a powerful energy industries ranging from the oil of Venezuela to the sugar cane of Brazil, South America holds in its hands a unique opportunity to power the future of the world and strengthen our position in the global power structure. Beyond the foreign policy benefits, this new global approach will create much-needed jobs and attract major investment in the South American economy.

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[Oakvale]

In his address to our party convention earlier this week, the Prime Minister outlined the fundamental choice of this election - continuing the steady work of building a greater nation or plunge South America into chaos and uncertainty? With polling day rapidly approaching, all voters should bear this choice in mind. It is the defining one of this campaign.