Lincoln Senate Debate: April 2021

[OBD]

Hello folks, and welcome to the Lincoln Senate Debate for April 2021. This will certainly be a marquee race, and I'm sure the citizens of Lincoln are eager to hear from their prospective Senators. This debate will include opening and closing statements, debate questions drafted both by the moderator (me!) and the public, as well as a rebuttal phase. Now let's give a warm welcome to the candidates!

THE CANDIDATES:
Blair, incumbent Senator of the Labor Party
Oakvale, lawyer and former Supreme Court justice of the Independents
OSR (Write-In), former Representative of the Federalist Party
Lakigigar, former Representative and regional legislator of the Democratic Alliance

Now, candidates will give their opening statements. Additionally, I request that they answer the following introductory questions alongside their opening statement. The public are encouraged to submit questions for one or both candidates - just message me on the forum or on Discord to get your questions in the debate!

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS

As we all know, Atlasia has been ravaged by COVID-19, and thousands of Atlasians have perished to this virus. As the end of the pandemic appears near, how would you support transitioning back to normal life? What safety measures do you believe are still justified? What role do you believe the Atlasian government has in continuing to fight against the social and economic effects of COVID-19?

Recently in Lincoln, two controversial legislative initiatives - one introducing further restriction on late-term abortions, and one regulating 'diversity training' - both passed in a relatively low-turnout election. In your opinion, did the people of Lincoln make the right decision? How will you address these issues as a Senator?

With a recent bill recognizing Taiwan passing Congress, tensions with China appear to be once more increasing. What is your take on the China issue? How do you believe Congress, and Atlasia as a whole, should handle China? Are you concerned about further animosity between the governments of the two nations potentially encouraging anti-Chinese-American xenophobia?

Many in the center and right have accused Labor dominance of perpetuating legislative stagnation. Do you believe this take is correct? Is there a dearth of meaningful legislative activity? How will you, as Senator, address this issue, if it even exists?

Recently, there have been significant concerns regarding the onset of offsite recruiting. What's your take on this issue, and do you believe that offsite recruiting's increasing prevalence is a threat to the game's survival? Do you believe regulations on new registers should be passed, to combat this?

What is your proudest achievement in Atlasia?

To Blair: You've thus far had one of the more active Senate office threads, in addition to serving as Deputy PPT. Will you continue to be active in the Senate should you be re-elected, and what will be your primary legislative priorities?

To Lakigigar: You've had numerous political alliances during your time in Atlasia. What was your rationale behind joining the Democratic Alliance, and what political causes will you prioritize should you be elected Senator?

[OBD]

Before we start the debate, I'd like to respectfully request that only the candidates and the moderator (me) post in this thread. If we need a commentary thread for this debate I'd be happy to set one up though.

[OBD]

Thank you both for your commentary. We now proceed to a rebuttal phase.

I'll be pretty flexible with this - if a candidate takes object to something their opponent has said, they are invited to make a rebuttal statement. Also, if a candidate wishes to make a more general rebuttal statement addressing multiple opponent points, that is also welcome. Take your time.

Also, I sadly haven't received many public questions for our candidates. I'd like to reiterate that that door remains open, and that I'd be happy to field questions from citizens to Blair and Laki.

[OBD]

Hey, uhh, if the newcomers to the debate want to answer the general questions that would be cool.

[OBD]

Thank you to Oakvale and OSR for answering the questions.

We now proceed, once more, to a rebuttal phase. Blair, Oakvale, OSR - feel free to address responses from any of your competitors (preferably not Laki as he dropped out).

Noting that due to the sudden change in candidates that this is not mandatory at all.